My least. If you have a smaller, lightweight machine like the Eversewn Sparrow 30 shown above, be careful that the weight and bulk of the quilt doesn’t push the machine over while you’re stitching. I live in a small town and it is a long way to the closest fabric shop. The Juki only has a straight stitch, but I would highly recommend it! I personally think that working with big quilts on the home machine is more manageable when quilting straight lines. Well. ), except for […], […] Harris has some wonderful tips for quilting a large quilt. If you find yourself crossing over lines a lot, then add a loop in there. *  The backside is pretty important when starting out on machine quilting your own quilts. I've had success quilting crib quilts at home, but I've always paid someone to quilt anything bigger. I need to watch that ergonomics video! No stopping to unpin. The steps highlighted below will show you how to quilt with a machine: Install your quilting foot: Also know as the walking foot, Set your straight stitch length to 2.5 for cotton threads or 2.0 if you choose to use a monofilament thread in the needle and a 50 wt cotton thread in the bobbin. Getting Started Machine Quilting . Great tips, Nicole I always roll mine up like that, but I really need to get some of those clips! When you get to the corner, backstitch a few stitches, then fold the binding up so it's parallel to (but pointing away from) the next side of the quilt. Don’t be afraid to start and stop in the middle! ⠀ Feel free to share any of your own tips in the comments section as well. Love your comment about fussing over perfection…so good! Start Slideshow 1 of 14. All of the comments here are very informative and incouraging. A little weird to build this in, but I know I will make some errors. : The stage ensures that you secure the middle of the quilt. I move to my huge dining table when I’m quilting something big. I've been hesitating because it's the biggest one I've ever attempted on my home machine. Follow me here: Patchwork Posse is © and ♥ by Becky Jorgensen & Patchwork Posse llc, How to SEW HALF SQUARE TRIANGLES WITH FABRIC STRIPS OR JELLY ROLLS. The quilting is messy and the binding is all wonky, but we use it on our bed all winter. I’ve found clips to be very helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bzIpYiPUUo, Okay I read the rest of your post and think all of your tips are great! IF your feeddogs don’t drop {mine didn’t} no worries– Turn it to 0. It IS costly to send quilts out for long arm quilting but I am tempted, especially when I’m crushing to get out a few at the same time for gifts. quiltmusings.wordpress.com. When I started quilting on my own I jokingly remarked that I was the Present of the American Association of Quilt Wrestlers! All my be ever used is a Singe Featherweight. Flip your quilt at 180 degrees and then quilt the ditch line out to the edges. The larger you get the more difficult is it to maneuver. Great tip about the clips…I'll look for them! A walking foot is best for sewing straight lines. To learn more about machine fed quilting, read on! I love your blog and I think Hazel is still my all time favorite fabric line. I love your colors. I’m proof that it can be done. You did a fabulous job Nicole!! And like you said, doing the whole process and making the quilt completely from start to finish is such a wonderful feeling! What a joy they are – like two naughty dolls sometimes hahaWell, Mine are 27 and 25 now. I’m so glad it helped! I continue to work with the organization, but am also increasing the size of my personal quilts to get more experience quilting larger quilts on my new Janome 6500P, which was a recent birthday gift. If you're sewing a quilt with diagonal lines, sew from corner to corner to create an "x shape, instead. You are so brave!!! This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Because of your diagram and instructions, I was able to complete the quilting on my small lap project much easier. This article has been viewed 12,836 times. The picture of the quilt and you on the floor is breathtaking! Just be sure to press the quilt on both sides after spraying to fix the bond and give yourself a nice flat surface. thanks. As you're sewing, remember to remove the pins as you go. — okay, I have a small quilt under my hard working machine right now. Thanks for sharing, Nicole – good advice! I totally understand. The order of quilting is the same for table runner or large sized quilt. Thanks! Layer Cake Explosion: Finished! Very helpful.I think it's only been the last 15-20 years that quilters have been sending quilts out to be quilted. To improve my skills, and also do good in the world, I started volunteering with an organization “Quilts For Kids”, and always FMQ their quilts. love the skirts you made…. :), I’m fairly new to quilting and I’ve quilted each of my own quilts; my first being a king log cabin that I did ‘in the ditch’. It is a Janome. Start with our 13 quilting basics for beginners and end with a fun sewing project. Kathy P. Hi Kathy! Piece your quilt top together before you get started by sewing your blocks or squares together along the edges. How to Machine-Quilt 7 Common Quilt Blocks How to Machine-Quilt 7 Common Quilt Blocks. Use a straight stitch for the entire quilt, unless you want to use a decorative stitch for some of the design elements while you're free-motion quilting. I know this is an older post but I found this as I was searching for information on quilting on my SE400. She is an elementary school teacher and she would have the machine all summer, breaks and I would have it the other times. Love your quilts and your quilting.I also. This one is for all the folks who have thought of quilting a big quilt on their home machine, but never tried. Video Tutorial: Big and Bold Quilt Making on…, Sew Mama Sew/Oakshott Table Linens Challenge, 3 Easy Steps to Picking Great Quilt Colors, Big Quilt, Little Machine: 7 Tips for Machine…, 10 Tips for Trouble-Free Straight Line Quilting. Pat, I have an industrial machine that I use for free motion quilting, it’s great for large quilts. I use. Support the weight of the quilt. Then, continue adding parallel wavy lines all the way across the quilt. I have been quilting off/on for a few years and understand the importance of having a small pile of practice sandwiches so you can practice each new design you are learning. And Jennifer’s tip, ‘take breaks’; great advice. This feed has moved and will be deleted soon. Thanks for your tips! To stabilize your quilt, you quilt the ditch line closest to the center of the quilt running up and down. It was all about making clothes and wasn't a bit fun for me. Machine Quilting can be kind of tricky– especially when you are just starting off and all you have is your standard sewing machine to do the job.