Making a quilt #4: cutting fabric

Cutting is an essential part of quilting and I personally enjoy it very much, particularly after I got myself an Olfa rotary cutter and a cutting mat. Believe or not, I only did so recently. I used to cut everything with scissors but I wouldn't go back now. Even though quilting has been around long before rotary cutters and mats were invented and one can do perfectly alright without them, once you’ve got the hang of it they become absolutely indispensable because it’s so much quicker and accurate!
Cutting should be done parallel to the grain of the fabric. Doing so, you will avoid unnecessary distortion that can make sewing difficult. So fold your fabric lengthwise with selvages together and adjust until it is straight. Use the fold as a guide to align the fabric with the grid of your cutting mat, set your ruler in place and cut the stripe. The turn around the stripe and cut the squares. I find it easier to cut in the vertical direction than in the horizontal. Never use the selvages; they have a different thickness and behavior and will distort your pieces!
Also, don’t apply more pressure than necessary with the rotary cutter or your hands will be sore and your cutting mat will have a shorter lifespan.
In case you’re wondering, I use a common ruler rather than a quilter’s ruler because it has suited me perfectly well until now. I just follow the grid of my cutting mat. But remember I was the one who cut fabric with scissors until recently!

Don't throw away right now the tiny bits leftover from cutting stripes into squares. They have all the same height and will be very useful later...

Making a quilt #3: how much fabric?

This is actually a copy-paste of my answer to Jennifer's question 'How much fabric do I need?', with a few extras.

I'll be using fabrics that have a width of 44 in. I have destined one of the prints for the back (beige with white dots). For this I'll need 36 x 60 in, plus a couple of inches more because of basting and quilting. That means a yard would not be enough but I'll be using the scraps and leftovers from the cutting of the squares to make decorative stripes so it'll do. 
I am assuming I can cut 9 squares from each strip of 4.5 x 44 in (the width of the fabric), which is quite possible. I buy fabric by the yard or meter, but I'll give you quantities for Fat Quarters (FQ = 18 x 22 in) also.

I'll be alternating squares: one 'white with blue dots' and one 'other print' and so on, so I'll need half of my total squares (135) to be 'white with blue dots' (67 squares). If my fabric is 44 in width, I'll need a lenght of 36 in (a full yard).

The other five prints:

Print 1 (20 squares) = 13.5 in (2 FQ)
Print 2 (20 squares) = 13.5 in (2 FQ)
Print 3 (12 squares) = 9 in (1 FQ)
Print 4 (8 squares) = 4.5 in (1/2 FQ)
Print 5 (8 squares) = 4.5 in (1/2 FQ)

As you see, I've already changed my mind and eliminated one of the prints, so we'll need only seven. The reason for this was because I didn't have enough quantity of one of them...
Just beware of one thing: sometimes fabric is cut by the seller in a careless manner and you waste a lot when straightening the edges. Anyway, these quantities are safe and in case something goes wrong you can replace one print by another.

Making a quilt #2: a simple pattern

So now Liz and I have chosen our fabric and the motivation to go with it. Jennifer will surely follow in Italy! I dared myself to use eight different dots and circles prints in a baby quilt for a good friend. I tend to think of quilts as modular systems that start with very simple shapes such as squares. Squares are my favorite shapes at the moment: they are incredibly versatile, very easy to cut and sew in rows and columns and complexity is constructed using just scale and color. I also tend to like my quilts to have an odd number of rows and columns. The reason for this is that you have a central square block that aids to organize the whole surface. A matrix of 3 x 5 blocks has fine proportions for a baby quilt so I’ll make 15 blocks. Each block will be made from 9 little squares and I’ll use only two different prints in each block. Do your math at this point keeping in mind your seam allowances (normally ¼ inch). Keep adding and multiplying until you reach a good compromise between the width and length of your finished quilt. Little squares measuring 4.5 in x 4.5 in (including seam allowance) are fine for me but think about it before you start cutting into your precious fabric!

One thing I must tell you is that I'm not a great planner. I usually start by cutting enough pieces to build about ¾ of the total blocks I need. I try to make a fine composition with those blocks and then I cut and sew the blocks I specifically need to achieve a good overall balance. This is all very intuitive and relaxed! I would save time if I could plan the whole thing ahead but I am quite prone to changing my mind so I’d rather be on the safe side...and keep my fabric safe for as long as possible!

Making a quilt #1: choosing fabric

This week will be dedicated to showing how a quilt is made. Since I took The Process Pledge, I have not yet had the ocasion of sharing the steps that lead to finished quilt. Starting today, I will post brief explanations and my personal options on the making of a quilt.
For me, it all starts with fabric. I pick up a few prints that (for some misterious reason) seem appealing at that particular moment and I try to imagine how to use them. Naturally, I buy a lot of fabric, particularly from USA suppliers. I am a great fan of American 100% cotton prints. Quilting seems to be a national hobby there!
These gorgeous fabrics have just arrived and I am very excited to work with these great prints from the most talented textile designers such as Kaffe Fasset, Amy Butler and Tina Givens. I also get nervous about cutting into them, so sometimes it takes a while until I decide on pattern and size. The first thing I do is to machine wash all new fabric in a gentle cycle with mild detergent, dry, iron and fold neatly. This is necessary because all fabric is prone to some level of shrinking. Also, it's better to check color bleeding at this point so you don't get nasty surprises later.
Alternatively you can recycle fabric: those flowery bedsheets that your mother in law gave you back in 1979, your oldfashioned dress, your husband's shirts (whether you ask him or not beforehand is up to you but I know some people don't appreciate their clothes turning up in a quilt without warning!).  
Get some motivation too: the new baby in the family, your best friend is getting married, your sister is moving away to another country. Think how much they would enjoy something handmade by you...
So that's all for today, pick up your favorite prints and we're ready to start!