I Am working on a quilt I want to do in section. It will be thirds up and down. It' to have a border, quite wide. do I do the border pieces as sections? I really don't want to cut it up.

Here's the cool part ... you can do it however you prefer.

The borders are really nothing more than additional sections - just long and skinny.

QAYG and attach the 3 main sections together, then QAYG the border strips before you attach them using whichever QAYG method you like best.

I've got a border in the works myself right now. Soooo much easier than trying to handle the whole thing at once.

I can see that quilting in sections would be a lot easier than doing the whole thing at once... but what about the back of it? What about the joins showing?

there's been a lot of discussion of quilt-as-you-go under several topics on this board. search the board (1st thing on the menu at top) for "quilt as you go" and "quilting in sections". it'll make it easier to find the topics and read all the comments and suggestions. there are some links to good instructions, too.

i usually use one of two methods
-sew the blocks together at the back, then decorate the top with sashing to hide the "gaps"
-sash the back and the front to cover and decorate all the seams and gaps.

you'll find many more ideas as you sift your way through all the posts.

This is also my first machine quilt, from what I read on line , you machine sew the top pieces, then baste, the batting, and then slip stich thr backing together; so it is going to show. It will be like you pieced the back, It is the only way I can do a big quilt on my machine.

Hows the weather there Joy? Warm/ I'm so tired of cold fingers and toes. :lol:

Sorry ladies, but I don't understand... I know about making the top, then sandwiching the batting in between the top and the backing... then quilting the whole lot together.... how do you slip stitch and also what do you mean by basting...? I guess that is all done by hand?

Yes, Joy, the weather here is really summery at the moment... nice weather, a bit humid most days but we had three earthquakes about 1 and a half hours drive north from here last night.... we didn't feel it thank goodness but it would have been a bit scary for the people up that way as we don't usually have earthquakes up this way at all.... down south further there have been a few over the years but we have been lucky.

I am really enjoying the summer but have noticed that the mornings are a bit cooler than usual so autumn is on its way... and it is fires again which I love !!!

Thank you for your answers...

A few suggested techniques to quilt-as-you-go. there are other ways, too. whole books on the subject. this is free. ;-)

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_quilting/article/0,1789,HGTV_3298_1507325,00.html


BASTING
A slip stitch is just standard, garden variety hand stitching. Something you might use to make a quick mend without even thinking about it. To be honest, it wouldn't be the stitch I'd use to close seams on a quilt. I'd use the same technique I use to applique. The idea is to make it all as invisible as possible. (There is a way to do it so your stitches don't show at all, but I could only show you. I don't know how to describe it in under 17 pages. LOL)

I've seen at least 4 different basting methods:

(1) after you've made your quilt sandwich, use large, straight, running stitches to hold everything together while you do the formal quilting. contrasting color thread is best. you'll remove it as you quilt or when you're done, so you want to be able to see it easily. rows, column, diagonal, random; doesn't really matter as long as you smooth your sandwich as you go. it's a great way to use up that thread you wish you hadn't bought.

(2) "baste" with nice, long straight pins. best to use the kind with a ball on the end. they're easier to see and to pull out as you go while doing the actual quilting. if you're going to quilt "in the ditch", put the pins in across the seams. holds everything nice and flat while you're machine stitching. if you put lots of pins, about an inch apart, you don't need a walking foot. (of course, you do need to have a bucket of pins. one box won't go very far.) the down sides to straight-pin basting: (1) you must be very careful when you roll it all up or fold it. the pins can catch on the fabric and on each other. (2) be careful not to stab yourself as you go. (3) you may be very tempted to sew over the pins because you won't want to slow down or break your rythym. if you decide to sew over GO SLOWLY - NO MORE THAN MEDIUM SPEED, keep a supply of machine needles right beside the machine and wear glasses or goggles. sooner or later, you're going to hit a pin, and break a needle and/or pin. the goggles will protect your eyes from flying points. sometimes, when you hit a pin, the needle won't break but the bin will get all bent and jammed into the machine. you have quite a bit of fun getting the quilt out without tearing it, then digging the needle out with pliers without damaging the machine. (don't ask me how i know these things. i'd hate to have to lie to a new friend. LOL)

(3) same as #2, but with safety pins. some people close the pins, some leave them open. the bigger the pins, the better. all the safety rules for straight pins still apply.

