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
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: bridesmom
Date: 12-17-2005, 12:37 AM (1 of 20)
|
I would like to machine quilt a table runner, and I'd like to do free style, but since this is my first quilt attempt is this a good idea for a beginner? can I do it on a regular machine? how do I do it? Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: luv2sew
Date: 12-17-2005, 12:32 PM (2 of 20)
|
Laura, I took a class and the only thing that I have been successful doing is setting up the machine. I had two quilts that I had planned to machine quilt but, after several attempts and ripping out, I decided to tie them. Lesson learned....do not start big. I should have started on a project similar to your's. Wish I could be of help to you but I am sure someone will be by to tell you how it is done. I will be watching also and practicing on smaller projects. Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday! Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174 
|
From: HeyJudee
Date: 12-17-2005, 12:48 PM (3 of 20)
|
The easiest for a beginner is to quilt with a walking foot. A walking foot will let you do straight lines and gradual curves. If you want to do free motion quilting, you need to have a darning foot, and you usually lower the feed dogs and then you use your hands to guide the material. Wearing a type of gloves that will help you grip the material is good. I use Machingers...but others use a kind of gardening gloves with the rubber dots. If you try free motion quilting, I suggest you practice first with a quilt sandwich - I use an 18" square with muslin top and bottom and quilt batting in between. The easiest type of free motion quilting is stippling. Forgot to mention that you need to pin what you are going to quilt...but spray basting your project makes quilting it a lot easier as you don't have to stop to remove and worry about the pins getting in your way. I tried to search for the other SWN threads about machine quilting that I know I had posted links but couldn't find them...so here are current sites for you to look at...I am no expert but I have been doing free motion quilting on most of my quilting projects since I have osteoarthritis in my hands and hand quilting is definitely painful  ...so is machine quilting but I do it anyways because I love it  .... If you need more help, I am sure others will have advice as well. Good Luckhttp://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/7628/studio.html http://www.acornhillquilts.com/starquilting.htm http://www.sew-whats-new.com/stitching_sequence.shtml http://www.quilt.com/HowTo/MachineQuiltingHowTo.html http://mccallsquilting.com/lessons/804_machinequilting/index.html TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366 
|
From: HeyJudee
Date: 12-17-2005, 01:00 PM (4 of 20)
|
FYI - Also, to give you more ideas for your quilting....here is a closeup of the free motion quilting that I did on a baby quilt for my niece. Just click on the All sizes button and pick large size to see a really good close up. Clouds, airplanes and stars http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/47579727/in/set-348651/ TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: Donaburd
Date: 12-17-2005, 03:45 PM (5 of 20)
|
Judee, your quilt is adorable, I love it! Nice job of quilting too! Donna Donna
http://community.webshots.com/user/donaburd |
User: Donaburd
Member since: 12-15-2005 Total posts: 38 |
From: Zabelle
Date: 12-17-2005, 04:14 PM (6 of 20)
Wow Judy, I just saw your quilts and they're awesome!  I just had a frustrating experience with a quilt - I ended up tying it rather than quilting it (or it would never have been ready for Christmas!). So your advice is very useful. I have quilted a few wallhangings before, but never something as big as the king-sized quilt I was making. Plus the top was fleece... The walking foot should help! Thanks again!  Isabelle English sewing journal: Kitty Couture
In French: Journal d'une cousette |
User: Zabelle
Member since: 02-25-2004 Total posts: 98 
|
From: luv2sew
Date: 12-17-2005, 07:44 PM (7 of 20)
|
Judy, Your quilts are beautiful. The machine quilting is fabulous. My biggest problem was tryng to control the quilt and it would not "glide". They were small (lap robes) 45 x 60. I will keep trying though. Thank you for your tips. Luv2sew
An act of kindness is never wasted!! |
User: luv2sew
Member since: 05-21-2004 Total posts: 174
|
From: Ruthie Mae
Date: 12-17-2005, 07:55 PM (8 of 20)
|
A couple of really important things to remember if you are using your darning foot for free motion quilting. 1. Lower your needle into your fabric and pull your bobbin thread up to the top and then put both threads to the baxck, behind your needle. 2. Do several small stitches in place to lock your threads and then move off. 3. Make sure your presser foot is DOWN. If you have thread nests on the back of your quilt, your foot was up. 4, Put on some music and get in the rythm and sew. Try a waltz or whatever you prefer. Have a glas of wine and relax.5 If you can reduce the speed of your machine do it, that way if your tend to rush, your speed is under control. 6. Remember to BREATHE. Silly isn't it, but we tend to hold our breath and then wonder why we are exhausted.  Judy I love your quilts. WOW. Cheers Ruth Ruth in Australia
|
User: Ruthie Mae
Member since: 12-17-2005 Total posts: 5 |
From: HeyJudee
Date: 12-17-2005, 09:36 PM (9 of 20)
|
Thanks all for the praise. Luv2sew, I know what you mean about it not "gliding". You really need to support the weight of the quilt, especially the large ones. My sewing table is a large office desk (50" wide by 30" deep) with my cutting table on the other side. The desk and table support the quilt as I am sewing. Also, I put my ironing board along my left hand side to help support it there too. I always find the centre is the hardest. It gets easier as I move towards the edges. By the way...today I finished and just posted pics of a Christmas quilt that I started 2 years ago...and finished last night  Here's the pics.... Christmas Quilt (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/74593294/in/set-348651/) Close up of a block (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/74593295/in/set-348651/) TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: Magot
Date: 12-17-2005, 11:26 PM (10 of 20)
|
Judy - your use of colour is bold and inventive - but most of all I am impressed with the accuracy of your piecing - no matter what I do I never end up with anything as clean as that!
