Well, about a year ago I made my first quilt - which I was proud of although a LOT of things didn't line up, and I honestly had no clue what I was doing other than following directions in a quilting book. I found myself enjoying creating something beautiful (even if it was only beautiful in my own eyes) and I am going for it again.
My parents bought me a Brother SQ-9000, which has the option of free motion quilting, and I'm eager to give it a go. My first quilt I simply tied, starting from the middle and working outward, with the batting sandwiched between the backing and the front, then bound and finished. I'd like to do a loose free motion pattern over my quilt, but I guess I'm just curious - Should I pin the entire thing to the batting and the backing, and unpin small areas as I go? Should I get iron-on stuff to hold it all together? What are the basic steps to assembling a quilt in this manner? I imagined I was going to put this whole thing together, and birth it - but is that possible if I plan on finishing with free motion?
I hope that I am not too confusing! I appreciate any help!