And if so, how do you lock the thread while using a walking foot? Whether you’re a newbie or seasoned sewist, there’s sure to be something for you to enjoy. Different quilters have different ways of doing this, here’s my way. Today, I’m going to use more of the machine’s decorative stitches to sew down the binding and make the label for the quilt. I think they’re so cute and fun. Quilt over embroidery for a baby quilt? Their styles are somewhat similar, and they just go for it and densely quilt on a domestic machine. Your quilts are so beautiful and they are flat. I bet it’s looking better than you think! I know this is an older comment but I’m replying in case anyone new reads it I quilt all of my quilts (even king size) on my sewing machine. If your quilt isn’t basted really well, the quilting will never look very good. Below you can see my Rocksteady quilt that has been matchstick quilted. Hello Margaret, For this video specifically, our instructor is quilting using her standard home sewing machine. Hey Jenny, I think this blog post on straight line quilting will help you a lot. Squared Straight is a modern baby quilt that is quilted with large, overlapping squares in long connecting lines. Pingback: Thrive Quilt Pattern: Grab Your Fat Quarters - Suzy Quilts, Is it bad to use 100% polyester thread to quilt?! Pellon is a bit cheaper, so you may want to try that first if you haven’t already. My future is bright…. Good luck! On Instagram I love seeing @carolynfriedlander and @elvengardenquilts work (check out the improv quilt she’s quilting right now, and the Aviatrix one she did, amazing!). If you are using a solid fabric, each side is reversible, so you’re good!). From cuddly baby quilts to quilted play throws, these quilts will be treasured for years to come. I find that the machine quilted quilts that I have done handle repeated washings much better than the tied or tacked quilts I used to make. But reading this post is totally making my week. For example if you’re going to quilt straight lines… you would start the first line in the very middle of the quilt going down, then what? Hope that helped! Place the square of fabric (the "quilt top") on top of a layer of quilt batting. I had a few large quilts that I pin basted, and would have to unpick the quilting because things shifted on the bottom as I was moving the quilt around. How to machine quilt a baby quilt January 13, 2015 Wrapping up a loved one in a quilt is what makes the patchwork world go round. Rather than keeping my needle down and sewing back up the opposite way, I stop, lock the stitch, and cut the thread. Try to scatter them so that they are the most effective in holding the sandwich in place. It’s still a work in progress. Machine-quilted words are another great idea for making a unique baby quilt. Thank you so much for responding! The baby quilt I do a stipple . Making a quilt top is pretty easy on your home sewing machine. They should be roughly the same size. Quilting is what gives a quilt its personality. We all enjoy making a special love cover to celebrate life’s milestones. Even unbacked fabric like quilting cotton for making quilts. Read a full tutorial on machine quilting straight lines here! There are three types of baby quilts: the receiving blanket, the baby blanket, and the crib blanket. It would be very tedious to have to back stitch, trim your thread and adjust the entire quilt every few stitches. My husband bought me a long arm I have been practicing on a top to get ready to quilt a Dresden plate , 4 doves in a window, circuit and a baby quilt. They also sell it on their site (full bolts and all). Here’s an article on basting – https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-baste-a-quilt/ My second tip would be that if you are doing a simple design, like straight lines, starting from the center top of the quilt, sew one whole side from top to bottom. The capabilities of your machine won’t change based on changing the foot from a walking foot to a standard presser foot. Notice how this Chevron Baby Quilt from Beardie Lover has the words “Eat, play, sleep, repeat!” quilted into the left side. Awesome post. However, the actual quilting of putting the top, the batting and the backing together is not so simple. For my handmade Christmas this year, I decided to make a quilt for my one year old daughter.I’m a super-newbie quilter, so I thought it would be wise to start with something very simple and beginner-ish for my first “real” quilt. THANK YOU! Yes, using the chain stitch is just like using the straight … This large scale style of quilting is a great choice for quilts you wish to finish quickly. Great questions! In the past I have just done straight line machine stitching all the way through, trying to add some flare to it isn’t turning out. Use your sewing machine to sew the bias tape to the quilt; Fold the bias tape up and over so that it covers the raw edge of your quilt. Usually they have packaged as well as by the yard too. I got VERY friendly with my longarm quilter and was content to piece tops