As of March 2007 there are 406 chapters of Project Linus and we have delivered over 2,000,000 blankets!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Patterns & Tips > Quick Quilting Tips

Prepare the pieces for your quilt: the top, the batting, and the backing

  1. The top can be a pieced quilt top or a 1-, 1 1/2- or 2-yard piece of a fun fabric.
  2. Cut the batting so it's the same size as your quilt top.
  3. Cut the backing fabric so it's at least 4" wider and 4" longer than the batting.

Assemble your quilt

  1. Place the backing fabric, right side down, on your work surface.
  2. Center the batting on top of the backing fabric. If you've cut the backing fabric so it's at least 4" wider and 4" longer than the batting, then 2" or more of the backing will show all the way around the batting.
  3. Place the quilt top, right side up, on the batting so its edges are flush with the batting. Use your hands to smooth over all the layers. Work from the center of the fabric to the edges and make sure the batting and backing have no wrinkles or lumps.
  4. Use safety pins, placed about 5" apart, to pin all three layers together so they will not shift during sewing.
  5. If you've cut the batting so it's the same size as your quilt top, the batting edges will line up with the edges of the quilt top. If necessary, trim so batting and quilt top are the same size.
  6. Your backing material extends 2" (or more) beyond the batting/quilt top on all sides.
   
   
  Blanketeer tieing a quilt
   

Quilting your quilt

Hand tie... Make stitches 4-to-6 inches apart over the entire surface of your quilt.

  1. Use 6-strand emboidery thread or a perl cotton thread.
  2. Thread your needle and make a stitch through all three layers of fabric.
  3. Cut the thread and make another stitch. (Make sure to leave enough thread at each stitch so you can go back and tie knots.)
  4. Knots: make a square knot to tie the thread at each stitch. Trim the thread ends to about 1 inch.

Machine quilting...

  1. Almost any sewing machine can be used for machine quilting and with practice you can master the art of machine quilting.

Hemming

  1. Starting along one edge, fold the exposed portion of the backing material in half over itself.
  2. Then fold the doubled backing over the quilt top, so you create a 1" border along the edge.
  3. Pin with straight pins.
  4. Fold and pin the other three edges.
  5. For the corners you can make a straight fold or tuck under at a 45 degree angle to form a mitered corner.
  6. Secure the hem by hand or by machine stitch.

You're Done! Congratulations!