How to Make a Doll Quilts Part 3: Step by Step Free Tutorial by valspierssews

I work using the Pomodoro method. It took me about 3 hours or six time blocks to make this quilt in several sittings.

If you are a quilter you will have a pretty good idea of how to put the quilt together. You will just need the measurements and layout.

If you are a doll dressmaker/quilter you will understand that when you are making quilts for your dolls you don't have to rigorously follow the method for a human quilt. Also when I am making small mats I will do what I can to make it fast and easy but make it look good on the table. If it gets a tea stain on it the first time I use it I'm not devastated. Same with your children's doll quilts.

Little quilts are not just for dolls.

So keep in mind I am not teaching you how to make a quilt. I am showing you how to make a perfectly respectable doll quilt using some quilting techniques.

As I mentioned in part 2, you don't have to use wadding or even backing fabric. You can use a bath towel that you can cut up. You can put backing fabric on if you want pretty fabric on the back or you can leave it just as a towel back.

For this particular quilt I have used wadding. I have however, used poly cotton for the backing because that is what I had. These quilts don't have to last a lifetime. Personally I would rather make a few new quilts each year and give any spares to the thrift shop.
I made the quilt then I submerged it in cold water and squeezed it a few times. I rolled it up and rung it out firmly. I then pegged it on the line in the sun. When it was dry I pressed it firmly with steam. It looks great. You wouldn't know I had washed it.

So don't be concerned that you have to make your doll quilt a certain way. Just have fun making it. You have nothing to lose if you use quilters fabric and take care with sewing your 1/4" seams.

I am outlining the main steps here.

If you would like to download a complete photo tutorial  see my doll quilt resources at dolldressmaking.teachable.com.

I have called this one "small small squares" because it is as small as I would make to fit nicely over a doll and the squares are as small as I can be bothered fitting together. As I mentioned, I expect that a quilt I make for my child to play with doesn't need to take 3 months to make. It just needs to look good.

Cutting out the doll quilt

• Cut out strips of fabric. 3 from one fabric and 3 from another fabric. It is easier to cut them width of fabric (WOF) but for this quilt you need 9 x 2/12" or 22 1/2". 
• Cut the strips 23" long.

Sewing the strips and making squares for the doll quilt

• Sew the strips together alternating the colours
• Don't worry about pressing the seams yet
• Fold the panel in half lengthwise and cut sections 2 1/2" wide. You should get 9.
• Starting form the same colour on each section, press the seams all in one direction.

Making the doll quilt top

• Reverse each second strip. Nest the seams as you join the strips together.
• Cut border strips 1/1/2" wide. Cut two short strips the same length as the patchwork short side.
• Sew them on
• Cut two long strips the same length as the long side of the quilt.
• Sew them on.

Finishing the doll quilt

• Layer the top, the wadding and the backing and pin them together or use basting spray.
• Do some simple quilting
• Cut 2" strips and join them together so they fit around the quilt with about 6" extra.
• Press it double. Pin it to the back of the quilt and sew it around stopping at each corner and turning.
• Fold it to the front and stitch it down to cover the seam line

More interesting reading

Read this article about the Pomodoro Method. I find it is a technique that really helps me get things done.

I so enjoy making small mats. I made a little bed for my quilting companion (1996-2017). You can se it here.

Sign into dolldressmaking.teachable.com for free resources including a photo tutorial on how to make this doll quilt.

Happy Doll Dressmaking,
Val

How to Make Doll Quilts Part 2

This is the progress on my quilt. I have a finished flimsy.

Doll quilts from little squares are easy and fun to make unique. You can read a bit about the history of doll quilts in Part 1
If you aren't a quilter with a stash of wadding in the cupboard...

...then you can use a towel as wadding or even as wadding and backing in one.

My flimsy is on a bath towel. Whatever you use as wadding trim it so about an inch sticks out all around. You would be surprised how the wadding shrinks as you do the quilting.

I'm going to do some simple quilting diagonally on this quilt.
I will use my wadding and back it with pale pink and do the binding in the same pale pink.

I am making a photo tutorial to put in my resource library on dolldressmaking.teachable.com

Sign into my Resource Library of free and paid tutorials and patterns.

I will blog the basics next week once I have the quilt finished.

Quilts with little squares offer lots of variety. Doll quilts are so quick to make so you can attempt more complex designs, not just rows of squares.

You can make a simple quilt unique by adding

• some applique
• changing up the layout
• and/or using colour to create shapes and designs

I love this wall hanging with the heart applique.

Source: https://pin.it/laxqq642yfkpfi

This one has an extra border of smaller squares.

Source: https://pin.it/filhxnyxgkguiz

One of my favourites is just rows of squares with a binding. You can make your quilt any size. You can make quilts with different size squares. Using 3" squares in a 4x4 layout makes a cute quilt and is very fast.

Source: https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/281615782922260244/

This is how my quilt turns out.

See part 1 HERE

Happy Sewing and Doll Dressmaking,

Val

How to make doll quilts Part 1

Easy patchwork doll quilt

Before I started designing doll clothes I did quite a lot of patchwork and quilting. I have a lot of patchwork fabrics that are not really suitable for doll clothes so I plan to get some of them out and make doll quilts.
I have started a Pinterest Board to save bed styling ideas that I like. I think the pillows and cushions are an essential part of the whole doll bed thing.
The number of patchwork ideas available for doll quilts is pretty much never ending but I do like the simple squares like the one from the American Doll Quilts book below.

This quilt book shows you how to make some of the quilts children might have made in the 1800s
https://www.shopmartingale.com/american-doll-quilts-ebook.html

Here is one of the quilts from the book. Those fabrics are beautiful.

If you have plenty of hours and you like patchwork and quilting you should spend some time browsing the boards at martingale
https://www.pinterest.com.au/shopmartingale/boards/

The history of doll quilts in America is a whole subject. 

Since sewing was an essential task for women in the 1800s girls were taught to sew from a very early age. Often the first practice piece would be a small quilt for their doll.
In the pioneer era quilting became very popular because of the rise of the textile industry and the availability of inexpensive fabrics.
Many of the quilts from that era are gone because they would have been used until they wore out.
You can read more in this article:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/resources/article-15.html

Until I started researching for this blog post I didn't realise there were actually career opportunities for quilt historians. Around the 1970s women started to take an interest in the women and quilts of historical times and it has grown from there.

Quilt Historians
You can find out more about the quilt historians in this article:
http://www.antiquequiltdating.com/Getting_to_Know_Today's_Quilt_Historians.html

"Today quilt history is a broad and recognized field of professional and personal study and enjoyment. "

Doll quilt designs
You will find lots here on Pinterest
I would love to make a few of these. Look out for the plans on my blog.
Coming up soon I will go through the steps to make my first contemporary quilt. Like this one.

https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/575897871098721266/

Make sure you sign into dolldressmaking.teachable.com to have access to my free library and my newsletter.

Get the free plan for a quilt with little squares on Teachable 
(the photo tutorial will go up soon)

Look out for my Doll Dressmaking courses coming up for sale on Teachable in 2019.

Happy Sewing and Doll Dressmaking,
Val