Any quilting experts out there?

[Lucy]

I am nearly finished hand-sewing together about 3000 patchwork hexagons........the patchwork it is a thing of beauty, even if I do say so myself!

And I get that I have to border it ,and back it. And I get than I then lay quiting material between the patchwork and the backing.

But if I want to "quilt" it, can I do that on a sewing machine? (Just a bog standard Janomi)? Or do I have to spend the next 20 years hand quilting??!!

If anyone can help, I'd love to know my options!

[{sarah}]

I think with a quilt that size you're going to have to hand quilt it. Think about how much fabric you'd have bunched up when you're quite the very middle if that makes sense? You know the part that is the right hand side of the needle? There's not much space there for a lot of fabric. I'm not a quilter, but I think that would cause problems.

Or ask Fi She's definitely a quilter & she'd be able to tell you.

[Fi]

Firstly let me say congrats for doing this. Its a huge job, and I've love to see a photo!!!
I have soem hexagons too, probably about that many as well (it will be queenzized when its done).
Easiest thing to do is to pop into your local quilt shop and ask them about machine quilters that they recommend in the area.
Most shops have 4-5 names that they will give you. Contact them and tell them what you have, and ask about waiting times. Usually its about 6w for most services??

Then get it ready. What they have is a long arm quilting machine. The quilt gets rolled up in its sandwich (top, batting, backing) and then quilted in strips, and rolled out further. Its really great - not cheap, but by far the easiest way to get a quilt on your bed.

Now you can hand quilt it too, but that will take a long time. It will make it very very special, a family heirloom so to speak, but if you are anything like me it will be sitting there forever waiting to be done.

Again, your local patchwork shop will help you get started. You will have to buy a hoop (for tensioning the area you are quilting), nice thread and good needles, maybe even a thimble, and you are away.

To pay for someone to machine quilt a queen sized quilt its about $150-250 or so, depending on their charges.
If you go this way, make sure you see their work first cause there are a few cowboys out there. If they are recommended to you though, should be fine.

And no - you can't really do it on your janome. Well you can, but you might make mistakes which would suck. You are better to practise on a smaller project first like a lap quilt or a cot quilt.

Any q's send me an email or a PM.

Fi

[Lucy]

Oh my.........Fi, you are an expert! I never knew you were a quilter!

And I am amazed that I can go and get all the quilting done by someone else! I have to investigate the local haberdashers to get a name, I think. This patchwork of mine has been a labour of love for 27 years. How ridiculous! I started it at age 11.............and all of the material/fabrics are from England, & as yet I haven't built a relationship with a new haberdasher....

You know the bit I am really looking forward to?! Taking all the paper peices out, washing it, & irroning it to see how it really looks.......(then I will take snaps and post them!)


Fi/Sarah, thanks so much for your input.......

I have a little lap quilt that I have finished....just in 4" squares. I might have a play on my machine to see if I can quilt with the machine on a smaller project.

[melbel]

With that many squares it would e=definitely be too big to go through a domestic macine but with your little one you can that quite easily by experimenting with free running on your machine. To free run you need to remove the foot (or get a quilting foot that has just a circle hole for the needle but sits just above the fabric noy acytually on it IYKWIM)) and then lower the feed dogs on your machine...pop some test fabric underneath and experiment with designs to your hearts content. A word of wisdom don't try to go too fast cos the thread will snap a lot easier with you going in all different directions...Have FUn!!!

[Fi]

Further to Mel - if you want to machine quilt you need what is called a "Stippling foot" which allows you to freestyle quilt. Good for highlighting small areas, but you wouldn't do it all over. So thats the foot which mel is talking about.
Or you need a walking foot, which is an investment, but its fantastic as it actually holds the layers together for when you are doing straight lines. They are wonderful - I wouldn't be without mine for machine quilting.

Its so funny Lucy - I started my hexagon quilt when I was 11 too!! And its mostly sewn together, but I need to do the borders. I was going to do about 2 hexagon thickness of whites and creams and off whites, then another 2-3 hexagons of coloured fabrics, then put it together. The most amazing thing is my stitching. From when I was really young, the hand stitching is atrocious, but it gets better as I get older. Thats why I'll get mine machine quilted in an all-over pattern casue it will hold it all together.

And as for being an expert, well I'm not that, but I have lived with this stuff since I was a kid. Mum has one of the biggest shops in Australasia, and has built it up from when I was about 6-7. So I know all about most things to do with the craft


ETA - meant to say if you are machine quilting you need lots of pins!!!!! Start from the centre and work out, make sure its pinned every 2inches or so if you are quilting in the seam (or stitch in the ditch as its known). Obviously you can remove the pins as you use them to make it easier to handle. When you are starting, let your machine run in one spot for about 3-4 stitches to anchor the thread.

[Lucy]

The most amazing thing is my stitching. From when I was really young, the hand stitching is atrocious, but it gets better as I get older.

PMSL.....Same here. DH even noticed it! I can identify the sections (each "block" of 19 hexagons IYKWIM?) as to age......the first one (that I did when I was learning from my Granny is not too bad (she was strict and makde me unpick really scrappy stitches) but the teen years were dreadful! There are a few sloppy ones from the early '90's (when I remember the lighting in my flat was v.poor). Then the stuff I did whilst sick in hospital in 1998 is perfection (great lighting, nothing better to do with the hours!)......

I have found a haberdsher/sewing shop locally called "Sue Sew World" so I am off there later this afternoon.....with my credit card......to buy wadding and backing etc and to glean more tips!

Fi, where is your Mum's shop? Does she do online stuff?

Thanks so much for your help!

[Fi]

Yep - mums shop is online, but its mainly fabric, books and notions. she has alot of customers in Oz though. The shop is called Grandmothers Garden. If you google it its the first listing!
Have fun with your CC

[Fi]

How are you going Lucy? having any success?

[Lucy]

LOL, you must have read my mind, as I have (amazingly) all 3 kids down for a nap right now and I am all organised and ready to go to tackle it this afternoon! (The small one). I bought myself a walking foot & I am just about to start experimenting.....

[Fi]

OMG - you wonderwoman!!! 3 kids down at one time....WOW
I find Jenna loves playing with fabric while I'm sewing and Hamish is asleep. Another friend of mine gives her daughter little scraps of fabric and glue to play with. Just an idea if you want to keep your oldest darling busy when you want to sew and the younger 2 are down.

[~Raven~]

Lucy I'm in awe Patchwork is something I've ALWAYS wanted to do but it keeps getting shelved for other things that take my fancy!

[Lucy]

Sam, I know what you mean. I flick flack between wanting to do scrapbooking and scrap collages for hte kids rooms, and the patchwork thing.

I HATE an unfinished project, but I am guilty of it at the moment......

Fi, that is a good plan for keeping Olivia entertained......might try it and see how we go.......