SID and basting the edge of the quilt

[Neher-in-law5]

I know on the frame longarms the encouragement is to SID on blocks and borders before doing all the fill and custom designs. How do you each do the process with George? With "old school" directions the thought is to always start in the center and work out. I think so that any excess backing and batting get smooth out to the sides and not bulk caught. That makes sense, and I have usually done that with George quilts. But, with huge bed quilts (queen and king especially) the quilt gets moved and fluffed and stuffed so much that I'm not sure if the SID first would create more tucks and pleats. So then, do you ever SID around the outer framing borders for stabilization, or even basting the very edge of the quilt to hold things in place before you do the quilting in those areas, or before you quilt in the whole quilt?

I would be interested to know the various ways you do the quilting process with designs and SID. Most of my quilts are of the bigger variety, bed sized.

Thanks.

[Neher-in-law5]

Bringing this up in hopes that some good info comes through before I need to do the next quilt.

Thanks.

[cbear]

I've done it both ways. If it is a smaller quilt I start in the middle. If it is a large quilt and I'm sure I have pin basted it as snug and smooth as possible I may start 1/3 to 1/4 in, just to hold that part of the quilt in place before moving in toward the center. I check often to be sure there is no pulling, stretching or pleating. I have also started basting the outside edge of the quilt, after all the other basting is done. I think it stabilizes it and helps prevent it from stretching too much.

I've done some of the SID on my domestic and some of it on George. Either way can be a challenge. The only way I can think of to make it easier is to be sure all seams are pressed in the same direction, but that is not always the way that is best for every pieced section. I'd like to hear what others are doing as well.

[JudyLynn]

I usually start at an edge, and work in. Being lazy do not want to clip any more threads than I have to. And instead of SID, I just do a swiggly line around the blocks, that way no one can say I went out of the line. It is alot of moving the quilt, but I do like the effect.

I use spray baste, but then will pin in sections to hold them together until I get to them. The pushing and "fluffing" does loosen up the baste, so pinning makes me feel more secure. And if it does get a pleat--hopefully a small one- then I just tell myself it was meant to be there.

[Neher-in-law5]

JudyLynn, I like your attitude about the small pleats. I use mine to prove that I'm not perfect and you should be glad that you got a quilt I made!!!

Keep the ideas coming. Thanks.

[LadyLake]

Madelyn,

I have a friend with a George and she exclusively uses Hobbs fusible batting, to avoid the necessity for basting. Hope that helps.

[Mrs.A]

I think that a lot of trouble comes from a quilt sandwich not being well basted. I do it 3 ways, depending on the size & importance of the quilt. For show quilts, I usually thread baste a la Sharon Schamber in a herringbone stitch. For very large quilts, I usually have my friend machine baste them on her longarm. For little baby quilts or if I'm in a hurry, I'll pin baste. Have always used small safety pins for this but just ordered a new notion from Pinmoor that is a foam 'stopper' of sorts that's designed to be used at the end of a straight pin. I'm going to give it a test.

Anyway, just like on my domestic machine, I always use George to stabilize the quilt first: either on all the long seams or around the blocks or sashing. Then any fullness is trapped in a finite area and I can do all the detail quilting inside. Does this help?

[Neher-in-law5]

Thanks for the info, each of you. I will see how the sid at the beginning will help the next one. that one is a Turning Twenty (on both sides, of Peanuts Christmas on the first side, and the other Peanuts winter holidays on the back). Yes, I am nuts, but my hubby had me collecting Peanut fabrics and they needed to be used! I plan to do more of a meander on this one instead of the custom style I have done on most of my other quilts.

Any addition ideas and info are still welcome.

[quiltsalot1962]

I decided to add my 2 cents worth because this is something I'm really good at (unlike a lot of other things). I always pin-baste my quilts first, about a fist width apart, using one-inch pins that won't rust (I had some of the bad kind rust once). Then, I almost always stitch in the ditch. If I want that stitching to stay in the quilt; that is, I don't mind if it is a final component of the quilting design, then I use my DSM and a walking foot and carefully stitch in the ditch. If I don't want the ditch quilting to be part of the final product, I stitch with wash-away thread in both the top and bottom, but I don't have to be careful about keeping perfectly in the ditch. I use the wash-away thread on quilts that I don't want to have broken up into blocks; this would include whole-cloth quilts or many other kinds of less-traditional quilts. Once I finish the ditch quilting, I quilt in the ditch alongside any borders and then 1/4 inch from the edge all around. Once that is done, I take out all the pins that haven't already been taken out during the ditch quilting. Then, I can do all the free-motion I want. When the quilt is done, it gets washed and the wash-away thread disappears. If you ever use wash-away thread, get in the habit of keeping any leftover bobbin with the spool in a plastic bag all its own so you don't use it by mistake! I won't say I've never had tucks in the back, but almost never!

Hope this helps someone.

[Neher-in-law5]

Quiltsalot1962,

Thanks for your info. I had forgotten about the washable thread I have had put away for quite a while! I do have the bobbin with the thread in a small jar not even close to other bobbins.

I like you method, and will need to try it with my next one. Most of my quilts are big bed sized with a thicker batting that has some "goosh" to it like the jelly in a pb&j sandwich. Next time I order it will be for the thinner stuff that I used to get. (the one that took the order thought he knew what I wanted---NOT).