Quilting for Beginners: Fat Quarters, Seams, Wadding and a First Quilt

Quilting for beginners comes down to three habits: cut accurately with a rotary cutter, sew every seam with a consistent 1/4 inch (6 mm) seam allowance, and choose wadding that suits how the finished quilt will be used. Start with a small project, such as a nine-patch mini quilt made from a few fat quarters, and you will practise every core skill without a big outlay of fabric or time.

What you need to get started

You do not need a dedicated sewing room. A sewing machine with a straight stitch, a flat table and an ironing board are enough for a first quilt. If you are still putting a basic sewing box together, our beginner's sewing kit checklist covers the general essentials.

• Fabric: 100% quilting-weight cotton is the usual choice because it presses crisply and holds a seam well. Browse fabric and quilting for cottons, fat quarters and wadding.
• Cutting tools: a rotary cutter, a self-healing cutting mat and a clear acrylic quilting ruler marked in inches. You will find these in craft tools and cutting.
• Notions: neutral cotton or polyester thread, pins or clips, curved safety pins for basting, and fabric scissors kept only for fabric. See the sewing department.
• Pressing: an iron and board. Keep the flex tidy, switch the iron off when you step away and stand it upright, out of reach of children and pets.

Fat quarters and other precut sizes

A fat quarter is a quarter of a yard of fabric cut "fat" rather than long: half a yard deep and half the fabric width across, which gives a piece of roughly 18 x 22 inches. Because it is nearly square, you can cut far more useful patches from it than from a long, thin strip of the same area. In the UK, where fabric is often sold by the metre, some fat quarters are cut slightly larger, so always check the measurements on the listing.

Quilting patterns are almost always written in inches, even in the UK, because rulers, precuts and presser feet are designed around them. It is easiest to work in inches throughout and avoid converting halfway through a project.

The 1/4 inch (6 mm) seam allowance

Patchwork patterns assume a 1/4 inch seam allowance, which is 6.35 mm, usually rounded to 6 mm. This sounds tiny, but every block has several seams, and an error of a millimetre or two per seam quickly adds up to blocks that refuse to line up.

How to check your seam

1. Cut three strips, each 1.5 x 4 in (about 3.8 x 10 cm).
2. Sew them together side by side along the long edges using your usual guide.
3. Press, then measure the middle strip. It should be exactly 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
4. If it is narrower, your seam is too wide; if it is wider, your seam is too narrow. Adjust the needle position or move your guide and test again.

A 1/4 inch presser foot makes this much easier, if your machine accepts one. Alternatively, place a strip of masking tape on the machine bed exactly 1/4 inch from the needle. Many quilters sew a "scant" quarter inch, a thread or two narrower, to allow for the fold when seams are pressed.

Press, don't iron

Lift the iron and set it down rather than sliding it, which can stretch cotton out of shape. Press seams to one side, usually towards the darker fabric, or open if your pattern says so.

Rotary cutter safety

A rotary cutter is extremely sharp and cuts through several layers of fabric at once, so treat it with the same respect as a craft knife. The manufacturer guidance from OLFA on safe rotary cutting sets out sensible habits:

• Close the blade guard after every single cut, and never put the cutter down with the blade exposed.
• Always cut away from yourself, never towards your body.
• Stand to cut if you can, and keep the hand holding the ruler flat with fingers well away from the edge.
• Use a proper cutting mat and replace blades once they start to skip or need extra pressure. A blunt blade is more likely to slip.
• Keep cutters out of reach of children. Wrap or contain used blades before you dispose of them.

Never cut over your fingertips, and stop cutting if you are tired; most accidents happen when attention drifts.

Choosing wadding

Wadding (called batting in American patterns) is the middle layer that gives a quilt its warmth and texture. The main choices behave differently:

Always check the packet for the maximum quilting distance: the furthest apart your lines of stitching can be before the wadding may shift or bunch. For example, the manufacturer of one 80/20 cotton-mix wadding specifies stitching no more than 20 cm apart and recommends pre-washing to avoid later shrinkage.

Your first project: a nine-patch mini quilt

A nine-patch block finishes at 12 in (about 30.5 cm) square, which is the right size for a table mat, a wall hanging or a cushion front. You will need about four fat quarters: two or three for the patches, one for the backing and one for the binding, plus a piece of wadding about 16.5 in square.

1. Cut: nine squares of 4.5 in (11.4 cm), mixing light and dark fabrics.
2. Lay out: arrange them in three rows of three on a flat surface and take a photo for reference.
3. Sew rows: join the squares in each row with a 1/4 inch seam. Press the seams of rows one and three in one direction and row two in the other.
4. Join rows: the opposite seams will "nest" together, helping the corners meet neatly. Pin at each seam, sew and press. The block should measure 12.5 in.
5. Make the sandwich: lay the backing right side down, then the wadding, then the block right side up, with backing and wadding about 2 in larger all round. Baste with curved safety pins.
6. Quilt: stitch straight lines about 1/4 inch from each seam, keeping within the wadding's maximum quilting distance. A walking foot helps the layers feed evenly.
7. Bind: trim the edges square, then cut three 2.5 in strips along the 22 in side of the binding fat quarter, join them, fold in half lengthways and stitch around the edge.

Practical checklist

• Test your 1/4 inch (6 mm) seam with the three-strip method before you start.
• Close the rotary cutter after every cut and keep it away from children.
• Check fat quarter measurements on the listing, especially metric cuts.
• Read the wadding packet for fibre content, pre-wash advice and maximum quilting distance.
• Press rather than iron, and switch the iron off when you leave the table.
• Start small: one nine-patch block teaches cutting, piecing, quilting and binding.

Frequently asked questions

What size is a fat quarter?

A fat quarter is a quarter of a yard cut half a yard deep and half the fabric width across, roughly 18 x 22 inches (about 46 x 56 cm). Some UK fabric sold by the metre is cut into slightly larger fat quarters, so check the listing.

What seam allowance is used in quilting?

Patchwork patterns use a 1/4 inch seam allowance, which is 6.35 mm and usually rounded to 6 mm. Test it by sewing three 1.5 inch strips together: the middle strip should measure exactly 1 inch.

How do I use a rotary cutter safely?

Close the blade guard after every cut, always cut away from yourself and keep the fingers of your ruler hand away from the edge. Use a cutting mat, replace blunt blades and keep cutters out of children's reach.

Which wadding is best for a first quilt?

A cotton or cotton-polyester blend wadding is a common choice for beginners because it is easy to handle and quilt. Check the packet for the maximum quilting distance and any pre-wash advice.

What is a good first quilting project?

A nine-patch mini quilt is a good start: nine 4.5 inch squares make a block that finishes at 12 inches. It teaches cutting, piecing, quilting and binding using about four fat quarters.