(4) have you ever seen a Buttoneer? it's like a miniature nail gun that pokes plastic bits through the button and fabric to hold the buttons in place. huge hit in the 70s. faster yes ... but kinda tacky. (hmmm ... just like the whole decade. LOL) they've taken that same little gizmo, renamed it a basting gun, raised the price because it's now a boutique tool for quilters, and moved it to the quilting section of the craft department. they sell these little gridded racks to slide under the sandwhich to hold it up off the floor or table while you "nail". ok, i guess, but i'd worry about everything getting stretched out of shape. i'd probably hold my hand underneath to keep it all smooth as i went (and to save the cost of the extra gizmo.) if you're going to machine quilt, put the "nails" where you know you won't need to stitch. then you can safely leave them in until you're done. you can cut them off easily with regular scissors. i haven't tried it yet because i can't find my Butoneer and haven't gotten around buying a new one. it looks as though it might be the quickest method of the 4, and the easiest on your hands, neck and back. the only drawback i can see to this method is the recurring cost of buying the little plastic "nails".

the whole point of basting is to hold things together and maintain the shape so it doesn't get all out of whack while you do the final quilting. So, no matter which way you baste, it's best to start in the center of the quilt and work your way out. smooth and pat as you go to avoid stretching it all out of shape. (don't ask me where I start. i'd just have to fib. LOL)

Keep coming back to this thread. Many more wonderful suggestions for QAYG and for basting are sure to follow. Most will not go on and on and on like this one did. :shock:

The ladies here have a wealth of tips and lessons learned to share with you. (No, Tim ... I didn't forget you. I was just about to say that you always have something clever and innovative to contribute, too. ;-) )

I hope this explains a slip stitch a little. It is from readers digest all about sewing.

Slipstitch

This is an almost invisible stitch formed by slipping the thread under a fold of fabric. It can be used to join two folded edges, or one folded edge to a flat surface.

Even Slipstitch is used to join two folded edges. It is a fast and easy way to mend a seam from the right side, especially one that would be difficult to reach from the inside.

Work from right to left. Fasten thread and bring needle and thread out through one folded edge. For the first and each succeeding stitch, slip needle through fold of opposite edge for about 1/4 inch; bring needle out and draw the thread through. Continue to slip the needle and thread through the opposing folded edges.

Many thanks to Patrice and Ruth..... Yes, I used to slip stitch the hems of my dresses many years ago.... so now I know the name..... basting, I understand that... and pinning... what a job... the easiest and costliest is to pay a professional to do it for me.... am I lazy or what!!! Just a new chum.... have made a queen size quilt recently and had somebody to quilt it for me... just couldn't cope with that as well....

Have a photo of it to put on this site but it is nearly A4 size, would take an age to come through and I don't know how to reduce it, also how to put it on the site.... could anybody help me please? Many thanks again.....

your photo, as saved to the computer, is a bitmap. use a bitmap editing software (adobe paint-can't-remember-the-rest-of-its-name, ms paint, Microsoft Office Picture Manager (my personal favorite for super-simple editing tasks), etc.
every program takes you through different steps to change the size, resolution, format, etc. of your bitmaps. individually, or in combination, these qualities effect the final size of the file.
or ... since you like to outsource, you could try emailing it to me. if it isn't too big to get past your mail handler, i'll resize it for you and send it back. tooooooooo easy. :-)

[email protected]

P.S. You are NOT lazy. Quilting is supposed to be fun. If there are steps you dislike, there's nothing wrong with paying somebody else to do them. less stress and more time to do the parts you enjoy ... more income for somebody else. sounds like a win-win to me.

I knew as soon as Patrice came to life this morning she'd whip that picture into shape for ya. Trust me Joy it's the easiest way to get it done. LOL
kathy

:mrgreen:

why are you smilin'? I just told the world you're easy. LOL

somebody ate her wheaties this morning. LOL :shock:

easy? hmmmmmm .... maybe ... only my hairdresser knows for sure.

but cheap? NEVER!!!

:wink:

Here is Joy's beautiful Rail Fence quilt. 2m, 16cm square.
background is rich cream, flowers dusky pink, two shades, and green leaves

beautiful quilt, thanks Patrice for helping get it on here so she can share with us

That is truly the pretties split rail fence quilt I have ever seen! I love the colors in it. Good job!!!

Lovely! Wonderful! Exquisite! WOW!

I didn't think I liked the rail fence block. How wrong I was! That is a beautiful quilt. I love your fabric choices. Thanks for sharing.

