Machine Quilting Success: How to Mark and Stitch

re: Machine Quilting Success: How to Mark and Stitch

MGQuilts — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:35:00 GMT

I've done in-the-ditch and straight-line quilting along with meandering for y-e-a-r-s and am just recently branching off into free-motion. I appreciated seeing the suggested quilting for the leaf and it has given me a base-line from which to look differently at my quilting options, using the shapes already in my designs. Thanks.

re: Machine Quilting Success: How to Mark and Stitch

sheilakg — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:26:55 GMT

I generally do not mark my quilt top, but I do practice the design I want to make on a piece of paper first, and kind of get it in my head. For more complex shapes in confined areas, I do mark the quilt top--if the fabric is mostly dark, I use a chalk pencil, if the quilt is mostly light colored fabrics, I use one of those blue wash away pens.

re: Machine Quilting Success: How to Mark and Stitch

ckquilter — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:18:59 GMT

i love doing free motion quilting. preferably with no marking at all. i often use freehand leaves, ferns, hearts and what i call nested horseshoes.

but sometimes i want to quilt horses or other detailed shapes into the quilt.

but i hate marking on a quilt top. so i don't anymore.

instead, i draw the design on water soluble film and pin it in place. if i am gonna stitch from the top, i just stitch right thru the wash away stabilizer.

however, if i am gonna do bobbin drawing, i first stitch the design with water soluble thread in both the bobbin and thru the needle. now i can see the design form either the top or the underside of the quilt. and so i can stitch from either side.

when done, i wash away the stabilizer and wash away thread. no stray pen or pencil marks to try to remove. and no popped stitches from a tear or cut away stabilizer. ckquilter

re: Machine Quilting Success: How to Mark and Stitch

Lindy101 — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:51:50 GMT

Thanks to QA, et al, I am a full-fledged quilt by the seat of my pants, go with the flow, relax and enjoy, non-marking person. The freedom to create the piece, then 'bring it home' with the quilting is pure joy! Samples of pure joy are on my blog, quilts-artfromtheheart.blogspot.com/.../morning-glory-aka.html

and under Contemporary Geometrics under the 2011 tab.