machine quilting in pieces
 

I have been reading your entries for months - and have learned so much - thank you all-

this is the first question I have ever submitting- I read on a thread about someone wanting to machine quilt in pieces and a recommendation of a book called machine quilting in pieces - by luck I was able to get it from my library system -but I'm not happy with doubling the batting as she recommends - I saw somewhere how to add a section with the batting overlapping in the seam but can't find it - I have made many quilts of various sizes but this is first attempt at a king - it will be a crazy quilt from batiks with sashing between the blocks to tone it down. I plan to make it in thirds - assuming I make the middle first and add on the sides - have you any ideas about how to do this? I have a Janome 6600 and no long arm.

I just realized I have a second question - I am piecing the squares on light weight interfacing as muslin will add too much weigh - have any of you done this? was it successful? what were the problems? did you prewash the interfacing?

Hi...I'm not quite sure of the technique you are describing but I have read of a method I thought I'd like to try next time I make a large quilt.
You make your entire top and have your entire backing prepared as you normally would. Then you take your batting and cut it into approximate thirds and place one third down the middle of your quilt. You then quilt this section, which means you aren't trying to fit so much bulk under your machine as the sides don't yet have batting. Then, you take your next third of batting and butt that batting up to your previous batting that you've already quilted into your quilt. You can join it with a serpentine type stitch, or I believe there are tapes you can use. Then you continue with your quilting on this section. Then, attached your last third of batting to the other side and then finish quilting on that side.
This way you aren't trying to fit all that bulk under your machine as you can turn your quilt as you do your two side sections and only ever have the current third of batting under your machine (does that make sense?..hope so..lol).
I've also seen it recommended that, when you cut your batting into thirds, that you cut it with a wavy line so that when you butt and join it, you don't have a straight line of join and it will blend in better.
Maybe someone here has already tried this method and can comment further

Thank you Miss Ticky2 for these instructions. I think I might actually be able to quilt a quilt this way.

Yes, thanks Miss Ticky2 for those instructions. Never thought of that.

Thanks for the tip. I think I will try that too. It should be alot easier.

Eleanor Burns of Quilt in a Day has a method of quilting each block separately and joining them with sashing. If you go to youtube.com, you can watch many videos on how to do this method of quilting.

Marti Michell's book, Machine Quilting in Sections, describes several different methods of quilting in sections. I don't remember any method that involved doubling the batting.

What you are discribing is a 'quilt as you go' method. It just means that you are not working with the full quilt, batt and/or backing. There are numerous techniques. If you do a search on 'quilt as you go' or QAYG, on this board, lots of links will come up. This is a good way to quilt a large quilt on a domestic machine. If you try one method and don't like it, try another, it's really worth the effort.

I have three king size quilts waiting in sections for me to finish them. A quilt as you go method.
also a good book is Sharon Pederson's Reversible Quilts. I wasn't fond of M. Mitchells Quilting In Sections but i do have it. just not great directions. have fun and good luck.

I would just add to what Miss Ticky described that you want to use a permanent Sharpie marker to make registration marks along your cut lines, so that later you can re-align the batting pieces exactly as they were when you cut. This can make a big difference in how easy it is to attach the batting!

in the MItchell book she folds back the batting on itself, leaves a quarter in seam and the trims the batting to an eightsh of an inch - so you have doulbe batting and the danger of cutting the fabric for the quilt tp risky for me! I will try your other suggestions and see what I can find, aren't lap quilts easier LOL

Thanks Prism...that is a very good point

You can also use the triple zigzag stitch to bind your batting together as well, learned it in a class a couple weeks ago. I am just curious what is the easiest way to baste using these methods for people that have done quilt this way

Check out Cotton Theory and Quilt as you Go....both are great methods also Bayside Quilting has a template used for the method called Fun and Done there are videos on utube using the template with fantastic success

When I split the batting into thirds, I found the easiest way to re-attach is to butt the batting pieces together (this is where the registration marks are invaluable!) and use the iron-on tape. I have also used strips of fusible nylon tricot. (This might even be what the commercial strips are made of; I'm not sure.) There is no overlapping -- just butting. I have also done machine zigzag, but I think the iron-on strips are easier.

