The Machine Quilting Adventure Your quilts can be quilted on your home sewing machine. Discover the insider techniques for beautiful and easy machine quilting in The Machine Quilting Adventure. Your family and friends will think you paid a professional machine quilter to finish your quilt. They will be amazed when they discover you did it yourself! Careful, though, you may have them begging for you to finish theirs. |
Many quilters - me included - have quilt tops that have been waiting for some time to be finished.
Sometimes you just tired of working on a particular quilt. Someday all of those quilts will get finished. And this might be the year, since you might be able to finish the quilts without having to buy any fabric!
Maybe some quilts are waiting for layering and quilting. You have the backing, but not the inspiration for hand quilting, or the confidence to do the machine quilting yourself.
Whether you hand quilt or machine quilt is mostly personal preference and how the quilt will be used. If this is a baby quilt that will get a lot of use, you may decide that machine quilting is a perfect choice.
If the quilt is an heirloom quilt that you plan will be well cared for so it will last for generations, you may want to hand quilt it or take the quilt to a professional machine quilter.
Should you decide to do that, it helps to know the language of longarm machine quilters.
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| This TinLizzie18 machine quilter is a fairly typical set up for a longarm machine |
Before you talk to a machine quilter, you may want to think about the type of quilting design you would like on your quilt top.
Many machine quilters will have samples of their work that will give you an idea for a quilting design, so if you don't really know what type of design you want, they may be able to guide you.
You probably want to have a budget for the machine quilting in mind. How much quilting and finishing they do will determine the price, and if you are willing and able to do the binding, that may allow you to afford some more custom quilting.
Here are a few longarm quilting terms that might be useful:
Pantograph
One method of machine quilting a quilt is to stitch a design using a template. These templates can be acrylic, wooden or paper.
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This Baptist Fan template is from Quilt EZ and guides a machine quilter to sew this design on a quilt. It can be stitched all over the quilt top or just in particular places. |
There is a laser or stylus that follows the template and guides the quilter through the pattern.
The pattern can be stitched over the entire surface of the quilt, or you can select certain areas for the pantograph quilting.
Generally, though pantograph quilting is done over the entire quilt top, including the borders.
The machine quilter stitches in the area of the template, and then moves the template to the next area of the quilt and continues moving the template until the entire quilt is quilted.
There are hundreds (or maybe thousands) of patterns to choose from. Your machine quilter probably has a wide selection that would be appropriate for your quilt.
Overall Quilting Design
As you can imagine, an overall quilting design is quilting that covers the entire top of the quilt, just as quilting using the Pantograph.
However, the design is freehand rather than using a template, and the quilter designs the pattern as she goes. Hopefully she will consider the design of your quilt as she does the quilting, in order to enhance particular areas.
You might want to check out some of the quilts she has produced using this freehand method. You may discover that you love her designs, or you may want to stick with a pantograph design.
Edge to Edge Quilting
This is the same as Pantograph and Overall Quilting Designs. It is simply machine quilting that covers the entire quilt - from edge to edge, top to bottom - including the borders. Sometimes quilters shorten it to E2E.
Custom Quilting
As the name implies, this is having your quilt top quilted in a method that requires something even a little different from an overall design. For example, if you ask for the center of the quilt to be quilted freehand, and the borders to use a particular Pantograph design, that would be custom quilting.
Typically a machine quilter will charge a little more for this type of quilting, since it requires special attention.
Stitch in the Ditch
This is pretty much the same as stitch in the ditch for hand quilting. It generally follows the design of patches in blocks or blocks.
It is a little more difficult to stitch in the ditch on a longarm quilting machine than even a home sewing machine, so don't be surprised if there is an extra charge for this type of quilting. I would be sure to get some examples of the quilters' stitch in the ditch work. You don't want to be disappointed in the outcome.
Outline and Continuous Curve Quilting
Outline Quilting is where the stitching is about 1/4 inch away from the seam lines, and Continuous Curve Quilting is Outline Quilting, however instead of the lines being straight, they gently curve from one corner to another, creating a kind of scallop effect.
The advantage of the curve is that it creates some movement in your quilt and can smooth out some of the piecing that isn't quite as perfect as you would like it to be.
Stipple vs. Meandering
This is always confusing to me! Stippling is technically very close stitching that kind of looks like a jigsaw puzzle. Some quilter decided to make a rule that the stitching lines shouldn't cross. But that's the rule for shows, not for me.
Meandering is just like taking a random walk. It is quilting that can change from one place to another on the quilt top. You might have a star or group of stars in one place, then some puzzle piece-like shapes in another place, and possibly loops and swirls in other parts of the quilt.
Other Discussion topics for your machine quilter
There are yet a few other topics you should discuss with your machine quilter.
The actual design - get a good understanding of what the design will be; what is going to be sewn, where, and how large it will be
Thread - know what type and color of thread will be used on the quilt
Finishing the quilt - some machine quilters will bind your quilt as well. They may finish the entire binding, including stitching on the front and back of your quilt. Or they may machine stitch the binding on one side and let you close the binding. This might also be a place to save some money - if you want to bind the quilt yourself.
A work order - it's a good idea to get a copy of a work order that will describe the work the quilter will do; best get it clear before you leave the quilt rather than hassle about it when you come to pick it up.
Tips for preparing your quilt for a machine quilter
Clip threads - you might want to clip the threads on your quilt top and back. Anything left on will be quilted inside your quilt. Plus your quilt top will be placed on a roller or other support device on the quilting machine. You don't want any loose threads to catch on any of the equipment and rip your quilt top.
Backstitch seams that might come apart - generally you wouldn't backstitch any seams on your pieced quilt top. However, you may want to secure those seams for the machine quilter. If the seams come apart, they will be quilted that way - not a pretty picture!
Press your seams well - again, however the quilt top is met up with the batting is how it will be quilted. If your seams are not flat, you may end up with a lumpy quilt. It's a good idea to pres the seam on your backing open instead of to one side - your quilt will be flatter that way.
Backing and batting - many machine quilters provide the batting (at a cost). If you are providing the batting and the backing, be sure they are about 4 inches larger than the quilt top. As with hand quilting, the backing tends to shrink up as the quilt is quilted. Plus the quilting machine needs some extra fabric to secure the quilt as it is quilted. The extra around the side will ensure that the tension is correct, and your quilt top stays nice.
Remember, this is your quilt, and there are many machine quilters. Be sure that who you leave your quilt with is someone who will do a good job on your quilt. Check their work on other quilts, and ask for the phone numbers of others who they have quilted for - and then call those quilters!
Happy Quilting!
Penny is a quilter of more than 27 years who seeks to interest new
quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create
beautiful quilts.
Inspiration and Education for Beginning Quilters
www.Rag-Quilt-Instructions.com
Fast, Fun and Funky Quilts
www.Fabric-Postcards.com
Quilt Greetings Across the Miles
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©2009, Penny Halgren
