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Originally Posted by omak
okay .... I have some advice for you!
First ... take a pen and paper and practice meandering a design around on it, so you have an idea of how you want the quilting to show up. Do you understand about feed dogs down, darning foot on, stitch length down to nothing, sew fast, and move moderately, start in the middle and then move to the right side, so that you will be having less quilt in the throat of your machine? Some things to remember about quilting. The goal is: three layers of fabric held together so that the lap quilt can be washed without the batting all floating down to the bottom or one end. Check out your batting wrapper to see the MAXIMUM spacing for best use of quilting. Some batting has to be quilted at least every two inches or it will fall apart. That will determine part of your quilting. If you are going to be "stippling" - - DO NOT put it too close together - - I have "control issues" and it is very hard for me to loosen up, and I quilted a queen sized quilt so stippled, that I swear! It was like a board! So the secret is real open stippling, meandering lines. So, you are quilting along and darn! You run out of bobbin thread. Now, what do you do? Simple! Load your next bobbin, and line your needle up with the last five or six stitches sewn. Stitch exactly over those stitches ... VIOLA! The stitches are anchored and you may continue on merrily on your way. Almost every item of clothing we wear, every stitched item in our position has this technique for beginning or ending a stitch line ... A really good machine operator will do it so well, you almost can't see it, but it is there. If you have more questions, I may be able to help you more. Oh, and one more thing .... your hands ... best opened and fingers spaced on the quilt to help it move. As far as setting your machine up, if the bed of your machine is level with a table, grand! If not, put a table in a corner of the room, with the wall running on your left side, and in front of you. This will hold the quilt on your table and will be one less thing pulling on your arms and shoulders and hands. You can do this, and you will do it great! :thumbup: |
you are welcome. You will be fine!
And, if I left anything out, by all means ... let me know! By sharing, we grow. |
Your quilt is precious and I am anxious to see it all quilted. Sounds like you are going at it like gangbusters. Good for you!!! Stitching in the ditch is a great way to get in there and get your feet wet!!
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Am looking at other threads and also found this tip:
Whenever you have to shift your hands on the quilt, or rearrange your quilt, be sure your needle is DOWN into the quilt. Always, whenever you are changing positions on any sewn item, put your needle DOWN into the project. To neglect doing this is to have the item slide and you will have BIG slips with a quilt. |
Finished the quilt tonight. I stitched in the ditch.. not perfect but ok.
I am not happy with the binding though. I tried doing it all by machine instead of the last part by hand like I usually do. I hate it. It looks sloppy and horrible. I am going to eventually get the seam ripper out and take it apart to do by hand. However.... Sara sat and watched me finish it tonight, grabbed it up and won't let it go now. lol She love it. I took pictures to post, but for some reason my program isn't reading the pictures on my disc. As soon as I get that worked out, I will post the finish product. Thank you all so much for the advice, it is much appreciated. I am sure with each quilt and a lot more practice I will improve my machine quilting skills. Thanks to the great people on this forum things can only get better... Now.. whats next? |
[quote=mamabird3
Now.. whats next?[/quote] LOL YOU tell US! What is the problem with the binding? or perhaps the better question might be: what do you mean that you sew all of the binding on BY HAND??? <g> |
Usually I sew it to the frontof the binding by machine, and then sew it to the back by hand.. nice clean hidden stitches. This time I did it differently (the way the book suggested) I did a poor job of it and it looks horrible. Oh well, lesson learned.
So as for what's next.... ugh, I have ideas, not sure how to work it... my olders daughter wants a quilt with an Orca... and other animals. Any ideas would be appreciated! :D |
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OK finally got the pictures to read....
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Your quilt is gorgeous, both the fabrics and the machine quilting..you should be so proud of yourself..and i think the little girl wrapped in the quilt has decided who its new owner should be!
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GORGEOUS!
and, the quilt is pretty neat, too! <g> That quilting thing really does make the pattern stand out, nicely. I quilt and everything, but I have never had a chance to really look at pictures until I got on this list ... it's impressive! I see what you mean about putting the binding on the back first, versus front and then to back ... How about a log cabin? |
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