Quilting on a small machine.
 

I have been looking at different was to quilt on my regular sewing machine. I find there are 2 different was to quilt, one is where you quilt your square and batting and then put the squares together and put the backing on after squares are quilted and sewn together, the other is putting the 3 layers together and then quilt all three layers and then put the pieces together. Which is the quickest and best way to do it. Hope you can understand this. I'm tired of fighting a whole quilt at once.
Thanks , Barbara Joy Longview Washington.

I understand your frustration! I did a queen size quilt on my Bernina, and it was a real pain! Seems to me that quilting all three layers at once would be easiest, then putting them together with sashing. There is probably a You Tube video that shows you how to do it. I did one several years ago, and it was really nice just quilting a 10x10 square rather than a throw size quilt!

you are going to have to quilt the backing too so it stays attached and doesn't bag. you can either sandwich the 3 layers and then quilt as a single unit, or you can do some type of quilt as you go (QAYG) where you actually use bat & back and quilt a block or section and then attach them together as a whole. Both have some advantages, the QAYG is more manageable but you do have to deal with the sashings or other ways to attach and either have a seam on the back, or you have an area that you manuver together--check out youtube for these ideas. and if you quilt it as a whole unit, it's bulky in the DSM, but not impossible.

Someone posted previously on this board, that they sectioned their quilt into I think 3 sections, leaving the top and backing in one full piece, but using only a portion of batting in the centre. Then they quilted that area. Next they added batting to the second section, quilted that, and then finished up with the final section with it's batting. I'm not sure I'm explaining it right. The essence was that you had a lot less bulk to deal with when you quilted the centre, and by the time you got to the outer edges (right or left) you could push the remaining bulk of the centre to the more open area of your machine. I think this was a modified quilt as you go sort of technique.
And someone has a book about this, but I can't remember if it's called "Quilting in Sections" or something like that. Hopefully the OP (original poster) will see this and expand on my poor explanation!

I do the quilt-as-you-go method and have fallen in love with it. There's a lot on u-tube that is very informative. I quilt all three layers together. Then I place 2 squares together, side by side, and sew using a zig-zag stitch. I cut strips of fabric 1-1/2 inch wide, turn under seam all. so they will be about 1 inch. I do matching strip for the front and some for the back. Cover the back seam first then the front. Make the rows, them put the rows together the same way. Using this method you only have one block or row in the small space of the machine bed.

Marti Michell has a book called Machine Quilting in Sections. It explains several different ways of quilting your quilt in sections, and explains why you would choose each way based on the quilt's design. I used several of her methods for quilting large quilts before I got a longarm.

I am in the process of putting together a Quilt-as-You-Go quilt right now. I quilted 13-1/2 inch squares with front, batting and back, and then put them together into rows with narrow sashing/binding. Now I will go back and put the rows together. The front and back look identical if you hand sew the sashing on the back to secure after finishing the front by machine. If you stitch-in-the-ditch from the front to secure the second edge of the back sashing (after completing the front and sewing the back sashing to one side simultaneously) it goes a lot faster. It looks good if you take your time. This is what I am doing. To make it easier to sew the sashing, take one half of your quilt at a time to assemble. Then with the final two or three seams you can sew the two halves together.

This method offers endless design possibilities. You can make your back sashing match the backing, or use one or more contrasting fabrics. The quilt I'm working on is reversible, because for each square I used the same fabric both front and back. I also used the same fabric for the sashing front and back.

There are other methods. Some even quilt the front and batting of each square, sew the squares together, and then put the back on and stitch in the ditch around each square to secure. The batting must support the distance between stitching, and you still end up wrangling a whole quilt through a harp space to outline quilt each square. I don't see much the advantage in doing it that way over quilting the entire quilt. But other people do. Why not try a small sample quilt using each method and see which you prefer.

The quilt as you go is great. You might want to check out Leigh Day's website. She has lots of videos on quilting on regular machines that might help you out. also google quilt as you go on you tube, there are lots of videos that might help. I like being able to see what someone is talking about. good luck

I have quilted many queens on my Bernina. It can be done but takes some organization. I divide the whole thing into 3 sections and sandwich all three layers separately, then pin and baste the layers I then quilt each section. It does take some organization and planning but it can be done. When you are quilting each section you want to free motion up to about a half inch of where the connecting seam would be. You'll then turn it over and pin the bating and backing back out of the way and sew the front seam on the machine. Then hand sew the batting together, then the backing. When finished it will look just like all one piece. This is the way I have found to be the most successful to mel I'm sure there are other methods But doing it yourself saves you money and is rewarding. I hope I have explained it.

I have done the quilt as you go method a couple of times, but I do not think I am very good at it. Mine turned out okay to look at, but they feel a little stiff.