JellyRoll With Stitch The Ditch
 

This is my first quilt, teaching myself. how do I roll the quilt to machine sew and where do I start? Thank you!



Angel

Hi Angel, welcome to the board!
My favorite place to learn anything is Youtube. They have all kinds of videos.

i don't usually roll it... not as flexible to move it around. i "puddle" it under the harp

Hi Angel, welcome to the board!

I roll the quilt in from each side, using large clips to hold the quilt from unrolling (look on the internet for them i bought mine years ago, but they are still available). Leave a 10 to 12 inch section in the center of the quilt to work on. Start quilting in the very center, work to the top, and then go back to the center and work to the bottom. Roll out one side to give you another 12" to work on, taking up the area finished with the other roll. Continue quilting this way until one side is finished, re-roll and go back to center and start working to the other edge.

By starting in the very center of the quilt there is less chance of catching a bump in the back. You are always smoothing the fabric and checking. If you have a very large quilt, you can rest the rolled edge you are not quilting on top of your shoulders. Helps to carry the weight of the quilt from not pulling the fabric on the machine.

Hope this makes sense, I've machine quilted this way for 30 years

Here is a small visual of how I roll and the center area for quilting. Try it on a small wallhanging or table runner to get the hang of it.

Good luck


Pat
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I have found that stitching in the ditch is not a great way to quilt, especially for a beginner. Why not try some straight line quilting 1/4" to 1/2" from the seams? I think that would be easier to start with. Just a suggestion...

Beginning quilts always want to start with quilting in the ditch. Personally I have a hard time staying in the ditch! I teach them to enlarge the stitch and quilt, running the edge of the foot against the ditch. Have to take it slow and not try to race thru the quilting.

The other thing you can do so that you don't have to have pins and worry about it shifting all the time is to use a spray baste. I also agree that stitching in the ditch is the first time quilter can be a little daunting as you have to be perfectly straight. Going out a quarter inch from the seam will also show off your blocks

When people say to start in the "middle" of the quilt - in ditch stitching, that means to start at the edge of the middle row. I ditch with an open toe foot. That way I can see where the needle will land and I can use both hands (on either side of the seam) to gently tug the seam and REALLY see the low side of the seam.

I agree with Faintly Artistic. I like to quilt beside the ditch 1/4". Another favorite way is to quilt on the diagonal using the blue painters tape to mark my sewing line. Then just pick up the tape and place it again for the next line of quilting. That is the method for use most often when I quilt on my domestic sewing machine. Easy!

For a very traditional look 1/4" from the seam is great.

For modern and art quilts, I like stitch in the ditch in some places. Berninas have a foot that guides the fabric and open up the ditch to made keeping it there easier.