LA quilting question
 

I've had my LA for a few months now and I'm sure at some point b-4 I bought my machine that someone taught me this but I have forgotten and have just been winging it. I think there must be a right way though.

What I'm wondering is, what do you do when you get to the bottom of your quilt so that you don't sew your leaders, yet the tension on the quilt top stays consistent with the rest of the quilt? I've been un-pinning it, but this creates waves on the bottom sometimes.

I just think there's gotta be a better way. I don't pin the quilt top at the beginning, but once it's stitched down it stays put. I'd like the end to be as nice and even as the beginning.

I hope this makes sens and that someone can help me.

Thanks!

You can pin it back from the edge about 1/2 to 3/4 in and then baste it. You can also use a little spray baste and smooth it down. Others may have better ideas but these have worked for me.

I do not know what others do but when I come to th bottom I unpin my top from the leader and pin it/stitch it to the backing and batting. I am self-taught, so there is a big chance I am doing it wrong, but it works for me. Good luck!

I don't understand. Do you float you your tops?

I am pretty much self-taught too, but when I get to the end I run a basting stitch across the bottom, then release it from my leader. I pin it down, then do the stitching a little less than 1/4" in from the edge then go back and do the last row of quilting.

I use Red Snappers to secure my quilts to the leaders and this is the only way I could figure out to do it since the bottom of the quilt is always secured into the Red Snappers.

I pin my backing to the leaders. I straight stitch my batting to the backing. I float the top. When I get to the bottom of the quilt, I just smooth it out like I do through out. I've only had my LA for a month or so, so maybe I'm doing something wrong and don't realize it, but my quilts are looking good so far...

this is the way i do it, too, except that i sew my backing, batting, and top to the front leader. then i velcro the leader to the pole. the backing bottom is sewn to the last leader. i float the batting and top.

with the backing pinned to the leaders & larger than the top i can move the quilt forward- so i can sew right to the bottom edge of the quilt top- the backing/batting are secured to the leader-leaving plenty of space to keep everything smooth & flat and no danger of stitching the leaders....i allow at least 5" of backing/batting larger than my quilt tops to allow this space all the way around the quilt top.

I also just pin my back and batting to the leader not the top . i also just let the top float.

I am totally lost. I make sure my backing is at least 3" bigger all the way around and float the batting and the top. When I pin it to the leaders, there's only about a half inch overlap of the backing onto the leader at the top and bottom. I stay stitch the top of the quilt when I start, stay stitch the sides as i advance the quilt, and the last advance of the quilt I stay stitch the sides and bottom. why do you have to un pin it when you get to the bottom? The area to be quilted is several inches from the leader...