Need Help...First Quilt Mistakes!
 

I have never quilted before but decided to make a quilt for my grandchild. I watched my Grandma make quilt tops as a small child but never saw the quilting part of it. I ended up with machine quilting in the border where it shouldn't be. How do you get the layers to lay all flat to machine quilt them? I have all carpet floors and no table large enough for laying out a quilt. I used safety pins to pin the layers but they would not stay flat on my carpet.
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I love it;not bad for the 1st ever! you did a good job!

Thanks. My daughter said they would call it his "Linus Blanket" and he could drag it everywhere.

If you have carpet in your kitchen, you might try taping it down to the carpet. I have a vinyl floor, but I taped mine down for years with painter's tape. It might stick to a low-pile carpet. It's worth a try. BTW, your quilt is just adorable! And you can quilt in the border. I think you were probably talking about the stitch-in-the-ditch that took a little detour on the back? Don't worry about it, you've made a great start! Your grandchild will love snuggling in it!

I'm new to quilting as well and I think your quilt turn out great! I saw a you tube tutorial on the quilting board for hand basting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNy...e_gdata_player The quilt layers did not move when after I did the basting.

maybe this will help when I pin my quilt I change direction of the pins first ones are staight across next one is up and down it seems to keep fabric from shifting.

I think your quilt looks fine. But it appears you may have used a polyester batting....I find them hard to work with as the cotton fabrics of the quilt do not have an affinity for the poly batt - they don't "attract" each other, don't stick together well. Cotton batting with cotton fabrics seems to keep my quilts flatter. Sometimes, in small pieces, all you have to do is press the layers together with your iron.

Jan in VA

I've done this before but it isn't my favorite because I don't like being on the floor. Pin it to the carpet. It actually works. Just like you would use tape. Not stretched...just taut. I'll try to explain the pinning. Pin through the three layers, pull the pin head toward you and anchor the pin deep into the carpet.

Jan's comment about poly batting not working with cotton - I didn't know that. Good advice.

I haven't used it, I use pins but have a huge table. Spray basting I've heard works....might be an option and less of a pain for doing the work on the floor for one then the added challenge of carpet. Just a thought

You might try fusible batting, pin what you can of the back to the ironing board dover, fuse the area and then move to the next are. You could put plastic on your garage wall and then use spray adhesive. Borrow a friend's floor?

Your quilt looks great! I don't have a huge table, either, so I baste in sections. I start with the middle clamped down to the table and baste what is on top. Then I unclamp and move the quilt to one side section and repeat the process. Then it's the other side's turn. I do the top and bottom of the quilt the same way. Sometimes it takes 3 movements of the top and bottom, depending on the size of the quilt. I couldn't do it on my knees, so that is the next best thing.

I think that it's charming. Your grandson will not care about the puckers, he'll just love it to death.

you could try this woman's method, it looks pretty simple!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39I5A3iyCtw

What a lovely quilt! I wouldn't worry about wandering off the line! Spray basting came to my mind too, I never tried it though.

Your quilt is adorable. I wonder if you were using a walking foot? That foot will help the layers move together under the needle. I spread my quilts on the carpet and spray the layers. Always spray the top & bottom, not the batting.

lOOKS GREAT !!!

Just beautiful, great job and thank you for sharing
Have a Blessed day
Ellen

Very cute quilt. Don't sweat the small stuff, if we all only accepted perfection none of us would complete anything.

Love your quilt. It is beautiful work and I wouldn't worry about puckers either. Warm and cosy is more important. I also use spray basing which works great. I actually bought a large generic brand and have done several quilts with it. There is still enough left to do a couple more. I hate pinning and love this method.

First of all your first quilt came out great! My thought is, if you do pin the quilt on the floor use some cardboard as big as you can find and put that under the quilt so you don't pin it to the carpeting.

i think the quilt looks just great.

When I'm at mom's I have to use her carpeted floor so I put my cutting mat under the quilt. I have also used basting spray for smaller quilts. For larger quilts I spray baste and then pinned in a few places to make sure it stays together while sewing for the larger quilts. Hope this helps.

If you have a large enough wall, It is easier than getting on the floor. Pin your backing to the wall, spray with basting spray, next, add your layer of batting and smooth, spray baste, then add your top and smooth. Works well for me.

Your quilt is cute as can be. I think you done a great job on the quilt for the first time. I like to use QAUG method on small quilts that I am not going to put on the frame. That might be an option for you. Your grandson will love it and watching him with it will make you forget about all your worries. Keep up the good work.

You might want to try warm and white or warm and natural batting and use the basting spray before quilting. You will have to bind when you are done but you will probably find that it will help with the little puckers. It looks great though. The suggested taping to the floor is good too.

I love your Winne the Pooh quilt. It's so precious.

I just finished quilting a 40" x 70" lap quilt and I ending up basting with pins. I have a banquet table that I laid the quilt across and just basted in sections smoothing and pinning each section. I really took my time with the basting. I stitched in the ditch and started in the center of the quilt and worked my way out. Everytime I finished a line of stitching I took the quilt over to the table and examined the back for puckers. It worked great.

Have fun making your next quilt. It will get easier and more fun.

I baste with thread and needle. Start in the middle, go to the ends and sides and then to the corners. Start each thread in the middle. It helps, but I still get some puckers.

Your quilt looks really great.This is your first quilt, be kind to your self,and be proud of the beautiful quilt you made with love for your grandchild. Sandy

The quilt looks great for a first. Poly batting will have a lot more puff than cotton. I have never tried to match borders on the back. Looks like 2 quilts for the price of one. Good idea. Did you use a walking foot to do your quilting? This will help the layers from shifting thru the pressure foot. Some prefer tying rather then stitching when using poly batting.

Welcome to the Board. Your quilt is beautiful and I'm sure the one you're giving it to won't notice any wrinkles and/or puckers. It will be much loved. Keep up the good work.

This is so cute. Good luck with your problem.

I think your quilt looks beautiful.

I think you did wonderfully for your first. Its a lessoned learned and that's how we've all had to learn. JaninVA said exactly what I was thinking. Looks like a puffy batting, so you get a puffy look. Some like it some don't. Keep on a stitching!

I think is is just adorable...your grandchild will love it.. and use it! Aahhh made with love.

you definitely can quilt in the borders. all depends on how much quilting you need for the type of batting used. so far it's a great effort!! don't sweat it. i hated doing basting on the floor so now do it on a folding table. i smooth the backing wrong side up on the table and use binding clips to hold in place. then lay the batting and smooth it. then lay the quilt top on, matching centers and being sure it fits inside the backing size well, then smooth and re-clip. then i either thread baste or pin baste (or use fusible batting or spray basting actually) and move the whole quilt when the center is done. then i finish basting the sides and top and bottom. Then take to the machine to quilt.
keep going, so far you are learning well.

Thanks everyone for all your wonderful thoughts and advice. Keep it coming!

Be careful what you ask for, 'cuz on this board, we're full of it . . . advice that is. Here's some more. I usually don't baste, just pin. I lay mine out on my largest bed, and pin from one end to the other. When I quilt, I always work from the center to the edges, and if I see something is moving a little, I can readjust my pins. (I hand-quilt, though. Never tried it on a machine) I

I can not help but I think your baby quilt is wonderful and the quilting looks good to me ....especially for just starting!! Thank you for sharing.