Edge of quilts

[aktbone]

Newbie again -

I must say "I LOVE MY MILLIE."

Now for my issue:

When doing edge to edge, I find that when I end a row and advance to the next, or come on & off the quilt, the hopping foot is catching the edge of the quilt and turning it in.

I have tried to tack the edges down by using a hand basted running stitch but am not close enough to the edge.

I would like to have the design run off and on the quilt on all 4 sides.

1) How or what do I do to avoid this?

2) When ending a row do I need to tie off?

Thanks for all of your help in advance.

[ffq-lar]

Hi Tonilyn,

Are you talking about stitching pantos? If you are at the back, the edges need to be basted as you advance to eliminate the fold-back as you stitch onto the quilt top. Set the machine on manual and the slowest speed. Use one hand on the fabric edge and the other on the handle to guide the hopping foot as near the edge as you can. Don't forget to re-set your stitch length before you begin stitching the panto.

Another thing you can do is to start your line of stitching inside the edge of the fabric--in about an eighth of an inch. Aim your laser at the entry point and needle up/down (you can cycle the needle up by holding the button down until you make as many stitches as you need to) and stitch in a line until you are inside the edge. Then command/SR and command/go and you are on your way!

If you are stitching edge-to-edge from the front, using pins to nail down the edges will help. I try not to baste the edges because if the borders are full and wavy, you may stitch in pleats or puckers. I pin baste so any problems can be addressed as I quilt. Putting the pins in horizontally will allow you to leave them in as you advance, if you need to.

I wanted to mention that when you want to start a new thread, click on "topic" in the upper right and not "poll". I see that you are using the poll box exclusively for the questions you ask. No harm done of course, but I keep looking for something to vote on!!

[aktbone]

thanks linda,

i was wondering why all of my post had a "p" next to them. i assumed it was for me to know what i had posted ---duh!

[LibbyG]

Tonilyn,

I never go off the material when I do a pantograph unless it's a mistake. I trim the edges for customers and the stitching will pull out if you cut it off. I learned that the hard way with my quilts.

I do baste the edges, too. Myrna Ficken's CD shows how she pin bastes the left side and then she uses a basting spray. You have to watch the CD, it's a really good one for beginners.

[jmcclannan]

I baste very close to the edges as I go. I have never trimmed the edges of the quilts, nor have any of my customers asked me too. I'm wondering if you charge for trimming and if you then send the scraps with your customer or do you toss them?

[Paulette]

I've found that basting the side with a zigzag stitch avoids the problem of the hopping foot catching on the edge.

[newmillie2010]

i trim and give scraps to customer. that's who bought the fabric and batting ... all the fabric and all the batting ... i use a pinking rotary cutter to trim the quilts. customers love the pinked edges ...

[Gator]

I have the IQ but usually sew off the edge a half inch. I recommend that you baste the sides of your quilts no matter what your doing. It will help with the "movement" of the fabric while quilting. Humm, how do I explain my edge basteing stitch, I use something that looks like a zig-zag only rounder. This works great, I don't have any worries walking away from my machine while it's stitching.

[Quilting Heidi]

I almost always baste my sides. sometimes I use the needle up/down function which allows for extra fabric or maybe a more delicate design. Other times I just do a large basting going in a sort of rounded zig zag shape. I have upon occasion used the spray baste glue to hold a side down.

[aktbone]

On the milli how do I get a zigzag? Pics would be great.

Thanks for all the hints.

[Quilting Heidi]

Tonilyn,

You just move the machine back and forth in a zig zag motion. You can't actually have it stitch in zig zag.

[aktbone]

Love that zigzag - used it to hold down my first client's quilt with minkie on the back and nothing folded over.

Thanks all for your wisdom.

[Gator]

Great!!! Isn't it great having assistance 24/7. I don't think I would still be long arming if it wasn't for the great quilters on here willing to share their advice and encouragement. Looking forward to seeing pics of your quilts.:cool:

[Judy Bland]

Hi Tonilyn,

Once you have the edge basted, (I baste .25" in so it's a guideline for the binding) when you come around to do the panto, use a whiteboard marker to mark the basting line , right where the laser dot is, when you come to that you can slow down and look up to follow the edge without going off.

[witha'K'quilting]

Ok...now I always go off the edge the quilt. I baste the sides of the quilt as I advance as close to the edge as I can get...and stitch off the quilt. I use a 12 stitch length and have never had problems with stitches coming undone when the quilt is trimmed.

Interesting how others do it.

[aktbone]

I have always quilted off the edge of the quilt. (When I had my Grand Quilter and even now.) I never cut my back or batting until after I put on the binding.

I had a quilt done professionally one time and she advised me not to cut before the binding is on and that is how I have always done it.

Am I right in thinking that the stitches that go off in the quliting will be locked in with the binding stitches?

[Bekah]

I do like you do Kristina. I baste after I quilt before I advance because sometimes I get carried away and go off the edge with my stitches.

[Jenquilts]

The zigzag basting stitches that some of you do....do you stay on the quilt or zag off the quilt edge. Thanks!

[witha'K'quilting]

Originally posted by aktbone

Am I right in thinking that the stitches that go off in the quliting will be locked in with the binding stitches?

I believe so. I have never had any trouble doing it this way...neither have my customers. Nobody is complaining.

[anniemueller]

I zig zag baste the edges when I'm going to quilt off the edge. The zig zag needs to go off the edge of the fabric to keep it from folding over. So it's centered on the edge, one side goes off, one side goes on the quilt top. I hold down the command yellow button to do the zig zag nice and slow. Use my left hand fingers ahead of the hopping foot to keep things nice and smooth.

I find that if the zig zag stitches are big enough, there is still enough play in the quilt top to allow for modest fullness. And it's easy to remove the zig zag basting when needed, to ease in more fullness.

[delld]

One of the best things about using a zig-zag is it cuts way down on raveling!!!!!

[Gator]

I do the same a Annie.

[Quilting Heidi]

The process for the zig zag is the same as Annies but I don't always use the yellow needle up/down. Sometimes I just do a large stitch. If I'm working on an heirloom quilt I always do the needle up/down but I don't usually do a panto on those quilts so I'd do a large stitch to hold down the sides. It is hidden under the binding so not a problem.

[DL Semmens]

Very intresting thread. I pretty much always do panto's. And in the begining it was ugly. Now that I have my Lenni, I baste the sides with the needle positioner, life is so much easier.

I also had a tool made for me to use on the back side. It really is only a piece (actually three) of plexiglass with lines scored across each end. They are exactly the width of my table so they nestle snuggly on the table. I use one to mark the start of the quilt, one in the middle of the quilt top, and the third marks the ending edge of the quilt. These rulers allow me to know where I am at on the quilt top, without having to look. Once I hit the end ruler I know that I am off quilt top and I can take a straight line to fill in the pattern if need be. The scoring lines on the rulers allows me to make sure that the pattern is straight at all points on the table. I line the bottom of the panto against one of the lines on each of the three rulers, that way if I begin to bump a bar, I can adjust where the panto is on the table without worrying if it is straight.