Help In Loading a quilt - Baptist Fan

[apylinski]

Hello all you experts out there. I recently purchased used Baptist Fan groovy Boards. I want to use them on a 59x69" quilt.

I've been debating on how to load it. And it seems like I saw somewhere on here that I should load the quilt backing bottom side up to make sure the fans go the right way? Is that correct?

And while I'm asking can you load a quilt backer with selvages to the leaders or is it best to cut/tear them first?

Thanks for your help.

[Quilting Heidi]

Ann,

 

Yes you load bottom up.  I will pin selvages as long as they are fairly straight.  If it seems that it isn't rolling on the rollers without wrinkles then I'd tear.  Most of the time though I get away with just loading with selvages.

[Oma]

I echo Heidi.

[apylinski]

Great. Thank you so much. I think I will rip the selvedges off just in case.

I'll show pics when done.

[Gamache]

Could you just turn the groovy boards over rather than loading the quilt bottom up?

Chris

[RitaR]

I hate myself sometimes.. can anyone describe more for me what  "bottom side up"  means?

I just can't get it in my vision;  internal vision that is.

 

Thanks.. appreciate it very much.

 

Rita

[apylinski]

Rita - I should have said bottom of the quilt up, not bottom side up. It would make you confused.

Since you use the boards from the back of the longarm I loaded the bottom of the quilt top toward the take up roller instead of the top of the quilt.

Clear as mud??

And Chris - I'm not sure. Don't see why you couldn't turn them upside down...hmmm. Maybe someone who uses the RNS boards could jump in.

I bought these boards used and am jumping in without any instructions. Since I'm a visual person I found a YouTube video and watched it a few times before attempting. Going to start this week.

Will let you all know.

[jimerickson]

Thanks Ann for the clarification.  I'm like Rita, I couldn't picture what you were saying.  I think you could just rotate the long boards end for end and that would change the orientation of the pattern.  Good luck.  Jim

[Oma]

For the Baptist Fan board I found it easiest to just load my quilt with the bottom of it at the top.  I usually load my quilts vertically with the top of the quilt being what I pin onto the take-up roller.  I'm a visual person so this works best for me.  A lot of people load their quilts horizontally...I don't.  And if you are one of those people then just don't do it using the BF board.  Just imagine standing in front of your machine with the quilt top laying across your rollers with the top of the quilt furthest away from you and the bottom of the quilt closest to you.  With the BF just switch it around so the bottom of the quilt is at the top.  Pin it on then forget about it's direction.  Place your CL boards in the normal way.  This is easiest so you get a "flow" going.  Don't over think it.  It works.  I was a little apprehensive the first time I did a large quilt using the BF board, but I kept it simple and the quilt turned out beautifully.  Relax and go have fun with it. 

[dancing bear]

The main thing to remember is that the "fan" (look at your hand holding up 4 fingers --- the span across those 4 fingers are the "fan") needs to point UP when looking at the quilt.  I've seen quilts displayed with the fans pointing down. Historically, this is incorrect.   I let shop ladies know that it was upside down ... quick fix on this quilt, just take down and rehang right side up.   But if you have a definite UP to your quilt (panel, directional picture fabric, etc) then you need to be sure to load the quilt top correctly at the beginning.