Machine Quilting 101: marking your quilt



Welcome to another installment in the machine quilting 101 series! Slowly but surely I will get to all of the quilting topics. This series has taken me much longer than I had originally anticipated, but that seems to be the way it is--with almost everything! All that to say...today we will be talking about marking your quilt!

 

Here are a few tools for marking that I've used again and again. I would recommend all of them! 3 out of 4 of them are made by Clover...I guess they know what they are doing!

From top to bottom:
Chaco Liner (pen-style)
Hera Marker
Water Soluble Marker (Fine tip)
Painter's Tape

A few things to mention right off the bat:

1. Before committing to any marking tool, test it on scrap fabric (or a scrap quilt sandwich). Do this before you mark your project, preferably using the same materials as your project, because the marking tools could act differently on different materials. It's better to be safe than sorry!

2. I always mark my projects after they are basted. Often times that means removing pins in certain areas before marking. I don't know if that's normal or not, but it's what I've always done. Also, I mark only a few lines at a time...sometimes only one line at a time. It's a lot of starting and stopping, but it seems to work the best for me. It prevents quilting fatigue, if nothing else! :)

Now, a quick overview of the tools:

The chaco liner is the newest marking tool that I have tried. It's nifty! Basically there is a tube of powdered chalk that you roll on with the built in marking wheel. It makes a little clicking sound as you mark, which is oddly satisfying. I have only used this tool a bit, but so far, so good! I was concerned that the chalk may not come out, but it seemed to pounce out when I sewed. Perfect! I did notice that chalk wears off fairly quickly, but not before I needed it to. For a small project like this pillow cover, it was just fine. I would recommend washing the project after it's finished to make sure all the chalk residue comes out.

The chalk comes in blue, white, yellow and pink. I had the hardest time deciding which color to purchase, but I ended up with blue. I could see adding more of the colors to my collection of marking tools over time. It was $9.50 and replacement cartridges are available.

The hera marker is another great tool! I've used this one quite a bit and I love it. All you need to do is run the hera marker along a straight edge and it creases/scores the fabric. I love this option because no chalk or ink goes onto your fabric. It's very temporary, but it holds up long enough to quilt the line(s) you need to quilt. I've found that this works better on darker fabrics than on white fabric. White reflects light so it's harder to see the marked lines. Again, I will say that I only mark one or two lines at a time, then I quilt those few lines. I repeat the process as many times as necessary.

I think I paid $6.95 for the hera marker at my local quilt shop a few years ago. It was money well spent! There are two kinds of hera markers: the larger one I've shown here and the slim. I've tried both and I'd definitely recommend the larger one.

The fine tip water soluble marker was the first marking tool I purchased that I actually liked. I've only bought two of them so far, because they last for years! I love the fine tip and it's been a very rare occasion that the ink didn't come out of the fabric. I was about to say that I never mark when I am free motion quilting, but when I am spiral quilting, I almost always mark the center (and I use my free motion foot for that part). Once the area is quilted, I spritz it lightly with a water bottle and just like magic, the ink disappears.

I have a hard time finding this particular marker in any stores that I shop at in real life, so I order them on-line from Connecting Threads. (They happen to be on sale at the moment for only $3.00, usually $5.00.) Like I said, they last for years, so it's a good deal, sale or not!

Painter's tape is another great option for marking, which I've covered in my grid quilting tutorial. This method of marking is perfect for small projects, especially placemats. I suppose you could use this method up to baby quilt size without a problem, but anything larger than that gets cumbersome! I haven't bought painter's tape in quite a while, but it is a reasonably priced option as well.

To mark or not to mark, that is the question!

If you would have asked me a few years ago how many quilts I mark, I would say very few. I've noticed that I am starting to mark more than I did in the past. I also do more straight line quilting than I used to, so that would be part of it. On the quilt shown above, it looks like I could have just followed the lines of the pattern, no marking required. However, some of the logs were uneven, and that made me stray in awkward places. I ended up ripping out those stitches and I went back and marked the lines using a combination of the hera marker and the fine tip blue marker. It took extra time, but I was much happier with the results. In the end, I think that is the key...a good finished product!

