What do you do with UFO?
 

As I quilt, I use spray starch, so that the end result is a pretty stiff top piece. Starching is new, but it seems to help in the layering process.
But, what to do with UFO until I'm ready to quilt. I don't want to fold it or wrinkle it, so what do you do?

I am a heavy starcher also. I believe it helps not only with the sandwiching but the quilting. I keep folded ufo's over the twin bed in my sewing room usually on top of the backing I have prepared.I have been known to throw them over the dining room table to keep flat. (Before jigsaw puzzles took over in the shut down) I don't sandwich until I'm ready to quilt. But if I get delayed in quilting something, I can quickly iron the sandwich at the fold to smooth it out again.

Since COVID I have been making top after top. So I won't be starching until I am ready to quilt them. I have them loosely folded and stacked. When I am ready to sandwich and quilt each one I will take a top and starch it well and proceed. For now I am working on another top.

When I am done with my top I lay it out flat on a bed in one of our spare bedrooms. This way I don't get fold lines on it when I am ready to sandwich it.

I am a heavy starcher as well and I just fold the top and put it away until it finds its way to the longarm que. Because its so well starched and pressed to begin with I have yet to have to repress before loading it on the longarm.

I used to have a guest room and piled quilts onto that bed!

I don't know what to tell you. I like to keep all my things in my sewing room so I just fold them up and re-iron when needed.

I press the seams as I go...so when my top is finished, The seams have pretty much been pressed. I then fold it as few times as I can and drap it over something where it will not be in my way. or sometimes, if I am not going to quilt for a while...I put it in the top pile awaiting quilting...OK, this is not what a lot of you would do, put when it is time to load it on the long arm....that is exactly what I do without anymore pressing unless the fold lines are very deeply creased which seldom happens as long as a lot of weight hasn't been placed on top of it. I then load the quilt, backing, batting on my long arm and prep it to begin quilting. I usually load the quilt the day before and as in the process of loading the top it does get flattened by rolling it onto the rollers, I am good to go. Saves time, and I never, ever, noted any "fold lines" remaining in the quilt after the quilt is taken off. I think of my longarm as a sort of passive "mangle" It works for me.

I also starch from beginning to end of the whole quilt process. When I'm finished I fold them loosely. When they're ready to sandwich and baste they just need a light pressing along the fold lines.

I fold with tissue paper, which I think helps with creasing

I tend to let them pile up, flat on an unused bed. I do get to the quilting fairly soon, tho.

I sandwich them as soon as they are finished and usually start quilting them the next day. If I’ve got a backlog at the quilting machine, then I either pin the sandwiched quilt up on my design wall, or I roll it around a pool noodle.

Rob

I found some open ended hangers with a little foam on them. I carefully fold the quilt top lengthwise on the seam lines when possible. I've not had to re-iron anything since I started doing that. I also use those hangers for batting and backing. I have to transport my quilt parts to a friend's home with whom I share the longarm.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?v...iew&ajaxhist=0

I hang mine in the closet of my quilting room. I use the clip pants/skirt hangers. Works well and eliminates another round of pressing. Sorry, No photo, but who wants to tell the world how many UFOs are hanging in the closet? https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png I will even clip the cut backing for the top to the same hanger. That way when I am ready to dive in to finish a UFO, there are no excuses. It is ready to go.