Quilt-As-You-Go: Pros & Cons??
 

I am so tired of wrestling with big quilts on a DSM. I have come to dread the quilting process because I come away with an aching body and subpar quilting. After piecing a top so carefully, it's always a little dispiriting to get to the quilting phase and feel like I'm undermining my project with sloppy and uneven stitches, puckers, etc. I never have this problem when I do a small quilt--like a table runner or a 20-inch square for a pillow.

I can't afford a long arm machine or to send my quilt tops to be professionally quilted. Even if I could, I really Want to like quilting on my DSM.

Then it occurred to me: why haven't I tried a quilt-as-you-go process?

I'm curious to hear from anyone who has tried this process. What works about this process? What are its limitations? It seems like the perfect solution to my problem--but if it truly solved the cumbersome task of quilting larger quilts on a DSM, then everyone would do it, right? So, there have to be reasons why some people don't.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Best,
A

I'm interested in this too. I'm having right side shoulder, neck and back discomfort from wrestling my quilt in my DSM. I ordered a Juki TL-2010Q hoping the much larger harp space will make quilting easier. Another member here mentioned QAYG could make things a lot easier when quilting on a small home machine. I've been reading up on that. I'll be following this thread.

Another following this.
One thing I've seen that I haven't liked is that it seems you have to do sashing on every quilt in order to QAYG. Is that correct?

Watson

Hi GM,

Thanks for the response! I actually have a Juki TL-2010Q. The bigger harp Is nice, but I still feel frustrated with large quilts. (I hope that doesn't temper any excitement you might have for the TL--it's a fantastic machine and I love it for a lot of reasons, it just doesn't happen to help me with this issue).

I'll be curious to hear if you have any better luck with the TL when quilting your larger quilts. The reason why it doesn't help me with this issue is that I mostly do walking foot quilting and I find my other Juki (the F400) has a much smoother walking foot (even though it has a smaller harp).

I'm also considering setting my TL on a frame....

Best,
A

I too am curious about this and will follow.

I have done a couple quilts this way and it worked well, sewing two top sections together and then handstitching the backing pieces together. The only problem I had was that if there is to be a border that has to be done the same way and I didn't feel like doing that so I just bound the quilt. Sharonve

I have done both types of quilting, quilt as you go and free motion on my dsm. Both have advantages and disadvantages. I am not sure how others do quilt as you go but I create my top in rows or columns and then sandwich. I put the backing and batting together and hold it with pins. I then iron it and add the first row. Iron again and add the second row on top. (right sides together). Pin and Pin then sew it all as one piece. Then I iron and add the third row. I am not much of a presser or pinner but when doing the quilt as you go, it is the only way I can guarantee a good seam and no tucks. I can also fix any mistakes along the way. As for free motion, I sandwich my quilt and use sticky back wrap as my pattern. I don't do close quilting this way because removing the sticky wrap is a bear with the little pieces. Good Luck.

i took a class and have done two quilts that way. i have found that it is just as much work, if not more. for me, i'd rather do the entire quilt at one go.

https://leahday.com/products/building-blocks
This was my only experience with QAYG. I didn't finish. However what I learned about free motion was with every penny. I also learned that QAYG is not for me.
I highly recommend trying this quilt along. Then you can learn some free motion techniques, try QAYG, and have a cute quilt in the end.

Here's one of my quilt as you go quilts (most are much more scrappy). No sashing...more just strips layered with batting, moving forward one row at a time. https://www.quiltingboard.com/pictur...t-t247229.html