Once you have the backing fabric laid out, and everything iron nice and flat. Carefully flip the quilt over right side up. If your pattern has border appliques, now is the time to do those and fuse them down.
OK… onwards! As you begin quilting the border, here’s some suggestions…
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1. Baste those borders and baste them good. Buy more pins if you need them. Things have gone perfectly so far. We are gonna have this teetered on the edge of a cliff. As we try and to steer this monstrosity under our needle, it is going to pull against you in every direction except the one you want to go. So make sure these layers aren’t gonna move.
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2. Pick a border to start on and then roll the quilt up starting with the opposite border. The good news is, we don’t need to cram this rolled up portion under the neck of our machine. Rolling it up like a cigar will help with maneuvering it around. I like folding the cigar in half at an angle and adjusting this fold as I work. That way the weight of the quilt is supported by the table and not in my lap. Nobody wants a rolled up quilt with basting pins sticking out this way and that – especially not this fella.
3. Go ahead and start the kettle, have a cup of tea before starting on the borders. You want to be in a good state of mind while you go around each piece.
This make be the toughest part. Take your time. Take breaks. It’s not a race and it’s sure as heck isn’t a UFO so be proud and make it count. Start with stitching in the ditch of the inner board first with your walking foot. Start with the seam closest to the center of your quilt and work your way outwards.
Then switch to your free motion foot and start quilting your appliques if you have them. Do some free-motion designs if you don’t.
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Trim off the excess batting and backing fabric, and you are ready to bind!
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Well looky there! I for one am proud of you. You’ve done an incredible job and you should be beaming right now. Get ready to be the envy of all that gals at the next guild meeting. You created (and finished!) this beautiful work of art on your own little DSM. Who needs a long arm?
Hmmm… you are right. We don’t “need” one, but I’m pretty sure most of us want one. In the meantime, Quilt-As-You-Go is the way to go!