Here is the finished top. Overall I'mpretty pleased with it. Those scrappy borders were harder than anticipated but I perserverd.

So now I have to quilt this. I've read everything I can find and think I pretty much know what to do, but a couple of things needs clarification. Where is the middle of the quilt? Some sites say start in the actual middle of the quilt. Some say start on the middle row. What do you do?

The second thing is the bobbin thread. Most sites say to pull the bobbin thread up through the quilt when you start. Huh? I'm not sure how to do that.

Be sure to ignore my classy hanging job! Plastic hangers on the drapes was the best idea I had at the time.

Lisa ~ You did a wonderful job on your bow tie. Just love your scrappy piano key boarder!!

You didn't mention how you are quilting it . . stitch in the ditch, cross hatch (x ing the whole quilt), shadow/echo (1/4 or so away from the bows), meandering (which does take some practice and then some).

Starting in the middle?? Okay that's like to wash or not to wash fabric. The BIGGEST key is to baste you quilt sandwich GOOD. If pins are used, you can use your fist as your measurer (is that a word). That puts them 3 - 4" apart. Spraying? IMHO if it is sandwich properly I start where I want.

Bringing the bobbin thread up. Take one stitch (and only one), pull your top (needle) thread towards you. Your bobbin thread will be looped over the needle thread. Pull them both to the back of you machine. Take a few small stitches in place, this will lock the threads. Start quilting, snip off thread later.


Good luck

What a rich colored quilt! I love all the colors! Can't help you with the quilting, don't machine quilt. Goodluck with it though

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it. Great job.

You did a beautiful job!!! WTG, Lisa!! :wink: :lol: :lol:

I love it. I just love scrappy quilts. I think I have some of those fabrics from a charm pack. LOL :lol: :lol: :lol: Whatever you decide to do, it's a great quilt. :D :D :D

That turned out great, Lisa! You've got to be proud of it!!! Just how are you going to quilt it?

What a great quilt! Love those borders! Good luck quilting! You can do it!

I love that scrappy piano key border. It was worth your effort.

Love bow ties. Looks great. Really like your colors.

Your hanging job is ingenious. :0)

It looks great!

I just have to smile when I look at this! I love your scrappy borders-they were worth the effort! Can't wait to see it all quilted!

In answer to the question how am I going to quilt it........I suppose QID. That sounds safest. I have visions (maybe hallucinations?) of doing something cool in the yellow squares. Maybe I can come back to that after I QID.

What's the consensus on best basting style? Spray? Pins? Thread?

How messy is the spray stuff? Will I end up basting everything in the room if I try it?

Your quilt is just to cute!! :D
I love all of the colors you
have used in making it.
Great Work!!
:D :D :D

I like the border you used. You did a great job. Good luck with the quilting.


ranger

Lisa ... awesome job, love the colors and that piano border is wow!!. Love to see again after it's quilted.
I usually spray baste and if a large quilt also pin. Just my preferance. If spraying dont spray the batting or you will have lots of wigglies that are almost impossable to get out. Ask me how I know :oops:

Lisa, I have learned through experience to spray outside. The first time I did it in the house I sprayed my area rug.... :roll:

just curious, ninnie. why not?

Great Bow Tie quilt! Good luck with your quilting.

It turned out really nice. Like the colors and the scrappy look. :D

Lisa ~ What size are the blocks and quilt top? What type of batting do plan on using? Different battings have a suggested stitch distance. Hobbs is 4" and Warm and Natural is 10" Depending upon the size of your bow ties you might not be able to stitch in the ditch.

IMHO ~ I think it would look cool to X thru all the yellow plain blocks with a variegated thread and IMHO doing X'ing on the quilt is easier than SID. You would be able to go from one corner straight to the opposite corner all the way across the quilt. Where as, SID you are following the ditch and your eyes cross, you jump out of the ditch and swear, then your shoulders get tense and your back hurts . . . but you are bound to get it done.... then you jump out the ditch AGAIN :evil: and do some more swearing ... and turn the music up louder so no one hears you swearing OMG the back is really getting tight. UH-OH I think I am having a flash back. Would that be Post traumatic 'SID' syndrome?

Thread basting is mostly used for hand quilting.

Pinning is time consuming (and sometimes back breaking), but IMHO a great learning method and it gives you 'room' for errors. Remember use your fist as your measurer. Pins should be 3" - 4" apart.

Spray basting has lots of benefits . . . I like 505 ... but if you spray to heavy it is a dickens to 'adjust' the fabrics. Sprays are best if you go lightly, not the motto 'more is better'. But looking (I'm guessing) your quilt is a large lap to a small twin. For learning on using sprays IMHO I would start smaller (crib, table topper etc)

Sorry about all the IMHO . . . but we all have to learn what works for us. For me I spray smaller quilts, pins the mediums and the LARGE/HUGE ones goes to the quilter.

I sure hope I'm not scaring people about quilting their own quilts :roll:

good luck

That is a pretty quilt. I love the colors and that border is wonderful. Where I start quilting depends what I am going to do. ( Stitch in the Ditch or stipple. )

The blocks are 4 inches and I'm using Warm and Natural (pricey stuff, isn't it?). The quilt is about 55 x 70. I call it "nap size". Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure how it got that big. It started as a crib pattern and I pretty much doubled it and added borders. It's bigger than I thought it would be.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to pin baste it. The spray sounds like something I could make a mess with.

Looking good. :D

I use the 505 spray and spray lightly and it works great for me on a quilt of this size. I do spray in sections getting one settled before moving to the next. I then pin. You could try on a small piece to get the hang of it.
Good luck!

Great job, it's very pretty!

It looks really nice. My bowties don't look quite as nice.

Lisa, your quilt top is so pretty! I love the colors and the border. Good job!

Lisa, love the quilt and the border.
I use pin basting and always have because I have the best luck with this kind of basting. Though I agree, if the quilt is large it is a killer on your back. I also use my closed fist to measure the distance between pins.
I guess at the middle because my experience has been you don't have to be exactly dead center in the middle. I think they only use that as a measurement because you have less of a chance to have the fabric bunching up while you are quilting it.
I would to SID if you have an in the ditch foot for your machine for the bowties, but as said by someone eariler, it will depend on the size and distance of your bowties and the space in between. If you want to stay with the geometric look then an "X" through the plain blocks would probably work. If it was me I would do a meandering stitch on those blocks.
Long winded aren't I??http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...aughing024.gif

I love the spray basting. It allows you to have a very taught sandwich, much like the long arm quilters. I have found that after spraying the backing (wrong side of fabric) it is best to use masking tape and secure it to the floor so that it is taught. Then place the batting on top of the backing. I spray my batting or fabric in the garage or outside if it's not windy or cold. I have sprayed either fabric or batting and not found a difference. After smoothing out the batting on top of the backing fabric, I spray the back of my quilt top. Sometimes it is helpful to have a friend take two corners and you hold onto two corners as you transport the fabric that has been sprayed, that way you avoid the inevitable flipping that occurs and the need to pull it back apart, possibly stretching something. I usually find it helpful to lightly press the sandwich and pull everything taught and remove any bubbles. I do this from the top first, before removing the masking tape around the perimeter of the backing attaching it to the floor. Then I flip it over and make sure the backing is taught, pressing it. Remember, to spray lightly, check with your hand to feel tackiness, you won't be able to see it.

Thanks for all the great tips!!

interesting scrappy

So cheerful!

Love your bow ties and the border. This is a very orderly scrappy top. WOW! As for how you hung it up to show, a marvelous idea!
peace