Answer: learn to drape the quilt on the table. So you ask, what about when I need to start with the quilt in my lap to quilt, for example, a border from one edge to the other. When you have quilted across the valley, stop! Re-arrange the quilt to form a new valley, and continue. You only have to quilt and move the valley, not the entire (heavy!) quilt. The rest of the quilt is gathered up into hills around the valley. I will slide the quilt under the presser foot, then smoosh (a technical term) the quilt until there is a valley or puddle…a flat, low spot… around the presser foot and needle. I generally also work from the center of a quilt, especially a large one, out to the edges. I use what I call the “Puddle” or “Hills and Valleys” method of quilting. Prevent accidents like this by removing the pull of gravity! Sewing machine needles are actually flexible, and if the pull happens as the needle is headed down into the throatplate, it is all too easy to bend the needle just enough to cause it to slam into the plate and break. Why you wonder? Gravity! Even a small corner of the quilt over the edge will cause the quilt to pull. If you have a small table or desk, you can place an ironing board adjusted to the same height, a bookcase, boxes or other items to create a temporary but larger surface. If you are using the sewing machine with extension table on top of another table (for example the dining room table, which is how I sewed for eons), have the quilt on the acrilyc extension and dining table, but not dripping over the edges of the dining table. You want ALL of the quilt to be supported, with none of it hanging off the sides of the table or the back edge of the table. Now, take your quilt to the sewing machine. So give yourself permission to learn and practice and play. To excel at anything takes practice, including quilting. Running out too soon is aggravating! And another next: Practice-Play! if you are a beginner, give yourself permission to BE a beginner! Do not expect that you will be able to create prizewinning quilting on your first, or even your fifth, quilt. Eliminate this “issue” by cleaning and proper basting.įinally, make sure your bobbin has plenty of thread. If you spray baste, please follow the instructions on the can failure to do so can lead to sticky residue seeping through the backing fabric which will also make it harder for you to move the quilt. Spray a cloth or paper towel (away from the machine) and clean the surfaces. Your quilt will slide more smoothly if you clean first. These oils also end up on the table tops. You know how fingerprints leave smudge marks on glasses? The smudges come from the oils in our skin (even dry skin!). Next: clean the surface of your extension table and working table. If your body isn’t comfortable and in a healthy posture, you’ll be thinking “Ow” not “where is my next stitch going.” You want your thighs to be fully supported and your lower legs, from the knee down, to be at right angles to your thighs, with feet flat on whatever (box/step/floor). If raising the chair seat causes your feet to not reach the floor, find a box or unused exercise step to place in front of you. When you put your hands on the machine, did that raise your shoulders? If so, put a pillow on the chair (or raise it up if your chair is adjustable) until your upper arms are parallel with your torso and your forearms are at right angles to the upper arm and flat on the machine surface. Place your hands on the surface of the machine, where the quilt will be. Sit properly: Please sit down at your sewing machine. Now it’s time to take a big breath, exhale, relax your shoulders and begin. Now make a practice sandwich to fine tune tension (if needed), check how the thread looks on the quilt when stitched, and for warm-ups. You have your quilt top, you’ve basted the quilt well, you’ve chosen your thread, selected the correct needle. Part 3 will be posted soon! OK, so you’ve gotten all the “getting ready to quilt” stuff done. This is Part 2 in a series of three articles by Sarah Ann Smith.
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