SO BUMMED :(
10-18-2011, 02:33 PM
#141
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
This is the right time of year for this. Go to your nearest dollar store and see if they have the knit gloves with the little gripper dots on them. If not try Walmart. They (gloves) make it so much easier to move the fabric under the needle.
10-18-2011, 03:06 PM
#143
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 3,252
Originally Posted by grammatjr
I love Leah Day's site, she only uses a domestic machine - no long arm. Check out her site for some good advice about handling a big quilt on a domestic.
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/faq.htm
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ang-it-up.html
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ine-setup.html
Good luck. Beautiful quilt BTW.
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/faq.htm
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ang-it-up.html
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ine-setup.html
Good luck. Beautiful quilt BTW.
10-18-2011, 03:17 PM
#144
Super Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,474
Originally Posted by abc123retired
No one ever mentions the method I used for quilting my large quilt with my DSM.
So here it is:
1. lay out your quilt-top, then batting. Making sure your batting is large enough find a nice way to divide in thirds. Each quilt is different so you need to look at yours and see what can be quilted nicely in the first go over.
2. mark two lines, with quilt markers, dividing the batting into manageable thirds. These lines can be gently waving and your markers should be on both sides of the line for matching later (registration lines)
3. cut and remove the two side pieces marking somehow "right" and "left"
4. Lay out the backing, spray the middle, lay down the middle section of the batting, spray and lay down the top
5. Now you are ready to quilt the middle section without all the bulk.
6. When this quilting is finished, fold back the top and the backing and with a wide zigzag stitch stitch the left side batting back in place (use the walking foot) spray this part and continue quilting, repeat with the other.
7. This method really works and it is easy to get that batting sewn together. It will hold with all the quilting you are going to do on it and the wavy line helps to disguise the joining.
Try this method on a table runner or small quilt and see if you understand the cutting, spraying, quilting, joining, spraying, quilting and repeating for you. That's what I did and found my next large quilt was not a struggle for me or my walking foot.
By the way, I think stitching in the ditch is the hardest kind of stitching you can do. It never goes as straight as one would like. Look closely at the picture of the hand quilted one on this thread and that stitching to the side looks great and is much easier even by machine IMHO. Also plan on leaving lots of ends (result of lots of starts and stops) and using an easy threading needle (spiral) to get them tucked in. I personally avoid pinning-they are always in the way.
Quilting a large quilt gives you quite a feeling of accomplishment-it just doesn't all have to be done at once-keep at it.
So here it is:
1. lay out your quilt-top, then batting. Making sure your batting is large enough find a nice way to divide in thirds. Each quilt is different so you need to look at yours and see what can be quilted nicely in the first go over.
2. mark two lines, with quilt markers, dividing the batting into manageable thirds. These lines can be gently waving and your markers should be on both sides of the line for matching later (registration lines)
3. cut and remove the two side pieces marking somehow "right" and "left"
4. Lay out the backing, spray the middle, lay down the middle section of the batting, spray and lay down the top
5. Now you are ready to quilt the middle section without all the bulk.
6. When this quilting is finished, fold back the top and the backing and with a wide zigzag stitch stitch the left side batting back in place (use the walking foot) spray this part and continue quilting, repeat with the other.
7. This method really works and it is easy to get that batting sewn together. It will hold with all the quilting you are going to do on it and the wavy line helps to disguise the joining.
Try this method on a table runner or small quilt and see if you understand the cutting, spraying, quilting, joining, spraying, quilting and repeating for you. That's what I did and found my next large quilt was not a struggle for me or my walking foot.
By the way, I think stitching in the ditch is the hardest kind of stitching you can do. It never goes as straight as one would like. Look closely at the picture of the hand quilted one on this thread and that stitching to the side looks great and is much easier even by machine IMHO. Also plan on leaving lots of ends (result of lots of starts and stops) and using an easy threading needle (spiral) to get them tucked in. I personally avoid pinning-they are always in the way.
Quilting a large quilt gives you quite a feeling of accomplishment-it just doesn't all have to be done at once-keep at it.
10-18-2011, 04:04 PM
#146
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 975
Originally Posted by suern3
Originally Posted by grammatjr
I love Leah Day's site, she only uses a domestic machine - no long arm. Check out her site for some good advice about handling a big quilt on a domestic.
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/faq.htm
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ang-it-up.html
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ine-setup.html
Good luck. Beautiful quilt BTW.
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/faq.htm
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ang-it-up.html
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...ine-setup.html
Good luck. Beautiful quilt BTW.
10-18-2011, 04:18 PM
#147
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 314
I agree with Kif, dump the pins and grab the 505 basting spray. If you have a quilting friend or two you could enlist their help to relayer the sandwich with the spray. Do NOT give up. You have to admit that you might have bitten off more than you could chew for the first quilt. You put together an exceptional top for a first quilt so I'm confident you can finish it if you just perservere.
10-18-2011, 04:45 PM
#148
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,183
Some of my quilts have puckers and crooked lines and I just try not to fret it. I will never be able to afford to have a long arm or pay someone to do it so I just live with the imperfections.
I have learned that a lot of it lies in the sandwiching. You must be sure to get that backing flat and pin often.
My solution is to only make lap size quilts and they are almost too big for me to quilt.
Good luck!
I have learned that a lot of it lies in the sandwiching. You must be sure to get that backing flat and pin often.
My solution is to only make lap size quilts and they are almost too big for me to quilt.
Good luck!
10-18-2011, 04:51 PM
#149
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3
I've quilted queen size on my 300.00 machine. Just stitch in the ditch. I only sew straight lines. I don't try to pivot and turn the quilt it is just too hard on a large quilt. I tried the free motion but my machine didn't have enough muscle to hold the bobbin tension. So hope it helps to know your not alone in your struggle with quilting. Your quilt looks great, by the way.
Marie
Marie
10-18-2011, 04:58 PM
#150
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Upstate, SC
Posts: 887
First of all, from what I can see, your quilt is beautiful. Second of all, you CAN do this. You need to roll your quilt so the middle row is under the needle. Begin there, and work your way out to the edge. Flip the quilt around and do the other half. Just take your time and walk away for a bit if you need to, but don't give up. I have quilted up to a queen on my domestic machine. I've also found that spray basting works a whole lot better than pinning. You might want to give it a try. Good luck and don't get discouraged. We are all rooting for ya.
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