Quilting 101 pdf. - The Sewing Directory

Quilting 101
by Katy Jones
A search for 'machine quilting' on http://www.flickr.com reveals pages
and pages of beautifully detailed quilted pieces, from tiny mini quilts and
useful household items like pot holders or coasters to huge bed sized
quilts. It is said that the quilting makes a quilt but how do you achieve
those beautiful patterns and wonderful swirls with stitches perfect
enough to show close up with a macro photo?
I have to admit that the quilting part of a quilt is my least favourite. I am not a confident quilter. Give me
any type of block and I'll give it a go (with mixed results but plenty of enthusiasm!), but ask me to quilt
anything more complex than a simple meander or straight lines and I start to panic. I asked around and
it seems I'm not the only one. There are more quilt tops in blogland and on flickr than finished quilts. How
many do you have waiting for quilting? On a quick count I have 7.
Why do some of us attack patchwork with such fervour but shy away from following through to the next
stage? My fear is I'm just not good enough, although without practice I never will be, so I am trapped in
a vicious cycle and the quilt tops keep on stacking up. In reality the actual quilting part takes less time
than most quilt tops. It can be broken up into several sittings at the machine just like the quilt top is. Not
many quilts are thrown together in a few hours but for some reason many of us think we need to get all
that quilting done at once.
It's time to get a little help from our friends. Fat Quarterly's own Brioni Greenberg and Amy from
http://mrsschmenkmanquilts.wordpress.com/ give us some tips on how to quilt using a domestic
machine.
And if you ever wanted to send a quilt out for long arm quilting but wasn't sure how it works Christina
from http://www.thesometimescrafter.com tells us all about how she uses a longarm machine in her own
modern way, shunning the traditional pantograph patterns and quilting free motion.
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Brioni's Story
I started quilting around 5 years ago but have only been free motion
quilting for about 2 years.
For larger quilts I use a 'freestyle' quilting frame and Pfaff Grand Quilter
which I've had for a little over 6 months. I love them both. For smaller
items I use either the pfaff off the frame or my other machine which is a
Janome 4800MC.
When I am starting a new quilt I will draw the design a few times on
paper just to get the feel of the flow and that makes it a lot easier to
quilt continuously without having to keep stopping and starting. I don't
transfer a design onto the quilt itself. I tried it once and it was an
absolute disaster because I couldn't follow the lines.
Because I loathe sewing in ends I do tend to use designs that are continuous and work in rows across the
quilt. That way the only ends I need to sew in are where I have started a new bobbin.
My personal favourite thread is Gutermann cotton. I use that for the topstitch and a polyester thread in
the bobbin because polyester tends to be thinner and so the bobbins last longer.
My best advice would be to try and relax and enjoy the quilting. I know that's easier said than done
because I used to dread quilting as well. Thinking back it probably had more to do with the designs I
chose. Because I was learning and lacked confidence in my ability I tended to use only really simple
designs which bored me senseless. More recently I have been enjoying experimenting with different
patterns and I now look forward to the quilting part.
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I believe sewing machines are like hunting animals – they
sense your fear so don't let them get the better of you! The
more you 'commit' to what you're doing, the better you get
at it.
Always practice a bit first. I practiced by drawing pictures of
bunnies, mushrooms, trees, people, cars and other shapes. I
had fun doing it but it also helped me get better control
over the movement of the quilt versus the machine speed.
Above all – don't expect perfection. No one is going to spot
the dodgy bits unless you point them out. Also, if you use a
cotton wadding that shrinks a bit after the first wash it covers
a multitude of sins!
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Amy's Story
I learned to quilt back in the 1990s. I first learned quilt as
you go by machine, then hand quilting followed by
machine quilting. My teacher was very good and taught
me to quilt in straight lines which was fine at first but I soon
wanted to at least stipple. It was then I realized my ancient
Kenmore machine wasn't suitable so I purchased more
suitable equipment and took a free motion class from a
great teacher who stressed practice, practice, practice
and to keep trying new shapes.
I have also found Patsy Thompson's free motion quilting
DVDs to be EXCELLENT sources to learn new shapes and
techniques. Books by Harriet Hargrave and Diane
Gaudynski, among others, are excellent resources to have
on hand when machine quilting.
My machine is a Bernina 440 QE with the stitch regulator. Whatever machine you use, learn it well. Don't
be afraid of changing the upper tension at least – you'll need to do that often when free motion quilting.