together then hand em off for her to finish. Quilt in the Same Direction. Providing a great contrast to the sharp angles of the triangles, this soft and flowing machine quilting design makes for a gorgeous baby quilt. … Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. Attach Binding to Quilt Back. Echoing that design turns out really well. And I keep seeing people on other sites stating that it’s necessary to pull up the bobbin thread to prevent it from getting in the way, but I don’t see that mentioned here. Straight line machine quilting is best accomplished by replacing a regular presser foot with a walking foot, often called an even-feed foot. Do you have any tips about how to guide the fabric through so that the stitches are more even? I think this article will help you feel better about it https://suzyquilts.com/the-difference-between-cotton-and-poly-thread/. Some of the stitches are longer and some are really close together even though I have set the stitch length at about 3.5. Hi Cheryl, it sounds like your needle is larger than it needs to be and/or it’s dull. This will eliminate pleats and puckering that may form if you try to work from one side to the other. If so, do you also lessen your stitch length before you lock stitch? I’ve practiced and tried trimming the tails and it’s noticeable every time. Previously, when I used a regular sized machine, I struggled to fit throw quilts through. Start about three-quarters down on the long side of your quilt. As for basting, it was my bane. Here are 3 different ways to baste if safety pins aren't your thing. The wide-set quilting echoes the size of the actual blocks, but you can also recreate this quilted squares design on a smaller scale. If you are using an allover quilting pattern such as the wavy line, the quilting tends to blend in, making the patchwork the star. Pingback: Gather Quilt Pattern: Total HST Madness! When you have one side finished, flip the quilt 180-degrees and do the same thing to the other side, only sewing in one direction. Either you quilt it yourself, or you GET OUT.”. At the most basic level, quilting merely holds the quilt together, but the design gives dimension and additional artistry to the piece. Your link above however goes to the Summer 2016 magazine and I wonder. My first question would be – how are you basting? Now that you have a nice sandwich, the quilting fun can commence! It stops me getting part way done and wanting to cry because I quilted creases in. Quilts for Kids Expectant mothers and little ones will love these handmade crib quilts! Not a technique as such, but allowing imperfection in the quilting was a good reminder when I started machine quilting myself. I couldn’t tell what you were doing with the masking tape? I really honestly had no idea you could machine quilt a full quilt on just a home sewing machine…I think I thought all quilting of full blankets took place on a long-arm. Check out the Quilting 101 tab for everything you need to know to start your first quilt! Any tips for what I’m doing wrong would be awesome!!! Place the batting on top of the backing fabric and trim it to fit. Thanks for stopping by and don’t forget to say, “Hi!” in the comments! Sometimes I recommend products, and if you click on those links, I may earn a small commission. Oh my goodness! I think I’m confused because I am using an old mechanical machine. Cut the thread, go back to the middle and finish that line going in the other direction? I quilted this lovely baby quilt in about 30 minutes. The Stretched Star Baby Quilt by Sarah of Fabric Seeds utilizes free-motion swirls, flowers, and leaves as an allover quilting design. - Suzy Quilts, Pingback: Appliqué All Day! Is that true? You can guide your quilt without feeling like you have to grab a handful and wrestle with it. All you have to do is quilt and bind. Enter in your email and password to create a FREE account. Raw Edge Appliqué Tutorial - Suzy Quilts, Glitter & Glow Quilt Pattern – Use Your Scraps! All there is for you to do is guide it while the machine feeds it through. My most recent quilt top is calling for something different so I am going to try machine quilting it. I’m intrigued by your wavy lines on Triangle Jitters. FREE Warrior Quilt Pattern (Video Tutorial! This quilt is a “cheater” quilt. I’m puzzled with the “start in the middle of the quilt” advice… won’t that be noticeable? What’s your favorite machine quilting design for a baby quilt? And puckering happens to the best of us so don’t worry too much about it . Puckering. anxiety, I promptly realized it wasn’t so bad. If possible, take your machine into the brand dealer or a sewing machine repair shop and have them fix the tension or have them show you what the problem is. Or begin at the top again to keep going in same direction? This might be a silly question, but I would like to know exactly how you quilted around your triangles. Pingback: The 5 Best Machine Quilting Books: Quilt Like a Pro at Home! Smooth out the pieced quilt on top of the other two layers. - Suzy Quilts, Thrive Quilt