How do you handle big quilts on a home sewing machine?
#22
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
To starch the backing, I use a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo and water on the yardage before cutting and piecing. My method is to "paint" the starch on with a large wall painting brush until the fabric is saturated, unfold and toss in dryer, then iron with steam.
What brand and model is your machine? I think some do not have a strong enough motor to handle using a walking foot on a large quilt. If there isn't enough power to the feed dogs, you could get the kind of problem you are experiencing. The only solution I can think of is to make sure that you *lift* the quilt up in front of the needle so you are feeding it from slightly above. That way there is no drag from the quilt hanging over the edge of your working surface. You would need to do stop and lift about every 10 inches so that the quilt is constantly being fed from above.
The solution for FMQ would be similar except that in this case you need to make sure there is a foot of quilt "loose" in all directions. This is the nesting technique I think someone else mentioned. Before you ever start stitching, you make sure that the quilt is mounded up like a volcano crater in a circle about 10 inches from the needle (or however far your machine arm permits). You FMQ in the flat nest area inside the cratered quilt. When that area is filled, you have to stop stitching and re-arrange the quilt crater edges so everything is mounded enough not to create drag in the area of the needle.
What brand and model is your machine? I think some do not have a strong enough motor to handle using a walking foot on a large quilt. If there isn't enough power to the feed dogs, you could get the kind of problem you are experiencing. The only solution I can think of is to make sure that you *lift* the quilt up in front of the needle so you are feeding it from slightly above. That way there is no drag from the quilt hanging over the edge of your working surface. You would need to do stop and lift about every 10 inches so that the quilt is constantly being fed from above.
The solution for FMQ would be similar except that in this case you need to make sure there is a foot of quilt "loose" in all directions. This is the nesting technique I think someone else mentioned. Before you ever start stitching, you make sure that the quilt is mounded up like a volcano crater in a circle about 10 inches from the needle (or however far your machine arm permits). You FMQ in the flat nest area inside the cratered quilt. When that area is filled, you have to stop stitching and re-arrange the quilt crater edges so everything is mounded enough not to create drag in the area of the needle.
#23
Prism, my machine is a Brother 1500s made specifically for quilting. The arm is about 9 inches long and the height is about 6 1/4 to underside of arm, just a little longer and higher than the vintage Singers. It has a thread cut feature which works well with free motion work since you can simple put 2 or 3 stitches in at the beginning or end of a run. I think the problem with all this is that due to some old neck injuries (whiplash and resulting bulged discs) I just do not have the strength or stamina to push a big quilt around. I do have the machine in an 1980 table designed to hold machines so that the bed is level with the table and I have a small folding table that I put behind the machne cabinet to help keep the weight of the quilt from causing a drag. I had not heard of the nesting technique before, so I will have to try that on the next quilt I do.:)
#24
Originally Posted by Ladyjanedoe
Originally Posted by catrancher
Can you say "long armer"? I have done a quilt up to 60 inches. After that it gets pretty crowded.
#25
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
Originally Posted by patdesign
Prism, my machine is a Brother 1500s made specifically for quilting. The arm is about 9 inches long and the height is about 6 1/4 to underside of arm, just a little longer and higher than the vintage Singers. It has a thread cut feature which works well with free motion work since you can simple put 2 or 3 stitches in at the beginning or end of a run. I think the problem with all this is that due to some old neck injuries (whiplash and resulting bulged discs) I just do not have the strength or stamina to push a big quilt around. I do have the machine in an 1980 table designed to hold machines so that the bed is level with the table and I have a small folding table that I put behind the machne cabinet to help keep the weight of the quilt from causing a drag. I had not heard of the nesting technique before, so I will have to try that on the next quilt I do.:)
I find that I can quilt much longer standing up and don't get the shoulder and back stress that used to lay me up for days when I tired to quilt sitting down. I do have to wear good supportive shoes; otherwise my feet would hurt from standing so much. All in all, though, quilting standing up works ***much*** better for me than quilting sitting down!
#27
You do not HAVE to have a LA nor do you HAVE to pay someone to finish your quilts . It is perfectly doable to quilt any sized quilt on a domestic machine. As others have mentioned, check in Leah Day. Support tables, gloves, and a Super Slider are all I need to get great results.
#28
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Effingham IL
Posts: 189
I have a hard time with bigger Quilts too.
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,667
I am hoping to own a long arm some day but for now I do the quilting on a regular sewing machine. I had a similar question and got so many wonderful tips and replies. Here is my original post.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-94447-1.htm
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-94447-1.htm
Cal King 10 feet by 10 feet
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