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 Quilt Types : Whole Cloth Quilts - The Tradition Continues

The whole cloth quilt has been around for centuries, and traditional quilts are still very popular. If you see a white quilt with extensive hand quilting in floral designs, with checkerboard backgrounds, you are looking at a whole cloth quilt. Traditionally, to own a single piece of fabric in one color meant you were probably a wealthy woman with excellent needlework skills and considerable time on your hands. These quilts were seen as bridal or wedding quilts.

Today you will see a variety of whole cloth quilts, many in the traditional white, but also in other colors. The key to the quilt is one whole piece of cloth, not pieced in any way. All quilted designs tend to be floral, many with a large pineapple, a traditional sign of welcome, in the center medallion. Surrounding the center will be lots of feathered designs and geometric patterns. It is not uncommon to see large circles of feathers connected with a geometric grid of straight lines.

Making a traditional whole cloth quilt involves carefully marking a design on the fabric, starting from the center and working out. You can also buy preprinted quilt tops that save you the chore of marking, but take away any originality you might want to bring to the design. Be sure to test a marker before you start the design. Not all pencils wash out, and many markers will evaporate or bleed through to the background or the front finished design. This step is a must for testing ahead of time.

These quilts tend to be done with a white or off-white thread specifically for hand-quilting. You want to invest in good needles, good thread, a hoop (or a frame) that works for you, batting, backing, and a thimble. It is rare to find someone who will do the hand quilting on whole cloth without using a hoop to keep the sandwich taut. Basting needs to be done carefully. Use large tables that can be put together so you can spread your backing fabric carefully. Many churches or local quilt stores let you use their tables.

Invest in a good fabric for backing. Not only do you want a fabric that will show quilting stitches, you want one that can be cleaned easily and will not fray after use. Do not use cheap fabrics. Also invest in a good batting. Read the manufacturers instructions; you want a batting easy to hand quilt, and one that will hold up under a lot of quilting.

Cut your backing and batting at least two inches wider that the finished quilt top. Spread out your backing fabric with the wrong side facing up. Smooth your batting on to the backing. Add the quilt top, right side up. Baste evenly across the quilt. Start in the center and work out to the middle of one edge. Use a different colored thread to do your basting so it will be easy to see.

Start in the center again and baste to the opposite edge. Continue to do this until you have basted a total of eight sections. Don't short yourself on basting because you want to start quilting. You do not want the quilt to shift and end up having to piece additional fabric on to the backing.

Make a smaller sandwich of the same fabric and batting so you can practice your quilting stitch. Each time you start to quilt, spend a few minutes getting the rhythm of your stitching so your stitches stay even. One of the joys of whole cloth is the artistry in the hand-quilted stitch. Some quilters pride themselves on 9 to 12 stitches per inch, but even, straight stitches are more important than smaller uneven ones. Do what seems to fit your design the best.

Once you are done with your hand quilting, be sure to remove any markings. Add your binding in the way most comfortable for you. You will have created a family heirloom in a long quilting tradition.

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