Buzzings from a quilter who bumbles her way through life!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Puff or Biscuit Quilt Tutorial - Part 2





 In my last post, I gave you a tutorial for making "puff" or "biscuit" quilts.
  Many of you commented that you remembered these from the 60's and 70's. Well, everything old is new again, as they say! I remember them also.
 We got as far as making the top, but now I'll show you how to put a back on it. (At the bottom of this post, I'll show you one made with much larger squares and a more adult color scheme.)
I chose a washable satin for my backing because I loved the look and feel of it with the puffy quilt top.

1. Measure across the MIDDLE of the back of your quilt in both directions. This will give you the size you need to cut your backing fabric. (Do not stretch the top as you measure.) If the measurement across the middle (from side to side) was 45" in one direction and 60" in the other, you will cut your backing 45" x 60".
2. Lay the RIGHT side of the backing down on the RIGHT side of your quilt. Pin at each corner and then down the sides.

 3. Sew all the way around the perimeter of the quilt, but leave about 12" open on one end so you can turn it inside out. Use a 1/4" seam.

4. Here is the opening I left. Reach into the opening and grab the opposite end. I like to grab a corner, but it doesn't matter.

5. Now put the opposite end through the hole and continue pulling the quilt out of the hole until it is completely inside out. You will have to poke a little at the corners to get them into a pointy shape. You can use a dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon to do this. I like to give the edges a little press with an iron to help it have a crisper edge. Press both raw edges in the opening to the inside 1/4".
6. Sew the opening closed. I like to do this by hand. If you have to, you can do this by machine, but it will not look as neat. By hand, pin the pressed down edges together like they would have been if you had sewn them. Run a threaded needle inside the fold of the edges back and forth from one side to the other to make a blind stitch to close it. Be sure and knot it off when you get to the end. Just make a stitch and before pulling it tight, run the needle back through it a couple of times and then pull it tight. You might want to do this twice to be sure you made a knot.
7. You can stop at this point and call it finished, but it is not hard to tack the backing to the front. I chose to put a decorative bow in each tacked spot. I decided to put my ribbons at the intersection of each square made by 4 blocks. I put a pin through each of 20 intersections. (You can decide how many you want, but space them evenly.)

8. On the back, where each pin shows, put a pin in and remove the one in front. The one in front was just there to show you where each intersection was.
9. I tied a very narrow satin ribbon over each pin. 
10. I then sewed across the knot of the bow a couple of times to make it secure. (You don't want a baby pulling the bow off and putting it in his/her mouth.)
                 11. Cut any loose threads and you're finished! 
I hope that if you're new to sewing, you'll give this a try. 
 Here is another one I made with a different color scheme. This one is not quite finished yet (needs a back) and I think I might try big buttons in the center of each puff. These are made with 11" squares on  a 10" backing. This is much larger than the last one (some of it is folded back in the picture), but didn't take any longer to make.

Be sure and join me for the Think Christmas blog hop!  I will be posting my own idea on Tuesday, July 31. Please come back, check out what I have to show and enter the giveaway I will be having! Until then.....


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35 comments:

  1. Now this one with big buttons would be cute for a teen girl's room. Love this! I am going to have to try it out.

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  2. Looks beautiful Linda! I remember making one of these....a long time ago....

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  3. Your addition of the little ribbon bows is precious. Love this quilt. Thank you for sharing so much. Stitchilicious...

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  4. Beautiful quilt and wonderful tutorial. Thank you so much. When these were so popular I was too busy being a single mom with 3 boys so there was no sewing at all in my house back then. I'd seen one of these a year or so ago and thought they were so comfy looking. I will keep this in mind to make but I'm afraid to make one for a baby because of the puffiness so when she's a bit older it would be perfect I think.

    I really love the larger squares and the colors used in that last quilt you made. Very pretty.

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  5. Great tutorial! Thank you Linda! I love the colors you chose, the bows are darling! Hugs, Mickie

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  6. It's gorgeous Linda. Thanks for sharing your technique with us. I've added this to my "to do" list! :)

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  7. I would love to make these for my girls. How does the satin hold up on the seams?

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    1. The satin is a polyester satin. If you make your seams larger than 1/4" that should help with any fraying. I gave one as a gift 2 years ago and it has held up well to quite a bit of use!

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  8. Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in Creative Busy Bee Craft Inspirations, under the Page 2 post on Aug. 14, 2012. Thanks again.

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  9. The first quilt I remember seeing was a puff quilt. That memory got me into quilting later in life. Funny thing, I've never made one even though I love the look and feel of them. It's time to rectify that, I think!

