Every year, the patchwork technique is gaining more and more popularity - sewing from shreds. A do-it-yourself blanket will fit into the interior of the room (especially in the country style), come in handy as a plaid for a summer residence, and will be an indispensable item for a picnic. It is not sewn very fast, but there is nothing complicated in the execution technique. That is why such a quality thing can be the first quality product for beginners to be proud of.
Style description
Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers sewed a veil of shreds with their own hands many decades ago. This method was the only available in difficult times, when the choice of tissues was limited. Over time, this technique did not become less attractive. When sewing products there were many unnecessary segments. Fragments of quite attractive fabric remained on old clothes that had lost their presentation. People turned all these residues into blanks for a new product. So there was a technique called patchwork, which is translated from English as “a product of colorful shreds.”
Benefits
Hand-made bedspreads on a sofa, rugs, baby blankets, decorative pillowcases and many other original things have become much more in demand than those bought in a store. They are warm, beautiful, colorful, vibrant and unique. They embody heart and love, as well as the work and embodiment of the creative talents of the needlewoman. A significant advantage is also the low cost, since these products are made of unnecessary pieces that have found reasonable use. Recently, the patchwork has become popular not only in our country, but also abroad. People all over the world appreciated this technique for originality and creativity.
Types of patchwork
A do-it-yourself blanket made of shreds can have a different structure (depending on the fabrics), colors and patterns. Drawing depends on the degree of complexity and skill of the person. The following types of patchwork are available:
- identical squares - the simplest technique, using exclusively square blocks;
- watercolor - differs in the color pattern and shades that are selected for this product;
- strips - consists of strips of different lengths, which are assembled at different angles;
- triangle - the product consists of triangles of rags;
- log cabin - the product consists of a central square around which rectangular stripes spiral;
- checkerboard - squares are connected in a checkerboard pattern (the main emphasis is on the color or structure of the fabric);
- honeycombs are hexagons in the form of honeycombs with which experienced needlewomen work;
- Russian square - this product contains several geometric shapes. In all directions from the central square there are stripes and triangles;
- magic square is a complex multi-tiered technique with a round flap in the center, triangles, squares and stripes in four directions.
Sketch creation
Before starting work, it is necessary to decide how the product should look. Depending on the amount of raw material, you can determine whether it will be a bedspread on a sofa, a baby blanket or a decorative pillowcase. For beginner needlewomen, it is the right decision to start with a small subject in order to improve their skills. When the required number of tissues is collected, you need to decide on the pattern. It should be remembered that the pieces must be the same size, otherwise it will not be possible to observe the correct shape of the entire product. Therefore, you should correctly calculate the size and number of parts, which are then cut using a template.
It is most convenient to draw a sketch on paper, keeping the dimensions to scale. It is recommended to draw a square or rectangle (depending on the selected product), divide it according to the picture and the size of the flaps (you can think of a mosaic of colors in advance). Based on this sketch, it will be easier to figure out the location of the parts.
Tool selection
Before you sew a cover from shreds, you need to take care of your workplace. It should have a large area, since the product will often have to be fully deployed. The surface should be comfortable and accessible from all sides, do not forget about good lighting.
For sewing you will need the following tools:
- scissors;
- needles or pins;
- threads
- pencil or crayon;
- ruler or ruler template;
- hard material template;
- sewing machine;
- iron.
The choice of material for the front surface
Before you start sewing with your own hands a cover from shreds, you need to decide on the most important front surface. Experienced craftsmen can apply fabrics with different textures, such as chintz, silk, satin, velveteen and other types of materials. For beginner needlewomen it would be a wise decision to start with simple fabrics that do not slip and do not roll in, not too dense and not too thin. Natural materials are perfect for sewing: linen, chintz, calico and satin. You can also use a half-woolen or woolen thin cloth. The blanket made of jeans shreds looks great.
Preparation of material for work
In the manufacture of patchwork bedspreads, it is necessary to take care of the purity of the material. If the fabric for the front part is new, it must be put in hot water for ten or fifteen minutes. Then rinse slightly and dry. If the fabric is not new, it needs prewash. A reasonable solution is to starch linen or cotton materials. After this processing, it will be easier to work with them. It is not necessary to completely dry the raw materials, you need to leave it slightly damp and iron it with an iron.
Filler
For sewing with your own hands, bedspreads in the patchwork style use different fillers. This is done so that the product is warm and keeps its shape. The following types of insulation are available:
- Batting. It can be woolen, half-woolen, cotton and synthetic. This is a traditional material that is often used for bedspreads.
- Synthetic winterizer. It consists of polyester fibers, the recommended density of synthetic winterizer for a blanket is 150 or 200.