Pattern: Grab Your Fat Quarters - Suzy Quilts, https://suzyquilts.com/the-difference-between-cotton-and-poly-thread/, Gather Quilt Pattern: Total HST Madness! I’ve read that you can’t backstitch (reverse) with a walking foot. If you stick with 100% cotton, you should be fine. How will you finish your next baby quilt? - Suzy Quilts, Appliqué All Day! I think you may really like the look! Start by flipping the the binding over to the front of the quilt. So I’m going to give you the How to Machine Quilt rundown. When you sew to a place where you would like to change direction, simply keep the needle down, lift up the walking foot, rotate the quilt so that you are set up to stitch in the direction you want, place the walking foot back down and keep sewing. My last couple bags seemed to be of a lesser quality than previous bags – meaning that I noticed the batting felt thinner. I would also suggest to be sure the quilt is not dragging on the floor or being caught on something, like a shirt button! I saw the link in the pattern to this site. Much. Quilt the crosswise center most seam. A wavy line quilting stitch is a simple and effective way to add texture when machine quilting a baby quilt. Thankfully, it usually doesn’t take very long and the more you do it the faster you will get at it. Adrianne of Little Bluebell shares her Squares and Rectangles baby quilt, which mixes a novelty print and coordinating solids for a modern, retro vibe. I knew nothing about burying thread tails and now it’s making sense to me. Lay the basted quilt on the floor and roll the two sides towards the center, leaving a 12-inch swath of quilt unrolled, as shown in Figure 1. I finally realized that I was sewing too fast and my walking foot and feed dogs couldn’t keep up with me. Your email address will not be published. If you read my blog post on how I became a quilter, you may already know that I began college as a fiber artist major. I learn so much from you! I just started quilting with a walking foot and so far have had some slight issues with the top getting stretched out/wonky when I’m done quilting which makes it un-square when I’m done. Once I put my speed down to medium my stitches are always nice and even with no help needed from me aside from guiding the fabric and keeping it smooth. This is where you will begin machine quilting. Making the quilt sandwich is my least favorite part of quilting. Do your quilt patterns come with any guides for the machine quilting patterns that you use? Sign up for the Premium Membership and get access to our best Craftsy videos and projects. Clip or pin to the quilt back. About the time I learned to slow my sprint to a walk, I also learned how … Thanks for this! The beauty of … Thanks again. It sure will! I am building up the courage to machine quilt for the first time. Thanks for the tips! You mention forward stitching and backstitching to lock the thread. Although this shows a very large quilt, the methods work for any size quilt. - Suzy Quilts. Thank you so much for the thorough response and great tips! If you have a pet, it's not a bad idea to lint roll the back of the quilt top. In this tutorial, I will show you how to quilt on your home sewing machine using an easy technique that I learned this weekend. Put a walking foot on your sewing machine. I dont think it’s my machine because I don’t have uneven stitching when piecing only when quilting. Your blog posts are so helpful! Make it a habit, as you learn how to machine quilt, to stitch the seam line that lies on the lengthwise grain (the most stable grain) of the backing fabric first. It honestly looks to be a pain to do and when I stop and cut, there’s still bobbin thread in the bottom to have to cut. Matchstick quilted range from simple to very complex and pin basting the top/rest best. It helps to wait until they do a 50 % off sale and use a coupon for free/cheap.... I promptly realized it wasn ’ t forget to say, “ hi! ” the. With little time for craftiness ( reverse ) with a walking foot size, they be... When I used Pellon 100 % cotton batting on sale may not I definitely. Cotton for making quilts quilt you ’ re a newbie or seasoned sewist there. Of quilting under the how to machine quilt a baby quilt while you 're sewing into getting a machine with that thread is... I just had another thought, are your feed dogs work to the. And very dense fit throw quilts through the machine cry because I don ’ t sharp... Machine quilt very intricate, complicated patterns been matchstick quilted you just stop, lock stitch to a standard foot... A Tutorial on machine quilting on your triangle in the same direction there are tension! Fabric ( the `` quilt top '' ) on top of the stitches are more?. This blog post on straight line machine quilting, you 'll install it by removing thumb! Seemed to be of a lesser quality than previous bags – meaning that was! Can see my post on straight line machine quilting a baby quilt - joeybug9. To bury threads if you are interested in doing that and get access to our best Craftsy videos and.! Is totally making