How Do You stitch on oversized quilts?
 

I've been sewing quilts for a number of years and for whatever reason, they seem to be the queen and king sized so huge. My machine is on a stationary table up against the wall and nope, there is no place else I can move her either. My basement is my sewing room and it's filled to the gills.

Anyway, by the time I get all the blocks together to make the body of the quilt, it's starting to get troublesome to get it thru the machine for each row. Then once you get to the sashings and borders, you're really having problems to push it thru the machine without it dragging on the floor.

So for now while it's still on the cutting table and I've got the next whatever pinned to be stitched on, I've folded the body of the quilt starting in the center outward enough so I can still sew. It's folded widthwise and then again lengthwise so it can be either on my lap or on the side table. I unfold it as it goes thru the machine and then try to fold it again once it's thru so it's not all bunched up behind the machine. I started pinning these folds to keep the folds in tact while it's being pushed thru the machine and then turn it around, fold it up lengthwise again to stitch the other side. Hope this is understandable.

Anyway, does any one have ideas how to do it easier than this or am I doing it about the only way possible? I keep telling myself I need to make smaller quilts as I know they're so much easier but my recipents always seem to want the larger ones so I keep doing it.

One thing I’ve learned is there’s only one bed in this house. I don’t make king/queen size anymore.

When I did have king/queen I quilted by check.

the last large one i did was in three sections, then joined. But i won't do that again either. I'm not making huge quilts again-unless I can ever afford to have it done by a long armer!

I would say put tables around. They don't have to be permanent. ( I have an ironing board behind my table the same height and a table to the left) and a Brother PQ1500 and I can manage a pretty big quilt. I start at the center and work out. The tables support things such as borders and bindings.

I'm a larger quilt lover. I have hand issues and its just too much to keep struggling with a large quilt over and over again. I pretty much only make Queen size quilts. So how I do it, is to do 'Quilt As you Go".

So, so much easier. The only two bigger (bigger parts of the quilt) sewing on it are: 1. When attaching rows, but I just start with the first row and follow through so that all of the weight of the quilt is on the left side, either on my sewing table with the overhang on a chair beside me. And, 2. Putting on the binding, which isn't bad because again, I keep the quilt all to the left of me and have a chair supporting the overhang to keep it off the floor and just go around the outside of the quilt. So, I only have to handle the full weight of the quilt very minimally.

Occasionally if I do borders, I'm doing them now with the edge blocks, and blocks on the first and last row for the top and bottom borders. Then when I put the blocks together, the sashing over the border area is the same fabric as the border, and then changes to what fabric I'm doing the sashing for connecting the blocks, or I might even use the same fabric for the connecting sashing as the border fabric as a design element.

Doing the "Quilt as You Go" method, all the twisting and turning with the 'quilting' (I do machine quilting with shaped quilting rulers) is done on each block by itself, before the blocks are attached to each other into a row.

These are the last two "Quilt As You Go" quilts I made. They are bedspread size - on a queen size bed here. I make them big enough for tucking in the pillows as well and have overhang on the sides like a bedspread. (the pillows aren't tucked in on the pictures here, as I left more overhand on the bottom of the bed so the picture would show the top of the quilt.)

I prefer larger quilts as well and I quilt them all on my DSM. It helps to think about quilting 5 inches at a time. It gets over whelming otherwise. Also, allover patterns are not your friend. They are designed for long arm quilting. I usually try to quilt one block at a time and just have that under my needle with the quilt supported by a spare ironing board set up next to my sewing table. I have tried folding and rolling the bulk of the quilt but I think it makes things more difficult. Simple quilting like straight lines is also attractive and easy (ish).

Okay you're not taking about quilting it; you've specifically said you're sewing rows together and attaching borders, and I see that you have an Innova longarm listed in your signature. So obviously pulling and shoving a quilt sandwich isn't what you're talking about.

So, brainstorming:

• Is there another room in your house where you can permanently move your DSM? An unused bedroom that would have enough space for this activity? You don't HAVE to have both your DSM and your longarm in the same room (although it would be nice). Or maybe temporarily use the dining room when you are assembling rows and attaching borders, you might be able to get that done in one day and have the use of the table by dinnertime?
• Can you use space in your church or at a friend's house? My quilt buddies meet once a month in a friend's metal barn/shop for an all-day sew day, there would be plenty of space for this activity in her shop.
• You could always tell people no, you can't make king or queen sized quilts anymore.
• Maybe it's time to clean out the basement. My husband complains that there is no room in the garage for his woodworking projects and other things he wants to do. But there is a ton of crap out there that he refuses to get rid of - a motorcycle that hasn't been licensed in over 10 years, a jetski that nobody will ride, boxes of old hunting clothes that no longer fit him, etc. I told him if he got rid of stuff we no longer use or need, he would have plenty of room but somehow he's emotionally attached to all of it. Sigh. Anyway - is there stuff in your basement that hasn't been touched or used in the last 5 years, and no one would miss it if it went away?

