Audball

On a quilt top I realize that some "fudging" can be made, but how much? I am machine quilting on a stack and whack. I am using a Kenmore, which is working well, however, the queen sized quilt is challenge for this newbie to manoeuver. The blocks are on point with a 1 inch sashing. I stitched in the ditch around the center blocks, then did somefree motion on each pinwheel in the block. The farther out towards the outer edge, it seems that the top has stretched, even inside some of the ditched blocks. Is there a quilting pattern that more easily hides excess fabric-"quilt it out"

Prism99

If the outer blocks look stretched, I might try placing machine basting stitches in the seam allowance. Pull the stitches up and secure the ends, then distribute the gathers evenly across all the blocks.

I would also spray starch both top and backing, maybe several times, allowing the starch to dry between applications. Spray starch will help stabilize the blocks so they don't stretch anymore. You could even "block" the edges with spray starch. Sharon Schamber has some videos on Youtube that demonstrate how to "block" blocks; it might also help with the quilt sandwich.

I think your best bet is to try to stabilize the edges to the size you want.

I don't know of a pattern that will "quilt out" excess fabric. When you start quilting in the middle, excess fabric gets pushed out to the edges. The stretching at the edges may not be due entirely to quilting; it could alo be that the edges have been handled a lot. Just handling fabric (especially bias edges) can cause it to stretch.

quilter girl

I am so proud of you. It is a "big" challenge to machine quilt such a large size. Don't let if frustrate you and take many breaks. As far as the quilting - maybe just meander in those areas. Please post a picture.

janRN

Audball, thanks for asking this; I've had this happen a couple of times, too. Prism-great suggestions (I always learn something from your posts.)

amma

I love spray basting, but have found that I still need to pin around the edges. I know I really manhandle these areas and they want to stretch on me. I pin 2 rows around the outside of the quilt, about 4 inches apart. I leave the pins in even if I have to move them until I am done quilting.

Prism99

I was thinking some more about this. Since your blocks are on point, I am wondering if the edges are bias.

Also wanted to mention that "quilting it out" refers to the fact that quilting can hide less-than-perfect piecing. It doesn't really refer to camouflaging excess fabric in the top.

One other thought is that quilting can actually shrink an area. If you have quilted heavily in the center, the edges may look as if they have excess fabric when actually they simply don't have the same amount of quilting yet to shrink them. It is often recommended that quilting be done evenly over a quilt, as having areas that are heavily quilted will actually be a different size than areas that are lightly quilted or not quilted at all. So, now I am wondering if you are perhaps just seeing the "shrinking" effect of quilting the middle area; perhaps all will be well when you have quilted the outer edges to the same degree as the middle.

k_jupiter

I found using a walking foot on my Bernina allows me to hold the fabric (on the bottom) as I am quilting up to a cross over line and this allows the excess fabric to catch up and not roll over the already quilted line. I think this is the problem you have encountered. If not, my mistake. It is a learned sort of thing though, go slow.

Good luck with the large quilt on the home machine. I feel like have spent hours wrestling after a short time on a QS quilt. But it can be done!

tim in san jose