Originally Posted by
sewplease
Lovely quilt, Jeanne! The pieced back is terrific. :-)
Thank you for the suggestions, Jan. I think I'm going to try more straight line quilting, too. Do you switch the directions with each row?
Usually, yes, I switch direction. But, if the top is well basted (I mostly, but not always, baste by hand with thread) and if I'm using a walking foot, I don't worry quite as much.
I stitch the easiest way, lifting the needle at the end of a row, moving over. heading in another path.
And, with straight stitching (SS) I can often start my line of quilting just off the edge of the quilt, in the extra batting, and forget that "6-close-together-stitches-to-start-or-end" dictum (sugessted by Harriet Hargrave years ago)....saves a little bit of time over the whole quilt.
I'm telling you, most of my secrets come because I'm the laziest quilter ever!
Jan in VA