Put away the thimble, pull out the sewing machine and join machine quilting expert Sue Rasmussen as she shares tips with host Alex Anderson on everything from batting and basting to presser foot choice and free motion sewing. Mastering the technique of machine quilting is a lot of work but not as extensive as hand quilting. Experiment with the alternative to hand quilting--it's an opportunity to quickly finish that quilt top and move onto the next project.
Materials:
quilt top
batting
backing fabric
marking tool
design plan
safety pins
thread
walking pressure foot
darning pressure foot
Steps:
Preparation and marking
1. Iron the quilt top so it is nice and flat.
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 (figure A). Make your own stencil by drafting an original design or try using a light box to transferring a design from a book (figure B) 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 (figure C) 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 (figure D). If desired, use a stippling design--a consecutive, free motion design drawn on the quilt top (figure E).
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 tightly with either packing tape or jumbo clips found at office supply stores (figure F). 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 a 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 one-inch safety pins (figure G). 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 (figure H). Remove the pin if it comes 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 (figure I) 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 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, etc., then stitched over using a sewing machine. Little stopping and starting is required to do this technique.
- Uses 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 (figure J). Great for beginners as it is a forgiving stitch.
- Feathering techniques can also be accomplished on the machine! Probably the most difficult, but with practice, wonderful results can be mastered. 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
- Cotton batting is very lightweight and allow the fabric to breath. Is very easy to work with and very easy machine quilt. Cotton batting is very easy to roll up which is necessary when machine quilting.
- Polyester batting has almost an inflatable aspect about it that makes it difficult to use when machine quilting. This type of batting is best used when a loft is needed. It is recommended to use polyester batting when making tablecloths, place mats, craft or pillows.
- There's a wide assortment of threads on the market--cotton, polyester, nylon, silk , or metallic. Each type thread has its own qualities and some may be a bit tricky to use. Here's a tip when using nylon, silk or metallic threads. Instead of placing the thread on the spool pin, place the thread in a baby food jar behind the sewing machine and thread the machine as normal. The baby food jar will help with the potential unraveling from the spool, causing tangles and just a jumbled mess. Another tip--use a cotton or polyester thread in the bobbin. Nylon, silk or metallic threads are not recommended for bobbin use.
Resources Machine Quilting Made Easy
by Maurine Noble (ISBN: 1564770745)
Click
here to order this title.
Martingale and Company
Website:
www.martingale-pub.comlight table
Me Sew Inc.
24307 Magic Mountain Parkway #195
Valencia, CA 91355
USA
Phone: 661-257-4768
Fax: 661-257-4768
batting products - Hobbs
Contact Hobby Lobby or independent quilting or crafts stores for product availability. Contact Hobbs for mail order information.
Hobbs Bonded Fibers
Website:
www.hobbsbondedfibers.com
batting products - Mountain Mist
Mountain Mist
Toll Free Phone: 800-345-7150
Wholesale Order E-mail:
mountainmist@leggett.com
Website:
www.stearnstextiles.com
Guests Sue Rasmussen
Quilter / Teacher, The Quilt Emporium
5590 Moonshadow St.
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Phone: 805-526-8458
Email:
rerasmussen@earthlink.net
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