the Big Bed Quilt-Along
Welcome to the Big Bed Quilt-Along!
We're banding together to share tips and motivation to finish a quilt for a large bed. Posts will range from basic sewing advice to strategies for organizing your progress. No one can make this happen for us, but together we're stronger. smarter and bound to have more fun. This is the year of the big bed quilt!
Here's our schedule at a glance. Some of us are starting from scratch and others hope to quilt and bind an already-finished top. Depending upon your goals, the early quilt-along posts may not pertain. Then again, they could be helpful for your next big bed quilt.
Quilt-Along Schedule
January
Goal Setting
Choosing a Pattern
Choosing Colors
Planning a Size
February
Pace Yourself
Daily Sewing Tips
Bulk Cutting
Quilting Strategies
Progress Check + Celebration
March
Avoid the Stall-out
Border Tutorial
Seeing the Big Picture
Saturday Sewcation Tips
Progress Check + Celebration
April
Choosing Backing
Choosing Batting
Backing Tutorial
Prep for a Longarm
Finale Celebration
Quilt-Along Posts
updated as we progress!
Congratulations to everyone who has stitched away on their big bed projects this spring! With any luck, we have arrived at a significant goal. Hurrah!
After attaching a border, have you ever noticed that the outer edges of your quilt are wavy? I’m going to show you how to fix that! Learn to sew a quilt border properly, without fullness.
Are you considering sending your large quilt in for professional quilting service? Let's get it ready for longarm quilting. Here's how to prepare your quilt top and backing.
Your batting choice will make a huge impact on how your quilts feels and washes. Batting can make a quilt feel puffy or flat, heavy or light, warm or just barely-there.
What kind of quilt do you want?
Announcing prizes for our final month of the Big Bed Quilt-Along! Superior Threads will be sending $51 gift certificates to FIVE lucky participants. However will you choose your threads?
Hello, Big Bed Quilt-Alongers! Here we are at the end of March. It's time for another check in to celebrate reaching our monthly goals in this long term project.
The stars have aligned and you have a Saturday all to yourself. To sew! Forget the Bahamas, this is your time to relax, indulge and make! Here's how to make the most of staycation sewing.
What works best as backing for your big bed quilt? Here are some important considerations: substrate, fabric width, color and print.
Did you set a goal for your Big Bed progress this March? I hope so. No matter how February went for you, March is a fresh start. But the month is running along, so let's get to work!
For many of us, there is a pattern. A pattern of projects started and never finished. A pattern of aspirations and good intentions, followed by the frustration of never quite arriving.
Hello my fellow Big Bed Quilt-Alongers. It's time for our first check-in. Today marks our February Goal Post. Let's celebrate our progress with pictures and prizes!
Is the quilting stage your biggest obstacle to finishing a large quilt? I'm not surprised! Even if you typically quilt your own quilts, finishing a big bed quilt is intimidating for good reason.
Cutting your patchwork pieces all at once is much more efficient than cutting pieces block by block. How to stay organized and avoid making mistakes in the process? Here are some time-saving tips.
As busy parents and working professionals, many of us must fit sewing into the corners of life. Use these tips for making time to sew in small bites of time.
Hello, my fellow Big Bed Quilt-Along-ers. I'm stopping in to share some happy news. We have prizes! It's the cherry on top of your quilt-along sundae.
On any big, long term project perspective is everything. When the distance between start and finish is so long, it's only natural to become discouraged, bored or overwhelmed.
As soon as you try to choose a pattern for your bed quilt, you'll bump into the size question. To plan your ideal quilt size, you need a measuring tape, the bed in question and a note pad.
As we gear up for the Big Bed Quilt-Along, are you working on selecting a pattern? Here are some very doable suggestions. Most were suggested by fellow quilt-along-ers!
The Big Bed Quilt-Along: Making a public declaration of your goal is a great way to kick off your motivation. Be specific and be realistic. A vague goal is hard to act on.
Do you want to sew a quilt for your bed this year? Maybe you have one that needs finishing, one that needs a lot more work (that's me!) or plan to kick off a new Big Bed quilt project this year.
Collective Wisdom
Let's help each other! You're invited to share your advice throughout the quilt-along. Each month I'll collect your tips and share a selection of ideas in the quilt-along posts.
Collecting tips now on our January topics. Do you have a pattern to recommend? Maybe a favorite bed quilt pattern or one that's easy and/or quick? Any suggestions on choosing colors or planning for quilt size?
Inspiration relies on imagination; success on action. And not one big, brave action, but many little moments of gumption and faith.