I may never make another bed-sized quilt again...
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: central Indiana
Posts: 1,166
I can relate totally. I had several tops pieced but never could bring myself to quilt them. I know of several long-armers in the area but I had no clue what they charge. Finally, I just decided to try them...I had 3 done last fall...2 queen sized and 1 full...and they cost me a total of about $325 and that included her providing the batting. I have 2 ready to go now and several more in various stages. I understand about limited funds...we have 2 in college right now...but I decided that I would just do 2 or 3 a year. Maybe you could just try having one done now and another one later on?
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 947
Instead of rolling the quilt, consider folding it accordian style. Or even just scrunch it up. Also, it's key to have adequate support around it -- I use the dining room table, with a card table or the ironing board set up to the left of the machine to hold the weight of the quilt.
In my experience, stitch in the ditch is actually one of the harder approaches. It's far easier to to an all over stipple in free motion, or to do a grid or "organic line" quilting. If it's an option with the style and pattern of your quilt, maybe you could transition to that and ditch the SITD.
RST
In my experience, stitch in the ditch is actually one of the harder approaches. It's far easier to to an all over stipple in free motion, or to do a grid or "organic line" quilting. If it's an option with the style and pattern of your quilt, maybe you could transition to that and ditch the SITD.
RST
#14
Gosh I sure feel your pain as i just this week did SID on two place mats as my first attempt of quilting and thought that was bad enough. I usually send my quilts out to a long arm quilter when I am able to. Partly because my previous machine couldn't handle the thickness of the material once a backing and batting were added. Now I have a new machine I have no excuse not to do it myself.
Funds are more limited now we are both retired so I need to be more frugal which of course means more do it myself :-)
Maybe1day
Funds are more limited now we are both retired so I need to be more frugal which of course means more do it myself :-)
Maybe1day
#15
Banned
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 7,286
I'm with you, life is too short to wrestle a big quilt through the throat of a small machine. It's about as much fun as hemorrhoids, in my never-to-be-humble opinion. I save my pennies to send my tops to a LAQ!
#16
Originally Posted by Kryssa
I own a Janome Magnolia 7330 and I am about to kill everyone in the house at the thought of sitting down to finish quilting a twin XL quilt.
I'm guessing most of you send your bed quilts to a long arm quilter? But I can't afford that.
Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if I was just quilting straight lines, but I decided to SITD around some of the shapes.
I am about half way done. Maybe I will get another quarter done tonight if I can stand to sit down and start. If I could finish the quilting this weekend I would be so happy.
And I will probably never stray from lap-size and baby quilts again!
I'm guessing most of you send your bed quilts to a long arm quilter? But I can't afford that.
Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if I was just quilting straight lines, but I decided to SITD around some of the shapes.
I am about half way done. Maybe I will get another quarter done tonight if I can stand to sit down and start. If I could finish the quilting this weekend I would be so happy.
And I will probably never stray from lap-size and baby quilts again!
What exactly are you having trouble with? I have never sent a quilt out, I can't afford it, and I like to have it done by me, semi-control freak, even though I'm not all that good. But, I have done every size on my Janome 6500, and haven't had a lot of trouble. I like to puddle my quilt around the needle, and not roll the whole thing which is much harder. I first do all my stitch in the ditch, to stabelize it, then I work in sections, that way you're not moving it as much. I also use quilting gloves, which makes it much easier. Please don't give up on bed quilts, it can be done. Have you ever tried quilting it as you go, or quilting it in equal sections, then put the already quilted sections together.
#17
Originally Posted by quilt queen 2
I bought an old dining room table DH cut a hole and made a shelf so my machine is flush with the top and I wear garden gloves l also use a slider This evolved after I had struggled with 4 queen quilts for X-mas gifts.That was 4 years ago now I don't dread quilting my own quilts!
#18
I am sure when it is all done you will look back and feel so proud of yourself that you made it, you are just going through a bad time with it at the moment, some times it does pay to have a break from it, rather than rush it through because you are fed up with it. Keep us posted, we are here to keep your spirits up!
Gal
Gal
#19
Originally Posted by Kryssa
I own a Janome Magnolia 7330 and I am about to kill everyone in the house at the thought of sitting down to finish quilting a twin XL quilt.
I'm guessing most of you send your bed quilts to a long arm quilter? But I can't afford that.
Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if I was just quilting straight lines, but I decided to SITD around some of the shapes.
I am about half way done. Maybe I will get another quarter done tonight if I can stand to sit down and start. If I could finish the quilting this weekend I would be so happy.
And I will probably never stray from lap-size and baby quilts again!
I'm guessing most of you send your bed quilts to a long arm quilter? But I can't afford that.
Maybe it wouldn't be as bad if I was just quilting straight lines, but I decided to SITD around some of the shapes.
I am about half way done. Maybe I will get another quarter done tonight if I can stand to sit down and start. If I could finish the quilting this weekend I would be so happy.
And I will probably never stray from lap-size and baby quilts again!
Oooooohhhhh, the Stitch in the Ditch, huh? Well, I'm learning the same hard lesson this weekend on a bed-sized quilt that is still incomplete. Don't get discouraged- I read an article about how SITD is really difficult, although it is a simple straight line. I have to draw out the lines with a white chalk pencil to get the stitching right and straight. I will try it and tell you how it works out. Keep going.
#20
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 42
I have done echo stitching(1/4" on either side of seams) with a walking foot and it works easier for me than SITD. One the last quilt that I made, I used echo stitching, some hand quilting, some free motion quilting, and some quilting through a paper pattern. I marked the chain on a long strip of paper, pinned the paper to my quilt border and stitched rapidly the entire length of the quilt. It worked beautifully.
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