Machine quilting - where to start?
I have a 48" square quilt, 12" blocks, that I want to machine quilt on my domestic machine. Have done some before, and have my design ready. Question: How do I start? Across the top row of blocks, and then move on down? Or start in center and work out to either end? Thanks for your help.
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I always start in the center and work out if I am quilting with my home sewing machine.
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Usually you start from the center and work out. Depending on how you basted your quilt sandwich, this may very important, or only somewhat important... How secure and "flat" is it?
Often, I will do some stitch in the ditch to stabilize things and then I can quilt whatever area I want. |
Wendy is right, start in the middle and work your way out. Make sure that it is basted properly, because you will be turning it a lot.
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Hi Lynn,
You can go to Leah Day's website and learn all about free motion quilting. I'm following her and she is great at teaching FMQ. Hope all is well. |
If there are any "structural" SITD lines that you can use to anchor the quilt, I would do those first. Then I do 1/4 of the quilt at a time, starting from the center toward the outside.
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Thank you all. Looks as though it's a consensus, which is kind of what I thought, but glad for your assurances. I pinned it with safety pins, but guess I could go back and baste also. I HATE basting, but probably should. Then I'll do around the squares, from the center out, and finally my design in each square. Really appreciate your help. Krish, I like your siggy - quilting is enjoyment and it improves the world. No dilemma at all! 8)
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I recommend the Craftsy course on quilting a large quilt on a small machine; it is worth every penny. I actually have 3 classes and they all recommend spray basting the quilt. Then you S-I-D from the border to the center to stabilize it. This is supposed to keep the borders from distorting. http://www.craftsy.com/class/Quiltin...all-Machine/51 I think will take you there and here is her tute: http://obsessivequilter.weebly.com/t...rge-quilt.html
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Thank you, Ashley. I'll check it out.
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Originally Posted by LynnVT
(Post 5115174)
Thank you, Ashley. I'll check it out.
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Originally Posted by AshleyR
(Post 5115195)
I just realized when you click on that link, it's regular price. It's on sale now for $30, but I don't know the link
and another one that may be of interest: http://www.craftsy.com/class/Beyond-...ne-Quilting/52 Shari |
Originally Posted by Maresan
(Post 5111439)
Hi Lynn,
You can go to Leah Day's website and learn all about free motion quilting. I'm following her and she is great at teaching FMQ. Hope all is well. |
I always start from the center and work out too. I find when I used all safety pins that I still had puckers. But using a good spray baster & just keeping pins on the border works best for me...Good Luck..Keep us posted!
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Where do you start? Most important to me is to begin on a piece that isn't important to you...a sample sandwich for practice only. I, too, recomment Leah Day's website where there is a wealth of info. Be sure to begin with easy designs such as a whole row of u's or s's to get the feel of free motion. Then progress to straight lines going horizontally and vertically. Then loops and on to feathers. Remember at all times...this is going to take practice, practice! Good luck.
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