JoAnnHoffman Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Has anyone ever used their channel locks to square up their quilts? I just finished a wholecloth for a wedding gift. I used a feathered pantograph on raw silk. For the first time I used the pink centering tape on my machine and I was real accurate about making sure the quilt rolled up straight following the markers. After the quilt was finished I used my horizontal locks to give me a straight stitched line across the top and bottom of the quilt. This would be my cutting line. The edge of my quilt top was at 48.50 inches from the center so I channel locked my hopping foot (horizontal and vertical) right in front of the pink tape at 47 inches at the front of my machine. I use my motorized advance feed foot pedal and my yellow button basting stitch to make about one inch basting stitches all the way down the quilt. Advance a little, stitch, advance and stitch. I did the same procedure on the right side of the quilt. After I took it off the machine and cut along these lines it was amazingly accurate and square. It was a lot easier than doing it the old fashion way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 :cool:JoAnn - It sounds like you did this after you stitched out the Panto. Is this right? I have used my channel locks to stitch a quilt top to the batting & backing, but always before I stitched. I think that this sounds like a "Very Good" way to get a square quilt. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renae Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Sounds like a great idea to me, and alot easier. Thanks JoAnn for the heads up, I am going to give it a try. Renae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted September 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 After the whole quilt was done I did the squaring up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 What a great tip! Thanks for sharing, dear JoAnn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lharnish Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Great idea! Thanks! Lorraine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Great idea - thanks. Have been using the channel locks as I go, but think it will be best in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Patten Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Hay JoAnn I square up all my quilts on the machine... I don't have a channel lock so I have to clamp the back of my machine base or rails with my quilt clamps but it works great and I know from start to finish that I am keeping my thread art quilts as straight as can be ... so I don't have to do the whole wetting and stretching thing when I'm done.:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Sew Simple Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Now, Sue, I am going to have to do what you have described. I'll find some threads on clamping the machine (when you don't have a channel lock). Glad to know it can be done without a lock. Sylvia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eswindy Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 This forum is always full on new idea's... Keep them up for us just learning. My next trip out to the hills I have to stop and see you Joann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Thanks Joann I'd never thought of using a channel lock vertical and horizontal lines on the batting as a guide for trimming. How did you use your pink centering tape? Where did you place/attach it? I have one but haven't used it yet. I intend to completely longarm baste my next quilt using the channel locks, then use Bonnie's steam method to shrink the excess fabric. I have a large 109" applique, centre medallion onpoint, top that I bought on ebay last year that I haven't had time to quilt yet. It seems to have quite a bit of excess fabric through the centre. I'll attach it to zippers so I can take it off when I need to take a break during the real quilting. I think this one needs 1" cross-hatching. I promise to post pics when its finished - sometime late next year! Off to check out Sue P's designs on your site! Sue in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETownsend Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 JoAnn, What is the pink centering tape that you mentioned? I got my millie in April, but it did not have a pink centering tape. Do you know where I can purchase one? Evelyn in Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenni Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Myrna Ficken sells them from her website. This thread is the reason I read this chat daily. I never thought to use the pink tape as you have. I have just been using it to place designs. I never thought to use it to roll the quilt on. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Evelyn, it's a long pink tape measure with 0 in the center. Myrna sells them and some LQS have them. I have a couple but wasn't sure the best place to put it on my machine. I also like the one Georgene had on her level bar (large numbers). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Joann, Like everybody else has said this is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplydivine Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I bought the pink measuring tape at MQS, but when I got home, coulnd't find a good place to secure it on my table, close to the quilt top. where did you place it on your machine? (I have a millie w/ 12' table) Curious minds want to know!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I put in in the very front of my machine in front of the 2nd roller. Use the velcro so you can take it on and off if you want. I had it forever and never used it till yesterday. It has little pink slider pointers to keep your quilt on track as you roll. Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I have tried using my vertical channel locks as a guide on where to baste down the sides of quilts, but found after rolling it to the next spot, the place where I last basted it had moved from where the vertical channel lock spot was. I decided that it had to do with the fact that the quilt sandwich does drape a bit and after each roll the drape is not exactly the same as the previous drape. I will try the channel lock idea again, but if anyone has thoughts about this, I'd like to hear them. The other issue is that no quilt is square, being made from fabric, and I have decided to make the quilt generally square, rather than fussing with the pulling and tugging it takes to get an unsquare quilt square -- shouldn't that be the piecers responsibility?; otherwise, I would need to charge custom if I'm going to spend the time. My decision on how much time to put into doing this depends on the intended use of the quilt and the customer. Thoughts? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Originally posted by LadyLake I have tried using my vertical channel locks as a guide on where to baste down the sides of quilts, but found after rolling it to the next spot, the place where I last basted it had moved from where the vertical channel lock spot was. I decided that it had to do with the fact that the quilt sandwich does drape a bit and after each roll the drape is not exactly the same as the previous drape. I will try the channel lock idea again, but if anyone has thoughts about this, I'd like to hear them. The other issue is that no quilt is square, being made from fabric, and I have decided to make the quilt generally square, rather than fussing with the pulling and tugging it takes to get an unsquare quilt square -- shouldn't that be the piecers responsibility?; otherwise, I would need to charge custom if I'm going to spend the time. My decision on how much time to put into doing this depends on the intended use of the quilt and the customer. Thoughts? Thanks! I had this problem too and realized it was cause I was leaning on the back roller bar and moving the sandwich slightly. Now I'm very careful not to touch the rollers as I'm working my way down the machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I used this method on my own quilt. I used it to square a finished quilt not baste edges down. Not good to use channel lock for basting vertically as you quilt, remember your quilt shrinks as you sew, so your sides will draw in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katnap Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Great instructions JoAnn....thanks for sharing...can't wait to try it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2kwilt Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 You have to find out where the center of the quilt is suppose to be to begin with. Then I put a mark on the pattern grid on the table and line up the machine each time I roll it. No quilt top is perfectly square before you quilt it, but if you figure out what it is supposed to be before hand you can do a pretty good job of easing fullness in, in some spots, and doing a little stretching in others. I have had quilts that were awful and I didn't worry too much since there is only so much a LA quilter can do. We have a saying around here--we can do miracles, but we can't raise the dead!!! LOL! Luv2kwilt Millennium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I have the pink centering tape and really like it. I have mine at the very edge of the velcro at the very front of the machine. I measure my quilt just like I would measure to put a border on, top, middle, and bottom to get an average width. I set my outside markers at that measurement and then put the little markers at different points on the quilt top that "should" line up all the way down the quilt, like the borders and block edges and, of course, the center. I do mostly pantos and they like to shift the quilt to the side, but the centering tape helps me keep the quilt straight. And, I do have to remind myself quite often that quilts are not perfect. Every piecer holds their mouth differently when sewing the quilt tops together...even me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 I love painters tape - since I float my tops - I wrap a piece of painters tape around the front roller bar for the quilt top - with each advance I make sure that the quilt is square and the edges come to the pieces of tape. I also generally lightly press a fold down the center of the quilt. Have a piece of painters tape in the middle of the bar. Between the center mark on the bar and the outside edge marks it is easy to advance the quilt and keep square. I use the channel locks at the top and the bottom of the quilt. If I have to take a quilt off (have zippers) I can write on the tape the quilt name and then I know I will get everything back in its place when I reload. So far this has worked. I have my centering tape on the leveling bar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Patten Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Hay Sylvia I am going back to the studio tonight to try and finish up my Oct. class samples so I will take some pics of how I use my clamps and post them later tonight so you can see what I mean and how easy it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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