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
|
From: Zabelle
Date: 12-18-2005, 03:10 AM (11 of 20)
|
A couple of really important things to remember if you are using your darning foot for free motion quilting. 1. Lower your needle into your fabric and pull your bobbin thread up to the top and then put both threads to the baxck, behind your needle. 2. Do several small stitches in place to lock your threads and then move off. 3. Make sure your presser foot is DOWN. If you have thread nests on the back of your quilt, your foot was up. 4, Put on some music and get in the rythm and sew. Try a waltz or whatever you prefer. Have a glas of wine and relax.5 If you can reduce the speed of your machine do it, that way if your tend to rush, your speed is under control. 6. Remember to BREATHE. Silly isn't it, but we tend to hold our breath and then wonder why we are exhausted. Ruth, thank you for those valuable tips! And welcome to Sew What's New! 
English sewing journal: Kitty Couture
In French: Journal d'une cousette |
User: Zabelle
Member since: 02-25-2004 Total posts: 98
|
From: Zabelle
Date: 12-18-2005, 03:11 AM (12 of 20)
|
Thanks all for the praise. By the way...today I finished and just posted pics of a Christmas quilt that I started 2 years ago...and finished last night Here's the pics.... Christmas Quilt (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/74593294/in/set-348651/) Close up of a block (http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyjudee/74593295/in/set-348651/) Judy, your quilt is gorgeous! You are a very good quilter! Kudos!! This is so inspiring.
English sewing journal: Kitty Couture
In French: Journal d'une cousette |
User: Zabelle
Member since: 02-25-2004 Total posts: 98
|
From: HeyJudee
Date: 12-18-2005, 05:53 PM (13 of 20)
Zabelle, I have taken some machine quilting lessons (beginner and beyond beginner) at a local quilt store and I have done a lot of practicing. The woman who gave me lessons is really good and brought a lot of her stuff so I have had some ideas. It was in one of her classes that we practiced the ribbon. Also, I took a picture of a good block...you didn't get to see the first few that I did!  I guess that I have to admit that some people catch on easier than others. My friend that took the exact same classes just hasn't had the interest and doesn't enjoy it the way I do.Magot, I think the secret to piecing is cutting out accurately and sewing that 1/4 inch seam. And there are some tricks to piecing. Like if one of the two pieces are just a bit shorter than the other, you match up the ends and pull a bit when sewing. The short piece will stretch. Also, I am always calculating and measuring as I sew my blocks. Like if I am sewing two 2 inch pieces together the finished strip should measure 3 1/2 inches wide. I check and if it is too small I may rip out and start again and if too big I will trim. I usually sewing a little less than the 1/4 inch seam as it is easier to trim than to rip out.
TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: bridesmom
Date: 12-18-2005, 10:27 PM (14 of 20)
|
Wow - great tips everyone! Thanks to all of you. Judee I love the baby quilt, what a cute idea. I'm only doing a table runner that is 53 x 25 plus I have a darning foot and I think I will go make myself a quilt sandwich, chew on that a while, then see whether or not to go with the nice neat rows of quilting or just go for it and free motion quilt. Question though - what's stippling??
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: bridesmom
Date: 12-18-2005, 10:27 PM (15 of 20)
|
Another question - how long do you make your stitches?
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: Ruthie Mae
Date: 12-19-2005, 04:50 AM (16 of 20)
|
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~aschilf Go to this link and halfway down Annes page is a link for a video to download on stippling. It's quite good. Stippling is wandering around in little curves, meandering is bigger curves. Stitch length, if you have your feed dogs down and a darning foot on, is governed by you. Too fast when moving the quilt will result in big toenail catching stitches. Too slow moving the quilt and with too much speed from your foot will result in little tiny stitches that are a oain if ever you have to do any frog stitching. *rip-it, rip-it* cheers Ruth Ruth in Australia
|
User: Ruthie Mae
Member since: 12-17-2005 Total posts: 5 |
From: Ruthie Mae
Date: 12-19-2005, 04:57 AM (17 of 20)
That should be PAIN LOL not oain.  cheers Ruth I need 
Ruth in Australia
|
User: Ruthie Mae
Member since: 12-17-2005 Total posts: 5 |
From: HeyJudee
Date: 12-19-2005, 07:36 AM (18 of 20)
|
Laura, go to the first post that I made with the 5 links in it. Check out the two links for geocities and acornhillquilts. They give some explanation and pictures of stippling.
TTFN from
Judy |
User: HeyJudee
Member since: 01-25-2005 Total posts: 1366
|
From: bridesmom
Date: 12-20-2005, 04:07 AM (19 of 20)
|
I checked out all your links Judee and thanks Ruth for the link for the video which is downloading right now. Now it all makes sense. Looking forward to playing tomorrow, but got to go get some sleep now.
Laura
Tickled pink with my Innovis 4000D |
User: bridesmom
Member since: 01-21-2004 Total posts: 2026 |
From: Donaburd
Date: 12-20-2005, 11:05 PM (20 of 20)
|
Thanks for the link Ruth, that is really helpful to me. It showed me what I'm doing wrong. Donna Donna
http://community.webshots.com/user/donaburd |
User: Donaburd
Member since: 12-15-2005 Total posts: 38 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-17639.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft