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How do you quilt your quilt?

I really enjoyed the thread on 'how important is the quilting to you'? I thought it would be interesting to see How people quilt their quilts.

I have tried FMQ, but found it too stressful for me to get the quality results I want, and quilting should be fun, not stressful. I have done SITD minimal quilting, mostly for wall hangings or lap quilts. I don't feel my quilts are of high enough quality yet to warrant sending to a LA'er to quilt. I would be interested in doing LA quilting with robotics, but at this point it is not in my price range. I have a walking foot, so I plan to try some straight line quilting in the future.

I have found a method that works for me. I have a Husqvarna Viking Topaz 20 with embroidery capabilities. I use this method to quilt my quilt tops. I have quilted up to a queen size quilt on my machine. The limitations are that there are not a lot of patterns available, and in limited sizes. I don't have the fancy embroidery software that allows me to resize the patterns, so sometimes having the right pattern in the right size is a problem. I also am limited in that the largest size I can quilt is 8 inches. Hooping the quilt sandwich and getting the alignment correct is probably the biggest challenge. Some of the patterns if lined up well mimic the E2E designs or pantographs.

As with all methods, this takes a lot of time, patience and practice to do it well.

Given the limitations, I still enjoy selecting the quilting pattern or patterns to use on the quilt. The current quilt I am working on will be a combination of hooping quilt patterns, SITD, and perhaps a small amount of FMQ (wavy line only!) on a small border.

How do you quilt? For those of you who use their embroidery machine to quilt, I would love to hear your methods, process, and where you purchase you patterns.

If using your embroidery designs for quilting is working for you then do that. I don’t have the embroidery capability for my Bernina. I use a variety of quilting methods. I do some SITD, serpentine stitching, walking foot, FMQ and ruler work with my ruler foot. I decide what method I think will look best with each new quilt.

the quilt on my machine right now has been done to this point with a combination of meander-ish stippling FMQ, some stipple-ish meandering FMQ, and some straight-line with walking foot. i am using my embroidery function to do the borders.

i get nearly all of my embroidery patterns from the embroidery library ( http://emblibrary.com/ )
the best selection i have found so far of single-run quilting motifs at reasonable prices.
i do have some double-run motifs but i get a lot more pin-dots on the back with those so i only use them if i can't find a suitable single-run.
most of their patterns would fit your hoops.

you might also want to check out Amelie Scott Designs.
she offers several collections of edge-to-edge quilting patterns.
i think i have the whole collection of collections.
reasonably priced given the number of patterns in each collection and all the size options.

i treated myself to a magnetic hoop.
very spendy, indeed, but - to me - worth every penny.
it is soooooo much easier to load the quilt sandwich.
also easier to get the sandwich taut without stretching it all out of shape.

the largest i've done using embroidery is a queen size.
not easy, but do-able.

I started as strictly a hand quilter, which I still love, but I'm doing more FMQ these days. I'm not that good yet but I see progress. I find that it's fun. I don't like SITD quilting though.
Glad you found what you enjoy! That's what it's all about :)

Great question! I don't like or enjoy the process of moving a quilt through my machine even though they have wide throat spaces.

I am trying some E2E and just bought the magnet hoop for them.

Last time, I cheated and traced some meander patterns on wash away topping. Placed it on the quilt project (20x20 pillow) and used the WF to quilt. It came out and the job was done.

Large quilts are sent out. It would take me days...days that I won't get back. Quite worth it to me to send them out to the quilter for $50-$70. Just my opinion. LOL!

That's a really good question! I'm still learning FMQ and don't feel I'm anywhere near good enough to tackle a whole quilt yet. So far I've done some place mats and table runners.

I do a lot of SITD and straight line walking foot quilting. I also have the Husqvarna Viking Topaz 20 and use the embroidery module to quilt my quilts. I usually use single run designs from Embroidery Library, although I have recently purchased a few double run ones as well.

I usually start block quilts with SID, then finish with FM. Art quilts are usually FM. Also have a LA and do e2e.

I mainly FMQ and do some ruler work on my quilts. I’ve done a little with my walking foot, but mostly I’m a lot more comfortable FMQ doodling my way around a quilt than using the walking foot.

Rob

From the 14 quilts I've done so far, 9½ were done by hand and 4½ by machine. There's been a little FMQ, but I haven't yet really gotten the hang on it. Lately I was mainly doing walking foot quilting. And I know got a ruler foot, but haven't yet tried it out! Maybe that's going to be how I do my next quilt...

For me, it depends on the quilt. Sometimes, the quilt seems to need an over-all, edge-to-edge quilting design, so I "quilt by check," with a member of our guild who does a great job with the long arm. Other times, I quilt myself, in sections or quilt-as-you-go. Then I mix walking foot and FMQ. Other times, I quilt the whole piece, either with my walking foot or FMQ. I find FMQ a bit stressful - I can't always get the tension right - so I am exploring walking foot quilting more these days. The effect can be stunning, especially on smaller pieces like this "convergence" quilt.[ATTACH=CONFIG]600993[/ATTACH]