Do you or don't you?
04-23-2021, 01:29 AM
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2011
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Do you or don't you?
I have made my quilt sandwich and spray basted the layers. Next ,I plan to do an all over free-motion quilting design.My question is : Do you stitch in the ditch to stabilize the quilt layers before free-motion quilting? A friend told me to sitd to avoid puckers on the back of the quilt before I free-motion quilt. My backing is minky. Thanks for your advice!
04-23-2021, 02:51 AM
#2
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Location: S.E. Queensland, Australia
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No. But if quilting on your domestic machine you need to have the quilt and backing well pinned. Would you consider quilting with the backing on top so it doesn't sag, or tacking it that way before quilting. Maybe even starch the minky to keep it firm, or use a spray adhesive. Just my thoughts.
04-23-2021, 02:54 AM
#3
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Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
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It depends on a lot of things, for me that includes the size of the project and the style and complexity of what I am quilting. Free motion can be anything from a large meander to very tight and complex designs.
If I can, I like to do some sort of stabilizing or grid to start with. I was recently given a quilt with a large fancy star shape, current thought is that I would indeed stitch in the ditch around the star points to stabilize and then fill in the sections with free motion.
Even on a small project that is sprayed down nicely, I'll put in a few stabilizing safety pins until I get some stitching in. Just a few. So, if I'm starting in the middle, no pins there but the corners and edges are held down.
If I can, I like to do some sort of stabilizing or grid to start with. I was recently given a quilt with a large fancy star shape, current thought is that I would indeed stitch in the ditch around the star points to stabilize and then fill in the sections with free motion.
Even on a small project that is sprayed down nicely, I'll put in a few stabilizing safety pins until I get some stitching in. Just a few. So, if I'm starting in the middle, no pins there but the corners and edges are held down.
04-23-2021, 03:40 AM
#5
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umm...you are doing an all over design....then I think the important thing is to stabilize it which you have done by spray basting it. Don't know the size but there are suggestions out there to also do some pin or thread basting as which the movement of the quilt under the machine and readjusting as you go, the spray basting could come loose. If you were going to do more custom quilting....then yep got to stitch in the ditch first.
04-23-2021, 04:20 AM
#6
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Location: Florida
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No, I spray, pin and start in the center moving out to the corners whether it is minky or cotton. Minky is a different beast from cotton. When I work with it, I go slower and make certain there are no wrinkles and stretching before I stitch down a new section.
04-23-2021, 05:25 AM
#7
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Location: Ontario, Canada
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If you plan on doing a block by block quilting, then you could SITD the blocks. For an all over FMQ design, I would not SITD. I have never quilted a quilt with Minky so I can’t offer any advice on that. The only tip I can give is to study the best way to move the quilt through the machine harp because it will be bulkier then a cotton back.
04-23-2021, 10:29 AM
#9
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Location: Portage, Michigan
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I spray baste and if it seems a bit unstable, I will do an ocassional pin. like every 12 inches. Slow work and lots of smoothing along the way. The majority of times it all works out very well. Ocassionally, not so much but those bad time are operator problems not product problems. 
I have never used minky. You are on your own on that one.
I have never used minky. You are on your own on that one.
