Are you looking for a way to upcycle your scrap fabric and create a vibrant, cozy quilt? If so, then a yoyo quilt with backing is the perfect project for you! A yoyo quilt is a great beginner quilting project that requires minimal skills and is relatively easy to make. This tutorial will help guide your through the steps of how to make a yoyo quilt with backing. From choosing your materials, to assembling the yoyos, and then adding the binding, you’ll be able to soon have the perfect yoyo quilt for your home.
Creating a YoYo Quilt with Backing
Creating a Yoyo quilt with backing is an easy quilt project that will make for a unique addition to any bedroom. With the right materials and some patience, you can design and construct a beautiful quilt of yoyos perfect for keeping you warm on a chilly night. In this guide, we’ll take you through every step of creating your quilt, from choosing the right materials to assembling the yoyos, preparing the backing, basting the layers, quilting, and adding a binding.
Choosing Your Materials
When making a yo-yo quilt with backing, there are a few simple materials you will need. Before starting, it is best to ensure that you have all the right supplies, so you can focus on the creative process. Here is a list of materials you’ll need:
- Cotton fabric, enough to make the yo-yo circles and have extra for the backing and binding
- Water-soluble fabric glue
- Needle and thread
- Basic sewing supplies
- Rotary cutter and mat
- Quilting batting
- Clear thread for quilting
When picking fabric, choose bright, vibrant colors that will coordinate beautifully once the yo-yo circles are stitched together. You can choose scrap fabric in different colors and sizes, or opt for one to three coordinating fabrics. Choose batting that is the same size as the quilt top, and when picking thread, try to find one that matches the yo-yo fabric. Be sure to leave extra fabric for backing and binding the quilt.
Once you have all of these materials, you are ready to begin making your yo-yo quilt with backing.
Making the YoYos
Making the YoYos
Making yo-yos for your quilt is a fun way to add dimension and texture to your quilt. To make the yo-yos, use fabric circles with a center hole. You can make your own circles from fabric or buy pre-made circles in the store. Here’s the step-by-step process for making the yo-yos:
- Cut two fabric circles, one for the top and one for the backing.
- Place the top fabric circle on a flat surface, with the wrong side facing up.
- Using a running stitch, sew around the edge of the fabric circle, one quarter-inch away from the edge.
- Gently pull the thread to pucker up the fabric and make the yo-yo shape.
- Once you have the desired shape, tie off the thread and knot it securely.
- Slide the backing fabric circle onto the back of the fabric yo-yo.
- Secure the backing and yo-yo together with a few stitches.
- Trim away any excess fabric around the yo-yo.
- Repeat for each yo-yo needed for your quilt.
You can use a variety of fabrics for your yo-yos. Choose lightweight fabrics such as quilting cotton, or heavier fabrics like velvet or corduroy. You can also use fabric scraps in a variety of patterns for a fun and colorful quilt. Use a variety of sizes for the yo-yos–you can make them from 1 inch to 5 inches in diameter. Have fun mixing and matching fabric and sizes to create a unique quilt.
Assembling the YoYos
Once you have all your YoYo’s assembled, it’s time to start putting them together! To assemble your YoYos, there are several techniques that can be used. Here are a few of the most popular ones:
Sewing: You can use a simple running stitch to secure the YoYos together. Once each YoYo is sewn, line them up side by side, and then continue sewing them together to form one long row.
Buttonhole Stitch: Buttonhole stitch is a great option when assembling YoYos, as it provides a secure, strong foundation. Start by overlapping the YoYos and stitching down the center of the overlapping fabric.
Hot Glue: Using hot glue to attach your YoYos together is one of the most popular (but not the strongest) methods of assembling. Simply place a small dot of hot glue at the center of the YoYo and press them together while the glue is still hot.
Glueing dots: Glueing dots are a popular technique, as they provide a secure and long-lasting way to attach the YoYos together. To do this, add a glueing dot to each YoYo and press them together while the glue is still wet.
Whichever method you choose, it’s important that you make sure the YoYos are secure and can’t move around. Once the YoYos are all joined together, you’re ready to move on to the next step of making your quilt!
Preparing the Backing
When preparing the backing for your yoyo quilt, you’ll need a few items: A piece of fabric (most commonly cotton) that is larger than the top piece of your quilt, thread, marking chalk, and a sewing machine. It’s important to make sure your backing fabric is wide enough and long enough to adequately cover your project when using a quilt batting.
