Start in the middle or the side?
 

I've posted on this quilt top and this question, but did not get an answer to this question.

This top is a little stretched out of shape, probably because I IRONED it instead of pressing it. The charms are a little "poufy", as is some of the sashing.

I am going to quilt it using a walking foot and wavy lines. It will be my first quilting job. The Craftsy classes I watched Monday said to start on the side when you use this method. Someone suggested I start in the center, which is totally doable. I'll just have to bury a lot of threads if I start in the middle.

If I start in the center, do you then do all the lines from the center out? Or, do you just stabilize it from the center out and then do the rest from the edge in? If I work from the edge in, do I alternate directions or do all the seams go in one direction?

(I'm using a gray 30 wt. thread that may hide some of my mistakes.)

bkay

Obviously, I'm going to do all the lines, but I did not draw all the lines.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]580232[/ATTACH]

If you spray baste or glue baste all your layers it doesn't really matter
where you start.

Start from the center point on one side stitching top to bottom. Not center center. Then work towards the right edge. Turn your quilt and work from center toward the other edge. This makes it more manageable fitting it under the throat of your machine

Edge to edge, but start in the middle of the edge. This kind of quilt design does not require starting in the center and burying threads.

This is what I do as well. As far as spray basting I go center out all along the quilt - backing to batting then batting to quilt top. Just found that working center out whether stitching or layering works best for me.

As far as your poofy blocks and sashing have you tired steam 'pressing' :) it. Sometimes it helps mine. Love your colors and the quilt design is great. Good luck and have fun!

I quilt like this a lot. I do my first wavy line in the middle, but start at the top and stitch to the bottom, edge to edge. Then I work out from there, alternating right and left of the center until I get to the outer edges. I usually only do vertical lines, but if you wNt to add the horizontal ones, I would do it the same---do your first line across the middle, edge to edge, then add the others. Nothing should shift due to all the vertical lines. The risk is puckering when you do the horizontal lines, so just try to ease the fabric as you go.

So, you don't have to do horizontal lines?

bkay

I also quilt as your design, bkay. I do top to bottom first, starting in the midline I do several lines either side of the first line, alternating the direction ( up/down, down/up, up/down) and then I do horizontal lines in a similar fashion. Sometimes the lines are straight (either side of each block/square), sometimes a serpentine line over each 'join'.

What kind of batting are you using? Although technically horizontal lines would be better, honestly you do not need them if you are using a batting such as Warm and Natural which is needlepunched through scrim. It is very stable. Other battings may also be okay without horizontal lines, especially if the quilt is not going to be machine washed a lot, and especially if your quilting lines are fairly close together.

Have you sandwiched the quilt yet? If not, I would recommend heavily starching the backing and top before layering. Starch stabilizes the fabrics so they do not stretch and distort while machine quilting. Spray basting is best for machine quilting because it connects all 3 layers continuously, plus there are no pins to get in your way. Glue basting is a close second. Thread basting is for hand quilting, not so much for machine quilting. Starch and spray basting work to stabilize the fabric and keep it from stretching.

I mention all this because, if you want to do horizontal lines as well as vertical lines, starching and spray basting will help prevent puckers. Without this prep, it is difficult not to get a pucker on the top or backing or both when crossing a previous line of quilting. This is because the presser foot tends to stretch and push the fabric ahead of it; when you get to the previous line of quilting, there is no place for the excess fabric to go, creating a pucker.

I'm using warm and natural needled cotton batting. I'm just now making the backing. This is the crib size, so it doesn't say how many inches, but the full size one I have says 10". I planned to spray baste it.

How do you starch heavily and not stretch it when you iron it? I think that's what got me into this mess with the stretched fabric and "poufy" chams. You are talking about spray starch, aren't you?

bkay