Beginner Quilting Guide: Making a Quilted Vest (And the Best Sewing Pins for the Job)
I have a confession.
For years, quilting felt… intimidating.
Too precise.
Too mathematical.
Too perfect.
If you’ve ever felt like quilting was reserved for ultra-organised, corner-matching superhumans, you’re not alone.
Turns out...
Quilting is just sewing. With layers.
And sometimes, the only way past fear is to start.
So that’s exactly what we did.
My First Quilting Shop Visit (Overwhelmed, But Inspired)
Walking into a dedicated quilting store for the first time is an experience.
Fat quarters.
Charm packs.
Jelly rolls.
Pre-cuts in every imaginable colour palette.
It’s magical — and mildly terrifying.
For a beginner quilting project, scrappy patchwork felt like the safest entry point. A mix of small offcuts, imperfect corners welcome. A little rough around the edges? Perfect.
Patchwork is forgiving. It celebrates scraps. It makes use of what you already have.
And that makes it a beautiful starting place for beginner quilters.
The Project: A Quilted Steph Time Side Tie Vest
Instead of starting with a full quilt, we decided to quilt clothing.
The goal? The Steph Time Side Tie Vest — a reversible, bias-bound vest with the sweetest bow closures.
Quilted garments are everywhere right now. Jackets. Vests. Layering pieces that add texture and personality to an outfit.
But quilting clothing introduces something important:
Layers.
Fabric.
Batting.
Lining.
And suddenly your tools matter more than ever.
Why We Loved the Steph Time Side Tie Vest Pattern
One thing that genuinely impressed us about this pattern?
It includes instructions for both quilted and non-quilted versions — and it’s designed to be truly reversible.
Not the “one side looks great, the other’s passable” kind of reversible.
Properly finished. Clean. Thoughtful.
The bust dart is sewn through all layers, including the batting, which gives the vest a subtle, flattering shape rather than that stiff, boxy feel quilted garments can sometimes have.
Yes, it takes a little more effort upfront.
But the end result is polished, wearable, and absolutely worth it.
If you're searching for a beginner-friendly quilted garment pattern that still feels elevated, this is a beautiful option.
Choosing the Best Sewing Pins for Quilting
One of the biggest debates in quilting circles?
Dressmaker pins vs quilting pins.
Traditional quilting pins are often longer. But length isn’t the only factor that matters.
What matters more:
- Sharpness
- Strength
- Visibility
- Grip
- Heat resistance
- Comfort in hand
When quilting multiple layers, especially with batting, you need pins that glide through smoothly and hold securely without distorting the fabric.
That’s exactly what we tested with SiliPins.
Putting SiliPins to the Test on Batting and Layers
The question was simple:
Are dressmaker-length silicone head pins long enough for quilting?
Short answer? Yes.
Long answer? SiliPins are engineered at 45mm (33mm shaft, 12mm head) x 0.55mm, a versatile dressmaker length that comfortably handles:
- Cotton fabric layers
- Wool batting
- Quilting cotton lining
- Bias-bound edges
The ultra-sharp tips glide through layered fabric cleanly. No tugging. No warping.
The flat silicone heads sit beautifully against the fabric surface.
And because they’re highly visible, especially against busy patchwork, there’s no guessing where your pins are hiding.
No rogue pins under the presser foot.
No panic moments. And while we never recommend sewing directly over your pins, we’ve had customers send us photos after accidentally stitching straight through their SiliPins and somehow, the silicone bounced back into shape and the pin lived to sew another day! Now that is resilient!
Why Silicone Head Sewing Pins Make a Difference
Let’s talk about the head.
Traditional glass head pins can be slippery. Metal heads can be hard to grip. Tiny heads disappear into busy prints.
Silicone heads solve this.
SiliPins are:
- Soft and grippy
- Comfortable for arthritic or reduced-grip hands
- Heat resistant (safe for brief ironing contact)
- Easy to spot on patterned fabric
- Gentle on fingers during repetitive pinning
For beginner quilters especially, that comfort factor matters.
Quilting involves a lot of pinning, holding together fabric, batting and lining before stitching. If your pins are slippery, hard to grip or dull, that repetition can quickly become frustrating. But when they glide in easily and feel secure between your fingers, layering stops feeling intimidating and starts feeling manageable.
