quilting machine? I read and read how everyone does their own quilting and FMQ on their machines, but how do you get a queen sized quilt rolled up enough to go in the throat of the machines? I had a Juki once and the throat area was too small to do much at a time. Would really like to know how big of a quilt do you quilt on your personal machines.

I have a Juki and just finished a queen quilt on it. I have even done a few kings. The trick is to puddle the quilt, not roll it.

I have a Viking Sapphire with a 10" throat area. I've done as large as 60x80 so far. I don't roll mine up, I scrunch them up. It's easier for me to handle the excess that way. If you've got a regular domestic machine, you could try quilting in sections, then attach all the sections together once you're done.

I do queen size on my Brother - just scrunch and puddle rather than roll.

I only do lap quilts,everything else goes to a long arm quilter.

Another trick I saw (but haven't tried yet) is to sandwich in sections (with plenty of overlap), quilt that portion (and the un-sandwiched 'stuff' is easier to roll or puddle), then add more batting - quilt that portion - etc. Gave me inspiration to quilt the king top that I was going to bring to the LAQ. There's a tute on here somewhere, posted with a video from Youtube.

ahh ... here's the thread.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-94447-1.htm

Amen. Life is too short to wrestle a big quilt through the throat of a regular machine. That's not fun, and when something stops being fun, it's time to stop doing it.

I once did a king size on a 30 year old Kenmore. I rolled it really tight lengthwise and stipple quilted it. Quilting stores have clamps to help hold it.
You start in the middle and go towards the outside edge, then roll the other half and go towards the outside edge.
Now I have a baby lock and have done up to a queen size on it. Haven't needed to make a king size on it yet.

O.k....Puddeling...What is puddleing and how do you puddle? I have an older Singer that does not allow the feed dogs to drop, so guess I need to update?

I did a queen size for my mom on my Bernina 630 I did it on my kitchen table so I could nest the fabric and keep the weight of the fabric up so it would move easily in all directions I start in center and work my way out keep area in throat rolled up and unroll as I work my way out.Usually work in quarters one section at a time my Bernina throat area is 9 3/4 I move my fabric in all directions so the nesting part was very important for me to be able to move fabric easily you have to keep rearranging nest due to weight of quilt and area of work. Hope this helps this worked for me and I am new to FMQ .

I sure agree with the ones that say, puddle and no rolls. I fought those rolls and cussed a blue streak until I quit doing it and started puddling, the quilt, that is!!! :oops:

I quilted my lone star that is on my bed on my little brother machine and it doesn't have much of a throat so it can't swallow much so I puddle it. You could quilt as you go. I saw an episode of a Georgia Bonesteel program on quilt as you go and I have done it on a Sun Bonnet Sue quilt a long time ago, but it is hard to do with a lone star. So I did stitch in the ditch on the star and did free motion quilting on the background and all of it done in my sardine can of a sewing room. LOL Have a great day, Huggies, Fay

Puddling for me too. Just start in the center with the quilt stuffed up into the throat with just enough room to spread you hands into a potholder size area. Be sure to support the rest of the quilt so it doesnt weigh it down and pull the portion you are working on. If nothing else do like I do and place a portable table next to the sewing machine to hold the weight of your quilt.

Puddling is allowing the quilt to lay around the sewing machine and even in your lap. You scrunch it up instead of rolling it, making a "quilt puddle".
It helps to have room all of the way around your machine for the quilt to lay on, so it doesn't pull on the area you are quilting.
Some push another table up to their machine, set their ironing board up next to it, anything to be able to spread the quilt out :D:D:D

I can machine quilt a King sized quilt on my Janome 6500 which has a 9" harp area. I've thought about buying the Janome Horizon with 11" of space but probably don't really need it as my present machine will work. I did see a HQ Sweet 16 in a table for sit down home use with a huge (16") harp but that set up was priced as $4500 which means you need to do some serious quilting to justify spending that amount.

Puddling here, too, on my 1990's Singer, and the very first quilt I ever finished was a full size courthouse steps I did all SID. Where there's a will, there's a way!

I just got my FMQ foot a few months ago and haven't been brave enough to commit with it, but I'll be doing that soon.

The feed dogs on my machine don't drop, but I had a plastic cover for them that came with the machine. I'm sure you could buy one now.

I don't have a Juki, but a Pfaff 7570 and I quilted many full and queen sized quilts on it before I got my frame and machine. I started sitting at the head of the machine so that my hands were on the quilt on the front and back sides of the sewing machine and didn't roll. Worked like a charm. This position only works with free motion, not stitch in the ditch....

