thatgothchick Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 im not new to fabric - i make my own clothes. the problem is that i want to make a full - size quilt for my college dorm but my i dont think my sewing machine is built to sew clothes. actually, i have no idea. it\'s a scandanavia 100. i know it can sew layers, that\'s not the problem. im worried that if i sew all the quilt blocks together and try to sew the three layers (blocks, batting, and backing) all the material will end up squished up on the right side of my machine. i was originally thinking of making a quilt \'sandwich\' and just sewing the blocks together like that, but then the bottom of the quilt would look messy. the bottom line is: how do i secure batting to a quilt without a special quilting sewing machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 You could use spray baste and/or hand baste it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeoldeforest Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 http://quilting.about.com/ This is where I learned a lot about quilting and techniques...at least initially from the web. Then the disease kicks in and you have to buy quilting magazines and books and eventually a long arm quilting system. If you get addicted, it will happen very fast... Oh, safety pins are your best friend with a domestic sewing machine. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melora Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 hi, If you use a thin bat like warm and natural it will work this is what I did for 10 years. If you use a thick battting it wwill not I would tape my backing to the floor with masking tape (do not stretch) all the way around. then tape the batting an inch over the top of the back, then the top of the quilt same thing. When it all taped down I would pin with saftey pins that look like they are pregnant. The rule of thumb about a handprint apart. Once it is pinned you peel off the tape. How to fit it through you machine get tricky. I would roll mine start from the middle then move out ward. Good luck Melora Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgothchick Posted May 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 hm... that website helped somewhat. ive seen quilts with a whole bunch of stitching running through it. is that necessary or just for decoration? what if i just sew a big X over the quilt? will that keep the batting in place? and, again - how do i fit that monsturous piece of cloth through my machine diagonally? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 You will only work on a section at a time....so if you start in the middle and work only a quarter of it each time you will soon have it done. Machine basting or basting with spray glue would be the only way to go. If you use the Spray Glue, get the Sullivan\'s Basting spray, its the best on the market and will not come out of the quilt until you wash it. The other have a life period of days or weeks so if you take longer to quilt the whole thing you might have to spray a couple of times before you finish sewing. Work in small sections.... and take in just what you can work on.....push out more towards the back of the machine instead of trying to cramp it all inside your working area. You need pictures I can try to find some and post them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgothchick Posted May 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 what do i do after i baste it? can i just leave it like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 If its spray basted it not going anywhere...all three layers will be as solid as if they were already quilted. IF you hand baste I would go cross to each corner and then in quarters...with stitches about 2-4 inches long.....this will shift some, but not much...leave the stitched in till you are done and then pull out the long stitches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgothchick Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 here are pictures of the quilt so far: heh lets see if i did it right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Its going to be a very pretty crazy patch when its put together...how are you planning to quilt it...totally in the ditch or a background fill.....just wondering. The following photo is of a quilt that was glue basted and in the process of being quilted...I\'m working just a bit at a time and it goes very well....I have done up to king size quilts this way...don\'t like it, but its do able. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatgothchick Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 in the ditch? background fill? i dont know these quilting terms... i figured id just sew straight down the middle to keep the batting in place. nothin special. ...unless you have cooler ideas that i can do with my simple, non - quilting machine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 You may have to go to the library and look for a How To quilting book to get started. Fonz & Porter has one that has been out for a long time and answers alot of your questions with pictures along with the terms so that you can see what it is that they are talking about. A picture is worth a thousand words. You could just bast it, however, if you break the thread, well, you have a 3 layer pile of fabric & batting. You really need to stitch it more heavily to keep the batting from bunching up. I would try the library and look for a A-Z quilting book. And some quilting magazines have basic directions in every issue, but I can\'t remember which one it is. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hi Goth Chick! The terms "in the ditch" mean topstitching along the seam lines (ditch). Background fill means a small or medium sized stipple or overall design that will basically be freehand meandering (squiggles) all across the quilt top (not in the ditch). Before I got my longarm, I\'ve quilted lots of quilts using only my sewing machine. It can be done by starting in the middle and working out. After you finish one side, flip it the other way and start from the middle and work out. Yes, you scrunch it in your machine but it is possible to do it with a little diligence and determination. On smaller wallhanging size quilts I used the spray baste. On larger bed quilts, I used safety pins and pinned every 5 inches. You have to pin a lot to keep the fabric and batting from shifting otherwise you\'ll have pleats and puckers and it will look yukky. ((( or you can send it to your local friendly longarm quilter and they will quilt it for you!))) :cool: Anyway, enjoy your project and I know it will turn out great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hi Goth Chick, I agree with everyone else. I do a lot of small quilts on my domestic (regular) sewing machine. I spray bast the layers together and add some safety pins. You need more then one seam to hold the batting. If you only sew the quilt down the middle to hold the batting, it (batting) will bunch up and move through your washings. It\'s fairly easy to "stitch in the ditch" on a regular machine. I would do as Shana said start in the middle and work to the left or right then turn and do the other side. Your quilt is cute, I can\'t believe you did it without any lessons or a book. The ladies and gents on here are great at helping others but all agree that you should get a good book on quilting to assist you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.A Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 Hi Goth Chick... it seems that you still need an answer to your question \'is the quilting stitch necessary or decorative?\'. The answer is YES...the quilting stitch that holds the three layers (top, batting & backing) together is both decorative AND functional. Not necessary for small art quilts but, for your bed quilt or any quilt that will be washed, it is definitely needed. Each brand of batting is different...the label will tell you if the lines of quilting stitches need to be 2 or 3 or 8 inches apart. Use fewer lines of quilting than recommended and the batting will likely shift or break up when the quilt is washed. Most of us began machine quilting on our domestic sewing machines. I am not familiar with your machine brand but, if you plan to do straight line quilting, you should check with your dealer to see if a walking foot is available for your model. It helps the machine move the top layer of fabric through at the same time that the feed dogs are moving the bottom layer through. For anything other than straight line quilting, you need another kind of foot and to drop your feed dogs...more creative certainly but it takes time to master. And you should match your needle to the weight of your thread but use at least a size 80/12 and a sharp, not a universal needle. Hope this helps, Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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