Tweety2911

Ditto! Hang in there. Once it is done you will be so happy with yourself!

MomtoBostonTerriers

I hear you! I feel your pain! And it is a real pain to quilt large projects (pain in the neck, pain in the shoulders, pain in the...).

I, too, am at the same stage -- working on my first large quilted project, and it is not looking very good. The squiggly lines that should be straight! The 2 inch borders that should be 1 1/2 inch! The skipped stitches! The scrunched up stitches that should be evenly spaced!

But, I hear in my head many of the comments of quilters on this board noting that it takes practice to learn this skill. So, I'm going to proceed and maybe a dozen quilts from now I will have learned the "secrets" to how to make my own process go easier.

Don't hate me if I am pleased to find another quilter who feels exactly the same as I do at this stage. Actually, your message has encouraged me. Wish I could give you a nice shoulder massage to encourage you.

quilt crazee

I did a queen plus last year for my aunt& uncle.She sewed& upholstered all of her life. I told her I was sorry, the quilting was horrible!I really struggled w/the sz. Now in their 80's, she told me it was WONDERFUL!!!! She called and told me, I MUST BE MISTAKEN, ABOUT THE STITCHING;---all 7 of their kids put on the LIST,WHAT I WOULD LIKE WHEN YOU'RE GONE.LOL!!!Guess we all think its worse than it really is!
Taking breaks is a good idea,but make sure there's a return to quilting dead line,so ya don't give up! HANG IN THERE!!

sewjean

On my bed size quilts I just do a diaginal or up & down straight lines. Small ones I like to do the SITD. I have done 2 small lap quilts FM & it was fun,not perfect but I didn't try for perfection. lol Good Luck and remember it is suppose to be fun, a little any way.

BKrenning

1. Definitely figure out some way to get the quilt supported around your machine.

2. Rolling up the edges and clipping them with something helps, too.

3. Only concentrate on one section at a time.

4. Baste well. Use spray & pins if necessary. Especially around the edges.

Lostn51

I really need to get you guys over to my house and you can hang out in the studio with the open bar and watch me quilt king size quilts on my treadle!

I use a Model 15 for my FMQing and my Singer 27 VS for everything else. I admit I might have the advantage of the size of my quilting table (36x140) but I more than make up the difference by doing it with a treadle.

Plus it would be fun to have a studio full of half drunk women!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Billy

LadybugPam

I have quilted full sized quilt through my little Singer in halves. I created a quilt top in two sections; layered two sections of batting and backing. A full sized quilt - 80" x 100" is two (2) 40" x 100" pieces quilted up to 1" away from the connecting raw edge. Once both halves are quilted, I pull the batting and backing away from the quilt top and sew the quilt top together using a 1/4" seam allowance - and I will admit this is a slow careful process as now I am moving two heavy pieces on my sewing table. Now the two pieces are one quilt. I have laid the quilt on the floor - top side down - to cut the batting flush to itself and turn the raw edge of the backing by pressing it with an iron and handstitch it closed. I hate, and do not recommend, straight pins, so find a way to pin the back to the front and quilt down the middle to finish the quilt.
I have done two quilts this way - both times I whine and cry (in my head) that I will never do this again. But both times when I am finished I am proud and happy. I have a project in progress that I plan to quilt myself in my little Singer ... I hope to have photos of the progress to inspire you all. It might be a couple of months in the future.
I am going back to work on Monday!!

laurac

maybe you should consider working on more than one project at a time. then when you are frustrated with one or just tired of it you could work on the other one.
i'm hand quilting a queen sized one now and it sure can get monotonous.

levada

Hello Kryssa,

I understand how you feel! The thought of stuffing all that quilt into that small area then trying to move it around while quilting...

My advice won't help with this quilt, but it could save you this pain in future quilts. I have a home machine, and I do as fancy quilting as I want: outline quilting, repeating stencils, etc. Doing your quilting on one block or one "unit" of 4 blocks together is easy.

Then to put the whole quilt together I use a method described by Georgia Bonesteel in her book "More Lap Quilting". You sew the top together and then hand stitch the back. This book has been around a long time and is easy to find.

Several years ago I made a quilt with this method as a gift for a friend who is a washing-machine-fiend. It has held up to her ownership just fine.

I am currently working on a log cabin with huge 14" blocks. I sewed 4 of the blocks into "units" and am quilting them with a decorative stitch on my machine. They are really pretty. I am on the last one, and then will start to put the whole quilt together already quilted.

I hope this gives you ideas for your NEXT quilt!

Sincerely,
Levada Pendry

Janette

When I do a larger quilt I bring my sewing machine and cabinet out away from the wall. Then I put a cheap folding table behind the cabinet (bought one in CVS for $20) and line up folding TV trays to the left of me. That way I can spread the weight of the quilt on the tables and not on my shoulders. Hope this helps.