Ok, so this may be a really dumb question, but I haven't been quilting long and have not come across this situation yet, so please forgive!

When the batting instructions say "quilt up to 8 inches apart" (warm & natural, in this case) what does that mean exactly? Does it mean you could, in theory, do straight line quilting across the quilt with rows 8 inches apart (horizontal OR vertical) or does it mean you would need to quilt both across the quilt every 8 inches (horizontal AND vertical) every 8 inches?

I was hoping to do straight-line quilting every 4 inches, but only in one direction (horizontal) for about 1/2 of the quilt (center has more quilting) However, as I think about that I am thinking that leaves a large "stripe" of un-quilted area that is only 4 inches tall but 64 inches wide (width of quilt)... not a good idea?

If it matters, it is a heavy denim quilt (my only denim quilt EVER) with Warm and Natural batting and a heavy flannel backing. The blocks are 4 x 8 inches, sewn into a brick pattern. The middle 1/2 of the quilt has a pattern with different colors of denim and I am stair stepping through section that to compliment the pattern. I was hoping to just straight quilt the rest horizontally, along with the rows of bricks. The idea of stair-stepping down the rest of the thing to catch all of both the vertical and horizontal seams, makes me grimace. It is not an easy feat to wrestle this heavy thing through my little Kenmore! However this is going to be an every-day use quilt, not something I hang on the wall, so I also don't want it falling apart.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Gwen

Kenmores are a lot tougher than they look. I take "every 8 inches" to mean that an 8" square would be bound on all sides - those stripes could eventually work loose and turn into snakes of batting if not secured in between. If concerned about the look, you could hand or machine tack every 8 inches in the middle of the rows.

Thank you! That confirms my fears, I guess, so I'll go with "better safe than sorry" theory and add some vertical quilting or at the very least, tack it at each seam ( I love that idea...) I had a feeling that would be the answer. I was just hoping I was wrong! LOL!

I like the quilting part of the process and tend to over-quilt, if anything, so I've never had to worry about the minimum quilting distance before.

And yes, my little Kenmore has really done well for me. I have a quilter-friend / acquaintance to thank for helping me choose it I guess. It was a nice starter for a non-sewer who was bit by a quilting bug! I'm really impressed with how well it does going through this thick quilt. I didn't think it would. I just wish there was another couple inches of space there between the needle and the body of the machine. Someday I'll upgrade (since the quilting bug really stuck and is here to stay), but for now we just deal with it!

Thank you!!

Welcome to the Board....you will get great answers like this one from all the people here. We have all levels of quilters, and I have gotten excellent advice from some very talented and experienced quilters.

My old 1977 Kenmore is still going strong :D:D:D

Thanks! I have been lurking a bit...

It's a good idea to secure the quilt in both directions. When you quilt only in one direction, that creates a tube or tunnel and if the quilt is handled a lot, the batting within that tunnel can shift, distort, and come apart much easier than if it is quilted into smaller squares.

I also use Warm and Natural. I took the instructions to mean 8 inches both ways. Good luck. Let us see a picture when it is done.

I always just assumed it meant both directions. I would rather over quilt than not quilt enough.