A turning point in my machine quilting was when I had an Ikea table cut so that I could have my
machine bed at the same level as my table. It's so much easier to maneuver the quilt when everything is
level and it was an inexpensive solution too.
Quilting gloves are essential. I like to use Atlas brand gardening gloves, they have a nice sticky palm and
fingers. I don't use a frame or clips but just dive in and shift the mass as necessary.
Needles are important for successful quilting – I match my needle to the thread weight and always go
for a sharps, jeans or topstitching needle. A fresh needle and clean and oiled machine are essential at
the start of a new project! With threads I seem to use mainly polyester when quilting (cotton for piecing).
I get beautiful stitches with Superior Threads 40 weight polyester but use many different brands, kinds
and weights.
Choosing a design is often influenced by time – speed and efficiency. I tend to go back to a handful of
designs again and again because I know I can sit and execute them without testing beforehand. I rarely
stipple or meander these days. I decided quite early on that I didn't care to stipple so I found the few
designs I liked and practiced them until I could execute them whenever I needed to. After many years I
still like the look of these all over designs that add texture and seem to 'wrap up' the quilt.
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However, depending on the quilt I do like to be able to
change things. For example I recently completed Going to
Market (a pattern by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes) and I
quilted each basket block separately.
My machine is happy to have invisible thread in top and
bobbin so I usually stabilize a quilt with that and then once I
have isolated each block I go back and fill in with a different
design (using my regular thread). This type of work is chance-y
because I don't often practice what I'm going to do first. The
seam ripper has to come out on occasion.
If I am using a new design I will draw it out on paper to get the motions into my head and hands. I don't
do it to perfect the design but rather to work out how to get it into isolated areas and to find the paths
of the design. Every now and then I will mark a rough guideline onto the quilt top (for example the spine
of a feather) but I tend not to do much drawing of the designs onto the tops.
I like to think that the quilting design helps to make the quilt all it can be. It doesn't have to win awards,
every stitch doesn't have to be perfect – but I have to be able to look at the quilt when it's done and
feel like I did the fabric and blocks justice.
Don't be afraid of your machine in terms of free motion quilting. Never think 'oh, I couldn't possibly do
that'. You can if you are willing to try. Just make your practice pieces something you will actually use
rather than some awful bits of old fabric. Make placemats, notebook holders or bags. I found I had
better incentive to practice when my practice pieces were going to become something else.
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Find a few 'signature' designs you like and practice those. This approach builds confidence that you can
truly do the job and you can go back to those designs again and again.
Amy has paired up with Sarah Fielke of the Material Obsession books fame to create a monthly doll
quilt series (available from www.sewnsell.com.au) which would be a perfect way to practise some of
the quilting designs you might have in your head and to create some fun pieces for gifts or to decorate
your walls.
I am a huge fan of long arm quilting. I struggle to quilt anything much larger than a lap quilt using my
domestic machines and despite buying the same machine quilting frame as Brioni I am still very much
afraid of it. My first attempts were an unmitigated disaster. It's possible I was feeling overambitious and
thought I could quilt a bed sized quilt using Liberty Tana Lawns perfectly on the first attempt. In hindsight I
should have used a smaller quilt top and realized that Tana Lawns would be even more slippery to quilt
than they were to sew together. Never the less, my frame has sat with that unfinished quilt on it for some
time. My bigger quilts are always sent out to my local long arm quilter.
Christina from www.thesometimescrafter.com is a longarm quilter for hire who explains just what you get
for your money when you choose to send your quilts out.
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Christina's Story
I've been longarm quilting for 5 years now. Just before purchasing my longarm machine I had a few
large quilts that were to be given as gifts and required me to quilt them on my domestic machine. Those
quilts just about did my machine in, I was just so frustrated by the craftsmanship of quilting a large quilt
on my domestic machine. So when Handi Quilter began offering lower priced longarms…well, the rest is
history! Never did I think I would become a longarm-for-hire!
I like to think that the difference between a longarm and a domestic machine is like using pencil and
paper. With a domestic you move the paper (the quilt) whilst the pencil (the machine) is stationary. With
a longarm you move the pencil (the machine) and the paper (the quilt) is stationary. It's more natural, if
you will. The throat (available sewing width) is much longer too – most domestics have a throat of
around 6 inches, I quilt on a HQ 16, meaning it has 16 inches in throat depth.
