Mary Beth Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 What's the secret?? I am having a heck of a time getting the lines to line up. I have a 20" block, so I am rolling back and forth...what a pain in the butt...(can I say that on line)....then my tension went kaplooie...I have not even quilted one block...not even half a block. So what is the secret to doing crosshatch? I'm using a ruler from over the edge (the Dawn Cavanaugh Crosshatch Ruler ) But I guess I don't know how to do this. I started in the top left corner of the block, then realized that I was off some, so I took out the stitches...then I started again in the lower left corner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyonden Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hi Mary Beth - If you don't have one of the Circle Lord templates, I find it easier to mark the start and stop spots before loading the quilt. You can also buy the tiger tape I think it's called that has the marks already on it and put it along the sides to use as guides. But, because you're already doing the square, can you make one line from upper left to lower right corner and use that line to add the others evenly spaced? Maybe some painters tape applied as that first line may be helpful. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hi Mary Beth, Sorry you're having a time of it! Here's how I'd do the cross hatch on your particular project: Since the block is so large and you can't accomplish all the lines without rolling back and forth, try marking all the lines first with an air-soluble pen. Just mark the diagonals in one direction to start, from upper left to lower right. Use the sashing as your spacing and go from the intersections of each sashing piece to the opposite side of the block. Now follow the lines and quilt all those you can reach on the first pass before you need to roll the quilt. Start with the first line that you can completely quilt that falls in the upper right quadrant of the block. Use the ditch between the block and sashing to get to the next line. If need be, you can sometimes speed up the process by stitching along the applique when you run into it as well, then back up along your marked line instead of jumping over it like we talked in an earlier post. Quilt this first line and then continue moving up toward the upper right corner of each block, following the lines you drew on the block. Do each block only partially as you did the first. Roll the quilt and continue following the lines, starting in the lower left corner and then quilting up toward the first line you completed in the first pass. Wait to do the other direction of the cross hatching until you've turned the quilt to do the side borders. Then do the process over again--draw the lines first, quilt those you can reach on all three blocks. Roll ahead and continue. In another lesson I'll teach you how to use that ruler when you don't have helpful sashing along the edges to use as your guide. I hope you got the tension fixed--let us know how it's going! Dawn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 I think the tension problem came from using a prewound bobbin that was too close to the end and I was stitching a diagonal line from bottom to top. I know going backward is not suppose to make a difference, but I think the end of the bobbin didn't help. Onward..Today is a new day!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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