I think that's all I have for today! I'd love to hear your thoughts on marking quilts. If you have a favorite marking tool that you absolutely can't live without, please tell me about it!

Machine Quitling 101: batting

It's high time I get back to my machine quilting 101 series and finish it up! I have a few more topics to cover. Today's topic is batting. I've been putting off writing this post for a L O N G time, because it's so much to cover, but I'm going to give it a shot. Here goes!

First off, when selecting a batting, read the labels! There is so much information on the label: fiber content, maximum stitch distance, care/washing directions, loft, shrinkage, whether it is ideal for machine or hand quilting, etc. These are all things to consider when choosing a batting.

When I first started quilting, I used polyester batting. Those quilts are still around and they have held up surprisingly well over the years. In fact, these are used every day (I actually snatched these off of beds for the photo) and they are some of my family's favorites! Eventually I switched to Warm & Natural/Warm & White. After about 200 quilts, I got kind of sick of using the same type of batting all the time. (Can you imagine?) One of the main reasons I wanted a change was because the fold lines in my quilts were so pronounced. I experimented with many different batting options. Do you know what? I think I'm back to where I started. Figures!

After my Warm & White phase, I purchased a bolt of Nature's Touch by Pellon. It is 100% cotton batting and it's fairly dense. It is even heavier than Warm & White-which I think is pretty heavy-and it tends to shrink a bit more than most battings that I've used. (The package says 3-5% shrinkage is expected.) This isn't really a problem, as long as you plan ahead. If you are making a quilt that needs to fit a bed, make the quilt a few inches larger to compensate for shrinkage, because it's better to be safe than sorry! This is a good all purpose batting and it is definitely my go-to batting when I do spiral quilting. I've had great success with it, even on a king size quilt, so I'm sticking with it.

Price point and availability: I bought a roll of it which was 25 yards (that's a bit of a commitment) when it was on sale at JoAnn's, so it ended up being about $5/yard (a few years ago). It also comes pre-packaged which avoids the cutting line and it is a bit cheaper than buying it by the yard. I think the sales on the pre-packaged BOLTS are worth taking advantage of.

Most recently I bought a (25 yard) roll of Soft n Crafty batting by Fairfield at JoAnn's. It is considerably lighter weight than both Warm & White and Nature's Touch. Soft n Crafty is easy to work with and has a nice crinkle effect after washing. I used it in the quilt shown above, and loved the results, especially for a baby quilt. It is also 100% cotton. The shrinkage is less than 3%. I think it is a good and economical option for making charity or "everyday" quilts. Since it is on the lighter side, it is a great option for spring and summer quilts.

Price point and availability: I bought this on a super sale last January at JoAnn's and it ended up being about $4/yard for 90" wide batting. You really can't beat that price!

Quilter's Dream batting is wonderful! It is very high quality and I've only seen it sold in quilt shops. (It is available on line, as well.) There are many options of quilter's dream batting, but I like the request weight 100% cotton batting. It is thin and warm without being heavy. It quilts up beautifully. I have only worked with it a little bit, but when I did, I was impressed. Shrinkage is minimal. I think this type will be my next bolt purchase. (What can I say, I like to have lots of batting on hand!)

Price point and availability: It's a bit more expensive than some batting, but the quality can't be ignored. Again, I've only seen it in quilt shops. It comes in white and cream, but my LQS only carries the cream. I wish I could get it in bright white locally.

