Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
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From: dmoses
Date: 07-02-2005, 09:10 PM (1 of 10)
My first Baby Quilt (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dmoses_99/detail?.dir=169c&.dnm=60d2.jpg&.src=ph) was basted using quilting stick pins. They were good because they went in easily and came out easily(sometimes a little too easily). The biggest problem I found with them is that I ended up with many stab wounds while doing the actual machine stitching.  I have just tried basting my second quilt using quilting safety pins. The problem is that when I finished, I turned the whole thing over and found lots of bunching up in the back. So...now I have to take them all out and do it again.  Actually this happened with the first one, but the the stick pins were a lot easier to reposition.So, I have three questions... Which method do you think is best to baste a quilt? Do you have any tips on how to avoid the bunching up in the back. I put everything on a flat surface, and spent a lot of time smoothing out everything before I pinned, so is there something else I can do? When quilting using a straight stitch, what stitch length is best? Thanks for any suggestions. Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964 
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From: Chrysantha
Date: 07-02-2005, 10:30 PM (2 of 10)
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I iron my top and bottom, with starch. Then I lay the bottom down, spray baste the batting, spray baste the top, THEN I pin...I start at one end, roll as I go keeping it all straight. I never end up with puckers that way....I use #3 on my machine...not too big and not too small.
Chrys
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User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
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From: esrun3
Date: 07-02-2005, 11:20 PM (3 of 10)
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Nice quilts Donna! I love the colors on the first baby quilt! I spray baste my quilts also. Seems to work better that way and starching them first will give them stability.
Lyn
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User: esrun3
Member since: 12-02-2004 Total posts: 2345 |
From: dmoses
Date: 07-02-2005, 11:51 PM (4 of 10)
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Thanks to both of you, Chrys & Lyn I never thought to starch, even though I have 3 or 4 cans of it on the shelf above my ironing board! That's a great tip! I'll have to look into the spray baste thing. Does the spray have a strong smell? I get headaches quickly from all kinds of fumes. Should I wash the quilt before giving it away, to remove the adhesive and starch?...since it is for a baby. I'm really new at this... 
Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964
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From: allie-oops
Date: 07-03-2005, 12:17 AM (5 of 10)
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I love the basting spray, but use it outside if possible. And yes, wash it before you give the quilt away. I ALWAYS tape my backing to the table or floor, or whatever I'm basting on. I use whatever is handy, duct tape, masking tape, etc. That keeps it from shifting as I'm pinning. I love the curved quilting safety pins. The trick on those is to put them in, but not close them up until you've completely done the quilt....if you close them before you get all the pins in, the backing will shift on you. Your quilts are darling, keep up the good work!  Allie "onward through the fog"
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User: allie-oops
Member since: 10-25-2002 Total posts: 282 
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From: susies1955
Date: 07-03-2005, 05:45 AM (6 of 10)
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Hi Donna, I'm not really sure but from your message it sounds like you didn't stabilize the backing fabric 'before' you started to pin and safety pins are the way to go instead of stick pins. Use a lot of pins at about three inches apart. Spray basting works "IF" you get a good spray and some decide to do just smaller quilts with spray baste and they pin around the outside. 505 spray is recommended the most. Oh and Sullivan's spray too. I have taped my backing fabric (tight but don't stretch) to the floor and I have used binder clips onto the lip the cutting table to stabilize the backing too. Susie northern NY
http://community.webshots.com/user/susies1955 |
User: susies1955
Member since: 11-07-2003 Total posts: 124 
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From: dmoses
Date: 07-03-2005, 10:52 AM (7 of 10)
Thanks, alley-oops & Susie! More great tips.  I want to finish the quilt before I go on vacation, in one week. Wish me luck! Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964
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From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-10-2005, 06:58 PM (8 of 10)
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Donna, I never caught on to taping and pinning a quilt top to the floor or table top. I always saw my mother and grandmother setting up quilt tops on a wooden frame and then hand quilting them. I have the book "All About Quilting from A to Z" and in there they explain using a wooden frame to pin a quilt. This method I could relate to and have used it to pin five quilts - the three quilts that I machine quilted for my aunt and two quilts that I made myself. Today I was pinning my latest quilt - a block of the month I attended at my local quilt shop. So remembering this thread, I decided to take some pictures of my process. Here are my pics - just another way of doing it if you have room for a wooden frame. Pinning My Quilt (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/sets/570573/) Now all that remains is for me to quilt it! TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366 
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From: MaryW
Date: 07-11-2005, 08:19 AM (9 of 10)
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Lovely quilts Donna, I love the colors. Judee, your quilt is awesome too.  Do you like where you have your pictures? I am looking for a new home for mine. MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: HeyJudee
Date: 07-11-2005, 02:19 PM (10 of 10)
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Judee, your quilt is awesome too. Do you like where you have your pictures? I am looking for a new home for mine. Mary, thanks...hopefully I will get this quilted someday soon. As to the photo site...when I started using this site, it was hosted in BC. But since June they have switched to the Yahoo servers in the US. Apparently it is to be more reliable (less downtime) but I find it slower now to access and load pictures. I only have the free account which allows 20 MB of upload/month, 3 photo sets and a max. of 200 pictures. This is sufficient for my needs as I only wanted a place to put my pictures that I wanted to share on SWN and some private ones with my family. I really like the different sizes that are available on this site - especially the large size. It was the size options that made me chose this site when I was looking for a place to post my pics. TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
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