Where can we send your free files to?
WEEK 4 – YOUR FIRST QUILT – QUILTING YOUR QUILT
Hi Everyone, last week we basted our quilts and now we are ready to get quilting. Quilting is a lot of fun, because it’s another step in the process where we really start to see what our quilt will look like when finished.
Here’s what I want you to do: Watch my YouTube videos and read the notes, then let’s get quilting our quilts.
VIDEOS TO WATCH | |
QUICK TIPS | |
TO READ | Week 4 – Your First Quilt – Quilting Your Quilt |
TOOLS NEEDED | Quilting basting pins, scissors, painters/masking tape, sewing machine |
SUPPLIES NEEDED | Basted quilt, thread |
NOTES |
It’s always tempting to rush with quilting, sometimes it’s seems like a never-ending job, but taking your time is really key to a great end result. Taking your time gives your walking foot a chance to do its job, and you time to focus on accurate straight lines
Thread color is a personal choice and usually dictated by the colors on your quilt. I suggest laying out a few different thread color options on top of your quilt to see which one you think works best with your different fabric choices
How you decide to quilt your quilt is entirely up to you, you may choose to use one of the techniques below, a combination, or something entirely different, but it is important to stick with straight or wavy lines when quilting with a walking foot
Stitch in the ditch: stitching along the seam line, on the opposite side to the pressed seams
Echoing: Stitching next to the seams at your chosen distance from the seam, work out how far from the seam you want to stitch. If your needle is centred it can stitch down both sides, if it is not, you will have to turn your quilt around and stitch from the bottom so you get the same distance from your stitching to your seam
Diagonal: Stitching diagonally through the squares, use something as a guide to do this, masking tape is a great option
PREPARING TO QUILT
TASK | PREPARING TO QUILT |
TOOLS NEEDED | Walking foot, screwdriver, sewing machine, scissors |
SUPPLIES NEEDED | Your basted quilt, thread |
1. ATTACH YOUR WALKING FOOT
All sewing machines are a little different so you may have to refer to your manual
With a screwdriver unscrew the screw securing your foot clamp and remove it
Slot the u-bar fork of your walking foot onto the needle screw Finger tighten the screw and then use a screwdriver to tighten it up
2. TEST YOUR STITCHES
Test your stitches on a small sample basted quilt (fabric, batting, backing)
You want your stitches to be even and uniform on both the front and the back
Check for and correct your tension if you have skipped stitches, loops or anything else going wrong
Decide on what stitch length you would like to use, anything between 2.0 – 3.0 is recommended Decide on what quilting pattern you would like to use
QUILTING YOUR QUILT
TASK | QUILTING YOUR QUILT |
TOOLS NEEDED | Walking foot, sewing machine |
SUPPLIES NEEDED | Your basted quilt, thread, masking/painters tape |
With your preferred quilting pattern in mind, start in the middle and work your way out
Turning your quilt after each line, or after each column, so it doesn’t drag your fabric in one direction
Add or remove quilting basting pins as required to secure your quilt Take your time and don’t rush, this gives your walking foot a chance to do it’s job, and you time to concentrate on accurate straight stitches
TASK | Squaring off your quilt |
Making your binding | |
TOOLS NEEDED | Ruler, rotary cutter, self healing mat, walking foot, sewing machine, chalk/pencil, wonder clips |
SUPPLIES NEEDED | Your quilted quilt, thread |
THESE COURSE NOTES ARE FOR THE EMAIL RECIPIENT ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT COPY OR SHARE THEM. IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND THAT WOULD LIKE A COPY PLEASE ASK THEM TO JOIN QUILT CLUB BY SIGNING UP TO THE NEWSLETTER.
✗