Is there anyone out there who can talk to me about quilts?

[snickersnack]

OK - first quilt. Am self taught from a variety of blogs and YouTube videos, so am making it up as I go along. I have put together the patchwork top (very pleased with it, it's only a tiny bit wonky and I love the colours) and assembled my quilt sandwich (did not enjoy the basting with pins, dull and hard work). I'm currently machine quilting using stitch in the ditch which is also going fine apart from a small cock up which I don't think will matter. Now I have some questions:

• I have just realised that I didn't prewash the backing fabric. Is that going to be a huge problem the first time I wash it? The top was assembled from a jelly roll which was all pre-washed. Am terrified it will wrinkle and look horrible but really can't face unpicking it all.

• The quilting by machine is fine, and I'm quite enjoying it. I did think at the start I might hand quilt some of it but all the instructions I can find for that make it look really hard. Is it going to take forever and ruin the whole thing?

• Binding - this terrifies me, as I had a very traumatic experience with bias binding as a 14 year old in needlework class from which I've never fully recovered. Does anyone have any really good links or resources that might take some of the fear out of this part? At the moment, am tempted to just fold the backing over and sew it to the top to avoid the trauma but know that would be a cop out.

Anyone?

I'm struggling to imagine how bias binding can induce trauma.

I've never done my quilt binding on the bias, I cut it from my quilt (or backing) fabric on the grain. I'll see if I can find a technique online that's similar to the one I use. I think mine came from Kaffe Fasset's first quilt book, I find his methods of doing things are always quite simple and clearly explained.

This is pretty much the way that I do it. I usually use a 2 inch strip.

The only thing that I really do differently is when I'm joining two strips together I put them face-to-face at right angles and sew them before I trim the seam to a quarter inch. I find it easier to line up the sewing line that way. In that tutorial she cuts the ends diagonally first.

here is another tutorial

With regard to the washing part I have heard that washing after making the quilts tends to make them "crinkly" where as washing before means they won't.

oops - meant to add

But it may just depend upon what your backing is made of

Your backing will only go crinkly if it shrinks when you wash it. So washing it is a precaution, hopefully you will be lucky and it will not shrink.

Post a pic when you are done!

Thanks - those tutorials look really clear. Photos help a lot, I've been looking at ones with diagrams. I will probably go for straight binding - still shudder at the memory of bias (bran - there was blood, and a lot of tears). I'll just have to hope for the best on the washing. Or never wash it, I suppose!

crinkly is good, think vintage!

You might not need to wash it, depending on what you intend to use it for. If it's going to be used as a bedspread then you could probably just hoover it with an upholstery attachment and the suck set to low. Otherwise you could probably handwash it in the bath with cold water without much shrinkage.

I think a little bit of shrinkage can look quite nice anyway, it emphasises the lines of quilting a bit and makes the whole thing look softer and more textured. I doubt your quilt would look horrible if washed, just not as crisp and flat.

I usually wash all my fabric with a Colour Catcher as soon as I get it, even if it's been washed before. That way I can use anything from my stash and be reasonably sure that it won't shrink or run if I need to wash it after it's made into a quilt.

I'd love a see a photo too.

I will post a photo when done - reckon I'm about 2 weeks away from finishing. Keep trying to do some today but hard with children climbing all over me and a husband who claims he can't hear the football if I sew in the other room.

If you would like to avoid basting your next quilt with pins I recommend using iron-on wadding, which is much easier. I use Hobbs Heirloom Fusible Cotton Wadding from www.cottonpatch.co.uk

Iron on wadding! How fantastic. Suddenly the whole process sounds a whole lot less daunting. I got a bit lazy with my pinning so it's not as taut as it should be.

Good luck with your quilt!

I'm really scared of iron on wadding - I just spend a ridiculous amount of time smoothing fabric and pinning. Slooowwwwwly.

I've always found cotton patch really good for supplies, incidentally.