Hobbs 80/20 is another batting that I've used off and on. It has a bit of a loft to it, so I've had some troubles with it shifting when trying to straight line quilt, but I've also had some success. I used a bit of each in this quilt and I love the texture! The stitching is more defined because of the loft and it quilts up beautifully. It washes and dries a bit flatter than you might expect, but in a good way. It's on the lighter side, so perfect for spring/summer quilts. I am extra careful when I baste, because this batting shifts a bit more than 100% cotton battings that I've used. It may be prone to puckering on the back just a bit more for that reason, but the puckers can be avoided by quilting carefully and keeping an eye on the back as you quilt. Shrinkage is estimated between 3-5%.

Price point and availability: I've purchased this type of batting at quilt shops and at JoAnn's. There IS a difference in quality between the two. The product I've bought in quilt shops was of better quality that the product purchased at JoAnn's. (I have no idea how that works and I don't claim to.) But, I have personal experience of getting a noticeably better product at my local quilt shop.

If I had to use one and only one type of batting, it would be Warm & White. It's just a good basic batting. Not too expensive, but not too cheap. The quality is just fine. It works well for straight line quilting or for free motion quilting. It is low loft, but still warm. Substantial, but not bulky. It is 87.5% cotton and 12.5% polypropylene. It has an approximate shrinkage of 3%. It's a good basic staple, like having flour in your pantry. :)

I get a lot of questions about wool batting, so I had to see what it was all about. I tried Wool premier batting by Pellon for the first time this spring. I put it in this quilt, which I haven't washed or dried yet, but I am anxious to do so to see what happens. I like it, but I can't see using it all my quilts. I think it's a great option for a special quilt here and there. Wool is warm but lightweight. It is a natural fiber, so breathes while it keeps you warm. It is loftier (1/4") than most batting I use, so the quilting is more pronounced. The wool that I used had some visible fibers in it, which could show through if I had a lot of light fabrics in the quilt. I don't think I will have any troubles with it, but it's something to consider. I think wool battings vary quite a bit by manufacturer. This particular brand says there is 0-3% shrinkage.

I tried bamboo batting, and just once, for a baby quilt. It was expensive ($9.99 yard/45" wide) and while it was soft when basting and working with it, after washing I wasn't impressed. It didn't seem as soft as cotton batting would be after washing. So, while I didn't feel like it ruined the quilt, I don't foresee myself using it in the future. (I only used one brand of bamboo batting, so my experience is limited.)

One more word about poly batting. It's not something I would recommend for every quilt, but if you are going for a throw back, cozy, warm, tied quilt, I would recommend poly batting for that. The one drawback is that it really doesn't breathe well. But other than that, it has a nice poof and it is cozy. I slept under one of these types of quilts when I was a little girl, so I may have a soft spot for them.

This may seem like common sense, but still I think it should be noted. When using white fabric in a quilt, use white batting. A creamy colored batting will tone down the white, but a bright white batting will enhance the look of your white quilt top. It DOES make a difference!

At the end of the day, I would say experiment with different batting and see what you like best! Take notes on what you like and what you don't. There are certainly a lot of options out there and I've only reviewed the few that I've worked with. I hope that it has been helpful!

Machine Quilting 101: The Nitty Gritty

It's been a few weeks, but it's time for another Machine Quilting 101 post. Today we will be talking about the basics...the nitty gritty, if you will...of machine quilting.

The number one goal with machine quilting is a pucker free quilt, front and back. Sounds easy enough, right? (Hahahaha!)

Handling the quilt
Most often I grip the quilt with my left hand and that helps me guide it. I smooth the quilt down with my right hand and form a hoop of sorts to keep the small section that I am working on taut. I do NOT use quilting gloves. I learned without them, so using them now feels very bulky and unnatural. I know that some people find them very helpful.

Practice!
We've already talked about the importance of practice, but it bears repeating. Practice is KEY! One thing I didn't mention earlier is that doodling on paper is a great way to practice before moving to the machine. When you switch to the machine, loops are a great place to start, because they are much easier than stippling.

Basic Quilting Designs
You can try loops in a line, as I did on my oatmeal quilt.

Or, you can try all over loops, as on my super stars quilt. These are pretty easy because the loops can be large or small or a mix of both. This is a fairly forgiving and flexible design.