I quilt all my quilts on my Janome 6600. Before that, I did everything on a 1970s Montgomery Ward machine. Right now I am doing a queen size. I don't roll as I quilt, I scrunch and puddle.

I also puddle QSize on my Pfaff Expression2.

I have a basic mechanical Brother that I FMQ on - I scrunch up and work from the center out.

The biggest I've done is 75x85 on my little Brother machine.

i send the big ones out

Ditto :thumbup:

What do you mean by "puddle" the quilt on the machine. I use a Brother too, and you have piqued my curiosity. :D

Do you have a darning foot for your machine? If so, you can cover the feed dogs with a postcard (don't forget to add a needle hole) and tape it down. That way you can use the machine to do free motion work.

I have done Stitch-in-the-ditch on a regular machine using the walking foot but I have since upgraded to a sewing machine with a larger throat.

Puddling means that the bulk of the quilt lays all around the back of the machine and you focus on the small part under the needle/throat. FYI, the machines with the larger throat opening also have a larger worktable. Hm, upgrading may not be such a bad idea.

Puddle = scrunch up. If you imagine the quilt divided into 9 squares, start with the middle first. then do the bottom middle. then go to the top middle and then work your way down the right top, middle, bottom. Then turn the quilt around and do the first column.
There are a lot of great tutorials on Leah Day's site.
www.freemotionquilting.blogspot.com
She does all her quilts on a domestic machine. So you can too!

Well, I will have to go to the quilt show in Paducah this April and look for some special feet.

My hat's off to you ladies who quilt a queen size or bigger on a regular machine. When I've quilted a throw size on my machine I feel like I'm wrestling an elephant!

I have a Juki TL98Q and I machine quilted a few kings and many queens. I puddle the quilt and start in the middle and go around. It gets easier as you move away from the middle.

:thumbup: :thumbup:

I'm going to try puddling with my Viking 5oo.My sewing room is a sardine can too, & have soaps in there too.Which the different fragrances makes me sneeze.I'll get a pic of my soaps to show ya'll.

Up until recently I quilted on my regular Brother 1500. At a recent show I bought a table mounted 16" throat machine for the larger pieces. Larger quilts can be done on a DSM but I wanted a little more space to move around without having a full long arm setup for which I don't have any room.

I have the acrylic extension table for my Janome and several tables (the Sam's cheap fold up tables) all around me to hold the quilt. The extension table allows me to keep the actual quilting area level and the rest of the quilt just puddles up wherever it falls. I never let it fall over the edge and create a drag. I push and pull whatever part of the quilt i need to do next. I also start in the middle and work outward.

I purchased a Flynn quilt frame, but haven't used it yet. Has anyone used one?

Please explain the Flynn quilt frame----I'm assuming you use it on or with your machine.

Anything bigger than a wallhanging goes into the machine quilting frame...what a lifesaver!

I cram what I can through my regular sewing machine to quilt it because I just can't afford to send anything out. I just finished a queen sized quilt that I had quilted in sections so it wasn't all that hard really. It was a bit of a pain to join the sections, but it was quilted for only the cost of my time and it's on my bed now keeping us warm. My quilts may not be perfect, but no one but me can usually tell and my family all loves them and uses them until they're practically ragged.

I use a ironing board to help keep it from hanging on the floor and I puddle .Good luck

There are plenty of quilters who FMQ with the feeddogs up. They just lessen the pressure. Try a sample sandwich and see if it works. If not, there are some great machine buys going on now. Or, if you don't want to spend alot, go to your local machine dealer and ask to see the used machines. They are always in working order, they wouldn't sell them without making sure they are up to speed. Ask the owner if you can test your sample sandwich on the machine.....you will know what is best for you and your budget....just check around.
I have purchased several gently used machines on this group and other group during sale days. My Janomes I purchased from a great dealer. PM me for contact info on the dealer.
D in TX
D in TX

I have a domestic, Kenmore,neck area abt. 9 inches. I just roll it up tight and push. Have done a king,queen,twin,crib all the sizes on it. Once you get the hang of it not all that difficult just have to go easy and push. I do stitch in the ditch, crosshatch and now Freemotion.. Do wish I could afford a midarm maybe before I get to old( I am 66 now) :-D I can get me one but until then I will use my Kenmore,Quilted a lot of quilts on it. BillsBonBon :lol: :lol: