Make a Whole Cloth Quilt with 4 Layer Gauze
Learn to make a quilt with 4 layer gauze. This is one of the easiest quilts you could ever make, and you will love it. Here are the 2 quilts I made using 4 layer gauze.
What is 4 Layer Gauze
Gauze is a light, thin, loosely woven fabric. 4 layer gauze is simply, that: 4 layers of gauze attached together. The 4 layers are basted together every ½” or so with almost undetectable basting stitches. That’s why the fabric looks flat at first, but when washed it gets that crinkly look.
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- Before washing – flat and smooth.
What is a Whole Cloth Quilt
A whole cloth quilt is a quilt that is made of just one (or two) single layers of cloth. There is no cutting or piecing. It truly is the easiest quilt to make. In fact, a single layer would almost not qualify to be called a quilt, except I did a little hand quilting, so we will call it a quilt. The only thing I did beyond hand quilting for both versions, was a binding. But besides that, it is so simple!
How To Make A Whole Cloth Quilt With 4 Layer Gauze
To make a whole cloth quilt with 4 layer gauze:
- Choose what fabrics you want to use.
- If you pick want different fabrics for front and back, pick which fabric you want to use.
- I have seen people buy bed sheets they like and use the two sheets as the front and back of a whole quilt cloth. It’s an easy way to avoid piecing fabrics together to make it large enough.
- You CAN use just one layer of cloth, like my 4 layer gauze.
- You can use batting if you want, it’s personal preference.
- If you pick want different fabrics for front and back, pick which fabric you want to use.
- Decide how you want to quilt your whole cloth quilt.
- This can be any way you like! If you have 4 layer gauze, you actually don’t need to do any quilting at all.
- You can do hand quilting, machine quilting, decorative, straight line. Anything you want!
- Pick out fabric for the binding.
- Your whole cloth quilt WILL need a binding.
- Download my binding cheat sheet here to see how many strips of binding you need based on what size quilt you make.
- My favorite binding tutorial is HERE, from Alison of Cluck Cluck Sew.
- Quilt your Whole Cloth Quilt
- If you are putting two fabrics together, you NEED to quilt so as the fabrics stay together.
- Check out my blog post on 3 WAYS TO FINISH A QUILT BY HAND.
- If you are using (1) 4 layer gauze fabric as a whole cloth quilt, you actually don’t even need to quilt it. Can it still be called a quilt at that point? I’m not sure . . . However, I loved adding hand quilting to mine just for the look.
- If you are putting two fabrics together, you NEED to quilt so as the fabrics stay together.
- Wash your Whole Cloth Quilt
- This is the fun part! If you use 4 layer gauze for your quilt, after you wash it, the texture becomes amazing! It gets crinkly and soft and oh, so wonderful!
Fabrics I Used and Where to Find Them
For my Whole Cloth Quilts, I mentioned I got my gauze from Field and Cloth. That is a small shop, however, and they only had a small supply of the 4 layer gauze. Here are a few other places to find some:
- Etsy. Type ‘4 Layer Gauze’ in the search bar and you will find independent shops that carry 4 layer gauze.
- Birch Fabrics. They just started carrying Organic 4 layer gauze.
- Shannon Fabrics. In the search magnifying glass, type GAUZE. Shannon fabrics is THE place to find soft and cuddly fabrics, by the way. Love her stuff!
Earth Magic Line
For the front of my whole cloth quilt, when I used decorative fabric, I decided to use Magical Mushroom by Erin McManness of Paper Raven Co for Cotton and Steel Fabrics. Her entire line is AMAZING and a current favorite. But I picked this particular color because it’s soft, goes with my home decor, and I just had to have it. You know the feeling, am I right?
Mystical Mushroom Fabric
The Finished Whole Quilt Cloth
Here are my end products. I hope you get a chance to make a whole quilt cloth. It’s super fast and easy, and great to have!
Kelli | Quilters Candy Team
Elizabeth uses Pearl Cotton Thread. It is the same thread that she uses for any hand quilting for any substrate of fabric. I believe it is size 8.
Beth
What thread did you use for quilting the 4 layer gauze? I love the look.
Kirsten
Do you dry it after you wash it? 🙂
Alison Terrell Jakaitis
I did it and love it! I haven’t done the binding yet, bc I ran out of the gauze fabric. Do you think if I use a cotton fabric binding that’s different, it would cause a problem when it washes and shrinks?
Alison Terrell Jakaitis
I’m making a 4 layer gauze only, with running stitches like yours. Did you wash before or after you did the binding? And how did you pop your knots? I can’t get them to stay in the middle of the layers….
Elizabeth Chappell
Alison Terrell JakaitisDefinitely would not recommend washing the 4 layer gauze before hand. It gets crinkly and is much easier to quilt and work with before washing. I washed after binding. Again, it would be crinkly and harder to put the binding on if you washed first. And great questions with the knots. I started on one end of the gauze and had enough thread to go the entire length of the quilt.
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Rob
Did you used thread or embroidery floss to quilt it? If floss how many strands?
Dorothy
I love thin whole cloth quilts. I hand painted a cotton panel & have quilt cotton for backing. I am thinking of a very thin quilt since I live in FL & couldn’t think of a thin batting. Do you think the gauze would work as a thin batting & I could hand quilt?
Elizabeth Chappell
DorothyOh sounds amazing! I actually wouldn’t use batting at all, I would just use the 4 layer gauze as a backing. It’s so light you’ll love it.
Abby
How do you find that a front of quilting cotton and a back of 4-layer gauze react together? I would imagine a pre-washed cotton front wouldn’t shrink as much as the gauze seems to and therefore might create some odd contortions of fabric? Have you had that experience? Also, do you bind gauze with gauze or quilting cotton?
Elizabeth Chappell
AbbyIt hasn’t been an issue, thankfully. The front cotton doesn’t look warped or tugged, it just looks a little crinkly and cozy.
maureen prendergast
How much shrinkage is there?
Elizabeth Chappell
maureen prendergastYou know, not much. It’s more texture being added than size changing.
Elizabeth Chappell
maureen prendergastI’m not sure shrinkage is the right word, it’s more like it changes and adds crinkles. And it’s fairly significant after washing the 4 layer gauze.
Myra
Loved your info, Thank You
I’ll stick to Linen.
Elizabeth Chappell
MyraLove it!
Anonymous
Great feature ?
You ought to try traditional kantha quilts they don’t add binding ! Instead fold the back and the front in on its self and stitch in place. I’d love to try double gauze but first I’d like to know why it’s so expensive £16.99 ($21.67) a metre
Elizabeth Chappell
AnonymousI DO need to try traditional Kantha quilts. I’m all about making things more simple. Thanks for the suggestion! As for the price, I’m not 100% sure why gauze fabric is so pricey. I have my guesses, but they’re just that. Guesses.
Anonymous
Elizabeth ChappellIt doesn’t get easier than this, https://youtu.be/ctLAUl2kEOA We’ve seen people in India making quilts from rags and no sewing machine insight