The Sewing Place

Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!

Vezelay

Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« on: April 05, 2018, 13:01:16 PM »
I'm a garment sewer who's also made bags and other small quilted craft projects but only ever done straight line quilting stitching. Now I'm going to make a cot quilt for my great-nephew in Brisbane (I'll wait 'til he's born to send it!). I'm keeping it dead simple and using a gorgeous quilt panel I bought from Etsy - just that, cotton batting, backing fabric and binding. I can do all that. But I thought it would look better quilted with free motion swirls. I have the right foot, the right thread, extension table etc but I'm nervous about messing it up. I've had a practice which proved to me that it's not as easy as it looks! I'm wondering if I should I draw the swirly pattern on first (then iron it off). The trickiest bit to me seems keeping the stitch length uniform. Any tips, tricks or suggestions would be warmly welcomed.

Catllar

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2018, 13:58:22 PM »
I agree, make yourself a few layered bits and practice. Hoop it if you can and try to think where you want the fabric to be  well ahead of time! Obvious but try to move the fabric at the same speed as the needle goes up and down. It'll be great whatever you do. Look forward to seeing it.
If life gives you lemons, add to gin and tonic !

BrendaP

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2018, 14:28:09 PM »
Practice - PRACTICE - PRACTICE and more PRACTICE

That's the only way to get to grips with quilting.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Vezelay

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2018, 14:44:16 PM »
I hear you all - practice it is  :). Am I OK practising on a single layer of fabric like an old cotton sheet? I watched a tutorial which said to practice on a batting sandwich and that put me off. Batting of any kind is too expensive to waste over here!

Iminei

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2018, 16:28:20 PM »
Practice on a sandwich .....

it doesn't have to be posh wadding/batting
Use an old fleece cut up, a cheap fleece throw from Ikea/Dunelm  etc
or off-cuts of wadding from previous quilts (I always keep mine to test stitch length, colour etc)
before I quilt a project but you do need the layers.
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Vezelay

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2018, 17:28:07 PM »
OK, got it, thanks. :)

Ploshkin

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2018, 09:26:08 AM »
When I've done practice sandwiches I often divide the area into columns or quarters without rotating (not irritating) the sandwich by doing free motion straight lines.  That gets you used to going in different directions.  I find my stitches are most even when I go backwards, I find right to left most difficult.  I then fill in the sections with a couple of repeated patterns.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2018, 16:07:26 PM by Ploshkin »
Life's too short for ironing.

wrenkins

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2018, 11:12:02 AM »
"without irritating the sandwich"
Bwahaha!!! :D
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

Vezelay

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2018, 11:40:48 AM »
I thought that must be a standard quilting term. :S

Ploshkin

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2018, 16:06:43 PM »
Flippin' autocorrect strikes again - it should say rotating!
Life's too short for ironing.

wrenkins

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2018, 16:14:00 PM »
@Ploshkin I liked the first one better. It said exactly what you meant.  :)
Harbouring resentment is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die!

rubywishes

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #11 on: April 10, 2018, 08:55:13 AM »
I agree with everyone, particularly about the strife you can get yourself into when trying to follow a drawn line. Oh my that can lead you down a very stressed and wonky path indeed! There is no substitute for repetitive practice.....(sort of like what I did when I was trying to learn Led Zeps "Stairway to Heaven" on my harp....in my harp playing days that is.)..but there comes a time when you have to just jump in and do it on the real thing so that you get practice doing it on large wadges of stuff (technical terms here) as manouevering all that fabric/bulk along with concentrating on what your needle is doing adds a whole new dimension to the craft.

A BIG thing to remember is that a mistake gets lost and is often unnoticeable once you have finished the whole project.
Juki TL2010Q, Juki DX7,  Singers: 1917 27K treadle (aka Gertie), 1957 99k (aka Vincent), 1951 99k knee lever (aka Shirley), 1950 99k handcrank (aka Alice), 1927 28K (aka Dora), 1947 201K treadle with motor conversion (aka Livvy)
....and the dusting and vacuming can wait!

Vezelay

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #12 on: April 10, 2018, 09:42:15 AM »
A BIG thing to remember is that a mistake gets lost and is often unnoticeable once you have finished the whole project.

That's a good one to know  :)

Iminei

Re: Seeking quilting advice for first attempt!
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2018, 11:30:15 AM »
Oh yes .. as wise old quiltresses have said for eons .... If you can't see it from 10 yards away on a galloping horse its not a mistake!

Theres also the 'design feature' option too.
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again