How to make a quilt by hand – your guide to quilting without a sewing machine

How to make a quilt by hand – your guide to quilting without a sewing machine

Learn the basics of sewing patchwork by hand – a handy technique for when you’re on the go and the perfect excuse to enjoy a spot of hand stitching after a long day!

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Sarah Griffiths

Published: June 18, 2024 at 11:52 am

Welcome to a new term here at Quilt School! We've got some great techniques lined up to share with you in the months to come as the latest in our online series of free tutorials, and in this post we'll show you how to sew and quilt patchwork by hand. In this article we'll get started with oh-so-soothing hand piecing...

Whether you're looking for a refresher or you're new to quilting and testing out new skills, we've created this Quilt School series is for you.

In this post, our in-house tech expert Sarah Griffiths takes you through the basics of hand piecing patchwork – a handy technique for when you’re on the go and the perfect excuse to enjoy a spot of hand stitching after a long day!

Once you've mastered the art of hand piecing you'll learn how to make a patchwork quilt.

Use this tutorial to piece your quilt top and then explore the rest of our How to Quilt guides – we'll talk you through How to tie a quilt or guide you through the basics in our Quilting for beginners post to read the rest of the steps for turning your quilt top into a quilt.

This article was first published in Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

Stock up on these handy supplies for hand stitching

Hand piecing templates

There are a variety of hand-piecing templates and hand quilting stencils available to buy, if you don’t want to make your own.

These will come in various shapes, with a small hole at each corner of the piece for marking seam allowances.

Simply cut around the template and mark the piece through each of the holes with a fine pencil. Then use a ruler to join each mark and create your stitching lines.

Piecing needles

These needles are thin, with the eye stamped into the shank, so it’s not larger than the rest of the needle. A no 9 is the standard size for hand piecing.

If you’re not comfortable working with this smaller needle, start with the smallest size you do feel comfortable with and drop down as you get a better handle on the technique.

Add-A-Quarter ruler

This handy little tool has a ¼in lip for adding seam allowances around your templates quickly and consistently. It also provides a straight edge for a rotary cutter.

Once you’ve used an add-a-quarter ruler, you’ll never want to be without one again!

Get the right kit

For even more expert advice, check out our expert guide on the essential quilting tools.

How to sew patchwork by hand

Step 1

Cut a card or plastic template for each type of piece in your pattern, at full size with no seam allowances. If you have mirror-image pieces, you can make one template and label one side.

Use your templates to trace the pieces onto fabric, using a fine pencil.

Cut out each piece, adding ¼in seam allowances. Cutting the seam allowances exactly makes sewing the pieces together a lot easier. You can eyeball the seams, but you’ll have to be more careful checking your sewing lines later on.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners step 1

Step 2

Start with two pieces right sides together (RST), pinned in place. It’s a good idea to pin at the beginning and end of the seam first.

For short seams, these two pins will be enough, but you may want to add more in between for longer seams.

Bring your needle up on the marked line, about 1⁄8in from the start of the seam. Make sure your needle is going through the line on the back and the front, especially if you didn’t cut exact ¼in seams around your pieces.

Work two backstitches on top of each other.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners step 2

Step 3

Hold your fabric pieces in both hands, so your thumbs are on top. Rock the fabric up and down to pick up three or four stitches on your needle before pulling through. Your needle should be flat against the fabric. Keep an eye on the other side to ensure you’re working along the line.

Work a backstitch every 2in and finish at the end of the line with a double backstitch, knotting off and trimming your thread. Don’t stitch into the seam line or press your seams until you finish your block.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand

Step 4

To stitch a Y-seam, stitch the first seam and backstitch at the end as normal, but don’t cut the thread.

Pin the second seam in place (a). Push the needle through to the back (b), then through the back seam allowance (c). Bring the needle up at the beginning of the new seam (d) and sew together as normal.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners step 4

Step 5

Work smaller blocks first, then add larger pieces to join up blocks. Once finished, press the entire block. Press all seams to one side, which will help to protect the more delicate line of hand stitching.

Also, since you haven’t sewn into the seam allowances, it will be easy to nest the seams, as we’ve done on this four-patch block.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand step 5

Once you’ve got the desired amount of blocks you’ll be able to make your own patchwork quilt by hand. Learning how to quilt by hand has never been so easy!

Designing a block

You can easily adapt existing patterns, or make your own blocks for hand piecing. Make thumbnail sketches of your ideas first.

Think about how you want to break up a block to make it easier for sewing.

To start with, stick to shapes you’re familiar with before using other ones. When you’ve decided on a design, make up a full-size drawing of how you want the finished block to look.

How to make a patchwork quilt by hand for beginners step 9

You can use quilt rulers and graph paper, or a computer program to print out your design. Then use your full-size design to make the template pieces.

Decide what order to sew your pieces in – sometimes it’s best to work from the centre out (for hexagonal or circular designs), sometimes it’s best to work in rows (more like traditional piecing). Try piecing smaller sections first and then joining them together.

Getting hands on

Learning how to make a quilt by hand is a great place to start your journey into quilting. Using your hands to shape and join pieces manually will give you a much better understanding for when you come to trying it with a machine.

Try out your new skills

Ready to move onto your first proper project? Then try our step by step guide to how to make a patchwork cushion by hand.

How to sew patchwork by hand for beginners cushion

Sarah Griffiths

Senior Technical Editor, Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine

Sarah is our resident tech-expert, as at home whipping up quilt samples as she is tackling complex quilt-math with the aid of her trusty calculator, so she’s an essential part of Love Patchwork & Quilting team! She’s got a fabric stash that any quilter would envy (and yes, it’s a stash – not a hoard!) and an almost indecent number of projects on the go at any one time. She’ll often bring finished projects into work and wow the team with her sewing skills. Sarah’s our in-house American, originally from Ohio, she loves a good cup of tea (spearmint’s her favourite) and comes from a long tradition of family quilters. Find her on Instagram @spindleandshears
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