bearisgray

Do you like to do stitch-in-the-ditch (SITD)quilting with a long-arm?

Is it harder/more difficult to do than "other" types of quilting"?

Or is it easier to do than "other" types of quilting?

Do you charge more to do SITD quilting? or less?

dunster

Yes I do it, with a ruler and fine thread (MicroQuilter from Superior is my new favorite choice for this chore). It is harder to do, because obviously you're supposed to stay in the ditch, and not all ditches are as straight as they should be. In fact a ditch is not really a ditch if the seam allowances are turned one way and then another within the same seam, and even when they're pressed the same way they sometimes flip around on their own when the top is put on the longarm. I don't dislike doing it, but I'm not overly concerned if my very fine thread strays from the ditch (and it always does, here and there.) I do it either to stabilize the quilt before doing more extensive quilting, or to highlight design elements in the quilt. I don't charge extra, because I only quilt for myself and a few friends.

Barb in Louisiana

I don't do hardly any freehand yet on my Longarm. I have never stitched in the ditch. I really like my pantographs and have a fairly good selection. My daughter is branching out and doing some freehand. I haven't seen her stitch in the ditch yet. I'm sure it will come.

Macybaby

I do not like doing SITD with the longarm, Even with a ruler, it's very hard to stay exactly where you need to be. And then there is the plan about what you are going to double stitch or if you'll be stopping and tieing off a lot.

I prefer to avoid it if possible, and only do it if is the best option for the quilt.

I also only quilt for myself. Not enough time while I'm still working full time to quilt for anyone else.

This is the only quilt I've done with a significant amount of SITD - and it was all done with a ruler.

soccertxi

SITD on a long arm is like driving one of those grocery carts where every wheel wants to go its own way. I am better at SITD than I used to be...and some days are better than others. If I hit a day that is NOT good, I do something else! I only quilt for myself and occasionally a friend or two. Rulers are the way to go...and practice. I find that diagonal lines are the hardest. I DO think that on some quilts, it makes the quilt.

Pam S

I don't like to SITD on the LA because it takes so much more time so I would charge more for it. But nobody ever asks me for just SITD so that's a moot point. If they're going to pay for the quilting, they want something that you can actually see. But I do a lot of it as part of custom quilting to stabilize the area to be quilted and as a traveling path so I'm not afraid of it as I was when I first started and find I'm getting quite good at it with all the practice but I would never try it without a ruler.

quiltingshorttimer

Like most of you, I'm not real fond of it either. Do it with a ruler and to stabilize or travel. I don't charge extra. At a show this weekend saw a huge quilt that had lots of pieces in each block and the quilter had SID on everything. I've quilted this same pattern and was surprised at the treatment as it really lent itself to lots of neat quilting ideas. And also I know the other quilter and little surprise at her choice of SID.

ckcowl

SITD is time consuming, ruler work. Yes I do it with my longarm when I have to ; yes, I charge extra for it. It takes a lot longer than just free motion quilting.

JustAbitCrazy

I really like the way SITD makes the quilt look, so I don't mind doing it for my own quilts. When I first start, if I haven't done it for awhile, I am very, very slow, but as I progress through the quilt I get faster and am then able to SITD to travel without a ruler and do just fine.