Planning Before Piecing: A Beginner Quilting Tip
One of the smartest things we did?
Trace pattern pieces before piecing patchwork.
Instead of creating a huge patchwork panel and trimming later (wasting precious scraps), we:
- Traced the vest pattern pieces onto paper.
- Laid them over the planned patchwork.
- Positioned favourite fabric sections intentionally.
This saves time, it saves fabric and it makes your final garment look far more thoughtful.
Beginner quilting doesn’t mean winging it. A little planning goes a long way.
Quilting Layers: Batting, Lining & Bulk
For this project we used:
- Wool batting for warmth
- A retro cotton curtain as lining (literally cutting up a curtain!)
- Handmade bias binding for the perfect pink finish
When attaching binding over quilted seams and bulky edges, a walking foot helps tremendously.
Here’s a practical tip:
Using a seam ripper (quick unpick) to gently guide binding closer to the needle gives you far more control over thick sections. It’s a small trick that creates a much neater finish.
Making Bias Binding for Quilted Garments
We made custom bias binding to get the exact shade of pink we wanted.
We used the method from the Spaghetti Western Rue Coat — but there are plenty of how-tos across the online sewing community.
If you'd like a step-by-step guide specifically for making bias binding for quilted garments (including how to handle bulky seam intersections cleanly), let us know and we’ll create one.
We love turning the things we’re learning into practical guides for our community.
Is Quilting Hard for Beginners?
No. It’s different but not harder.
Quilting:
- Uses scraps beautifully
- Slows your sewing pace
- Encourages precision
- Teaches planning
- Builds confidence
And once you finish your first quilted garment or mini project?
You'll probably want to do it all again to test those new skills on a new project!
The Bigger Lesson
Quilting felt intimidating, until it didn’t.
If you’re a beginner quilter, or a garment sewist quietly curious about quilting clothing but unsure where to begin, it can genuinely feel like stepping into a different world. From the outside, quilting looks precise and layered and wonderfully put-together, with perfectly matched corners, neatly pressed seams and fabric stacks that somehow behave themselves.
Before you even sit down at the machine, the process can feel overwhelming. There’s the thought of matching corners accurately, layering batting without shifting everything out of place, and wondering whether your sewing pins are actually strong and sharp enough to handle multiple layers of fabric without bending or distorting your work. The anticipation of getting it wrong often feels far bigger than the act of simply starting.
But once you begin, something quietly shifts.
You realise that quilting is still sewing. It’s still fabric under your hands, still guiding pieces together, still that familiar rhythm of stitch after stitch, just with layers added into the mix. Plus, when you’re working with sharp, reliable, comfortable sewing pins that glide smoothly through fabric rather than fighting you at every insertion, those layers stop feeling intimidating and start feeling surprisingly satisfying.
Often, it isn’t the skill that’s missing at all. It’s simply the confidence to take that first stitch.
So… Will We Quilt Again?
You bet.
Everyone in the Sew Your Way Instagram and TikTok comments warned us quilting was addictive and they were right.
There’s something deeply satisfying about turning small fabric scraps into something wearable. Quilting gives you a slower rhythm at the sewing table and a creative project to dip into between garment makes.
Turns out all those quilting fears were unfounded.
Sometimes, you’ve just got to start.
Frequently Asked Questions About Quilting Pins
Are dressmaker pins long enough for quilting?
Yes, if they are sharp and strong enough to penetrate layered fabric cleanly. A 40mm length works well for most garment quilting.
Can you iron over silicone head pins?
High-quality silicone head pins are heat resistant for brief ironing. Avoid prolonged direct contact with a hot iron.
What is the best type of pin for quilting?
Look for:
- Ultra-sharp steel shafts
- Strong, consistent diameter
- Visible heads
- Comfortable grip
- Heat resistance
Are SiliPins suitable for quilting?
Yes. They are designed to glide through fabric easily and handle multiple layers while remaining comfortable to use.
Ready to Try SiliPins?
If you’re working with layers, batting, patchwork or simply want sewing pins that are incredibly sharp, strong and genuinely comfortable to use:
Explore SiliPins here → Shop SiliPins
To date, we’ve produced over 500,000 pins, and they’ve sold out multiple times, a reflection of just how many sewing rooms they’ve quietly made their way into. SiliPins were designed for real hands and real projects, created to be used, trusted and loved at the sewing table.