Casual Quilter

I am working on a quilt panel that has a large medallion in the center and numerous rectangles on the rest of the quilt top. It is approx. 52x72, high loft poly batting, flannel backing, top and bobbin are monopoly thread and it will be used as a bed quilt. I plan to start FM quilting the medallion in the center and radiate out from there. I will then do Ruler Work on the rest of the top. My concern is that I could create pleats on the backing. Should I have spray, pin or thread basted the quilt before loading it, or what????? Thank you for your suggestions.

Thank you, ffg-lar, for your great advise. I will certainly do research on the quilters that you mentioned. I appreciate that you took the time to answer my questions.

Does anyone know of any available training, whether it is on-line or classroom, that teaches the ins and outs of competitive long arm quilting? I am getting more complicated, competition level quilts and I feel like I need to know more long arm tricks and competition rules. Any ideas?

Wow, thank you for the advice. Yes I did baste the quilt but only when I noticed the stretching on the bottom of the quilt. Just another reason not to do T-Shirt quilts. I hope that spring has come to Montana. It will be edging up to the high 90's here in the Palm Desert this week. Thanks again.

I just finished a 54"w x 90"l T-shirt quilt, which ended up having a lot of fullness on the bottom border. Because I have a Lenni on a 12' frame I loaded the quilt with the length on the frame, instead of my normal procedure of loading by the width. That way I could do fewer passes and avoid the back of my Lenni's head hitting the quilt building up on the roller as I worked to the bottom of the quilt. Before loading the quilt, my measurements were 90"w on the top, middle and bottom of the quilt but it grew when I came to quilt the bottom border. The quilt stayed very straight throughout the quilting process and my panto was not a heavy stitching pattern. Any ideas about what went wrong and how I can avoid this problem in the future? Oh and I did baste the quilt when I saw that it was getting too much fullness.

Having a problem with a T-Shirt quilt. The sashing is not interfaced and is rippling when sewn to the interfaced t-shirt blocks, any suggestions. I am thinking about adding a light weight interfacing on the sashing, what do you think?

I have a Lenni and I have been using between 190-200 on the Towa gauge and my bottom thread is really small ugly stitches, what am I doing wrong? I have not been happy with my any of my stitches lately, does anyone have any advice about how to consistently get really pretty stitches top and bottom? I am beyond frustrated.

I have a Lenni and I have been using between 190-200 on the Towa gauge and my bottom thread is really small ugly stitches, what am I doing wrong? I have not been happy with my any of my stitches lately, does anyone have any advice about how to consistently get really pretty stitches top and bottom? I am beyond frustrated.

Has anyone got an idea why the 100% cotton fabric on a client's quilt keeps having pulled threads and the cut edges are fraying badly. I am using new needles and I even reduces the size from an NM 110/18 to a NM 100/16, but it still pulls threads. Thanks

Has anyone got an idea why the 100% cotton fabric on a client's quilt keeps having pulled threads and the cut edges are fraying badly. I am using new needles and I even reduces the size from an NM 110/18 to a NM 100/16, but it still pulls threads. Thanks

How many pre-wound (70yds ea) do you think that I would need on a king size (100 x 99) quilt? Is there a formula somewhere?

When I test my stitches on a scrap of bleached muslin on my quilt sandwich my top and bobbin stitches both look great on the sample. But when I quilt on the actual quilt top, the top stitches are perfect and the bobbin stitches are too tight. Any ideas? My quilt sandwich is not too taunt. Thanks for your help, it is appreciated.

When I test my stitches on a scrap of bleached muslin on my quilt sandwich my top and bobbin stitches both look great on the sample. But when I quilt on the actual quilt top, the top stitches are perfect and the bobbin stitches are too tight. Any ideas? My quilt sandwich is not too taunt. Thanks for your help, it is appreciated.

I have a Lenni (22" throat space) on a 12' frame, but when I am quilting a 92"+ quilt the back of the Lenni head keeps hitting the mass of the rolled up quilt. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I have a Lenni (22" throat space) on a 12' frame, but when I am quilting a 92"+ quilt the back of the Lenni head keeps hitting the mass of the rolled up quilt. Any suggestions? Thanks!