Simply put, there is NOTHING natural about the movement of stippling, but it sure does look pretty and it produces a great texture.

Straight line quilting isn't super easy, especially if you are a perfectionist. You can call it organic straight line quilting and you have much more flexibility. :)

Look at the big picture
When you are up close, staring at a 6" square of quilting, all of the imperfections are noticeable. You may think that your quilting is less than stellar, (I know I usually do!) but this is when it's important to take a step back and take a look at the project as a whole. Often times the parts that bug me the worst in the moment are hard to find later because they really aren't a big deal. It's easy for me to get wrapped up in perfection, so I have to talk myself down every once in awhile. If it bugs you, sleep on it. If it still bugs you, then rip it out.

Slow down
If you are quilting in a high profile area, your standards may be higher. For example, when you are stitching with white thread on a navy background, you might want to be more precise in your spacing. It is much more visible than the stitching on your lighter colored prints. When I get to those spots in the quilt I take a deep breath, slow down and concentrate on my spacing just a bit more. That sounds SO corny, but it's what I do. And really, it's better to take your time and do it right the first time rather than rip out stitches.

Start and stop
When you run out of bobbin, or anytime you are starting and stopping in the middle of the quilt, you can do one of two things: 1. You can retrace a few of your stitches (use very small stitches) and overlap the old and new stitching lines. The overlap helps to secure your starts and stops. Or... 2. You can bury your threads as shown in this tutorial. The second option is my preferred method. I love that the starts and stops are invisible!

Keep an eye on the back side
Take a peek at the tension on the back every time you start a new bobbin and once or twice in between. It only takes seconds to take a peek, but it could save you hours of ripping later. I had to re-learn this lesson just this week! Thankfully the tension was QUITE loose, so the ripping was easy. But still!

For some reason after a bobbin change, my tension got quite loose. I don't know what happened, but I had to stop, get out my test scrap and reset the tension on my machine mid-quilt. It's weird, but that seems to happen from time to time. After more quilting, I was able to reduce the tension again. I don't know WHY that happens, but it does.

 

Trim the bulk
Before quilting, it is helpful to trim the backing and batting within an inch of the quilt top. This reduces the bulk and will help keep things manageable while quilting. Every little bit helps!  Also, it reduces the risk of extra backing fabric getting flipped over to the back and quilted down.

If the back DOES flip up and gets quilted down, cut it close to the stitched line, then pull the threads of fabric out, a few at a time, from beneath the quilted stitches.

The backing looks all hacked up, but this part will be trimmed off eventually anyway!  Again, object lessons from my quilting just this week! Sigh. It happens!

Spacing
The denser the quilting, the stiffer the quilt. The looser the quilting, the softer the quilt. Make sure to check the batting packaging for quilt spacing requirements. This one the stitch distance is 4". Some batting requires the stitching to be a maximum spacing of 10" apart. That's quite a difference! It's something to consider when picking a quilting design (and batting) for your quilt.

Density
If you are doing multiple quilting techniques in one quilt, try to keep your density fairly consistent throughout, so that when the quilt is washed there won't be bubbles and bumps. You want the shrinkage to be uniform throughout the quilt.

On my nap like an Egyptian quilt I had to go back and add lines of quilting (around the smallest inner triangles) because I left too much space un-quilted, even though I followed the spacing directions on the batting. I added the additional quilting after washing, which isn't ideal, but it was a better option than not fixing it at all. It's still a little bumpy in places, but it's better than it was.

Final thoughts
Some things come out in the wash. I am NOT a subscriber to the theory "if you can't see it from a galloping horse 10 feet away don't worry about it". I believe you should do as good of a job as you can. BUT, I also realize the need to forgive yourself those little imperfections, because it IS a hand made item, after all. What I'm saying is, don't drive yourself crazy...on either end of the spectrum! Much easier said than done.