I use her method of making three sections of top/batting/back and then sewing them together after quilting. Works well for me using my Viking Rose. Sometimes I even add a border all the way around after putting the sections together. This works really well for samplers - I can do each block in the strip a little differently.

I have also quilted individual blocks and then sewed them together but it's a little tiresome when you have a lot of blocks to put together.

Forgot to mention that when I put the sections together, I use that iron on batting tape to butt the pieces of batting right up next to each other.

A "new" old method in vogue now is the potholder quilt. Done a lot during the Civil War, where blocks were bound then stitched together into quilts. Not recommended for those who hate bindings!!

I googled this a while back for a large quilt- found all of these methods plus more. Came across one method where the quilter's top and back were divided, but in different sizes so that when she put them back together, the joining seam were not in the same place(top in half, backing in thirds) does this make sense? I have tried the reversible method and the method where you piece the batting back together after you quilt half of it-ended up with a wrinkle in that one. I have a book and there is a method where you piece the top or back together after quilting and then apply sashing over the seam i believe it's Conquer and Divide. That is the method i am using for my lighthouse quilt. The sashing/ binding strip will be part of the design element in the quilt.

I have done 5 quilts using this quilt as you go method:

http://welshquilter.blogspot.com/200...as-you-go.html

It works great for me, and for now it is the method I prefer.

Dayle

I hand sew my batting together with large zig zag stitches. I haven't done QAYG very much. I have no problem getting a large quilt quilted on my Juki TL98QE or Babylock Jane, 9" throats.
Good luck, lots of good help here. Welcome to this great board.

Never tried the QAYG method, but want to someday!

I have used interfacing (the lightest I can find) and I haven't had any problems with it. I am working on a string
spider web quilt right now and using it instead of paper under the strings, I hate ripping paper out. I will leave it
in the quilt. No, I didn't prewash the interfacing, as I haven't prewashed my batiks either. I will use the color
catcher when I wash it after it is quilted.

Wow that sounds really easy to do...and it sure would make it easier to move a large piece around on your machine...I'll have to play with this...thanks

Thanks Miss Ticky2 for the instructions. I'm going to give it a try.

I remembered years ago, my first quilt. I had a class and the teacher gave out a name of Georgia Bonesteel,
the first she had heard of making the lap quilting and that is what she was teaching. Ms. Bonesteel has several books,
I saw her on Create TV a month ago, not again so far. I have one of her books, New Ideas for Lap Quilting.
maybe your library has some of her books, or even the computer. I was really afraid I would never get it together.
I did andreally liked it, it was so easy to take with me and work on by hand, it is a sampler quilt, with sashes and a border. I sewed the batting together by hand, big whipped stiches & pressed by hand. By machine sewing the fabric
of each block together& then each row. For the border and sashes I I stiched hearts and wavy lines. I still have it.
She has great pictures and simple instructions. Give it a try and enjoy~

Love this book! Marti also gives instructions on "low-fat" quilting where you add the batting to the completed top in sections, like Miss ticky 2 described

I just finished a 120" x 100". I did it in 2 sections leaving 2" unquilted on the side I needed to connect. After getting both sections quilted I sewed the top together, turned the quilt over and overlapped the lining. I basted(on machine) with an off color thread through all layers then turned it back to the top and stitched in the ditch through all layers. This caught most of the lining. What didn't catch I finished by hand then took out the basting. I had quilted the center before taking out the basting. This way I only had to handle the entire quilt to quilt the 4" in the center.
Good Luck

The Fun and Done way is by cutting the backing larger than the block and batting then bringing the backing up between two blocks to connect them. Then you sew it down on the front of the blocks to form a sashing. Do the same with the rows.

I'm bookmarking this thread as I really want to to try this--maybe all of the methods mentioned. Thanks for bringing it up! For me, it is timely!