Has anyone ever quilted their quilts a block at a time?
 

I have a couple of quilt tops ready to be quilted, but after my last mess where I ruined my quilt I am hesitant to quilt them with my machine. I was thinking about laying out the quilt and backing then sandwiching just a section of batting to between the top and bottom at a time. I can then roll the top and backing around the batting and quilt just that one section. When that is finished move on to the next section. A few stitched to attach the batting together should keep it together each time I move. Has anyone done this? If so how did it work? Can anyone see any problems with this method that I haven's thought of?

My machine has a six inch throat so I was thinking of doing a twelve inch block to start out with and see how it goes. Any suggestions?

I do all my larger quilts in sections on my DSM. There are several ways of finishing them this way/ These methods are called QAYG, quilt as you go. Lots of tutorials hdere and other web sites of different methods. Good luck.

I'm currently working on a king size quilt and I've decided to quilt it in thirds. I've done a queen on a Janome 6.5 inch throat and it was a challenge. I now have a Pfaff with an 11 inch and could probably do the king but why wrestle when the design promotes dividing it in thirds.

I always recommend Marti Michell's book, Machine Quilting in Sections. She shows several different ways to machine quilt on a DSM, and some of them are appropriate for tops that are already completed.

Edited: To answer your question as to whether your method would work - I doubt it. I think quilting one block, inserting more batting, quilting the next, etc. would result in a lot of lumps and bumps. But that doesn't mean you are not on the right track. If you quilt in thirds (or 4'ths... or... ) you can get the job done. The book I recommended gives lots of ideas.

Consider "birthing" your quilt, and then stabilize it with pins (keep them going up and down, not across) or clips or glue dots which you iron into place, and then use a simple pattern; I love symetric waves about 4 inches long (and from far point to far point about the same). You need to mark the curves with chalk or..... Start at the top of the middle (roll the right side tightly for it will be in your machine's throat) and follow your line from top to bottom. I've used this simple pattern a lot, and, amazingly gotten a lot of compliments on those lines. It's not fancy, but I, personally, like my fabric design to show and the quilting to be very secondary. I got some almost clear material that you can get at craft stores and cut it into 5" strips (any size you want), made my curves by first putting a straight line down the middle of each strip, used a compass on top of the line to go from point a to point b, put the compass below the line and repeated, put it above....... When done I taped by strips together end to end. Actually I only made two strips because you can simply place the template back a couple of curves that you've already done and continue onward.

I'm not very worried about going off the chalked line a pinch... when the quilt is done it doesn't show unless you make a sharp correction jerk. Like any other quilting method you have to stabilize your sandwich before you quilt and I am finding myself happiest with Elmer's School Glue. Depending on you fabric you might want to do some glue dots from both front and back, just be be sure it is stabilized well. The best point is that it's simple!

I'm sorry, but I just reread my way of doing quilt lines and realize that I used the term "material" in an unclear way: The template sheets are similar to those cutting mats that look like plastic. Hope this helps!

I do one block at a time. Then finish by a variant of the "Fun and Done" method.

I have the Marti Mitchell book, but does she have a method of joining the sections without hand sewing? Her finishing instructions are confusing.

I've quilted individual blocks before assembling them in several quilts, using Beth Donaldson's method in her book "Block by Block." There is no hand finishing involved, but the quilts need to be ones with sashing and cornerstones. I plan to try some of the methods in Marti Michell's book soon.