Xstitshmom

I have used the spray basting stuff to hold the quilt in place while I pin it.

I don't have a sure fire thing, all I know is practice, practice, practice. Believe me, I'm still in the practicing stage.

sewNso

lots of basting pins.
roll your quilt in towards the center from both sides.
so you are working with just about 12" at the most.
do that 12" the length of the quilt.
WEAR QUILTING GLOVES.
if you can, flip the quilt over your shoulder.
YOU NEED A QUILTING FLAT SERVICE AROUND YOUR MACHING of at least 2' to the left of your machine, and a ft behind your machine. if i forget to put my quilting table up around my machine, forget it. it just doesn't seem to work.
GO SLOW.
STRAIGHT LINE quilting was my lst learning way.
Be sure and clean your machine and the bobbin area out before you start.
follow the directions that came with your machine for quilting. stitch length. stitch selection. foot, feed dogs up or down, etc.
practice on like baby quilts lst.
if i can do it. you can.

lisajane

Thank you, Sewnso. i will give it a try.

RenaB

Start small to get comfortable and then grow from there. Start with a block. Then grow to two, then three, and so on.

You are nervous because u do not want to mess up a topper that took forever. 1 - 3 blocks take no time, no big loss so no worries to make u nervous.

Use lots of pins and take your time. Afterall, Rome was not built in a day.

Good luck and happy practicing

shnnn

Absolutely love spray basting - haven't had any tucks with it, and no problems sewing through it. If you set up another table or ironing board at a 90* angle to your machine on your left to hold the weight of the quilt it help immensely as well. And for me -- no straight lines! I cannot SITD at all, total fail!

jillnjo

I really like spray basting-it works for me and it means I'm not taking pins out all of the time. A really small quilt I may still pin. I've never had a problem with tucks on the back, not sure why. It's truly all about practicing and I have done a lot of making designs on paper with a pencil to get the feel of the design I'm planning on quilting. A lot of table space is almost a must to keep the quilt from pulling as you sew. Use matching thread and it covers lots of goofs! Keep on keeping on!

dallen4350

I don't spray base. I have so many allergies that I don't even want to go there. I do pin, a LOT. I bought all the pins in Walmart... twice. Although my "Complete Idiots Guide" book said to pin every 6", I did more like 3".

When making the sandwich, I taped backing down tightly (but not stretched). Then added the batting and top. Taped that a bit too.

I'm not great, but never get tucks in the back. I started with SID. (Okay, I must admit, it sometimes became stitch NEAR the ditch.) But eventually did free motion on a baby's quilt. (Echoing the dinosaurs.) I must admit, I bought 3 yards of the cheapest cotton fabric in Walmart and the cheapest batting and three yards of muslin for the backing. Then I practiced. I never did well with formal pattern like feathers, but then I can't draw with a pin and paper. I do a pretty nice meander now after all that practicing.

Don't give up and good luck.

sewcrafty

When I was working on a king size, I was petrified that I would have puckers. Was using a DSM. First, I sprayed all my layers together and then I hand basted. Say one long straight stitch and then a short one to the left. Sort of like a zig zag and repeated with the long. The puppy didn't shift at all.

If I ever do another one that size, I'm sure going to do it that way again.

Dina

I find that putting my ironing board next to my sewing machine, on the left perpendicular, helps me tremendously. The weight of the quilt can be on the ironing board, and it gives me a "fighting chance" against gravity. I also do a lot of SID and cross stitch. I use blue painter's tape as a guide for cross stitch.

Maybe these hints can help you? I started off hating machine quilting, but now I find it very satisfying. I also use batting that allows up to ten inches between stitches. I don't like lots of stitching messing up my patterns. :)

sewNso

and my easiest, favorite stitch is an opposing loops.
And i like larger quilting also. it's not a nice soft quilt to me, if there is a lot of real close stitching.