JCL in FL

I use a pvc hoop and it works well but I do some without in areas where a hoop won't fit and the stitches are much better but I don't know if I could baste well enough to not use a hoop without the puckers. Do you tape or clamp you quilt sandwich before you pin it?

grammypatty7

Have never taped or clamped. I have a cardboard cutting board that I bought at JoAnn's and open it up on either the dining room table or our queen sized bed and work there. Due to the limits in working space I pre-cut the backing and batting so that they are about 2 -3 inches larger than the top ALL THE WAY AROUND.

(Monday night at quilting, a friend sandwiched her quilt at the rec center and she did clamp AND tape the layers yet when she began folding up her quilt, she was frustrated to find that she had a lot of puckers and folds in the backing but was too tired to unpin and redo. I was surprised to see that happen and did ask about it and she says that it often happens and she doesn't know why.)

Then I place the backing, batting and top (in that order) on top of the cutting board making sure the top is approximately centered on the backing and batting. Pull the sandwich so that the end I want to begin basting on are at the edge of the cutting board and make sure a chair is handy for me to sit on to work and save my back.

First thing I do is pin the edge (it's normally the top edge of the quilt in place). Then I move to the middle of that quilt edge and begin pinning every 2 -3 inches working across the quilt in both directions. I work about a row of blocks at a time. When that area is well pinned, I then roll the pinned fabric bringing more unpinned quilt towards me. As I roll I can see if the backing is flat or not and can quickly unroll and fix that area if necessary. Just keep working across the quilt in that method and when finished, the quilt is rolled. Before beginning to pin the next row, make sure all layers are still flat and smooth.

I quilt in panels - rarely an entire quilt top if it's larger than a throw. My panels are 2 - 4 rows across and down depending on my quilt layout and the size of the blocks. I quilt the one panel and then attach the next pieced panel to it. I add the panel by placing the new top, right sides together with the top of the already quilted section and the backing right sides together with already quilted section and then sew that seam.

I then roll up the already quilted panel, lay the whole thing out on my cutting board work area. Smooth out the backing of the unquilted panel. Place the batting on top of it. (precut batting to slightly larger than new panel) Gently bring the unquilted top down over the batting and carefully smooth the seam area. With straight pins, I carefully snug the batting up next to the seam and pin in place working carefully to have the batting snug agains that seam so there isn't a gap yet the seam line area isn't too thick to quilt. It's not as hard as it sounds. Then beginning with the seam area, I begin smoothing and pin basting working across the the new panel one row at a time and checking the backing is still smooth. It works well for me. It's a variation of one of the techniques in Marti Michell's Machine Quilting in Sections book. In her book, she includes the batting into the seam but as a hand quilter, that just didn't work for me and yes, I've done it. You can buy her book at www.nancysnotions.com or Amazon for sure. I believe she has a web site as well and you could check there for it.

I've never tried the PVC hoop but have heard they are wonderful. I like to relax and be comfortable while quilting, not having to sit up straight throughout the process plus back when I was figuring out how do this quilting thing and make it work for me, the PVC hoops weren't available where I lived and were expensive to order and I wasn't sure I'd like it any better than the large wooden hoop.

If an area is not basted well enough to suit me, I will quickly add more pins to make it work and then quilt. The main thing is to have the quilt tight enough to begin the quilting process and keep the backing smooth while working which you do feel as you work.

Until this current throw quilt I'm working on, I've always hand basted 2 - 3 inches apart in both directions of the quilt after doing the pin basting and yes, I spend hours basting before I could quilt but once hand basted, I could remove the pins if desired but never did until actually quilting the area where the pins were and then I'd remove them as I worked. The pin basting only is working well for me but I will probably go back to ALSO hand basting on the next quilt I do - personal preference. A lot depends on how this quilt looks when the quilting is finished. I'm getting a lot of compliments on it so it must be looking good. At the moment, I haven't laid it out to really take a look.

Since you've already done some quilting without the hoop, I suspect you can adapt to doing a whole quilt without. The idea of breaking the rules can be intimidating at times but you know, when the ladies were traveling by covered wagon, the quilting didn't stop as quilts were always needed and took time so they did the quilting in their laps as I do without a hoop or frame. Also they didn't have the space to move a hoop or frame with them as those wagons weren't very large and they had to keep the weight down as much as possible etc. Also, once they did claim a plot and build their cabins, they were very small and couldn't accommodate a large frame even if they could have purchased one. Most didn't have much cash available and had to make do. Women seem to adapt their quilting styles according to the times, the need, what is available like most today are machine quilters but most today are also working or have careers while raising their family so time is important. We just all do what works best for us. For me, quilting "patty style" as the members of my chapter call it, is very comfortable and pure pleasure and other quilters amaze me with their compliments about my quilts. Being self taught, I was a bit hesitant to join a chapter when we relocated to a retirement community fearing I wouldn't measure up but my methods have been very well accepted and there are now a dozen of us quilting this way which also amazes me.

Follow your instincts and enjoy whatever choice you make. Give it a try as you may be pleasantly surprised like the members of my chapter have been. The machine quilters tend to piece and hire the quilting done and it amazes me how I keep turning out beautiful quilts that I've quilted myself as they don't feel they can manage to machine quilt a bed quilt yet can't afford to always hire the quilting done. I suspect this is why instead of the 2 or 3 of us hand quilters in my chapter we now have 12 that I know of and there are others who haven't brought their projects with them but they are getting back to hand quilting - neat.

Enjoy.
Patty

lfw045

I baste with safety pins and don't use a hoop. I'm left handed and using a hoop is aggrivating to me so I just don't.

CarrieAnne

Thanks for the link!