It was especially kind of Patrice to put the quilt on this site for me.... I was having trouble doing it... the colours in the photo are quite different from the colour of the materials which is a shame however you can get the general idea of what it looks like.. I had it professionally quilted and the lady did a really great job.... Many thanks Patrice for helping.. I will be in touch soon...

OMGosh, that's beautiful! I've never been interested in doing the rail either, but you've awakened a 'want to' in me. Joy, it's gorgeous!
Sharon

The day after I put on the borders, On simply quilts, one of the ladies said that for the inside border, use a different material from what you have been using... so it isn't the same material next to the same material - I wasn't going to undo it at that stage but next time I will be more observant... notice it on the left hand side and across the bottom of the quilt.... glad that I now know!

we REFUSE to notice. your quilt is simply beautiful. period.
so what if somebody else would have done it differently? as it happens, having the pinks "repeat" on the left and bottom give it added depth and dimension - like a big shadow box. i thought it was a very clever design choice.

Could anyone please tell me the size of a lap quilt?

The quilt is beautiful!!!!! If only mine would look that nice. Keep us th e good work!

Lap quilts are meant to cover a lap while one is sitting in a chair, and vary in size. Generally about 42x42 or a little bigger. What ya making?

Thanks for the reply.... I may make a lap quilt in the future... after I have finished this next quilt.... just getting sizes, getting ready for whenever!

Kathy,

I love the taste of chicken cooked most any way. I also like live chickens because I grew up on a farm where we had many varieties, but to see a chicken with its feathers still intact floating in a soup pot is ... what shall I say ... repulsive maybe?

GramMER

i've seen the photo in full size, close up. the chicken is sitting - voluntarily - in a bowl. it is not floating in liquid. she just found a cozy little nesting place. i think she looks happy.

of all kathy's chicken pictures, that one is my favorite.

actually, it's a giant flower pot that was full of rose moss, she kept getting in it everyday scratching around to take her dust bath untill finally there was no more moss, just dirt for her bath, I'm not cruel and I love my chickens , and only eat the store bought ones.
kathy

This is silly, I eat chicken I eat eggs. My dad was at one time a chicken farmer. Every Sunday we had a chicken dinner. People will always eat meat, we also love our animal and put pictures of them in our quilts.

Hi there! Basting-wise, I just wanted to put in a vote for the spray adhesives for basting. I've never noticed that it has harmed my quilts and it's sooooo easy and fast! I just tape the backing right-side down to my floor, lay out the batting on top to check position/wrinkles/etc. then fold it back, spray that section, smooth it down and then do the other side. Repeat the steps with the top. Voila! No pins, no threads.

i agree it's great stuff for machine quilting. well worth the price. i get several lap quilts' worth out of each can.

just don't try to hand quilt through it. especially if you're using cotton batting. OY!!!

like trying to quilt through clay.
:shock:

LOL... I'm lazy and into instant gratification. I learned how to hand quilt, but MUCH prefer the quickness and serendipity of machine quilting. I even used it to spray down tissue paper that I had done calligraphy on for my niece's baby quilt and then filled it in with stitches - it came out really nicely (i was shocked... lol)

What is the biddy saying to the egg. I can't see it.

Please, tell us more about the sprayed down tissue paper technique. It sounds mighty interesting... 8)

Is that a real chicken at the bottom of your bowl?

If you're asking about Kathy's avatar, then yes ... it's a real chicken sitting VOLUNTARILY in the bowl.

HI--CAT HERE

Quilting as you go has been around for a long time--just read about making a quilt in the 1800's by sandwiching blocks and machine or hand quilting them than sewing the binding around each one, when all blocks were done they slip-stitched them together--presto all done. I thought this was a great idea as now days with our great sewing machines and the many stitches at our beck and call we can secure those blocks together very quickly---what do you think.--CAT

PS--woke up to snow again this morning--not much though

Welcome Cat. I have a regular sewing machine so that all I do is quilt as you go. Works for me. Less material to pull and tug on.

I found a QAYG history and instructions that are easy to follow. http://www.secretsof.com/content/194

I've designed a quilt top for Texas Bluebonnets and was wanting to work on it while rock hunting in New Mexico in August (lots of driving involved - or in my case, riding - there are times that it is really nice to have a husband that wants to do all of the driving). Will be glad to share the pattern with anyone who wants it. It's in Microsoft Excel format - no instructions on piecing, just the graphs.
Couldn't figure out how I was going to be able to quilt in the truck until now. Thanks, ladies! :D

Can you post it here?