How to Master Machine Quilting

2. Prior to basting, mark the top with a stitching design. There are several ways to mark a quilt. Use plastic templates purchased from a quilt shop, fabric store or quilt show.

Or, make your own stencil by drafting an original design or try using a light box to transferring a design from a book onto the quilt top. There is no one end-all-be-all marking tool. There are a number of books available that instruct as to which type of pencil, pen, or chalk to use to mark a quilt top. The trick is to know how the chemicals found in these tools will react with fabric.

Washable ink can cause some problems if not used correctly. These pens are wonderful because they can be used on array of fabric and the ink is very visible. When machine quilting, a number of shadows can be created and it helps to be able to see the design line to be quilted. Sometimes a pencil line will not be dark enough and this would be a cause to use a pen. However pens do contain chemicals and need to be washed out immediately with just plain water to remove the chemical . Then wash the quilt as normal.

Never apply heat to the quilt top once it has been marked. The heat from the iron will bond the chemical from the marking tool with the fibers of the fabric. Always pre-test the marking tool on the fabric. A chemical reaction could occur and the marking could remain in the quilt forever.

3. Once you decide which tool to use, place the stencil on the quilt and trace around the stencil design.

If desired, use a stippling design--a consecutive, free motion design drawn on the quilt top.

Basting
Taking the time to baste correctly will help to avoid any puckering of the quilt.

1. Place the backing of the quilt face down on a table and secure it tightly with packing tape or jumbo clips found at office supply stores. Masking tape is not strong enough to hold the quilt top in place.

2. Once the backing is secured, place the batting on top of the backing. Cotton batting is preferred because it will not slip around and makes machine quilting a bit easier. Place the quilt top on top of the batting and smooth out any wrinkles carefully by hand, trying not to stretch the quilt.

3. To baste the quilt, begin in the middle and simply pin the quilt together using 1-inch safety pins. Work in a circular pattern until the entire quilt has been pinned.

Machine Quilting Techniques

For successful machine quilting, set stitch length at about 12 stitches to the inch. Don't stitch over safety pins. Remove the pin if it's in the path of stitching. Use more than one quilting technique if desired. Echo quilting and stippling might be used to give dramatic results to an appliqued quilt top. Baby quilts or pre-fabricated quilts are wonderful to practice the techniques of machine quilting.

When machine quilting, straight line or grid patterns are best for the beginner. Use a walking foot to enable the top fabric and bottom fabric to move evenly. The sewing machine's feed dogs are in the up position and simply allow the machine to do the work. At the end of each line, back stitch slightly.

Echo quilting is a good machine quilting technique to use with applique. To achieve this style, simply "echo" or follow around the design of the applique.

A favorite machine quilting technique available in numerous patterns and designs from quilting books is the continuous curve pattern. In this technique, the pattern is transferred to the quilt top via a marking pen, chalk or other writing utensil, then stitched over using a sewing machine. Little stopping and starting is required to do this technique.

Use a darner foot with no feed dogs for the stippling or free-motion quilting technique. Stippling is a consecutive stitch that does not cross over itself. It's great for beginners, as it is a forgiving stitch.

Feathering techniques can also be accomplished on the machine. Considered to be among the oldest and most recognized fancy motifs, it's probably the most difficult to master by machine quilting. Using a darner foot, this design will require the skills of maneuvering the needle in a forward, backward and side-to-side motion while staying on the feather design outline.

Batting and Thread