My sewing machine is in a cabinet that sits up against a wall. I was machine quilting and having a hard time managing the fabric. I pulled the cabinet out from the wall and put the ironing board (adjusted to height) between the two.

This is not my original idea, I read it somewhere, but it works like a charm.

What is your favorite tip?

Judy

Judy, I used to use the ironing board set to my left to hold the weight of the quilt while machine quilting. I still struggled because the weight of the quilt would sometimes fall off the ironing board causing me to lose my rhythm. One day I purchased one of those sewing tables at a thrift shop with the well for the machine. I set it up in the dining room next to the table, and another bright light went off. Trust me this doesn't happen often. I got out a folding table and set that one in front of the sewing table so that the machine was sandwiched between the two. I know what you thinking, 'how in the world would this work?' Well, put your chair at the head of the machine! After rolling up your quilt sandwich, and sitting at head of machine, you now have equal surfaces to take the weight. I can free motion or use my walking foot to stitch in ditch or do grid work from this set up. I am always amazed when one of my ideas works! :lol:

Boo,
So once you surround yourself with the tables, ironing board, etc, you are actually facing the left side of your machine, rather than in front as we usually do. Right? Suzanne

Exactly, Suz. I roll up the quilt from both sides. Then I begin in the middle and work my way out. When I am through with the roll under the machine, then it gets turned around with the new roll placed in the keyhole. This method has given me more control and less stress. I also wear gloves called Machingers, but any glove for traction works. The dollar store sells gardening gloves with those dots on them. If you find that you are actually dragging the quilt on the table, use some spray polish or wax. This isn't rocket science, just a method I stumbled on that works for me.
PS--no ironing board with this one. The tables are one in front of machine and one in back of machine. Then I sit on head end of machine.

Not following - please help. Normally, when straight sewing, I sit with the head of the sewing machine pointing left. The stitching seam is flowing perpendicular from me to the machine. The throat of the machine is to my right.

Are you saying that when you free motion, the machine is rotated so that you are facing it head on? That doesn't make sense to me if you are in the same position to SID. So I am quite confused.

I need more prepositions, please. Once I've lost my bearings, left, right, front and back just confuse me.

:!: Hi Boo, I had to re-read a couple times too to get it but once I did I flipped out. Being a newbie & just kinda testing the water on a little bit of machine quilting here and there, cause I haven't done much and don't want to ruin it totally or rip out for a night and a half, this is an awesome idea. It is so unconventional, yet so simple. Like they say, keep it simple stupid.....usually works. I am definitely going to give this a shot, and since I've not done much at all I won't have to unlearn a method to relearn this way. I had heard about the polish to keep it sliding, just wipe, wipe, wipe it off. I may have something I can add. These old hands and wrists think they have done enough for me over the years and now like to kick up on me when trying to grab, turn, hold tight, push, etc......I found that rubber finger tips from the office work good. Leaves your hands free so to speak but gives your fingers more grip so you can get away with using less pressure. A box of them, come in small, medium, large at office supply stores, is pretty inexpensive. 8) Betty

I can't get this straight. Could some one sketch it out and scan it. or set it out using x's and a f for front of machine......... :roll:

I am awful at drawing but may try later. Okay, I sit facing the left end of machine. Remember the needle just goes up and down. It has no direction. When free motion quilting you are the one deciding what direction you are sewing. When you are doing a walking foot for straight lines, you are just moving the fabric from rt. to lt. instead of front to back. For those of you who are still confused, I will figure some sort of sketch when I get home from the shop tonight. Wrapping your head around a foriegn idea is something I struggle with also, so that I need to see it to understand it. Please bear with me, it worth the wait. :lol: In the mean time, have a piece of chocolate.

I've meandered from this position before and it seems like you can do a larger area before you have to reposition the quilt, it is hard to get used to looking at things from that angle.