Once I finish a quilt top, I assemble my backing to be 2"
bigger on each of the four sides. The backing is pinned
onto the leader (a piece of fabric) which is connected to a
rolling bar. After I've pinned one end, I roll the bar, which in
turn rolls the fabric up. Once it's rolled onto the bar, I then
take the top of the backing and pin it to another leader
connected to my "up-take" bars on the back of the frame.
When it's all pinned, I snug up the backing by rolling the top
bar. Next I lay my batting onto my backing, letting the
excess drape down to the floor, matching the top of the
batting to the top of the backing. I then lay the quilt top
onto the batting, once again matching it to the top of the
batting and backing. At this point I have another bar to
replace on my machine.
The machine is designed to have the top rolled onto a bar just like the backing, but I choose to float my
top (meaning I don't connect it to the bar and roll it up). By floating the top, I feel that I can work much
faster, and not pull or distort the top of the quilt. This bar that I have replaced sits on top of the quilt
sandwich and helps to lightly control the tension of the quilt. Now that the quilt is all sandwiched, I run a
basting stitch along the top of the quilt to secure it in place. I make sure to tighten my bars and give
myself proper tension the quilt.
Before quilting, I head over to my desk and draw the quilting design
onto paper with pen for a few moments to get the feel of the
pattern movement in my hands and head. I might even practice
moving the longarm a few times in the pattern over the quilt top
(just moving, no sewing). When I'm ready to begin quilting I pull the
bottom thread up to the top of the quilt and make a few micro
stitches to hold the stitch in place (usually along the edge of the
quilt where it will be trimmed away or covered with binding). Then I
begin. It's usually all a matter of repeating the same pattern with
slight variations on placement to give a nice, overall quilting motif.
After I finish one run across the quilt top, I roll the backing up on the
uptake bars (which also pulls along the batting and top) and then
go on to quilt the next section, repeating this until the quilt is
finished. When I'm done, I unpin everything and remove the quilt.
Normally, this is where it stops for me. If I'm working on my own quilts
I trim away the excess backing and batting as I remove it from the
longarm to make it easier for me to square up later.
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In the beginning I tried pantographs but they
weren't for me. I get a much better flow if I work
freehand. It gives me the option to change up
pattern placement should it conflict with the quilt
blocks and gives me the freedom to be more
spread out or dense. I like to stress the point that
I'm not a computer and will not create perfect
patterns.
While I strive for consistency in pattern on each
quilt, sometimes there will be variations, just like
most of the quilts I am quilting. I guess what I'm
trying to say is I'm not perfect, and neither is my
quilting. I offer quilting for those that want a more
handmade look rather than machine produced. I
wanted to provide a different kind of niche.
Something that felt more personal.
Mostly, customers have an idea of what they would like. So I don't have to make the hard choices. I
intentionally keep the choices to a minimum because it can be very hard to pick a design from so many
options. If someone is unsure or likes a design but wants my option, I always wait until I see the quilt in
person. I might see a photo of it beforehand but seeing it in person is so much different. Many quilts just
"speak" to me (corny, I know, but it's true). Certain quilts just call for certain patterns. It can be based on
the design of the quilt, the fabric colors or patterns, the recipient of the quilt or the person requesting the
quilting. The majority of the time it's the pattern of the quilt that dictates the quilting - whether it's
angular or flowy, masculine or feminine. Once I see the quilt in person, I give my two cents on the topic.
If it's a design that is not listed on my design page, I discuss the pattern with the customer and usually
draw it out on paper for them to see. If I am having a hard time choosing a pattern myself, I might
discuss the pros and cons of the different choices and we work together to find what's right. Sometimes
it's all about a second person agreeing with you on your choice.
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There we have it. It seems that all we need to achieve quilting we can be proud of is practise and
confidence. If all else fails there are always people like Christina to help us out with those special quits we
just don't want to risk 'messing up'.
Things to remember;
Practise on pieces you will actually use like doll quilts, pot holders or pillows
Sketch out your design first to get a feel of the flow
Don't expect perfection and don't be disappointed if you don't achieve it – only you can see those
imperfections
Pick a handful of designs and perfect them rather than concentrating on a whole catalogue of different
ones
Try and try again. Practise makes perfect.
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