- Holleofiber. This is a fairly voluminous material, which is difficult to work with, so it is used much less often.
- Old wool or bike blanket. This is a very winning solution in order to use an unnecessary thing and give it a second life. Patchwork with such a filler becomes warm and heavy.
Cut
Before stitching the shreds, they must be properly cut. To do this, it is recommended to make a template. It is made of thick cardboard, plexiglass or plastic, can be of different geometric shapes. For example, to make a square template that is suitable for a flap size of eight by eight centimeters, you need to do the following steps:
- measure and draw on a cardboard a square of 8 x 8 cm;
- measure 1 centimeter on the outer perimeter from all sides (one more outer square should be obtained);
- from the second square along the outer perimeter again measure 1 centimeter and draw another square;
- cut a frame of 10 centimeters wide by 1 centimeter;
- it will be a 8 x 8 cm square template with 1 centimeter for seam allowances.
Cut pieces of fabric from flaps according to the finished template.
Sewing the front part
If there is no experience in this direction, it is necessary to apply the patchwork technique for beginners. It consists in making the product from pieces of fabric of a not very small size of square shape. Lay out the shredded patches and number them to clearly see the stitching sequence. Within each piece, a stitching line should be indicated. After each line it is necessary to iron the seams with an iron. Then do the following steps:
- take two flaps, fold them with their front parts to each other and sew on one side along the intended line;
- attach the next shred and sew it on one side (according to the drawing on the sketch);
- sew the required number of shreds in one row (this will be the width of the product);
- in a similar way to make the next line;
- finish horizontal stripes to the end;
- alternately stitch horizontal strips together;
- make sure that the squares coincide (if everything is calculated correctly, and the seams are ironed, there will be no skew).
If you want to make a pattern in the form of triangles, you just need to sew them together. Stitch the resulting squares as described above.
Assembly blankets
Patchwork made using the patchwork technique should be assembled according to the layering principle: the lining part, the filler and the front side. A step-by-step instruction is as follows:
- spread the lining (lower part of the blanket) on a large surface, the lining should be several centimeters (five is enough) more than the front side;
- spread filler on top of the lining (it should also be larger than the front side);
- evenly distribute the filler over the lining, smooth the tubercles and folds;
- cover the filler layer with facial material and again carefully level everything;
- fix the blanket, starting from the center, with pins;
- start a line from the center to the corners;
- quilting all the bedspreads up and down, it is also worth going along the perimeter with a line.
Edge processing
Do-it-yourself blanket of shreds must be leveled, cut off the extra edges of the lining and filler. The front sheet should be one and a half centimeters more on each side than the other two layers. Then you should measure and cut out four strips that correspond to the sides of the bedspread in length and width plus two centimeters from each edge. The width of the strip can be arbitrary (plus a centimeter on each side of the gate). Cut strips must be ironed in half, sweep or fasten with pins to the bedspread. Sew on the sewing machine, first the long sides, then the short ones. Handle corners with hidden seams by hiding extra pieces of fabric.
Simplified way
The blanket from shreds of furniture fabric, tapestries or velor looks great (fleecy materials can be strewed, so you need to practice on a small sample). For beginner needlewomen, there is a simplified way of sewing a patchwork blanket. It consists of the following steps:
- take two pieces of fabric of different color or texture and cut two identical strips;
- sew the strips along the length from the wrong side, folding them with the front side inwards;
- cut out two more multi-colored strips and repeat the same operation;
- sew four strips together;
- repeat the same action until the vertical line of the multi-colored lines reaches the desired size;
- cut the striped canvas vertically, measuring the stripes along the width of each color (stripes with multi-colored squares should be obtained;
- Sew stripes with squares in random order, swapping different colors.
Denim Patchwork
The do-it-yourself blanket of jeans shreds looks great. It can be made from old products: trousers, shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses. Old things will find their second life not only in bedspreads, but also in pillowcases or decorative pillows. To do this, take the following steps:
- tear apart clothes, cut off buttons, zippers and other accessories;
- wash, dry and iron the details of clothing;
- with the help of a template, cut shreds of the desired shape;
- sew squares into one strip, then connect the stripes;
- sew filler and lining of the bedspread;
- to process edges with a satin ribbon.
To make a pillow, you should make a pillowcase using the patchwork method and add more filler inside. Denim products are very practical, since this material is unique in its kind (it is characterized by increased strength and wear resistance).
A self-made high-quality first product will be the beginning of an exciting path for a needlewoman. In the patchwork style, you can make a blanket for the baby, a cover for his stroller, crib and chair.
Many original ideas can be thought out for the interior of the room. It’s worth a little effort, and from the hands of the master there will be real masterpieces, the one and only.