If you don't use it, you lose it! I used to stipple so much more beautifully than I do now. Probably because I quilted almost everything with "a simple stipple" back in 2009. :) It's good to have variety, but it's also good to have a stand-by, or default in your quilting bag of tricks.

There is SO MUCH more that I could cover, but I think we will call it quits for today! I have two more topics in this series planned: threads and needles, and a post all about batting. Is there anything else that I missed?

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments!

Here are the links to all the previous posts in this series:
Introduction
Pre-Basting Prep
Basting
Practice
Working your way around the quilt
Picking a Pattern

Have fun quilting those quilts!

Machine Quilting 101:Picking a Pattern

We are up to week 6 in the Machine Quilting 101 Series! I'm very excited about today's post!

If you'd like to check out the previous posts, I've added the links for easy access:

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Pre-basting Prep
Week 3: Basting
Week 4: Practice, Practice, Practice
Week 5: Working your way around the quilt

Today we will be talking about how to pick a quilting pattern for your quilt. You've probably heard the phrase "quilting makes the quilt". No pressure at all, huh? I've been machine quilting for over 11 years and I have to admit that I STILL get nervous when I begin quilting a new quilt. Yes, every single time, because I don't want to mess it up!

The main thing to consider when picking a pattern is what is your comfort level vs. the risk. If you are trying a new-to-you technique, it's best to practice on a quilt that will be for one of your kids/grand kids, maybe a picnic quilt, or a quilt that will live on the back of your couch. Something low risk. If you are entering your quilt into the fair, submitting it to a book or magazine, the risk is a higher, so you probably want to stick with a pattern that is within your comfort level.

Not to sound like a broken record, but don't underestimate the power of practice. Start small and work your way up to a larger quilt. For example, when I was learning how to machine bind quilts, I started by binding doll quilts and I worked my way up to a lap quilt. The first quilt that I bound completely by machine was for my son, who didn't really care if the top stitching was crooked in places and a little wonky around the corners. (And it was.) Eventually, I machine bound a quilt that ended up on the cover of Quilty Magazine, and I wasn't nervous at all about the quality of my stitches. Practice really does help!

When picking a quilting pattern for a quilt, there isn't one right answer. I'll show some examples of what I've quilted and try to break down why I chose that pattern for that quilt. Hopefully I can convey my thought process a little bit.

All Over Quilting:

Sometimes all you need is something to hold all the layers together. A stipple or loop-de-loop is a good solution for so many quilts. I've done a lot of this in my day, and I love how it adds texture to a quilt. A lot of my quilts are simple designs that celebrate pretty fabric, so a meander of some sort works beautifully on this type of quilt.

On this patchwork quilt, I quilted loops down the center of each row, eyeballing the line of stitching down the middle. The squares finish at 2.5", so one line of stitching is enough. I chose this pattern because I knew it would be quick and easy, plus it was a nice alternative to my usual stippling or loops.

This quilt has larger patchwork, with squares that finish at 4", so I did two lines of loopy stitching down each line of patchwork. I like how the stitching shows up more in some squares-like the solids- and how it is camouflaged in some of the printed squares. I was still able to eyeball the placement, so no marking was required. That's always a bonus!

On my trees! quilt, I did an all over loop-de-loop pattern because it reminded me of tangled Christmas lights....to go along with the Christmas tree theme. Since the trees are so linear, I wanted the quilting to soften the hard lines of the piecing. Contrast is good!

On my plain spoken quilt, the quilting is a major component of the overall design of the quilt. (Pattern is Plain Spoken from the book The Modern Quilt Workshop by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.) The elongated stippling is curvy, which again contrasts nicely with the hard lines of the patchwork.

On the Up, Up and Away quilt (pattern in Sunday Morning Quilts) the squares finish at 2" and I was afraid stippling would feel kind of chaotic. I quilted it with straight lines to keep things simple and clean. The patchwork acted as a guide for quilting and I chose to only quilt through every other block. It seems to be a nice compliment to the tiny patchwork.

