You are not logged in. Login or create an account
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 27, 2008, 2:11 PM
|
|
Just wanted to celebrate finishing a huge bed quilt that my sit-down machine did beautifully. It was a "clean out the clutter" quilt started on New Years Day and was finished at the end of May. I basically took every scrap I had from shop samples, class samples and even garment fitting muslins and chopped them into 2 1/2" squares. I didn't worry about color, pattern or even grain. I serged the squares together thinking that I could overdye the blocks if the colors were too icky but I didn't need to do that. The quilt ended up being 120" x 120" I did straight line quilting on my HQ...that was a learning experience but I felt I learned a lot about in the process. I had plenty of space with the machine and a "home engineered" shoe racks provided the extra space needed to keep the quilt from dropping to the floor. I am thinking of a couple of custom table extensions to the sides of my table...but with a lip or small shelf that keeps the quilt from droppin off the edge of the extensions. What are some of you doing to expand your table area? |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 27, 2008, 3:34 PM
|
|
Your quilt is lovely. I have not done anything like that on my sit down HQ16 but I am wondering if you could describe the stitch in the ditch process a little more. Did you just guide the quilt so that you would stitch in the ditch or did you use any kind of ruler? I am quite impressed. I have not solved the issue of table extension space yet. I would like something that I could use in that capacity and also for cutting which would mean I would need to be able to vary the height. I have not solved the problem yet. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 27, 2008, 4:24 PM
|
|
Quiltgeek- I did try using a ruler from the HQ accessories. It was small, about 3 x 8. I had used it previously on smaller projects with some success to guide the needle along a straight line. However, this project was so large that I didn't feel that I had the ability to move the quilt and still use the ruler. I basically quilted the straight lines in a vertical manner rather than side to side. I would start at the "top" of the quilt at the mid point and quilt pushing the quilt away from me, then would move sideways to the next row and stitch from the bottom UP. The latter was actually more difficult and some of the quilting was certainly humble but I eventully learned 3 key things (for me). When starting, the first stitch was critical and if pushing the quilt AWAY from me, I would slightly tug with my fingers in order to get the quilt moving right at the beginning. If I quilted moving the quilt TOWARD me, I would slightly tug with my thumbs. Starting this way allowed me to keep the stitches moving in the desired direction right from the start and not wobble around by trying to move the quilt primarily using my arms. There was more finger movement than I previously had done before. Lastly, I looked AHEAD of the needle rather than focusing on the needle point only. This is something that Diane Gaudynski stresses all the time on her web site and it made a big difference for me. I didn't have to look all the way down the row, just ahead of the needle. It was sort of like, "I can walk a straight line for just a little bit..." If you get a table extension inspiration, please let me know! |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 27, 2008, 8:14 PM
|
|
Cheryl, What a beautiful way to use your scraps. You did a fantastic job on the quilting too! I think I might be inspired to go through my scraps! Thank you for sharing your pictures, it is a lovely quilt. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 29, 2008, 5:15 PM
|
|
CherylKT, I was looking at your quilt again and I was just wondering how did you put your quilt sandwich together. Did you spray baste, pin baste or what? Also how long did it take you to do the quilting? I have a couple of large quilts and was wondering if I wanted to tackle them. I bet you are an expert with your HQ 16 now. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 30, 2008, 5:06 AM
|
| Cheryl Did you ever count the number of squares in your beautiful quilt? I think I have been inspired to do a bit of "cleaning" myself. I like the serger idea. It's one of those forehead slapping thoughts(Why didn't I think of that?). Thanks for sharing |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: June 30, 2008, 12:59 PM
|
|
Grandmapeg- I did count them but not as I was cutting. At that stage, I was just chopping up everything in sight. The blocks consisted of 16 2 1/2" squares - 4 rows of 4 blocks for a finished size of 8" (8 1/2" from cut edge to cut edge). The quilt was 15 rows by 15 for a quilt measuring 120" square. In all, 3,600 squares. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: July 1, 2008, 5:31 AM
|
|
Cheryl, My problem with that is I would still have fabric left over. I'm a fabricolic. I admit it and have loads of fun with it. It's so much fun to go to my sewing room and pull a quilt out of my stash. It almost feels like it is "free". Almost. Again, beautiful quilt. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: July 1, 2008, 11:51 AM
|
|
re: expanding the sewing area. i actually like to keep my quilts somewhat contained. rather than moving the weight of the entire quilt, i like to bunch up an area around the needle - it makes sort of a big bowl - and then just move the smaller part inside. i've put rails up around the edge of my table to keep the quilt from falling over the edge. i've also rounded out the front of the table with batting covered with clear vinyl. the quilt slides over the front edge much more easily now than it did with over the original squared off edge. i don't generally make bed sized quilts, so i don't know whether this would work for something that size. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: July 1, 2008, 3:58 PM
|
|
Mareeneilh- Thanks so much for your picture. The rails on the sides and back were exactly the idea that I had in mind. Since I do a lot of larger quilts, I may have someone make a similar table that fits around the main table but with the side rails like yours. I don't quite get the batting in the front. Does that keep the quilt from falling off the table front or is it like your own type of teflon slider? I saved the picture for whomever I get to make my table. Thanks again. |
|
HQ sit-down and large quilts
Posted: July 2, 2008, 9:39 AM
|
|
i put the batting on the front to soften the sharp right angle. the vinyl over the batting gives it glide - yes, in a teflon like way. so that batting changes the shape and the vinyl changes the texture. i get frustrated when the quilt gets caught up on the edge when i'm pushing it away from me, and this configuration has really helped to eliminate that problem. i may eventually re-work the top of another sewing desk and put the hq16 in it. i'm debating whether to put it farther back from the edge. i'm also debating whether to orient it front to back or side to side like a regular sewing machine. |
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
See our clips on YouTube