Creating A Wedding Ring Quilt: A Challenge?

The Double Wedding Ring quilt is a daunting project for even the most experienced quilters. The pattern is not recommended for beginners, but with careful planning and execution, it is possible to create a beautiful and intricate quilt. The process involves sewing together many small pieces of fabric to form melons and arches, which are then joined to create a curved seam. While it is a challenging project, the stunning results are well worth the effort.

The difficulty of making a wedding ring quilt

Making a wedding ring quilt is a daunting task. It is not a quilt for beginners or the faint of heart. Most of the seams are curves, not regular straight seams. The process involves sewing together football" shapes, which are made by sewing together connecting corners and melons. The difficulty lies in ensuring that the seams of the arcs, connecting corners, and melons align correctly. One must also be careful not to stretch the fabric while cutting and sewing. Additionally, there are different variations of the wedding ring quilt pattern, and each has its own level of complexity.

The first step is to cut the fabric pieces accurately. This can be done using templates, rotary cutters, or die-cutting machines. It is important to cut the fabric pieces narrower than the recommended width to minimize fabric waste. The fabric should be folded accordion-style and cut across the width, with the cutter parallel to the selvage to minimize stretching.

The next step is to piece together the arcs, which are made up of multiple curved fabric pieces. These pieces need to be carefully aligned and sewn together to create smooth curves. The seams of the arcs should be pressed in one direction to ensure they lie flat.

After the arcs are complete, they need to be sewn to the melons, which are the larger, melon-shaped pieces. This step requires careful pinning and sewing to ensure that the seams match up correctly. It is important to stop sewing about a stitch or two before reaching the pins to avoid puckers. The background fabric should be repositioned as needed while sewing to ensure it stays flat and does not bunch up.

Once the melons and arcs are sewn together, they need to be joined to form rows. This involves manipulating the blocks so that the curves match up smoothly. The rows are then sewn together, being careful to match the seams of the blocks.

Finally, the backing and binding need to be added. This can be challenging due to the curved edges of the quilt. It is recommended to cut the binding strips on the bias and look for tutorials on curved edge binding.

Overall, making a wedding ring quilt requires advanced quilting skills and a lot of patience. It is a challenging project but can be very rewarding, resulting in a beautiful and unique quilt.

Tips for sewing the pieces together

• The Double Wedding Ring quilt is made up of interlocking rings, which can be tricky to sew together. One way to simplify the process is to use a die-cutting machine like the Accuquilt GO! DWR die, which can cut out the individual pieces for you. However, you still need to be careful with your measurements and fabric placement on the die.
• When cutting your fabric, cut the pieces narrower than the recommended width to minimise fabric waste. Cut the fabric across the width of the fabric, with the fabric passing through the cutter parallel to the selvage to minimise stretching. You can also try accordion-folding the fabric to cut multiple pieces at once.
• Chain piecing is a useful technique for sewing the arcs of the rings together. This involves sewing one piece to the next without cutting the threads in between, creating a "chain" of pieces that can be sewn together more quickly.
• Press your seams in one direction, pulling the end slightly, to ensure they lie flat.
• When sewing the "football" shapes, start by connecting a corner square to one end of the arc, then attach a "melon" piece to the arc, matching the notch first. Sew with the arc on top and use a pin at the notch to guide your stitching.
• To avoid set-in seams when joining the blocks together, sew the arcs to only two sides of each block, then arrange the blocks in rows, with the light-coloured arcs on alternating sides. Sew the remaining two arcs to one block in each row, which will be the bottom block on the right side of the quilt.
• Sew the blocks into vertical columns, then sew the columns together with a long, gently curving seam. Match up the centres of each four-patch and block centre with the pieced arc centres as you sew.
• If you're using a die-cutting machine, you may end up with extra pieces. Get creative and use them to make a matching table topper or other small project!

The best templates to use

Making a wedding ring quilt is considered challenging, especially due to the many curves involved. However, with the right template, you can make the process easier. Here are some of the best templates to use for your wedding ring quilt:

The Little Mushroom Cap Template:

This template is recommended by a quilting blogger who found it simple to use. It is available on Amazon and features more straight edges than curved ones, making it easier to sew and cut the pieces. This template is also available as an Australian brand, which you can buy from an Australian website.

GO! DWR Die:

This template is recommended by a quilting blogger who found the accompanying instructions confusing but still managed to create a beautiful quilt. The GO! DWR die helps cut fabric for the individual elements, although the blogger found that the recommended fabric widths led to waste and adjusted accordingly. This template is useful for creating arcs, "footballs", and connecting corners.

Brother Dreamweaver XE:

This sewing machine is praised for making it easy to piece together Double Wedding Ring quilt blocks. It simplifies the process by eliminating the need to deal with set-in seams. The Dreamweaver XE also has an amazing dual feed foot, which is useful for machine quilting.

Quilting from the Heartland Template Set:

This set includes a detailed book with step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips, along with eight transparent acrylic cutting templates. The templates have a 1/4" seam allowance and quick grips to prevent sliding while cutting. This pattern is suitable for creating 15-inch circles for a queen-size quilt.

Flynn Quilt Frame Company Template:

This template set includes acrylic rotary templates for the center, four-patch, arc, and melon, along with adjustment strips for John's strip-pieced technique. It also comes with complete instructions. This template is suitable for bigger bed-size quilts, with sizes ranging from 18" to 24".

Victoria Findlay Wolfe Template Set:

This set includes acrylic templates for the center concave square, small melon, solid arc, and pieced arc sections, along with cornerstones. It offers flexibility in completing your arcs, and there is also a separate Full Melon template available for an even easier piecing option. The templates come with a protective film to keep them clear and scratch-free.

How to piece the quilt

Making a wedding ring quilt is a challenging task, especially because of the curves involved. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to piece the quilt:

Prepare the Pieces

First, you need to cut the fabric into pieces. You can use a rotary cutting ruler, quilting templates, or a die-cutting machine. The number of pieces will depend on the size of your quilt. For example, a queen-size quilt requires 2032 pieces! You can cut the fabric into narrow strips and then use a die cutter to get the required shapes.

Sew the Arcs

The next step is to sew the arcs together. You can chain piece them, sewing four at a time. Press the seams in one direction, pulling the end slightly. You will need to sew three "D" elements (with four notches) and an "E" element (with one notch) at both ends to create each arc.

Create the "Football" Shapes

Now, you can start sewing the "football" shapes. Chain piece these as well, starting with a connecting corner ("B") at one end of the arc, followed by attaching a "melon" ("C") to the arc, matching the notch first. Sew with the arc on top, and you will only need to pin at the notch. The concave pieces should be on top throughout the process.

Assemble the Blocks

Next, assemble the blocks by stitching the "football" shapes and centres together. Place the blocks with light-coloured arcs on one side and dark-coloured arcs on the other, creating a pattern. Sew the blocks into vertical columns, and then sew the columns together with a long, gentle curve.

Join the Rows

Finally, join the rows together, leaving the connecting corners unstitched. Then, go back and stitch the connecting corners, locking the centre seam so that the corners meet neatly.

Piecing a wedding ring quilt can be a complex process, but with careful planning and execution, you can create a beautiful and rewarding quilt.

How to finish the quilt

Now that you've done the hard work of piecing together your wedding ring quilt, it's time to finish it! Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Step 1: Layer and Baste

You'll need to baste your quilt to temporarily secure the layers together before quilting. This step is important to prevent shifting or puckering during the quilting process. You can use safety pins or a spray adhesive specifically designed for basting quilts. If you plan to hand quilt, you can ask a long-arm quilter to baste your quilt for you.

Step 2: Quilt your layers

Before binding your quilt, you'll need to quilt or secure the layers together. There are several methods you can choose from:

• Tying: This is the fastest and easiest method. You can use embroidery thread or yarn to make stitches through the layers. However, this method may not be as durable, and the ties will be visible on the front of the quilt.
• Machine quilting: You can use a long-arm quilter or your regular sewing machine to quilt your layers. Straight line quilting with a walking foot is a good option for beginners.
• Free-motion quilting: This method allows for more complex designs but requires practice to master. You'll need to drop the feed dogs on your machine and use a free-motion foot.
• Hand quilting: This method is relaxing and rewarding but will take much longer than machine quilting.

Step 3: Bind the edges

The final step is to bind the edges of your quilt to protect and seal the layers. There are different binding methods, but a common one is to attach a separate binding by machine and then hand-stitch it to the back. This method creates a neat and durable finish. Here are the basic steps:

• Cut your binding strips: Typically, binding strips are cut 2 1/4" to 2 1/2" wide. You can cut them across the width of the fabric or on the bias (diagonally). Bias bindings are sturdier but create more fabric waste.
• Sew the binding strips together: Sew the strips end-to-end with a 1/4" seam allowance to create one long strip. Press the seams open and then fold the strip in half lengthwise and press again.
• Pin the binding to the quilt: Pin the raw edges of the binding to the raw outside edges of your quilt front.
• Miter the corners: When you reach a corner, place a pin at a 45-degree angle. Fold the strip at the same angle, then fold it back on itself, matching the binding edges to the next side of the quilt. Repeat for all four corners.
• Sew the binding to the quilt: Sew the binding to the quilt using a 1/4" seam allowance, removing the pins as you go. Use a walking foot if you have one, and 100% cotton thread if your quilt is made of cotton fabric.
• Fold the binding over to the back: After sewing the binding to the front, fold it over to the back of the quilt and pin or clip it in place.
• Hand stitch the binding to the back: Use a blind stitch to securely attach the binding to the back of the quilt.

And that's it! You've now finished your wedding ring quilt. Enjoy your beautiful creation!

Frequently asked questions