I chose to quilt a diagonal grid on my round and round quilt, mainly because of the size of patchwork (another 2" square) and the amount of white in the quilt. No extra marking was required. Yes, it's a running theme because it's so important! All the negative space shows off the classic grid quite well.

In these two quilts (running in circles above and crop circles below) I used the same quilting treatment....spirals for the circles and stippling for the background. This helps define the patchwork and highlights the curved piecing. If you are going to go through the work of piecing curves, why not show it off?

(Just a little disclaimer....piecing curves isn't hard...it's actually quite fun! I have a detailed tutorial here if you'd like to try your hand at them.) 

 

Thread Color Changes:
Choosing a thread color is a whole other topic that I plan to dig into deeper on another day, but I will touch very briefly on it today. Sometimes it's hard to pick a quilting design that works with just one color of thread, so occasionally two thread colors (or more) is the answer.

For my candy cane quilt, I quilted lines of loops that follow the patchwork. I wasn't very confident in my quilting abilities at the time, so I was nervous to quilt with red thread on the white patchwork and vice versa. Matching the color of thread to the color of patchwork was a great solution.

 It formed a really cool design on the solid backing! This was a happy accident.

I had a hard time deciding how to quilt my rolling stones quilt, mainly because of the stark color contrast between the blocks and the background color. I finally settled on a pebble quilting design and two different colors of thread. It was a boatload of work to pebble quilt this thing (it's a large twin size) but I definitely made the right decisions all around. Pebble quilting....rolling stone pattern. It was a pairing that was just too good to pass up!

Quilting the Elements Separately:

This is my Splash quilt (pattern in Sunday Morning Quilts). I couldn't settle on just one type of quilting, so I chose to quilt the elements separately using 3 different thread colors. I did some channel (straight line) quilting on the orange block to help unify the patchwork. I pebble quilted the white border because it was a small section and I wanted it to highlight it a bit more. I quilted a wavy grid on the aqua background because it mimicked waves of water and because it was easy. It required a lot of stopping and starting, but I liked the quilting treatment enough to quilt a second version in the same manner.

On my Gumdrops quilt (also from Sunday Morning Quilts) I quilted over the gumdrops to help secure them in place. (I used fusible web, but I didn't trust it completely, so I quilted them individually, just to be sure.) Once I had the gumdrops quilted, the background puffed out in an unattractive manner, so I filled in the background with teeny tiny loops and meandering. I wasn't planning on it, but the quilt needed it! That happens sometimes.

 

Highlighting Negative Space:

On my migration quilt the applique is quite minimal, so the negative space required some special treatment. I chose the swirls because they reminded me of a windy day...fall....migration. It's all a part of the theme. I wasn't very confident in my swirls when I started but I got a lot of practice and was quite proficient by the end!

My rainbow log cabin quilt is another good example of the importance of quilting the negative space. I quilted a petal shape in the gray areas and it adds a lot to the overall finished quilt. It contrasts the linear quilting in the center blocks and makes the borders pop.

I hope that you've found this post helpful. If nothing else, I hope that it gives you a few new ideas for quilting your quilts. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments. If you've found something particularly helpful, I'd love to hear that, too!



Machine Quilting 101: Working your way around the quilt

Welcome to the next installment of the Machine Quilting 101 series! Today we will be talking about how to work your way around the quilt, where to start, and how to manage the bulk. Fun stuff!

 

Roadmap to Meanderville:
(I can't take credit for that genius sub-title. Cindy came up with it at retreat a few years ago and I'm finally getting around to using it!)

The most commonly asked question when it comes to free motion quilting is: Where do I start?

I always start about half way down the left side edge of the quilt. (No, I do not start from the center and work my way out.)

I've shaded and numbered the sections to illustrate how I work my way around the quilt. I certainly don't mark the sections before hand, I subconsciously break it down into sections as I work.

