purplefiend

I once hand quilted a queen size fat batted quilt 1/2" apart.
I hated working on that quilt, it was horrible; it took me 6 years to finish it and then I gave it away. DH's Aunt & Uncle just love it.
I don't like quilts that have poly batting, as it makes me sweat. :( I like cotton batting a lot better, its easier to quilt by machine(no slipping & no bearding).
Sharon W.

SandyinZ4

I have to toss in my 2 cents worth. I tried FMQ for the first time this year on a small lap quilt. Being frugal, I decided to use up some batting that I had bought in a box of auction stuff. Not being knowledgable about it, I decided I better quilt it close because the batting looked like it would come apart between the front and back if I did not do that.(Looked like some kind of cotton.) I learned that it takes a TON of thread to do close FMQ. Then after I had finished it, it was really stiff so I tossed it in the washer. It did soften up a bit and I suspect with a few more washings, it will get a little more flexible. If I do try FMQ again, I will use Warm & Natural and probably try to keep the lines about 4-5 inches apart. Still very much a beginner though and I need lots more practice. But a very good question and as usual, some wonderful answers.

Rusty's Mama

I do machine quilting because my fingers get numb if I try to hand quilt AND I just can't make the tiny stitches like my Mom and Grandma did and that frustrates me! But, I do like to make charity quilts and I think the machine quilting, done in close stitches, holds up well. I just admires all the quilts I see and admire the hand quilted ones especially since I don't do them.

k9dancer

IMHO cotton batting needs to be more densely quilted to prevent the batting from shifting. Poly batting can be quilted further apart, say the width of your hand with your fingers spread. As for High loft poly batting, I only like to use that on baby quilts that I will tie; I do not like hand or machine quilting high loft. My favorite is Warm & Natural, as it has a lovely drape and I can quilt it as much as I want.
Just my opinion; your mileage may differ.

k9dancer

When I first heard about the long arm machines, I thought I had to have one. Then when I found out that they cost as much as a Volkswagen, and take up that much room, and you have to spend so much time on the setting up, I decided I didn't 'have' to have one after all. That said, there is some beautiful work produced on them.

I have decided, though, to continue FM quilting on my home machines, like my vintage Bernina and senile Singer. I did have some ladies ask how I managed to do a big quilt on a little Featherweight, so I just sat down & showed 'em.

Call me just one of the plain folks!

SandyinZ4

Wow k9dancer...Wish you were here to show me or I were at your house. I could use your tips. Do your machines have small or large throats? I still can not see how one can quilt a queen size top and start at the middle. Any tips?

trisha

WoW!!!! It is really nice to see a topic here that could have resulted in a train wreck turn out just the opposite. It is nice when everyone respects everyone else's opinions without getting their feelings hurt or feeling like they are being insulted.
When I first started seeing the dense quilting that was being done on longarm machines I think the reason I didn't like it at all was because I was jealous of all the people who owned them. LOL And maybe if I was twenty years younger....I probably would have bought one also. But now, I think everyone is right...if we all quilted the same exact way...how boring would that be? We are all leaving legacies of one kind or another behind and enjoying it at the same time.
So to all you dense and non-dense quilters..keep up the good work!!!! What a colorful and diverse world we are!!!

k9dancer

Small throats. It's a Featherweight (small vintage 11 pound machine). The Bernina is not much bigger in the throat.

I start by rolling my quilts from the outside to the middle. At the top of the quilt, where it is flat between the 2 rolls, I slide the quilt down to the center. Now I have a flat surface with two long log rolls on either side. I start in the center and work down, then back up to the center and work toward my right. In other words, I work on a quarter of the quilt at a time, and that quarter will always be on MY lower right side. Does that make sense?

donnalynett

In our little quilting group that does nothing but charity quilts we say "there are no rules in quilting". I think of that rule often and just love it. It makes a beginner feel so much better while learning.

AliKat

How true.

I have known an award winning quilter. Her quilts are fantastic to look at. However, she quilts so intensely that I wouldn't want one of hers to sleep under. A wall quilt - great. A bed quilt - not so great.

If I had my druthers though, I'd use silk batting for my own quilts. Darn it but the expense involved is beyond me.

Good point though. The quilting is to showcase and add to the actual quilt. Not to showcase my skill at quilting.

ali