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  10. I've been seeing these puffy quilts on Pintrest and wondered how to make them. Thank you for posting this blog - I think I'm going to try some puffs today!
    Alethea

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  11. I am new to this and was surfing the web for some simple designs and instructions for beginner. I am so glad to come across your blog. Thank you for sharing your step by step guide on this puff quilt. All along I thought the process would be very difficult but how wrong am I! Thank you again XXDDDD

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  12. Thank you so much! I just made this quilt for my niece who is due any day now. Your tutorial was so much easier than others I've seen! And I loved the tip about just folding the pleat as you feed the fabric into the machine-thanks for taking out a step for me since I didn't have to pin it! :) I'm a beginner "seamstress" and loved this helpful tutorial. Thanks again!

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  13. Hi, Linda! I write a sewing blog called sunnygalinstitches.com where I work on a new sewing project every week and write about my experience.
    This week I'll be working on your Biscuit Quilt tutorial, and I wanted to let you know that I've posted one of your photos on my blog, with a link back to this page.
    Thanks so much for the tutorial and have a great week!

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  14. This is a project that I'm tackling as a freshman in college and it looks fantastic. What kind of fabric did you use for the front squares?

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  15. Will you post a link to the first pat of this tutorial?

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  16. I pinned this quilt to make for my niece. It's adorable and certainly looks do-able for me!! Thanks for the tutorial!

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  17. Linda, do you remove the pins (when you sew the bows on) before you machine stitch it?

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  18. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE GREAT TUTORIAL AND WONDERFUL PICTURES. I HAVE 15 OF THESE TO MAKE AND FEEL I CAN NOW.

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  19. Do you make these to sell? These are very pretty. Thank you for posting the directions.

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  20. Thank you very much, I am going to try this. I am about to start a craft club for older people and feel that this could be very theraputic. How refreshing to see a well explained and illustrated pattern and instruction that didnt require paying for, well done. Alacoque

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  21. LOVE THIS! Saw this on my latest the Whoot newsletter and am going to try making one for a baby boy due to be born next month. It is so simple and perfect and just what I need to get me back to quilting again. Thank you for this great tutorial

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  22. I love this gonna definitely give it a go. Thanks x

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  23. Such a beautiful quilt and brilliant tutorial.

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  24. Now that it's been several years since you made the big quilt are there things you would have done differently? Did the stuffing pool or move around in its pocket? I made a similar one where the inside stuffing bunched up and I lost the really nice look...any suggestions?

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  25. I love this and am so glad I found you.
    I just bought my dream sewing machine and want to make a puff quilt for my great niece due in July, 2016. This will be perfect. I have my fabric and haven't quilted in years. (I made a t-shirt quilt, but it was rectangles of t-shirt stitched down on a finished pre-made coverlet. I'm not to crazy about it.)
    I think this may be my new way of making quilts. It's super cute and again I'm so thankful you have the best directions I've seen on the net.

    Take care.
    Debbie

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  26. This is awesome! I am trying to figure out how much fabric and batting I would need to make one with 10" squares and I think 4squares wide x5 squares tall. Can you help me out with this? :) Thanks!

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  27. Easy to understand tutorial!! Pretty work; thank you for sharing - will try this soon.

    I wonder..could you do this project as a "ragged" quilt using your backing fabric with your front one, with 3/4 to 1 inch seams for the ragging?

    Danielle
    www.potholdersplus.blogspot.com

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  28. Lovely quilt and great tutorial, thank you. Is there somewhere the questions asked could be read? I am also interested in the answers to Danielle's and Sandi Whitford's questions. I'm new to this site today and signed up for the Blog and email. Marie

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  29. Hi I would lie to tell you here that I found this great tutorial and I did it to make a flag I like to send you a picture or go to my site plese here
    http://zenateebetycom.blogspot.ae/ its in Arabic but the pictures every one can read it

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  30. sorry for the wrong spelling
    like and please
    http://zenateebetycom.blogspot.ae/
    http://myeleganthome.blogspot.ae/
    Thank you

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  31. Very helpful suggestions that help in the optimizing topic,Thanks for your sharing.

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  32. I know you put this tutorial on line a fair while ago, but I have only just come across it. Thank you thank you, you have saved me and lots of other people trying to find the pattern. You are very generous.
    Larain. Downunder

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  33. Hi, like Larain above I just found this tutorial. It’s a great tutorial, so thank you. I was wondering how the stuffing in the larger quilt faired over time, did it shift or bunch? Did the large buttons help?

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