I used to hand quilt all the time, and when I did, I always started quilting from the middle of the quilt ouwards. Now I am machine quilting, and am not excited about the way my backs look. I mostly do stitch in the ditch. Would you start in the middle blocks and work out, or start at one end and work down. The quilt is about 45 x 60. Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated. You guys know so much and I learn from here each and every day.

if you are using your regular sewing machine, I would suggest starting at the center and working out. I usually start center and work to upper right.

I start in the center and work out too :D:D:D

I start at one end and go to the other, but then again I am a guy that taught himself how to quilt....... :mrgreen:

Billy

Center out. Used to do everything by hand. Machine now. Going to play around with quilting as you go techniques because center out is annoying me right now.

Hand quilting only!!

Well I am going to start in the middle, work my way to the top right, then bottom left, top left, bottom right, that will be on the 6" squares, when I'm done with that I'm goint to the top and do all the 4 square areas. And after the one other quilt about the same size for another DGD, I'm going to play around with the quilt as you go. And if all else fails, I'm going back to my hand quilting. That's today anyway. Thanks everyone.

I start in the middle of one side. I don't start in the actual center of the quilt but I'll start by quilting down the center line and then out from there and then turn it 45 degrees and do the same in the other direction.

Ok, I'm not going to do it that way. I figured out why my back isn't like I would like it. Here is the quilt I'm working on. It's for a 3 yr. old. And I just loved the "Monster in the attic" yellow fabric.

Anyway, I just did five yellow squares, decided to do this pattern instead of just stitch in the ditch. So when I have 5 done, the 4 patch between them has to much material. Not a lot, but more than I want. Soooooo....I guess my solution is to change the color of my thread alot. I want the yellow in the big yellow squares, but the little squares will be stich in the ditch with a big X through them. I've been machine quilting, or at least I thought I was for a year now. And my larger quilts I sent out. One to a longarm quilter who did a fabulous job and two for two other DGD's that did a simple squiggel across and I ended up stitching in the ditch around all the white backround fabric. It works. But the girls next quilts will be much better.

Guess I don't go by the rules....it works for me to stitch in the ditch around the inner border, all around the quilt, on both sides of that border....which seems to stabilize the quilt...and I used LOTS of safety pins for pin basting. Then, I quilt the inner parts...then put on the binding.