To begin, measure your completed quilt top, then add five to six inches to each side, to ensure that your backing will be larger than the quilt top. Next, cut your backing fabric according to these measurements. Then mark the middle of your backing with stitching lines. Draw lightly with marking chalk to make sure these lines are accurate. It’s important that the lines are drawn in the same direction your quilt will be quilted.
Once you have your fabric cut and prepped, it’s time to join the two halves of the backing fabric together. To do this, place the two back pieces together, right sides facing each other, and sew along one of the stitching lines. Be sure to use a 1/2 inch seam allowance to ensure the two pieces fit together securely.
Once your two pieces of backing fabric are joined, it’s ready to complete your yoyo quilt with backing!
Basting the Layers
Basting the layers of your yo-yo quilt is the process of temporarily holding the three layers together (fabric top, batting and backing). There are different ways to baste your fabrics together, many of which depend on the type of fabric and the size of the quilt. Regardless of the method you choose, the purpose is to hold everything together while you quilt.
One of the most common methods is hand basting, which can be done with either a needle and thread or safety pins. Thread basting requires that you stitch long rows of stitches evenly throughout the quilt roughly six to eight inches apart. This is a slower process but offers a secure foundation, especially helpful for large size or very thin quilts.
Safety pins are another fast and easy way to baste your layers together without having to make a stitch. Pins, either plastic or metal, are placed all over the fabric, about an inch apart, holding all three layers together. Loose pins can be especially tricky, especially when using batting, but this is a time-friendly method.
A more modern basting option is the use of a spray adhesive, which you can use on both large and small quilts. However, this method requires great attention to detail as it is easy to spray too much. If you do choose a spray adhesive, make sure you cover your entire quilt evenly.
No matter which method you choose, basting is an important part of the quilting process, and when done correctly, can ensure a job done right. With the right preparation and technique, basting the layers of your yo-yo quilt can be a simple and straightforward process.
Quilting
While quilting is often the most rewarding part of any quilting project, it can also be quite challenging. The quilting process involves stitching the quilt top, batting and backing together with running stitches. This creates a layer of quilted fabric which gives the quilt warmth and resilience.
When quilting a yo-yo quilt, there are three main quilting techniques to consider: outlining, patterning and meandering. Outlining involves stitching around the contour of each yo-yo, giving the quilt a quilted look. Patterning on the other hand involves stitching over a prearranged pattern, giving the quilt a more elegant look. Finally, meandering involves stitching crossovers and curvy lines in a random pattern, creating a more fun and playful look.
When it comes to quilting a yo-yo quilt with backing, it is important to think about how the finished quilt will look. As the backing is visible on either side of the quilt, the quilting should take the pattern of the backing into account. It is common to quilt the backing and quilt the top with the same pattern in order to tie the two sides together.
When it comes to stitching, it is important to choose threads that match the colour or pattern of the fabric. Neutral threads are a good option if the quilt top and backing colours clash. Quilting needles should also be chosen carefully; longarm machine needles are the best choice for quilting larger quilts.
Finally, it is important to take the time and effort to quilt the pieces together properly, using straight and even stitches. This will ensure that the quilt is strong and durable and prevent it from fraying or unravelling over time.
Adding the Binding
Adding the binding to a yoyo quilt can be both challenging and rewarding. The key to making it look great is to take your time and use a lot of patience. The binding completes the look of the entire quilt and makes it look neat and tidy.
Before starting the binding, it is best to use a measuring tape to measure the quilt and make sure all of the sides are even. Any uneven sides should be trimmed with scissors or a rotary cutter. Once the sides of the quilt are measured and trimmed, the binding can be added.
Binding the quilt will require a number of tools and supplies, such as scissors, seam ripper, and bias tape. Start by cutting the binding strips one inch larger than the perimeter of the quilt. Next, stitch the binding strips around the quilt, folding the raw edges of the binding inward and ironing the seam allowance flat.
Once the binding strips are sewed together and ironed, they must be pinned to the quilt. Begin pinning the binding at the center of one side of the quilt, long edge to long edge. Work your way around the quilt, pinning the binding in place. Once the binding is pinned securely, sew the binding to the quilt.
Adding the binding to a yoyo quilt requires care and precision. It is important to take your time to measure accurately, cut the strips correctly, and sew the binding carefully. With patience and attention to detail, you’ll be proud of your beautiful yoyo quilt with binding when you’re finished.