Is making a quilt difficult for the non-sewer?

[bluebunny]

I have never sewn anything (other than a button on). I have a bunch of T-shirts that I would like to make into a quilt. How difficult would it be? It seems that I could cut the shirts into squares, put some kind of backing on it, attach the squares to a grid of another fabric and sew them all together. Then I would do another side, put batting in-between and sew together.

That's how I envision it in my head. Am I missing something? Is this do-able??

[Sailor]

Well, you could do it that way.

But, instead of sewing them to a grid of another fabric (I'm actually not even sure what you mean by that), I would sew them together first. Cut out your squares (don't forget seam allowances). Iron. Iron on interfacing if you need to (I actually avoid this step as I find most t-shirts are the same weight.) Then, take 2 squares, put them right sides together. And sew one edge. I usually sew the right edge ... so make sure the fabrics are facing the way you want them to once you open it up.

Then, open it up, iron your seams flat ... and continue sewing your squares this way until you have a quilt (or the top of one). At which point, you can add batting, and fabric for the back of the quilt. Put it all together - and you're done.

That type of quilt is VERY easy - it only sounds complicated in explanation.

Your library will probably have TONS of quilting books. Check some out - a basic quilt is really very simple.

[stik]

IMO, quilts can be really complex or they can be really easy. If your design consists mainly of straight lines, you'll be fine. A book would probably be a big help.

[CrunchyMamaToBe]

Can I piggyback on this question to ask how you manage the actual quilting with a standard machine?

I am reasonably competent with sewing hems/straight-ish lines, and think piecing together a patchwork quilt would be well within my abilities. But I worry about what happens when I come to sewing the quilt top, batting, and back all together... How does all the fabric/stuffing fit through the "hole" on the right of the machine?!

[stik]

For a basic quilt like the one described here, I would tie it, rather than machine-quilting it. Use a big needle (lubricate it by sticking it in a bar of soap) and some embroidery floss. Baste the quilt top, stuffing, and back together with stitches about 6 inches long, then cut the stitches at their midpoints and tie together the loose ends.

[Smokering]

Do you have a sewing machine? I highly recommend you use a sewing machine! I've been 'working on' a hand-sewn, queen-sized quilt for years... dead simple, but so time-consuming and boring! And I can't just start doing it on the machine now, because hand sewing gives a different look (in my case, wobbly).

I recently pieced together a baby quilt on the machine, and I'm a non-sewer. It wasn't too hard, although it isn't the most professional-looking thing I've ever seen. I still need to pad and back it, and I'm not entirely sure how, so I'm waiting on Mum's expert advice.