8) Could anyone advise me as to what style of quilting to do on a rail fence quilt please.

Joy.

My Mom did one and she just quilted in the ditch.

I personally would do an all over design, such as a meander. Attempting to quilt in the ditch would drive me crazy. Too many directions! In any linear design, I usually quilt in some sort of all over pattern. I like the softening effect it leaves.

Thank you for your reply..... I can't see my lines being that straight so I had better veer clear of that..... nice of you to reply....

Your idea is what I had in mind... thank you for that... I just thought there may have been something better... worth asking... but that is good.

Joy, your comment about stitching in a straight line reminded me of an old trick I use a lot--plain old masking tape! It comes in several widths, you can tear off as long a length as you need. It sticks well to most cotton fabric and comes off easily w/o leaving any "gummy" stuff. (Technical term... :D ) You stitch right alongside the tape. I buy so much of it, I once caught my boyfriend glancing around the sewing room. I asked what was wrong. He said, "What in here needs fixing? You seem to need an awful lot of tape!" :D

Leslee - thank you for replying... I will show my ignorance re the tape.. obviously the tape gets put on to the material.... but how does that make a person sew a straighter seam? Is it put on from the outside edge in - can't quite get my head around it so some more information would be appreciated please... many thanks.....

Joy, the tape is used as guide and you sew along side of it. It keeps your lines straight if you are doing a grid pattern. This method is not used to stitch in the ditch, as the seam line is you sewing guide. Does this make more sense?

Oh, of course! Let's say you'd like to fill a space with a grid of sewn lines an inch apart from each other. Stick down your first length of 1" masking tape either along a seam edge or through the center of the open space. I'm not too precise about these things, no quilt police hang around me. (But some folk measure for exactness, I hear :lol: ! And many prefer to stitch from the center out to the edge to ensure flatness.) Begin by quilting right up along the edge of that tape, both sides if need be. Remove the tape. Now restick it along the line you just quilted, using it as a guide and off you sew again! When your space is filled with 1" sewn parallel lines, start placing the tape the opposite way. I hear there are quilters out there who make neat little intersections where the sewing lines meet, but that's not me either!!! It's easier to show this than it is to describe it, but give it a try and let me know what happens, OK?

I understand that it would not be needed for stitch in the ditch - what a waste of tape.... and I can understand how it could be used for grids...

Thanks for that.... I was just thinking of quarter inch seams... I sometimes slightly wander off and have to go back over where I wandered.... which is a bit of a nuisance...

What part of the world do you come from? I am from New Zealand.

Joy.

Oh...the dreaded quarter-inch, eh? I've yet another masking tape quick fix for that one! Grab a roll of tape and a sharp razor blade. Make two slices about two inches apart from each other and through several layers of tape. Grab a quilting ruler that you know has an exact quarter-inch measure on it. Raise the presser foot and needle, then put the ruler under the needle area with the quarter-inch bit facing off to your right. Let the needle of your machine lower until it touches that line. Make sure it's nice and straight from front to back, then pull off that fat bit of masking tape and stick it right along the edge of that ruler. This should give you a nice plump "bumper" that will help tame the fabric wander problem. There are other products out there that work, but this one comes straight from Masking Tape Queen Leslee...Ta-Dah!!!!
PS: I'm in Southern California :D You could probably tell!

Joy, I see from your other posts you are using a regular sewing machine so I would recommend either the old stitch in the ditch which works so well for sewing machines or a simple meander. I use a longarm and would normally do a baptist fan on a rail fence. A design with a curving flow nearly always works well on a block to block design with simple squares or rectangles. The curve of the quilting gives the piece a softer look of movement. Happy stitching.

Leslee, two good ideas about the masking tape, am gonna try them.
I'm N. Calif. here.

A short stack of "post-it" sheets also works well as a "bumper". When the bottom one no longer wants to stick, just peel it off and you are ready to go again.

Suzanne

:mrgreen: Of course

If you were from a southern state, you would only use duct tape for anything tape-able. If it moves and it shouldn't, apply duct tape. If it doesn't move, but should, apply WD-40!

Hey now, Moonpi... I resemble that remark!! :lol: (I just bought a new roll of duct tape & a new can of WD-40 last weekend... :lol: :lol: It's great stuff!! Y'all should try it sometime!!

I always give my southern friends that combination as a wedding present. Usually they thank me and take it into their wedding night suite. (???!!!)

They always have smiles on their faces in the morning but won't tell me why. (?!)

tim in san jose

:lol: Tim! :shock:

That would be... Tim (!!!)

tim in san jose

Okay, southern or not, I better not catch any of you applying duct tape or WD40 to any sewing machine! What is wrong with you! :roll:

Wild circles is my vote! Softens the angular blocks.

Julie in NM

It is a well protected secret!! & we AIN'T TELLIN' NEITHER!! :mrgreen: