Southern Quilts Posted December 20, 2017 Report Share Posted December 20, 2017 Hi all, I fully float all of my tops on my Millie. I’m looking for a good way to keep the top and batting off of the floor while quilting. Any good ideas? What do y’all use? Thanks! Denise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neher-in-law5 Posted December 20, 2017 Report Share Posted December 20, 2017 I have tucked them up under my Lucey on the file cabinets that were there------until last week when the poly batting got wrapped around the bobbin hook assembly! Not a recommended practice now and new assembly, retiming and two days later. I will still see what other option I can do. Number one will be to re arrange the room and try to sort so there is more space. I hope you find a good solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted December 20, 2017 Report Share Posted December 20, 2017 I just let mine hang. Then it's a thrill when it comes off the floor and I know I'm on my way to finish it. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingpup Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 HI, I do not fully float my top....but what I did for my batting to keep it off the floor was to take an old queen sized top sheet...fold it in half....attache a "tie" to each corner....then tie the ties to the end supports of my table....this makes a sort of sling underneath my machine....and I just toss the end of the batting into that to keep it off the floor...works good....and totally free as my sheet was an old one....and my "ties" where actually selvage edges trimmed off of backing.....oh...and I buy batting on a roll....I only quilt for myself so a roll last a while....how I handle that is that I had an old shower curtain rod.....that I put in the center of the batting roll....and the rod is suspended between two slat backed dining room chairs.....easy peasy to switch out the batting rolls on the shower rod.....and I found an old piece of trim that was long enough to lay across the batting roll....I measure out the amount of batting.....then take that trim piece, lay on top of the batting roll in the right spot and use a chalk marker to make a line....then I use a long scissors to cut of the piece of batting.....again....it was a no cost invention....tee hee.....Lin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovemyavy Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I have 4 large storage totes with lids under my Lucey. I just toss my batting and quilt top on them while I quilt. It works great for me! The totes also serve as "stash storage", which keeps it out of the sight of my hubby! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkl Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I follow the same method as Lovemyavy. Incidentally, those large totes can hold a lot of fabric! Leslie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwiltr Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I built a sling too like sewingpup with a repurposed top sheet, ran pockets up the long sides, put rope thru the pockets and tied loops in the ends of the rope and used cheap bungee cords to hook it up to my table supports. Works great! I work pretty slow, so I can't imagine letting a quilt drag on my floor for a month or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 It sounds like my solution is more involved than some of the others. I've taken a piece of aluminum pipe (an old mast for a long discarded Sunfish), cut it to length for my frame, made two half moon brackets to support the pipe and screwed them to the legs of my table. Then I took a bolt of cloth, cut off 12 feet, hemmed it, sewed a pocket for the pipe, sewed several Velcro tabs on the opposite side. and put corresponding "stick on" Velcro on the underside of my table. The "sling" is threaded on the pipe, and the Velcro tabs attached. To keep the sling hanging down and not catching my batting or top, I've laid a 10' length of half inch pvc pipe in the bottom of the sling. Works great. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat quilts Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I would love to see a picture your set up Jim. I’m a visual person. Would a piece of pvc pipe work in place of the aluminum pipe? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted December 21, 2017 Report Share Posted December 21, 2017 I don't have any suggestions except I did read a ways back on this forum that some people created a "hammock" to hold the quilt top in. It's basically fabric that is pinned to the leader that forms a pouch you can scrunch the quilt top inside that hammock. If it is what you prefer, do it, but I wouldn't want to push the quilt top into a hammock. I've been quilting for 10+years on my Millie. I have never floated my tops. I have always pinned them to the leaders because I like the tension control it gives me with the roller. Managing the quilt top in this way helps to smooth out any fullness, and it keeps the top from dangling onto the floor. The batting of course is dangling on the floor but my handy dandy vacuum is standing at the ready. My floor is vacuumed numerous times -- before quilting, during quilting and after quilting to keep any stray strings, etc. from getting on the batting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnP Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 4 hours ago, quiltmonkey said: I don't have any suggestions except I did read a ways back on this forum that some people created a "hammock" to hold the quilt top in. It's basically fabric that is pinned to the leader that forms a pouch you can scrunch the quilt top inside that hammock. If it is what you prefer, do it, but I wouldn't want to push the quilt top into a hammock. I've been quilting for 10+years on my Millie. I have never floated my tops. I have always pinned them to the leaders because I like the tension control it gives me with the roller. Managing the quilt top in this way helps to smooth out any fullness, and it keeps the top from dangling onto the floor. The batting of course is dangling on the floor but my handy dandy vacuum is standing at the ready. My floor is vacuumed numerous times -- before quilting, during quilting and after quilting to keep any stray strings, etc. from getting on the batting. I dont float mine either. Too much fullness sometimes. This way is so much better! I vacuum so much too. and If I have to stop quilting, I throw my batting up nicely on the top quilt rail. It all works out great for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimerickson Posted December 26, 2017 Report Share Posted December 26, 2017 Kat: If you look at my posting on 9/29/2014 titled "Ult 2 Table Modifications", you can see my batting sling. If you look close, you'll see my aluminum tube threaded with stripped fabric. You can almost see my "U" brackets, and you can see that I've used white Velcro over the tube to keep it from being accidentally dislodged. PVC pipe would work for the "sling" support, but you'll have to use 1.5" diameter or larger size to get enough stiffness to hold it in place properly. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat quilts Posted December 27, 2017 Report Share Posted December 27, 2017 Thanks Jim. I’ll check that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.