BethD

If you can do free motion quilting, here's an idea I got from a LQS staff member. Spray baste (with 505 or something similar) and sandwich just the middle part of your large quilt (top to bottom). That leaves the two outer sides of your quilt top and backing with no batting yet and very easy to still manage the quilt with less bulk. After you finish that middle section, add batting and spray baste one of the sides and do that section allowing you to keep the bulk of what has been completed to the left of your machine, again making it easier to handle. Complete the other side in the same manner. Make sense?

fireworkslover

Basically, you slide the quilt under your pressure foot, do not roll it. Spread your fingers out around the needle to flatten the quilt area to fmq just that space. After you complete that area, stop w/ the needle down, arrange the next area, place hands splayed out around needle and con't. Leah Day has a good video that shows this method. Her website is : www.daystyledesigns.com

JNCT14

OH! I do that now! Didn't know there was a technique for it - cool! I will definitely watch the video to improve that skill - thanks!

dpavcreations

I do small art quilts, crib size, full size and large queen/king size quilts, but I quilt them all myself. At first I was intimidated, but after I quilted my first quilt and realized it wasn't so bad, just time consuming, I just decided from that point on to quilt all my own quilts. Actually, it can be quite theraputic.

Matilda

[quote=sandpat]Nope..I do large quilts and I quilt them myself on my little domestic machine. Some get a little difficult to handle in the center part, but I've found that if I can do it using the kitchen table and an ironing board to hold the quilt up...then I'm good to go.


That is what I do too. I utilize everything I can: chairs, table and so on to hold up my quilt while I am quilting. Usually I do mine on my domestic machine too but once in a while I like to hand quilt. It is relaxing to do hand work.

wendsy

I tend to do smaller projects, my bed's a twin sized so the quilts aren't too bad. I try to sew in smalled sections, joining with sashing once completed. I've tried my version on cotton theory(mix between cotton theory and french seam) to join the pieces together.Still a lot to handle but not so much material going through the small arm of my sewing machine. My sister makes rag quilts-just keep adding pieces/boarders to expand to right side. She has found that she likes to sew a final binding-giving it a more "finished" look instead of an ongoing project look.

cc

Yes, I only make small items because of my limited quilting ability and my extremely limited sewing space. I've realized I'll just have to save the money to pay a professional quilter to do my larger projects. Nice to hear I'm not the only one!

JustBonnie2

Back before Long-Arm quilters came on the scene, I used to hand quilt my large quilts by quilting them in pieces. Usually in 3 to six pieces. Then put them together in the Quilt-as-you-Go method. It worked for me. But now there are Long-Arm quilters, bless their souls!! I'll never quilt anything over 20 inches again!! YAY!!!

Annya

That is one of the quilt as you go techniques I saw on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson. I tried it in works, but I like to do the quilt in sections and join it after I quilt them separately. Much easier.

jbj137

I hand quilt and make big ones always (queen or king).
But I do them in 2 strips and then join them.