sharon b

I understand I fight when I have to quilt also :shock: I try to roll it up as much as I can and keep the rolls tight and moving , can be a big PITA :roll: LOL But worth it when it is done

Pam B

I can relate totally. I had several tops pieced but never could bring myself to quilt them. I know of several long-armers in the area but I had no clue what they charge. Finally, I just decided to try them...I had 3 done last fall...2 queen sized and 1 full...and they cost me a total of about $325 and that included her providing the batting. I have 2 ready to go now and several more in various stages. I understand about limited funds...we have 2 in college right now...but I decided that I would just do 2 or 3 a year. Maybe you could just try having one done now and another one later on?

RST

Instead of rolling the quilt, consider folding it accordian style. Or even just scrunch it up. Also, it's key to have adequate support around it -- I use the dining room table, with a card table or the ironing board set up to the left of the machine to hold the weight of the quilt.

In my experience, stitch in the ditch is actually one of the harder approaches. It's far easier to to an all over stipple in free motion, or to do a grid or "organic line" quilting. If it's an option with the style and pattern of your quilt, maybe you could transition to that and ditch the SITD.

RST

Maybe1day

Gosh I sure feel your pain as i just this week did SID on two place mats as my first attempt of quilting and thought that was bad enough. I usually send my quilts out to a long arm quilter when I am able to. Partly because my previous machine couldn't handle the thickness of the material once a backing and batting were added. Now I have a new machine I have no excuse not to do it myself.
Funds are more limited now we are both retired so I need to be more frugal which of course means more do it myself :-)

Maybe1day

gaigai

I'm with you, life is too short to wrestle a big quilt through the throat of a small machine. It's about as much fun as hemorrhoids, in my never-to-be-humble opinion. I save my pennies to send my tops to a LAQ!

kwiltkrazy

What exactly are you having trouble with? I have never sent a quilt out, I can't afford it, and I like to have it done by me, semi-control freak, even though I'm not all that good. But, I have done every size on my Janome 6500, and haven't had a lot of trouble. I like to puddle my quilt around the needle, and not roll the whole thing which is much harder. I first do all my stitch in the ditch, to stabelize it, then I work in sections, that way you're not moving it as much. I also use quilting gloves, which makes it much easier. Please don't give up on bed quilts, it can be done. Have you ever tried quilting it as you go, or quilting it in equal sections, then put the already quilted sections together.

lalaland

could you post a picture of your set up.

Gal

I am sure when it is all done you will look back and feel so proud of yourself that you made it, you are just going through a bad time with it at the moment, some times it does pay to have a break from it, rather than rush it through because you are fed up with it. Keep us posted, we are here to keep your spirits up!

Gal

arpdesigns28

Oooooohhhhh, the Stitch in the Ditch, huh? Well, I'm learning the same hard lesson this weekend on a bed-sized quilt that is still incomplete. Don't get discouraged- I read an article about how SITD is really difficult, although it is a simple straight line. I have to draw out the lines with a white chalk pencil to get the stitching right and straight. I will try it and tell you how it works out. Keep going.

needlenut

I have done echo stitching(1/4" on either side of seams) with a walking foot and it works easier for me than SITD. One the last quilt that I made, I used echo stitching, some hand quilting, some free motion quilting, and some quilting through a paper pattern. I marked the chain on a long strip of paper, pinned the paper to my quilt border and stitched rapidly the entire length of the quilt. It worked beautifully.