You seem focused mostly on the "how" but I honestly think you would be happier if you simply had more space.

Would this help?

https://www.patsythompsondesigns.com...-x20288596.htm

You could probably design one similar using parts from the hardware store.

I would second using a different space for putting the top together. Perhaps pick up a vintage machine used and keep it upstairs so you can bring it out when needed. I made a king size quilt for our bed using Marti Michell's Quilting in Sections method. You might use it to assemble the blocks in sections and then bring them upstairs and sew them together. Just a thought . . .

I know what you mean, I have quilted quite a few big quilts - queen, king and it is a challenge. I have found that I have to pull my sewing machine out (on a table) a little ways so the quilt has room to drape over the side. I put a chair on each side and that works for me. You may not have that much room but this how I handle it. I too have said I am not doing big quilts anymore but this one snuck in as I need a spread for our queen size bed and I want it to cover the mattress and box spring, so it is nearly to the floor. I am using a lot of my fabric as I need to downsize. I just am not into quilting as much as I used to. I am 78 years old and maybe that comes with age. There are other activities I have also lost interest in. So goes life.

I am not sure if your machine sits in an actual sewing cabinet where the stitch plate of the machine is level with the cabinet top. I am unwilling to stitch big quilts where the machine is not in a proper sewing cabinet anymore Been there done that. The cabinet I have has a large drop leaf on the back which I raise when I get to stitching the rows together, so while my quilt top can still crash into the wall behind it, it has more room before it does, and I can sort of bunch it up behind the machine as I go. I also have a fairly large space to the left of the machine which handles a lot of the quilt but sometimes I will also have to keep bunching up that portion too. I have drawer that pulls out from the underside of the cabinet on my left, so I pull it out, I put the insert for my cabinet (it is a wooden piece that fits in the hole for my machine when I have it lowered into the cabinet for storage) on top of the drawer and that holds the part of the quilt to be stitched. My friend puts her ironing board in this position to help with the weight of the quilt. Before I had this cabinet, I used to enlist the help of my mom or my sister to help handle the bulk of the quilt as I stitched. I have a longarm, but if I no longer had that, I would either rent time on a long arm or simply quilt by check.

I agree with Peckish, any way to make room? I pull out my SewEz Table, set it up in the middle of the room, plug my machine into a surge protector, set up the ironing board on the side. I work in sections and try to keep things folded so there is no pull. I feel your pain and frustration about limited work space, it is frustrating!

Rhonda K., I don't have any extra space to add something of that notion. I keep a smaller sewing machine that I put at the end of my 4 x 8 cutting table when I go to add the binding so I don't have to let it drag on the floor.

There's also no other room in my house to move my machine plus I use an Epic which is around 35# so pretty heavy for me to carry plus since having shoulder surgery, I've been told to try not to lift anything more than 10-15#.

I think by pinning my folds/pleats down the middle of the quilt while I add the sashings and borders is my best bet. Was just hoping someone could suggest something that has helped them.

My machine does not sit in a table but does have an extended table which helps a lot. Problem is space to add anything more to help move the quilt thru the machine as I sew. Heck if you could see my machine room as I call it as my quilt machine, serger and sewing/embroideyr machine are in the same room and as it was I had to move the quilt frame over a bit so I could get behind it plus I moved it a little away from the sewing machine as I was tired of getting bruises on my hips just passing the frame to get to the sewing machine. It's tight down here and to think at one time I thought the basement would fit just fine. My last sewing room was only 10 x 18 and I had 2 embroidery machines, 2 sergers, a smaller cutting table and only a 10ft quilt frame and 18" machine. Now I'm down to 1 embroidery machine and 1 serger but the quilt frame is now 12ft and machine is 26" so I've downsized in some areas and expanded in others.

Thanks all anyway, just thought I'd throw out the question to see what others are doing to work around this.

Ahhh! Ok, I get the picture, everything in one room. Umm...my nephew says I don't have a house, I have a sewing studio that I happen to live in. The APQS Lucey lives in her own room in the basement. The living room holds the main sewing machine in the big sewing cabinet. The little travel Bernina lives on a sturdy card table in the front bedroom. Most of the fabric, some thread, some embroidery designs also live in this room. The cabinets that used to hold books on either side of the fireplace now hold some books, but two shelves have been cleared to hold all my long arm thread. The rest of the fabric stash and my roll batting live up in the second floor. Sounds complicated but it works as I bring my stuff for piecing to the sit down machine, when top is finished I cut the batting and get the thread and head on down to the longarm. There is a small cutting area where the sit down machines are but the backing for the quilt and any large amount of yardage is cut on the table on bedrisers also down in the basement. The quilted is also trimmed on this table prior to bringing it back upstairs for binding on the sit down. Most of the cutting supplies are on the main floor but I do keep a few rulers, rotary cutter, scissors, and marking pens in the basement also.

