[Quilting a Bargello]

Gail I took you advise and switched the direction I loaded the top - and I am DONE! Thanks for the vote of confidence. 

[Quilting a Bargello]

Now I'm thinking if I take it off, cut the backing to the width of the machine and rotate the top I can maybe load it in the other direction... oh decisions 

 

[Quilting a Bargello]

Thanks. It doesn't fit the other way... too long. 

[Quilting a Bargello]

 

I have pieced this quilt and think that I want to quilt simple waves - following the direction of the waves. I have it loaded (backing is the same navy blue as the border) I have several questions. I've had my Lenni about 2 years now and am getting better with it but am still learning.

Can I baste the whole thing down (just the edges or lines through the quilt?) 

Should I quilt my waves as far as I can go in each row - and then do lots of starts and stops before advancing the quilt?

Should I quilt each wave by quilting as far as I can and then advancing the quilt, causing me to advance and re-roll the whole thing many times? (I figure I can do one wave down and one up but still it is a lot of moving the quilt)

Or should I give up and do something else? 

Oh and I had to buy a king size batting - the quilt is 96 inches across and the backing is 108. My batting is 120. Should I trim that first or just let the extra hang over the edges (making clamping the sides trickier) 

And lastly I think I want to stitch in the ditch around the lighter border and then I'm stumped for what to do in the darker one - it is a navy batik with light blue swirls - maybe trace the swirls? 

THANK YOU! This one intimidates me as I love it and want to do it justice. 

Chrissie Devinney