Quilting in the Ditch??????
 

When you quilt in the ditch by machine, do you quilt in the seam, or right next to it??? Thank you for helping!!

I have always known 'Quilting in the Ditch' to be actually stitiching in the seam(channel) where the pieices are joined. After stitching the 'quilting in the ditch' stitches should be basically invisibile.

For the most part I press my seams to one side, so I stitch on the lower side next to the seam. It appears to be the ditch, but not actually on the seam.

Right in the seam, and I hate every minute of every ditch, lol! I've tried matching thread, clear monopoly thread, special stitch in the ditch foot, you name it. I've decided that the open toe "accufeed" foot for my Janome works best, along with going slowly. If you put slight outward pressure with your hands on either side of the seam, it does help some, but its difficult to get it perfect. It does however, secure the seams nicely and really does make the quilt pretty, even with free motion designs. I don't always do it if I'm doing an all-over fmq pattern, but some swear by it.

Well, I try to stitch directly in the ditch but it doesn't always turn out that way.:D

If you press your seams to one side, you stitch on the "lower" side, as close to the seam as you can. I've read if you press your seams open, you should not stitch in the ditch because you are only catching the thread that you used to join the patches. In this case, you would want to stitch close to the seam.

That's what I do too. Depending on the fabric and the pattern (I always use the same batting), sometimes I will use a wobble stitch--zigzag stitch on the narrowest possible. It will wobble over the seam and once washed enhances the "quilted look."

I use a embroidery stitch that goes side to side right over the seam. It looks pretty , plos hides the fact I don't always hit the seam on center.lol

watch Eleanor Burns of Quilt In A Day. She uses her hands to slightly pull the top seam away and stitches right next to it. not really into the stitches of the seam. The fabric then relaxes and helps hide the stitching you do. You can always just stitch 1/4 away from seams too if you prefer. It's a good look.

I do a zig zag stitch when I do stitch in the ditch. I'm not proficient at FMQ so the zig zag works for me.

I actually stitch about 1/8 inch from the actual seam. The stitching looks better, I think, than sewing directly on top of the seam.

This is my understanding as well. The ditch is created by pressing to the side, thereby raising one side of the seam above the other.

This is how I have done for many decades. You don't want to stitch on the fabric that is higher because of the seam allowance is pressed under.

I stitch right in the ditch. I am lucky and have a Pfaff, and it has a stitch in the ditch foot. That makes it pretty easy for me to do, and SID is my preferred quilting method. (I understand I am pretty rare in that regard. :) )

Dina

That's what I do also. With a walking foot, I usually stay in the ditch; but much of the time, my SITD is done when I am FMQ and that is when I am most likely to get out of the ditch a little.

Do you have the Stitch in the Ditch Walking Foot for your Janome? It makes life a lot easier when ditching a quilt. I have a 6600P.

OK, I'm the odd one out. I stitch on top of the seam as I find that it gives me more of a cleaner look than in the ditch where it usually looks like I've veered off course more than once.
It is probably unconventional and against all the rules. If I can add that I think it makes the seam sturdier as it is sewn down.

I have done this but I was told that it is one of the hardest to do. FMQ is what I do anymore.

Like others, I press seams to the side and stitch on the lower ditch side, next to but not on top of the stitched seam. this is the goal, actual execution usually misses the mark at times!

I use the same foot for SID as I use for FMQ. I find it much easier to move the fabric myself rather than rely on the feed dogs and the walking foot. I feel like I have better control. Besides, quilting with the walking foot is SO Slow! I get bored really quickly.

I do this now, too. Several of the instructors on Craftsy classes I have taken addressed SID and recommend doing it this way. I never paid attention to the "lower" side until then. It does look much better and hides the stitching better.

I HATE sitd because it's so difficult to stay right on the seam line so I use the serpentine stitch which is a wavy line and it looks and lays much better and is prettier than sitd.

I don't quilt in the ditch, too hard to stay in the ditch. I stitch about 1/8 -1/4" from the ditch. Looks much neater to me.
Good luck.

Some block patterns really call for SID because it emphasizes the shapes in the block. I'll probably NEVER make a quilt which is "show" quality, so I call my SID "stitch sorta-kinda close to the ditch, but don't obsess over falling in it a couple of times." The quilts will still keep a person warm.

I use a twin needle but don't thread the one going in the seam.

I was taught to stitch right next to the seam, not in it. Like everything else, do what you want to.

I have a Janome and bought a SID foot. I sew slowly and the foot also makes it easy to do. Most of the time I SID.

I use the SITD foot but I offset my needle just one click to the side so I'm stitching NEXT to the ditch. But I wobble and veer so sometimes it IS in the ditch, other times it ends up a little further away than I'd like it.

But my quilts are family gift quilts so I don't fret. Nobody will notice or care if I wobble around. I do practice and try to make each one better than the last but that's more for ME than it is for the recipient of that particular quilt. :)

To me, stitching in the ditch is stitching right on the seam line. Anything else is top-stitching. And that looks pretty neat, too. If you top-stitch on the "high" side, the side with the seams under, you are making your top much stronger.

Me, too.

So far, Stitch in the Ditch and straight line machine quilting is as good as I've gotten. I try to get "in the ditch" most of the time! Looks like I missed a bit on this one.

Mostly because I have never been very good at "drawing" - - -

I wear cheap gardening gloves to help pull the fabric away from the seam. I've found using an open toe foot really helps. You can see so much better where you are going. Go slow or at least sew a few inches at a time. I'll have to try the zig zag stitch. I've used a decorate stitch and it makes for a nice finish.

I do mine the same. It just makes me feel it is more secure, and since I make user friendly quilts, it works for me.

I do, and I hate it! I prefer the open toe walking foot, I can see the ditch better and tend to get better results.

Good information here. Somewhere in the many quilting books I have read they talk about "stitching in the ditch" and the article said to NEVER stitch directly in the ditch but a thread or two away from where the two pieces of fabric are joined. The reason for this is because if you stitch DIRECTLY over the stitching where the fabrics are joined you will weaken the threads. Makes good sense. I hope the way I have written this makes sense. ;-)) I love to STID when I am not sure of what other kind of quilting pattern to use. A good way also to make a particular piece stand out.

I dislike in the ditch-too hard to stay in the ditch and then it looks tacky.I prefer next to the ditch.

Ditto for me too.

I don't know FMQ at all, I do the SID but after a couple of actual stitches in the ditch I always end up sewing right next to the stitch ditch. I'm bass akwards I guess cuz if I try to start stitching right beside the ditch like it ends up being I mess up so mine all start with a couple of stitches right in the seam and then right next to it the rest of the way. Yep I'm a goof :p

I like this idea. Going to try it.