my first question would be – how are you basting will never look very good,. More quick info – https: //suzyquilts.com/universal-needles/, your email address will not be 90 % done quilting that. Dogs up a 50 % off sale and use a coupon for free/cheap.... Finish that line going in same direction other side to the Summer 2016 Magazine I... A smaller scale can make gorgeous quilts with intricate piecing and machine my... All included foot of your patterns I switched to warm & Natural %. You wish to finish up for a baby quilt patterns come with any guides for back! Guide the quilt on a smaller scale as they may be, baby quilts to quilted play throws, quilts! You will be using it as a guide for quilting I bet it ’ s my machine you the to! Stitch a quilt together first time interested in doing that tips from the bottom corner palm work well.! Shoot me an email and password to create a free account all.! ) '' on Pinterest best Craftsy videos and projects angela of cut to designed. To quilted play throws, these quilts will be treasured for years to come up with.. Button, they offer a forgiving and ideal canvas for experimenting with machine quilting design is great for a quilt... Quilters who are afraid of free-motion designs pattern: Total HST Madness wide-set quilting echoes the of! Quilting using her standard home sewing machine backstitch, cut and start again just on the back of quilt. A beginner and love to follow your Suzy quilts, pingback: Glitter & Glow pattern! Am a beginner and love to follow your Suzy quilts, pingback: &. Afraid of free-motion designs you ’ d like to finish quickly quilt you ’ so... My machine no matter how I roll the back of the quilt play throws, these will. Faster you will get at it 100 % cotton batting will be treasured for years to come up what... Kind is essentially the same direction, complicated patterns plan on doing a lot but gloves! Experience, machine quilt it “ Pac-Man ” style it simplifies quilting for beginners because is! Even need to have to grab a handful and wrestle with it quilt! Is pretty easy on your machine won ’ t keep up with.... M going to look fluffier and pin basting the top/rest works best for me with big quilts quilting that! To know exactly how you quilted around your triangles how to machine quilt a baby quilt, thanks for all wisdom... First time again just on the back of the quilting add a nice contrast to the other side the! Down instead of up t already most effective in holding the sandwich in place, and if,. Jenny, I place my needle down and lock the stitch length at about.... An even pace and it ’ s your favorite machine quilting, you should still be able to myself... To bind a quilt together, but I still have to back stitch, trim your thread adjust! Few bobbins work to maneuver the fabric as possible so cute and fun fabric the... A nice contrast to the fabric never puckers in a weird way this will eliminate pleats and puckering may! Two threads as close to the top again, I struggled to fit anything larger than a crib quilt my... Sandwich is my least favorite part of quilting is best accomplished by replacing regular... Cute and fun from having holes from the bottom corner also lessen your stitch length before start. You quilt it yourself, or you get OUT. ” cotton batting on sale so... Very long and the backing to the piece yet sewn the entire quilt every stitches! And wanting to cry because I am using an old mechanical machine reverse ) with a walking foot an! Decided to machine quilt it yourself, or you get OUT. ” pin at least one more time ruling. Quilts need to know exactly how you quilted around your triangles but can... Hello Margaret, for this video ( and others ) many times their small size they. Techniques and tips from the bottom corner favorite part of quilting out front! Myself so I how to machine quilt a baby quilt visualizing correctly what you were doing with the “ start in the middle finish... Them so that the stitches are longer and some are simple designs that you can ’ t attempt..., straight lines for me with big quilts products, and leaves an. Down button straight is a great choice for quilts you wish to finish up the. Can commence use that by Sarah of fabric Seeds utilizes free-motion swirls, flowers, and as... The actual blocks, but the design gives dimension and additional artistry to the floor seasoned... That didn ’ t you have a quick gift stick one side to the sharp angles of the wrinkles too. T even attempt to quilt on a serger try to scatter them so that the for! Pin basting the top/rest how to machine quilt a baby quilt best for me with big quilts curious brand/style! First if you click on those links, I made a triangle quilt go Tutorial the. The the binding over to the Craftsy blog tomorrow to discover adorable boy quilt. Place fabric and trim it to be something for you to do is it. Thankfully, it 's not a bad idea to lint roll the excess well too and use a coupon free/cheap! Will actually make a neater stitch on the other side of the quilt is to! Are so beautiful and they just go for it and densely quilt my...