Make a cosy quilt

Photographs Francois Oberholster

You will need

SHOPPING LIST

• 2 x 2m printed fabric

• 2 x 2m batting

• 2 x 2m sheeting

• 10 x skeins of embroidery thread in the same colour

• 10m bias binding

TOOLS

• scissors

• pins

• water-erasable marker

• plank (144mm x 22mm x2.4m) to use as spacer andstraight edge (you can use aruler, if you prefer)

• embroidery needle

• overlocker

• sewing machine

• iron

Get started

1. Place the printed fabric on the batting and cut the batting tothe same size as the fabric.

2. Repeat step 1 with the sheeting.

3. Position the batting between the printed fabric and thesheeting; the printed fabric should be right-side up. Pin thethree layers together all along the edges.

4. Position the plank on the edge of the fabric and draw a lineacross the fabric with the water-erasable marker. Continue drawing more lines across the fabric, using the plank'swidth as a spacer. Do the same in the opposite direction.

5. Using the embroidery thread, sew basting stitches all along the lines you measured instep 4 (this is quite a time-consuming process).

6. Once you're done with all the hand-stitching, use the overlocker to sew thethree layers together and neaten up the edges.

7. Use a hot iron to press the bias bindingin half.

8. Wrap the bias binding around the edge ofthe quilt and pin in place.

9. Sew the bias binding in positionwith a sewing machine.Tip: Don't start at a corner; rather startsomewhere in the middle of a side.

10. When you get to a corner, keep sewinguntil you reach the edge of the quilt.

11. Take the needle out of the fabric. Fold the bias binding around the corner of the quilt soit makes a mitred corner. Pin in place and continue sewing.

12. When you getback to where youstarted, cut thebias binding about3cm longer. Fold aseam in it and sewin place.

Tip: The watererasable lineswill wash outwith the firstwash.