Lap quilt

[Diane]

Can't help you with this at all I'm afraid @Diane . I can't get on with a walking foot and so I always hand quilt. I also prefer the look that hand quilting gives a quilt. I do big stitch quilting with Perle cotton number 8

 
Hand quilt  Respect to you @Lowena  i never thought of hand quilting  :thinking: I need to investigate.

[Diane]

I’m going to chicken out and stitch in the ditch, it’s my first quilt and I don’t want to ruin it 

[Diane]

Well that didn't go very well  I've got a proper stitch in the ditch foot and although the blade was exactly in the ditch it certainly wasn't stitching in it  ended up unpicking what i'd done and decided that i would just FMQ, it's not perfect, some stitches are longer than others in places but hey it's my first quilt and you've got to start somewhere. It's not like its for someone else  .
The throat on my machine isn't that big, DH asked if they did machines with larger throats  oh yes i said (new machine excuse lurking round the corner  ) and it was difficult manoeuvering it around, how on earth do you do big quilts  I've stopped now as the light is going, will restart tomorrow and see if i can improve my method, not sure if it's better pushing the quilt backwards or forwards  :thinking:

[Lowena]

Actually @Diane it was me not Iminei who hand quilts.
Sitd is notoriously difficult to do so don't beat yourself up about it

[Acorn]

As @Lowena says, stitch in the ditch is incredibly difficult.  Echo quilting - where you quilt a certain distance from the seams - is much easier, especially if you have a quilting guide that fits into your foot.

[Ploshkin]

I've only done a small amount of fmq but found it easiest to restrict myself to one area at a time ( one block perhaps).  That way I knew where I needed to go and didn't get myself trapped or lose my way.
I found that the big stitches happen when you stop and then start off again because you get a bit of a jerk.  I get round this by doing a slow stitch or two on the spot where I stopped then it's easier to take off smoothly.

[Diane]

@Ploshkin I'm doing the same, working my through the blocks, it is difficult to see where you've been  but i'll get better at it, just need more practice. I have plenty of bigger stitches on my quilt and it does like you say tend to happen when i stop, i'll do what you suggested and slow right down when i come to a halt.

[Diane]

I have one more row of blocks to quilt then that's done, i gather i then trim it and add the border which i've yet to make and that will be tomorrow's job. Now for the border, should it be a certain width? When i machine sew it to the wrong side do i use a 1/4" seam allowance or do i seam it wider?  apologies for all the questions but i'm groping in the dark here 

[Deafoldbat]

then trim it and add the border

@Diane Do you mean add the binding? Borders form part of the quilt top, binding covers the raw edges of the layered and quilted top.

Binding width is a contentious subject, you will get as many 'this is the only way' instructions as there are ways to bind.
Speaking personally - some one will be along to disagree soon - I trim the top so that there is approx ½ inch of backing and wadding showing past the edge of the top. I cut 1½ inch strips of binding fabric, joining them on the diagonal - this will reduce lumps when you turn the binding over the raw edges. Sew (machine) the binding to the quilt top, right sides together, through all 3 layers, ¼ inch in from the raw edge of the top. Fold over the binding, turning it's raw edge under a ¼ inch and hand stitch it down to the backing.You roll the excess wadding backing into the binding. This gives a plump, filled edge.

[Diane]

@Deafoldbat  yes I mean the binding, thanks for the info on a different way to do it, I did wonder about not trimming it right the way back and I like the sound of having plump binding. I’ll get my binding made tomorrow and then I’ll have a play.

[Diane]

Well the sun is out down here on the coast, so i set up my sewing machine and thought i'd get the quilting done, happily meandering away down the quilt, came to the last bit and when i turned it over i had accidentally caught the overhanging backing fabric back in on itself, i've had to sit here and unpick all what i've done all the way down the long side and part the way along the short side. Why didn't i check? i'd obviously done it whilst turning the quilt round  Another error i won't be repeating. If i can get this sorted out today then i can get on to the binding tomorrow.

[Diane]

Well i've sorted out the problems i had yesterday and retraced my meandering stitching. This morning i started to make all my own binding from some of the fabric that i used to make the blocks, i held it up to the quilt but it just wasn't grabbing me so i've just gone for something completely different and dark and i think it works. I've stitched all the binding together and i've just finished pinning it on to the top of the quilt, this afternoon i'll start sewing the final bit by hand. I have really enjoyed doing this lap quilt despite the rookie errors and i can't wait to start another.

[b15erk]

Good for you @Diane !  Look forward to seeing pictures!

Jessie

[Diane]

Sat here all afternoon finishing the binding off by hand, I love hand sewing, forgot how relaxing it is.

[fajita]

That is so pretty, @Diane