marge

Hi there, I just got a new (new to me 2 years old) Juki machine, TL98Q How do you go about quiltling on it? with all the pins on your quilt and starting in the middle it seems like a very stressful thing and I want it to be as fun as putting the top together. By the way I dont have a frame and don't know when I will be able to get one as we are on a fixed income like so many others. I read this everyday, you gals are the GREATEST...
Thanks Marge

Knot Sew

I have not machine quilted but I guess it all comes down to basting or to removing pins as you go. A lot of people use a spray adhesive to hold the layers together. good luck

NJBarbara

I am in the middle of machine quilting an oversize lap quilt. I basted it first with big basting stitches and started quilting stitch in ditch on the straight lines. That keeps it together along with the basting. Now doing fancy stitches. Its getting there and almost done. YES! I never use a frame. NJBarb

cjtinkle

Marge, I normally "stabilize" the quilt by doing stitch in the ditch through all the main vertical and horizontal lines. Then I start with the fun stuff, unless I'm going to stitch in the ditch the entire quilt.

It is daunting the first couple of times you do it, but after awhile you will find it easier.

You might pick up a book on learning to machine quilt, they're very helpful if you don't have anyone around to advise you. Being fulltime in an RV, I've learned everything I know from books, DVD's and emails with help from generous helpful quilters.

Good luck!

Shari1967

I just purchased a book (Better Homes & Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting - highly recommend it) and for machine quilting they suggest evenly rolling or folding the quilt and using clips to hold that in place. It says that most quilt shops carry these clips for this purpose. I've not machine quilted yet, but when I try I'm going to try it this way.

Good luck!

wilma osmond

hi ruth are tou talking about a commercial machine for doing quilts?

Ruth Cozadd

Hi I am a machine quilter I do all mine pushing the fabric around under the needle (not moving the machine over the quilt) I usually pin or spray baste. I don't like to hand base, it takes too long and if you sew over your basting stitches they can be very hard to get out. The first thing I recomend if you are going to be doing a large quilt is to get your machine into a flat top cabinet or table. I find it almost impossible to quilt with my machine on top of a table. The quilt does not move the way I want it to because I cannot possition my hands to control it going up and over the bed on a table top. It does need to be pretty good size ( mine is 36 x 54) to support the weight of the quilt, you can really wear your self out struggling to manuver a quilt around without proper support. I am out of time, but will share an inexpensive idea for building your owan table that has worked well for me as well as several of my friends in our quilt group.

wilma osmond

Hi Ruth Can't wait to find out about that table.I to am a machine quilter and find it really hard to handle big quilts Quilter

Ruth Cozadd

Hi again I am going to try to explain my quilting table to you. It will require a little help from some one with some basic carpender skills to help you out.
The first thing is to find a large solid surface for your top, no table with leaves. (as I said mine is 36 by 54) I found mine at a discount furniture store in their back room of dammaged goods (the legs had been broken in shipping) the top was also a little scratch but solid oak. They charged me $25.00 for it.
One of my friends went to a counter top place and asked for their dammaged goods and found a top that was perfect for her smaller room (30 by 48) Another friend went to a going out of business sale and found a farm house table ( solid wood top no leaves) with no chairs for only $75.00.
You may need to take a day for a scavenger hunt but I'm sure you can find something.
My top needed legs and I found that microwave carts were just the right height for me. I found two (also on sale) and attached them to the bottom.
One of my friend used banquet table legs (from Low's) so she could fold it up and store it if she ever needed to. Another friend used short file cabinets.You may get creative and think of some other ideas that will work for you.
The last but most imporant step is getting the machine down into the table top. You will need to build a box ( I used plywood) out of something very sturdy to support your machine. The depth is critical, it needs to be the depth of your machine bed minus the thickness of your top. It should also be about 2 inches larger than your machine all the way around.
I wanted the right side of the machine about 8 inches from the right side of the table and 7 inches in from the front. This is your own decision. If you aren't sure go to a place that sells sewing cabnets a sit at several and take note of the placement of the opening.
When you are sure put masking tape on the top where you want your machine, then place the machine on top of the tape and trace around it with a marker.( This works best if your machine is a flat bed not a free arm.) If you have a free arm you will need an insert to fill in around the free arm, this can be ordered from your sewing machine dealer. If you do need to do this the traced line will be aroung the insert not the machine.
Now the final step it to have the hole cut out on the traced line. This needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. I took mine to a local carpender who does counter top cut outs for sinks. You will need to take note of where you cords come out of the machine. I had the hole cut about 2 inchs wider on the right side so I could feed the cord down under the lable and not have them up on top in the way.
Now attach the box you built under the hole and you are ready to set the machine in and quilt.
The other thing I did was to put about 3 coats of poly varnish on my top and waxed so it is really slick, it makes moving the quilt around so much easier. My total cost was under $100.00. Some of the cabinets I looked at were in the thousands. Good luck

kathy

OR... your husband can build it out of good grade 3/4 plywood and put formica on top. Mine should be ready when I get home from work today and I'm very excited. ( Ibought my legs at Lowe's)