When painting a wall "they" say that you are supposed to keep a wet edge. I say the same thing applies to free motion quilting. Keep working side to side, back and forth in small sections. Fill in the empty spaces as you go. Avoid leaving a big un-quilted section in the center, or in any section, for that matter, or the potential for puckers is high. You don't want puckers!

I also have observed over the years that it is easier for me to quilt from left to right rather than from right to left. I do quilt every which way, but things seem to flow easiest when working from left to right. (Probably because I learned hand writing that way.) If you look back at the diagram, at the quilt as a whole, I basically work my way from left to right in one big oval.

The Straight and Narrow:

Straight line quilting (if you are a perfectionist) isn't easy. I think it's harder than FMQ in some ways.

The most commonly asked question I get when it comes to straight line quilting is: Do you quilt in one direction, or do you alternate directions with each line of stitching?

To that I say, it depends! (Just what you wanted to hear, right?)

It depends largely on how your machine behaves. That means you've got to do some testing on your machine and see how things go....even if it's just on a larger scrap. If your machine feeds the layers through the quilt evenly, then you can quilt in any direction that you choose.

The biggest pitfall when it comes to straight line quilting (besides wavy lines) is what I call the "unattractive V". You've seen it, I'm sure. It's that unsightly phenomenon when the fabric is pulling in opposite directions away from the stitch line, forming a V. I've done it more times than I care to admit. (There are a few more examples in this post. Cringe, cringe.) This can be caused by a variety of things and usually it's not just one factor at play. (In this case I was trying to straight line quilt with a medium loft batting...not a good combo. But I plan to delve deeper into that subject at a later date!)

Drag is a part of straight line quilting. If it's subtle, it can be dealt with by quilting the entire quilt in the same direction, from the top down. The down side is that at some point all of your quilt will be in the harp space. If your quilt is large, that's a whole lot of bulk to wrestle though the harp of your machine.

I did that very thing on my checkerboard quilt back in 2011. It was a struggle, because this quilt is 80" x 88". I felt it was very important to avoid the V, so I took it one slow line at a time. That's right, I had ALL of that quilt in the harp space when I was quilting the rows on the far left hand side. Twice, actually, because I quilted straight lines side to side and top to bottom. I still remember how happy I was when I was done quilting it. There was more than one huge sigh of relief!

One other thing I've learned over the years when it comes to straight line quilting is that not all machines do it equally well. My Janome feeds the quilt through much better than my Juki. (Oh, the irony...my straight stitch only machine doesn't straight line quilt that well!) I've written more about that in this post.

This quilt was quilted on my Janome last summer. The even feed foot does such a great job of moving all the layers of the quilt through at the same time with very little drag. And for that, I am so very thankful!!!

Also, remember to adjust the presser foot tension on your machine to the lowest setting possible. That will help to ease the drag factor.

There is so much more that I could cover, but hopefully that helps a little!

Managing the bulk:

When machine quilting, whether free motion quilting, straight line quilting (or spiral quilting, as shown in this photo) having a good support system is key.

I quilt on a small desk or table, so I use an ironing board set to a similar height to my desk to support the weight of the quilt. Sometimes I will use a tray table (or two) to help support the quilt instead. I usually end up holding a good portion of the quilt on my lap, too! The main goal is to have the quilt well supported so the weight of the quilt isn't pulling on the needle and so that the section you are working on can move about freely.

There is no way around the bulk, because quilts are just that...bulky! One thing that helps it to pool the bulk, don't roll up the quilt! It's so much easier to rearrange and maneuver folds rather than trying to wrestle one big quilt log through your machine.

Ok, so I've worked on this post until my eyes crossed. If I missed anything, I'll try to answer the questions in the comments. I hope that this post has been helpful to you!

If you would like to refer back to the previous posts in this series, I've added the links here for easy access:

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Pre-Basting Prep
Week 3: Basting
Week 4: Practice, Practice, Practice