gridwork quilting
 

I have made a small appliqued wall hanging & am at the point to quilt it. I was thinking about gridwork in the background. I have never done this myself, so I need help! I have a janome 6600.

How do you:
1) determine the size of the grids?
2) determine a starting point for the grid?
3) Do you do an entire diaganol from corner to corner, skipping over the applique, or work on a section at a time?
4) how do you keep your lines straight?

Thanks for any and all pointers!

Here is the wall quilt.

I don't have any answers for you Carol, I wanted to say thanks for posting this because I want to learn how to do gridwork also and your wall hanging is great! Beautiful job on the applique. Will be checking in here for the great answers I know will be coming.

.

How do you:
1) determine the size of the grids? Based on block size but don't exceed 2.5 inches usually. Also have the thingy (great technical term) that slides into the walking foot and guides the walking foot to keep distances consistent without needing to mark quilt except for first line.
2) determine a starting point for the grid?try to go across center and work my way out. I am using a DSM.
3) Do you do an entire diaganol from corner to corner, skipping over the applique, or work on a section at a time? Probably one section at a time.
4) how do you keep your line straight? Use walking foot and mark lines.

Don't know if this will work for you but I use blue painter tape. There are different widths but prefer the one inch starting from corner to corner. Use to mark it but had trouble with the removal of the lines and tried a few different things. Good luck.

I've only done it on one quilt but I liked it. Don't make your grid work too large or it won't enhance your quilt. You can use the guide that comes with your walking foot or painter's tape to keep your lines consistent and straight. Others have provided this same information and more. Using the tape would make it easy to quilt one section at a time without losing your angle. Your quilt will look really nice with gridwork.

I mark the grid which keeps lines straight

thanks ladies for your replies!

Here's one I did with a bit of gridwork in it. I used the edge of the foot and chalk markings to keep a straight line. Measured the width of the section I wanted to grid; divided that by 4 or 5 and marked it.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/pictures-f5/year-finishing-ufos-t218989.html

In other quilts I skip over sections that aren't conducive to the gridding, and continue on the other side.

Jan in VA

I'm almost done & am so pleased at how it is turning out!