How to Create a Collage Quilt

Creating a collage quilt is a dynamic and creative process that combines elements of design, fabric selection, and assembly. Here’s how it works step-by-step:

Selecting and Printing the Image:

• Begin by choosing an image that you want to use as the foundation of your quilt. This could be a photograph, a drawing, or any design that inspires you.
• Print the image to the desired size, which will serve as your template for the quilt.

Tracing the Image:

• Place a piece of parchment paper over the printed image. Carefully trace the outline of the image, breaking it down into distinct sections or shapes. This traced version will act as a pattern for cutting out the fabric pieces.

  Preparing the Fabric with Fusible Web:

  • Select fabrics in various colors and patterns that match the sections of your traced image. Use a large variety of scraps and colors to create an interesting image.
  • Apply fusible webbing, such as Heat ‘n Bond or Steam a Seam 2, to the back of each fabric piece. To do this, place the rough side of the fusible web on the wrong side of the fabric and press it with a hot iron. This fuses the webbing to the fabric, making it easier to cut and adhere to your quilt later.

  Cutting Out Fabric Pieces:

  • Using the traced pattern, cut out the individual shapes from the fused fabric. You don’t have to be precise here! You can play with your color values to create your shapes. Slowly cut out your shapes by rough cutting your fused fabric using the trace image as a guide. Feel free to overlap your pieces as much as you want.

  Building the Picture on Parchment Paper:

  • Begin placing the cut fabric pieces on the parchment paper, following your traced pattern to assemble the image. Adjust and reposition as needed until you’re happy with the composition. Iron the little fabric pieces in place on the traced image on the parchment paper. This is adhere it temporarily to the parchment paper. Don’t worry you can peel off your design from the parchment paper after you are done!

  Ironing and Fusing the Pieces Together:

  • Once satisfied with the arrangement, gently press the pieces in place with a hot iron. This temporarily fuses the pieces together so they hold their shape.

Fusing the Collage to the Background Block:

• Carefully lift the assembled fabric collage from the parchment paper and position it on your chosen background fabric or quilt block.
• Cover the collage with a pressing cloth and iron it again, this time fusing it permanently to the background fabric. Press with a very hot iron!

Finishing Touches:

• Finally, sew the collage to the background. Make sure to densely sew it down by either stitching on top or quilting through all your layers after the quilt is assembled. I love to densely sew the collage piece onto the background block by scribbling with the sewing machine. I use a variety of colors when I am doing each section to drawn your eye to certain areas.

By the end of this process, you’ll have a stunning fabric collage that’s uniquely yours, capturing the essence of the image you began with in a tactile and visually engaging quilt.