JeannieB Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 why dont you stabilize the entire sides of a quilt before starting the quilting? Im trying to learn to float the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 I usually float but am going to try basting down around the outside and then sid where I can on the outer parts.. then work on the quilt. I'm ending up with wavy borders when I use the more dense stitching.. the computer does, that is. I just don't like having to deal with floppy borders. Also I generally baste the top down when using a float. I may put in one stitch every 2 inches or so, not very close at all. I do that to make sure the quilt goes straight across the backing and batting. Others will have a lot more replies I'm sure, and I'm glad they will.. Good luck, Rita. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Check out Darlene's tips in this post. http://forum.apqs.com/index.php?/topic/33170-texas-holdem-question/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisquilter Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 why dont you stabilize the entire sides of a quilt before starting the quilting? Im trying to learn to float the top. Jeannie, I found if i get too far ahead of myself with stabilizing I create problems for myself. This is just what works for me. I stabilize the sides only in the area I am working. I finish all (or most) my quilting in that area before I roll and stabilize my sides again. I keep my sides straight using Hugo's amazing tape to mark where the edges of my quilt should be. This is great stuff! It sticks to itself and you can reuse it over and over. Since I don't pin my quilt to bar #3. this is where I put my tape. You can mark all borders as well. But if I decide to take off that bar, not sure what I will do then. That plan is still in the thinking stage. Many times I don't quilt that last border on the sides until the entire quilt is finished. Especially if it is a feather border. It is a lot of rolling back an forth but I prefer not to stop and start down the long row. I never turn a quilt if I can help it! Just my way of doing things. Anyway, this is how I get my exercise. Maybe someone has a better idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 I'm certainly no expert, but what I have found that works best for me is to float the top. I measure the quilt edge to edge and middle to middle to figure out what the "best" length and width measurements are, so I know in advance if I have fullness to deal with. I lay out the quilt and baste down the top edge, using my channel locks to make sure it is square with the frame, and working in any fullness if necessary. I mark the "best" width with tape or clamps on my quilt top roller (since I don't use it for the top). I baste down the sides in the area that I will be quilting, keeping the width correct, and dealing with any fullness that I noticed when initially measuring the quilt. It is usually pretty easy to see if the side borders are getting wonky because you won't see nice straight lines going across the quilt - you start seeing frowns or smiles or waving borders. Then you know you have some fullness to deal with, either in the borders or in the center part of the quilt. If there is fullness, pin pin pin. Quilt all or most of the area, roll and repeat. I've had no trouble going back and doing the side borders later, using this technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Funny you should ask. Last week I loaded a fairly large quilt, about 75" x 60". I thought I'd save time by basting the sides and SID the inner border first. I did not baste anything in the center of the quilt. I pin basted across the center as I worked on the sides, but took those pins out when I rolled it to keep basting the sides. Mind you, I keep a log of the quilts that I do on my long arm, and this is #98. By now, you'd think I would know better. After I did all this basting and SID around the outer edges, I rolled it back to work in the center at the top. I went to pin baste the center fabric, and couldn't feel the backing. Where is the backing? It was Saggy Saggy Saggy. Aha. This is why we don't pre-baste the outer edges. Duh. After a couple of days frogging, the quilt is back on the machine and I'm finally having fun with it. I can get away with basting the edges first on much smaller quilts, baby size or smaller. But not the bigger ones. I hope this is a lesson I will remember Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Annie you should have lwft rhe pins in the centre area. iam working on a large 91x96 hexagon quilt. I quilted all the green thread first. bordee and between some outwr hexagons. pinned the centres of the hexagons aa I wwnt down the quilt. Gotto the bottom and put cream thread on now quilting my way back to the top. I float my tops, stitch down the sides,of the area insides the bars and work one colour in that area from top to bottom first. Clamos on top roller bar where sides, sashing strips etc are so I can keep it straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anniemueller Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 Annie you should have lwft rhe pins in the centre area. iam working on a large 91x96 hexagon quilt. I quilted all the green thread first. bordee and between some outwr hexagons. pinned the centres of the hexagons aa I wwnt down the quilt. Gotto the bottom and put cream thread on now quilting my way back to the top. I float my tops, stitch down the sides,of the area insides the bars and work one colour in that area from top to bottom first. Clamos on top roller bar where sides, sashing strips etc are so I can keep it straight. Thanks Lyn. You are right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Annie, I hope you were not requoting all my errors...... Cannot use the tablet easily to post to the forum. and you cannot edit it without erasing everything! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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