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To float or not to Float?


QuiltsbyNini

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I have a very Newbie kind of question.

Other than the time to pin/attach a quilt, what are the advantage/disadvantages of full float, partial flat, or not floating at all?

If I ever get my machine working again, I'd love to know what you experts think. I've not been floating, simply because what little written instructions I have said to do that. I've been reading the posts about partial float and full float and it set inquiring minds in motion...

Thanks for all your help!

Jeanne Morris

Monroe, GA

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I do what I think is called a partial float. I pin the bottom edge of the quilt top onto the roller, then at the top, I run a straight line of stitching across my batting and backing, line the top edge of the top along that line and stitch across that edge. I like the control that I have over the tightness or looseness of the top by having it on a roller. But I have done one quilt with a full float and it turned out okay too. I\'m just more comfortable by having it on the roller, plus I don\'t have the quilt top hanging down; it\'s safely out of the way on the roller.

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I too partial float like Lynn..it works best for me. I then may or may not release it before I get to the bottom...it all depends on whether I am going to have bunny ears at the bottom. If the corners are going to stay in place I don\'t release but sometimes the bottom corners pull and I need to so they lay flat. I have done several full floats, but there were special quilts with special issues....

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I run the basting line on the batting, line up the top edge and baste it down and let the bottom just drape down. I made a \'hammock\' thing that holds the batting and the top off the floor. Not sure if this is a partial or full float???

I machine baste one side as I go and pin the opposite. I alternate this with each pass. I used to machine baste both sides but found I was sometimes pushing fullness ahead of the stitching and no place for it to go. By pinning the side I am heading toward I can ease that fullness out of it moving pins as necessary. When I get toward the bottom of the quilt I pin in four or five places across then run a light basting stitch on the bottom before doing the last row.

Works for me. I used to pin the top to both rollers and I was not happy with the results as I tend to overstretch them.

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Jeanette,

You are doing a full float. That is my preferred method. Like Bonnie, I too, had bunny ears at the bottom corners until I switched to the full float. I don\'t worry too much about the quilttop on the floor, it is back away from my feet. I do have to be careful to sweep up all my threads from the previous quilt before I load the new quillt so the threads don\'t get pulled up into the quilt. I use a small push broom on the carpet and that just grabs the thread.

I would like to see a photo of that hammock thing you do, though. That sounds interesting.

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I do not float (at least I would not call what I do a float).

I measure the middle of the quilt going across. Say it is 100 inches. Then I pin the top to the bottom roller. First I take my tape measure and mark a pin 50 inches out from the center and I will then pin to that place instead of just pinning without a measure. Once pinned I roll it up and then pin the bottom to the two rollers. I will then attach the batting to the pick up roller useing my horizonal lock so I have a straight line. Now I take the top and again measure 50 inches from each side and pin with a few pins to hold in place and baste across the top. If the quilt is not perfectly straight across the top I can work with it to do what I need to at this time.

I can then pull the top roller up each time I advance and straighten the batting and get the top nice but not tight. When I get to the end say about 18 inches to go I will get it all pulled taught and at this time I will pin the top to the backing batting layer. If it is not staight I can get it in the correct position at this time.

I want to get one of those tape measures that had a mark in the center so I can pin and baste the sides to the exact measure as I go as well.

The only time I will not pin the top the top roller is if the quilt is fragile like an antique or handpieced, odd shaped or very small.

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Gable,

I have a longhaired mini doxie... she thinks she has to be in the studio anytime I am. I\'ve used some of my practice pieces to make her a bed up there! As soon as I pull the cover off, she knows I\'m staying a while and gets settled in!

I see a lot of you do a partial float or maybe a mini float. I\'m still not 100% sure what the advantages are...

I can see a time savings, but it really doesn\'t take me that long to pin a quilt on. I don\'t have very much problems getting them straight and even (so far I\'ve only quilted my own tops), and I make extra sure that they are not stretched too tight.

Thanks for any info you have given me!

Jeanne Morris

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Hi,

I prefer doing a full float also. But what I did was put the centering tape on my bar so that everytime I roll the quilt I can make sure I am keeping it square. If the quilt is relatively square to begin with, I just pin baste the sides as I go along.

If the quilt is way off on measurements, I usually baste the sides as I go along and work in the fullness. I baste so I don\'t scratch myself on the pins as I am manipulating the fabric.

Char

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