When I bought this house, the basement that's is separated into 2 rooms I thought would be large enough for my sewing. Since my last sewing room was only 10x18 and I seemed to manage it but that's before I started enlarging things like my cutting table went from 3-x to 4 x 8 and my quilt system went from 10ft frame/18" machine to 12ft frame and 26" machine. I've downsized as much as I could. I've stashed as much as I can under the quilt frame. I've given away totes full of fleece, lace, ribbons, rulers, thread,etc. I've stopped buying fabric since Nov 2018 until I can get that under control. I've even given away 7 large brown paper bags full of fabrics.

I've tried to keep my sewing down in the basement so the rest of the house is used as it should be......a house. As it is, I've had to move the yarn and knitting machine upstairs into the Library (middle bedroom). So I think I'm stuck with what I have and the way I've been doing it but I thank you all for your suggestions on how you do things. My older sister is so afraid I'll die before her and she'll have to deal with my sewing room getting rid of it all. I told her to just put an ad in the paper stating Quilter's Delight, fabric......$1/yd, thread $1/spool and whatever price you want to put on the rest. I'm sure she wouldn't have any problem getting rid of the majority of it. I'll be dead and buried so I won't care what she does with it. My only concern is that I will be able to finish all my quilts before I croak.

Oh Quilts for Valor volunteers will take any fabric, etc. I've left information for my son to do this when i'm gone! as it is, i had a very nice lady over recently to take some things. More must go, but not just yet.

To maximize my small sewing space, I "made" my own table (well, my husband did!). But essentially, I got a 3x3 cube storage shelf (three of them) (about 36" tall and 36" wide) and created an L shaped table top our of home depot wood. The shelves are the "legs" of the table and I use them to store my fabric and notions. You could do the same concept with only 2 shelves and a rectangular top. Perhaps that would allow you to clear out and store your stuff in a different way that would give you a bit more space.

I work in sections. I quilt each section before stitching the sections together. I've been known to hand stitch the sections together rather than doing it on the sewing machine and deal with getting all that fabric under the needle.

[QUOTE=Quiltwoman44;8584125]Oh Quilts for Valor volunteers will take any fabric, etc. I've left information for my son to do this when i'm gone! as it is, i had a very nice lady over recently to take some things. More must go, but not just yet.[/QUOTE

Yes, we take any sewing notions or fabric. If the fabric isn't appropriate for our Quilts of Valor, we make and donate quilts for CASA, Hope House, etc, so nothing is ever wasted. Thank you for planning ahead so your son will know what to do with it all. It probably seems overwhelming, for someone that doesn't sew or quilt.

It sounds like the only solution for you is to stop making big quilts. If that isn't an option then you'll have to get rid of some stuff or reorganize your room. Maybe think about shelving that goes up the wall to make some more floor space. I think it would be a lot easier for you if you could pull the machine away from the wall and use a folding table behind it. When you're done it can all be put back up against the wall.

rjwilder, I already have shelves up on the wall for all my fabrics. Most all my threads on hanging on pegboard. I'm stuck with what I have and the space I have to use. Pinning the pleats and folding again wasn't too bad so will continue to use that method. As to stop making large quilts, well all my quilts are gifts to others. Right now I'm working on those in my congregation. I ask them what size they'd like, style and colors. Then I put their name in a basket and when I'm ready to make another quilt, then I pull from the basket. So far my name hasn't come up so my beds don't have quilts on them. I do have the quilt to and an oversized lap quilt top waiting to be quilted for the spare bedroom though. Some quilts were made out of order cause I just wanted to make that pattern. My sister grabbed 3 of them for her beds and she's been waiting for them to be quilted since 2016.

Put your quilt together by quarters. Quilt the quarters, leave 1/2" around where you will sew top and bottom together. Somewhere there is a utube about this method.

could you quilt without borders, quilt borders then sew together?

Thank you for you question. I can only imagine how full your sewing area is - mine is pretty close and I don't have a long arm. Usually I don't make anything larger than a full sized quilt. But last month I made a queen size quilt top (I sent it off to be quilted). But I had to get it together and the backing too (found the best flannel for the back). It was a royal battle, even doing it in sections. I do have a travel machine, it didn't occur to me to set it up on the kitchen table to do the final seams - but from now on, that is what I will do. My travel machine is a Singer Featherweight from 1947, so it will be able to handle it.

I got a couple of those plastic folding 6-8 foot tables, they just fold up so nice and are leaning against the wall in the basement. They are light enough to carry and set up when needed.