Question for Longarm quilters
 

I currently have a quilt loaded on my longarm and have to ask yet again:o this question. I'm going to quilt in the outside border and possibly the inside border. 1. Do you stitch in the ditch on the borders first then quilt?
2. Or do you quilt the center of the quilt first then do the borders?
I know each longarm quilter does things differently, but all opinions are gratefully welcome.

I am very interested in this thread too, thanks for bringing it up.

i do my borders the way sadiemae said she does hers- sometimes i stitch in the ditch- it depends on the quilt- the quilting i am doing- and whether or not it needs stablizing- sometimes i quilt in the center section-then do the sides-then roll to next section. it all depends on the quilt-

I Always work from the centers out, but it depends on the design I am using on the borders if I quilt as I go or take the quilt off and turn it to quilt the borders.

Using a longarm and standup frame I would SID the top border, then quilt it (this would stableize the border and keep it nice and straight for the quilting); move down through the body of the quilt either basting or SID around blocks until I reached the bottom border. There I would SID the border once agin before quilting it. Remove and turn the sandwich 90 degrees, SID and quilt the border; move down through the body of the quilt, finishing the quilting within the blocks, to the bottom border; SID, then quilt the last border. Just the way I do it to keep the quilt as square as possible. I'm sure you will find what works best for you. Happy quilting!

my 'longarm' is only 9" so i do the 1st border, center, top border, then turn the quilt

I do mine the same as Sadiemae, but alot of you information sounds like it might work better depending on the quilt. Thank you for the information!!!!

I have a 9" and do the same as Nancy in MN (unless I do an all over then I start at the top left and work across and down.

I have been long arming about 6 years. Most of the time on quilts that have a pantograph in the center and different border pattern, I quilt the top border first. (After the quilt is basted on top and as far down the sides as I can reach.) Then quilt the center. If you will have dense quilting or a dense panto, then you really need to baste the entire quilt before you start. Baste the top, down the sides and across the quilt at the belly bar. Lots of folks are now basting the entire quilt first, then rolling back to the top to begin the quilting.

Then I would do the border (top), do the center entirely, then the bottom border. I don't chunk side borders very well so I turn my quilts. I am trying to learn the chunking on my charity quilts but haven't had enough practice.
And most of my quilts are quilted all over Edge to Edge.

Just take your time and enjoy the process.

Lu in TN

I baste along the top edge of my top border. If I am doing something different in the center of the quilt and then quilting the borders different, I then stitch in the ditch in the inner edge of the border. I then do the entire center of the quilt. I baste, with a long stitch, along the outer edge of the two side borders as I go along. I also stich in the ditch along the two side inner borders as I go along--so when I get to the bottom of the quilt, my borders are all stiched in the ditch on the inner edge. When I get to the bottom border, I stitch in the ditch along that inner border and baste the outer edge of it. I now go back up to the top and start to quilt my borders. I like to do the top border, then do the bottom border, then take off the quilt and turn it and repin it on -- so my side borders are now on on the top and bottom of the frame. I then quilt them. I only do that if I am doing a complicated design that I don't want to keep stopping to advance the quilt, or if I can't do it as coordinated giong vertical as I can do it going horizontal. If I am doing jsomething simple such as meander or piano keys, I then do not take the quilt off to turn it. I have only been long arm quilting about 10 months so I am also still learning how I like to do things. We all learn as we go along how we like to do the quilting.

Once I have a quilt loaded onto the frame to longarm, I baste across the top to make sure it is straight and secure. I then baste down the sides to secure and keep it straight, going as far down to the bar as I can go.

I then quilt it left to right once I figure out the size of the pattern I am using and how it will all fit where I want it (when using the computer designs and system).
When doing free motion only quilting I still start at the left side and work to the right side. Top to bottom, rolling and basting the sides as I go.

I will either do STD on the thinner borders or a complete design if the borders are wide enough.

I generally let my quilt batting and quilt top 'float' while I quilt it until I get to the very end. Then pin to secure in place while I quilt the final border.

Phyllis
QuiltingGrannie
Quilter's Pantry

I sew what I can, start in the middle and work out, easier to work out wrinkles.
sometimes i will leave a border or two to do, after i take the quilt off and turn it so i can do it all in one line.
good luck,
katz

It definately depends on the quilt and the pattern(s) chosen. If I can't do all the borders as I go, I pin the areas then go back to them.

I have done it both ways, stitching borders as I work down, and SID and stitching outside edge only and turning the quilt.
I float all my tops and batting, and measure each roll to keep quilt square. You will find what works for you.