As I’ve been quilting, I’ve thought of several more tips.
1. I like to use the same thread in both the bobbin and the needle. I think I have fewer problems when they’re the same brand.
2. I never try to stitch in the ditch. My hand is just not that steady so I always stitch on either side of the horizontal seam.
3. I think I’m a pretty accurate quilter but if blocks and seams aren’t exactly the same size, it will be very apparent when trying to quilt. You just can’t pull the top tight enough in one spot without stretching it in another so the tension in the finished quilt may vary. With so many seams as in this quilt top, it’s easy to pull the top out of shape.
4. The minute I hold a corner of the project in one hand, it becomes a quilt to me. I can feel the texture of the 3 layers stitched together and it’s no longer a quilt top, batting and backing. It is now a QUILT!
As I remove all the pins, it bends and folds on itself creating that wonderful feel that all quilters recognize.
And now this quilt moves to the cutting table for trimming and binding.
If this tutorial is something you think you want to refer to in the future, please mark it so I don’t have to do this – again. I think this is the third time I’ve posted these steps.
Good Luck with your straight line quilting. I will bind it and show it to you again.
Beautiful. Central Ohio is still hot–84 to 85 all week. Where is Fall??
Mary, the quilt has come to life! But NO, I don’t want to become a long-arm quilter. Famous last words! Glad to see you back in the swing of things. Life does go on, speed bumps and all. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial.
I saved your last tutorial on this and I’ve used it so many times and passed it on to other quilters, who love it too. I use my trusty little old Bernina with a walking foot for baby to lap size and have no problems. I usually stitch lines about six inches apart to stabilize everything and then go back and fill it. It works great! I love how the quilting looks, especially on more modern quilts. I have a sit-down long- arm now and I haven’t tried it on there yet. I might miss the walking foot since I’ll have to move it all by hand. I think half of my quilting is straight line now. Thank you for sharing!
I got to #4 and realized I have a different name for “Quilt tops”. Those are my summer quilts and when they become completed, they become my 4-season quilts. And I have many, many summer quilts! LOL
Wow I can’t believe you have it done already! The quilting looks great. The backing must not have given you any problems.
Nope – no trouble at all —- whew!
love this type of quilting—- We call it “organic” line quilting and use it often! Thanks
Love, love, love. Your quilt becomes more beautiful with every step!
Mary, beautiful labor of lovliness. Looking forward to the grand hanging. Lois in Omaha
It would be great if you offered your tips for squaring up and binding a quilt. Your information is very helpful. I enjoy reading your blog.
I just love your quilt, Mary. The fabrics in it are lovely. Straight line quilting is perfect for it, too. I just wish I could do that on my home sewing machine but I would make a mess of it. So….mine go to the long arm quilter of my choice. Wish it were you. Thanks for the tutorial.
Mary:
I thank you so much for this tutorial. Yes, I will mark it. I want to take a moment and share with you how much I appreciate you. You are such an inspiration to me – not only with all things quilts, but also with how you conduct your faith life and how you manage the farm and the animals. I live in Southern California. I LOVE reading about your life in Garner, Iowa. I listen. I learn. I laugh along with you and I cry along with you.
I do not post. I guess you might say I am a lurker. I am Seventy years old. My husband and I have been helping our adult son (single father) raise his baby since the child was three days old. Our Grandson is now sixteen months old and quite the handful! Doesn’t leave a lot of time for quilting or the web.
Just wanted to let you know that when one of your posts shows up in my email, it is as exciting as when the Goat Gazette would arrive in my mailbox!
Hugs,
Cheryl Davis
I agree with Cheryl!! It makes my day when I see a post from your blog! I am sure you don’t feel like you are teaching us anything because you have been doing these things for so long I am sure you think everyone knows this stuff, but not true in my case. I appreciate the time you take to teach us about quilting, animals, plants, books, and faith!! I am sure the reason for your blog is not to have “another job” so I hope it never begins to feel like that for you. I just thought the least I could do is take some time to let you know how you do make a difference and I always walk away with some new knowledge after reading your blog. Thank you for all the time you spend communicating with all of us!! I miss your shop like crazy and all the gals that worked there, everyone was always so helpful, and now you are filling my void, 🙂 So, thank you!
Mary, So helpful! I am at a crossroads quilting wise. I’ve invested in some rulers for my little machine so I can do some of my own quilting. Then Murphy stepped in – you know Murphy’s law – I had all the tools and that machine has stepped on my last nerve every step of the way. I thought Murphy was saying it was a mistake- so I looked into a new machine, just looking for a wider throat. I was shown a quilting machine and I thought I could just swirl around and have a finished quilt in no time. HA! I never thought about the tension, the stitches changing if I moved too fast, how I was going to place it on the rollers. You are so full of knowledge and I THANK YOU for sharing it all. I’m back to the analysis part 🙂
Julianna – please don’t give up on the machine. Just stop and take a deep breath and go through every step slowly. In time it will be easy. Our machine is waiting for the repairman right now so it’s not just you!
Mary, I love your blog. Look forward to reading it every time I see it arrive. Sent your Mountain Majesties posts to my friend and neighbor Bev who has made several as wedding quilts. My question is: are you using channel locks when you straight line quilt on MM? Or are you free handing it? Just wondering. I do have a long arm and love it. I only quit for myself and on philanthropy quilts for my various quilt guilds. We in the Chicago area are very lucky to have a long arm quilting guild that meets every other month. It is the Northern Illinois Long Arm Guild–NILAG. Members have every kind of long arm machine available, but we learn a lot from each other and our speakers. I have an Innova machine, and about 12 of us meet the opposite month as the long arm guild to get together and share info about our machines and our projects. Great fun. We all talk long arm talk and understand each other! Thanks for taking time to write your blog. I’m sorry I never knew about your shop, but I was into cross stitch repro samplers and needlepoint at that time in my life!
Nancy – I freehand the semi- straight lines. I am not a perfectionist so lines sometimes vary.
I print out all the important things and keep them in my Country Folder. I still pull many of those special tips we learned at camp. I’ve done a couple of your jelly roll 16 patch (I think that is what it is called)
Thank you for all you post and share with us.
I miss camp.