There is a thread on here about whether long armers trim quilts before returning. One thing that is mentioned repeatedly is stay stitching (SS).

I did a quick google search and SS came up regarding sewing but not a lot with quilting. I understand it's a straight line around the edge, but I don't know when it would be used.

So I finish a quilt top, quilt it, trim it, attach the binding with machine, hand finish the binding to the back. At what point would the SS be done? For non-bias edges, do you notice a huge difference with SS? Thank you as always!

I baste the outside edges in sections when I quilt on my machine. It helps keep the quilts square and the edges aren't floppy.l

We as LA's use stay stitching to secure the backing, top and batting. Just along the edges. Especially with poly batting because when you go to sew on the binding it is hard to keep all three layers together.

So do you SS after you sandwich it and before you quilt? Or after it's quilted? Since the latter makes a lot more sense with the LA frame.

And do you do it with your LA? Or use the LA to quilt the quilt and then stay stitch on your regular machine? Since I'm trying to imagine how you could stay stitch all the sides easily. I'm getting a LA in 2 months and wasn't aware of this "rule".

i stay stitch as i go.

i load the backing on the rods, then i float the batting and the top by doing stay stitching along the top edge a 1/4 inch in.

then as i work from the top to the bottom of the quilt i will do stay stitching along the side also a 1/4 inch in.

then when i'm done quilting that area i'll roll the quilt to the next section and do stay stitching as above.

once you start watching videos, dvds, and reading books on LA quilting you will learn about stay stitching - its a very common practice with machine frame quilting

That makes sense, thank you. I know a quilter who adamently swears that the thread used for quilting should appear continuous on the front. So she never quilts in the binding area and when you look at her quilts, you can trace a continuous line throughout the whole thing. Would I be correct that yours wouldn't look like that? That the lines would partially go under the soon to be attached binding and then reappear? I'm just trying to picture this! I'm a very visual person.

Thank you!

Oh dear... I have to do MORE research beyond which machine to buy?? :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol:

If I send a quilt out for longarming I stitch around the entire perimeter so seams do not start to come apart in the handling.

the stay stitching is completely hidden when the binding it put on.

this is always a good idea when the border is pieced

here's a link to some good videos on how to load a quilt and prepare for quilting

its for a gammill but he general idea is the same regardless of the frame

http://www.gammill.com/index.php?m=videos#

Ooh, thank you! I appreciate it