b.glass Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 I am curious as to how most of you baste your quilt top or even if you do. I'm collecting information to share with my New Mexico longarm group next week and would appreciate any input, advice, tips, or worsd of wisom you could share. Do you baste the quilt top only? From the middle to the sides at the top? From side to side? Do you bast the sides of your qult top down or up? Thanks, Beth b.glass@lobo.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Hi Beth I just baste the outside edges as I advance but then I don't do show or heirloom quilts. I recently watched someone baste a complete quilt using a laser square. She was doing it for show so she making sure the borders were straight and the blocks square and any fullness was kept where it belonged, but she is also a certified judge. We do some work for a pattern designer who shows at Quilt Market each year and her stuff is always flat and square and Brenda just ditches as she comes to the blocks. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCS Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Beth if you are making utility type quilts the channel locks on your machine work great for keeping the quilt straight and then you can just pin baste as you go. Don't know if this would work for show quilts. Saundra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Since it's easier for me (and in my opinion, better) to stabilize each quilting field as I get to it, the stabilizing I do is with pins. On rare occasions I need to distribute fullness in a block or a border and then I may thread-baste just that area. I also think that stabilizing with pins works better when you plan SID seams first and then quilt within blocks or borders. I never saw the advantage to sewing with big stitches, sewing again with small stitches, and the taking out the big stitches-- when pinning will accomplish the same thing and you remove the pins as you get to them. Like many others, I don't do a lot of show quilts and would be very diligent with squaring and fullness if I knew the quilt was to be entered in a show. There are so many different ways to accomplish the same goal when quilting. Having many options is great, though you may (and should) discard those that don't work for you. If you're giving a talk, give instructions for thread basting, pin basting, stabilizing with SID, etc. As for where to start your basting/stabilizing? The only time I started in the middle was with one Judy Niemeyer quilt where the center was impossibly mountainous. I thread-basted inside the piecing to distribute the fullness, SIDed the seams, and worked out from the center. I had pin-basted the outside corners so the top was square on the rollers and patted the top down and pinned a bit so the center would be in the approximate center. Starting this way (if the top is wonky) may leave you at the end with an un-square quilt. Depends mostly on the piecing and whatever corrective measures you take as you advance out from the center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltermidwife Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 If basting for a hand quilter, can I ask what stitch set up people use and how you might go about it. I'm not sure what I do is the best as I've never read anything on it. Thanks Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted May 31, 2015 Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Chris One method I've done is to run the machine manual fairly slow and move the machine at a speed to get three to four stitches per inch. Use wash away thread or a contrasting colour thread with poor tension to make it easy to remove. Some people use a stepping pattern over up over down repeat and others use more of a wave pattern. My Ultimate 1 has the intellistitch and that has a half inch and one inch basting stitch built in. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.glass Posted May 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2015 Thanks Everyone for your input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted June 1, 2015 Report Share Posted June 1, 2015 I machine baste with Penni on the longest stitch possible. With a Wonky quilt top, I use the needle up/down feature. I seem to be able to distribute the fullness better this way, also. I can't pin due to arthritis and my first finger doesn't touch the thumb in a way I can pick up or use a pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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