I am struggling to quilt a twin size quilt. Haven't mastered even stitching with free motion on anything this big, so I am plodding along with the presser foot and feed dogs up method. I do okay on the outer portions, but the middle is dragging and the stitching is uneven.

How do you all fold/roll/control the quilt during machine quilting? I tried rolling, folding, but I am still having trouble with it bunching up and failing to feed through my machine. I find myself wrestling with it and pushing and pulling it and that just isn't working.

Any tips?


Bright

Oh, sweetie, no wonder you're having trouble!! Don't worry about free motion quilting for now - just straight line stitching will do just fine - that's what I taught three ladies a couple of years ago, who had never quilted before.

First, do you have a walking foot/even feed foot? If not, get one for your machine. It's very difficult with a thick sandwich to use the regular foot etc.

Make sure you have plenty of safety pins basting the layers together, about 4" apart (a fist width) and that the backing was taut, not stretched! before you added the batting and top. This prevents puckering. Most people roll the two edges toward the middle and that's where you start stitching, in the centre. Make sure you have extra tables or ironing board to the left of your sewing table AND behind, to help take the weight and drag off.

Now, you can stitch in the ditch of all your blocks, or you can use 1/4" masking tape to mark lines, on the diagonal is nice. Make your stitch length longer than you would use for sewing/piecing, too. Practice on a muslin/batting/muslin or a couple of blocks you aren't using with batting and backing - these can always be made into potholders/mini table toppers/mini wall quilts later.

There is more info out there, as well as books from the library (Heirloom Machine Quilting by Harriet Hargrave is excellent!! and Diane Gaudynski has a very good book also - the name escapes me at the moment!

I'll be back.

gerda

http://www.quiltmaker.com/tips/tip13/
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/lessons/804_machinequilting/
http://www.quilt.com/HowTo/MachineQuiltingHowTo.html
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_quilting_tips/article/0,,HGTV_3307_1391150,00.html

OK, supper's ready - I'll be back, if someone else doesn't beat me to it!

gerda

Gerda, You are such a gem...

I have a walking foot, but it makes the fabric bunch up worse than if I don't use it. I had my machine tuned up, the tech said the walking foot works just fine and that the problem is me. But the faster I sew with the walking foot, the smaller the stitch length. I can't figure out why. So I was just trying to plod along with the regular foot/feed dogs.

I have Diane's book. Her free motion quilting is so amazing!!! Even after reading her book, though, and studying the pics, I can't seem to fold/roll/secure my quilt so that I can get it through my machine. Right now I have 3 twin quilt tops that I want to finish into bed quilts and I am afraid I will ruin them.

I have used zillions of pins and quilt basting spray and I am pretty sure they are securely basted, but I just cant get them through my machine evenly. Maybe my problem is supporting the weight. I am just sewing on a table. Maybe I need more tables to support the weight of the quilt. How does anyone machine quilt a king size quilt, I wonder?? I may have to make crib size quilts for the rest of my life at this rate...

Bright

Nooooooo!! You can do any size! Goodness, Harriet and Diane and Judy Martin and many others, all quilt every size on a regular home machine! You can too. Yes, extra tables or your ironing board at the same level as your sewing table takes a huge stress off the quilt - it's when it's dragging/fighting gravity, that you end up pulling and the stitches end up tiny! Lots of the ladies here, do all their quilting on home machines, we can't all afford long arm quilting to be done, or like the uniform look - my hubby for one, and I agree with him - maybe that's why I haven't quilted too many large quilts, yet!

OK, I'm a doofus!! I just read back to my first post, and BOY, DID I MAKE A MISTAKE!!! with a walking foot, the feed dogs are UP, not down!! Oh, man, I am so sorry for that!

http://www.bobrow.net/kimberly/Quilts/Tutorial/index5.html
This lady used the above tutorial for her quilting debut
http://cheekymama2005.blogspot.com/2006/02/quilt-lesson-3.html
Great info here: http://www.needlepointers.com/ShowArticles.aspx?NavID=1014

If there is a guild or quilt shop nearby, ask for help/guidance/tips.

You CAN do this, it just takes practice, and the proper support for the weight.

Gerda

Oh, and don't worry too much about the resulting looks, do you really think anyone will say anything (especially if it's for a family member?)? They'll just be so thrilled that YOU made THEM a quilt!

Oh, and speed is NOT important with a walking foot, that's for free motion where speed makes a difference. Just take your time.

Bright Star,

One of the things that seems to trip machine quilters when they first begin is to keep the speed of the machine in sync with the speed the fabric is being fed through. If they are not in sync, the length of the stitch will vary. If you are not doing free motion stitching where the feed dogs are down, this should not be a problem.

I do not know what brand machine you have, some are now offering an attachment for sale called a stitch regulator. It disengages the way the power goes into the machine and controls the speed and the stitch length automatically. They can be pricey. The one for my machine was several hundred dollars, but if you are making a commitment to become a serious quilter, what it saves in frustration makes it well worth the investment. If you are interested, check with your retailer to see if one is available for your machine.

I took a machine quilting class a few years ago (about 8). They said to use furniture polish and polish your machine bed and the table area around your machine so that the quilt glides easily. I used to do this but I don't anymore. I now use baby powder on my table when I quilt on the table. It glides much easier. I don't put it on my machine. I put a little powder on a washcloth and just wipe down the area. It makes the area smell nice too and doesn't hurt the quilt. I also have a Brother PQ 1500 on a frame. Most of my quilts are quilted there now.