Begin in the middle

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much, much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly

Den 20-03-2013 03:57, Polly Esther skrev:
Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and
then add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I
toyed with that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right
down the middle of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah
but it is much, much easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller
sm if the sides are still soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT!
spellCheck). No quilt police and no rules, I know, but it really was a
gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly



I've never done the batting in stages, it sounds sort of like "modified
quilt as you go"?

But I always start quilting somewhat in the middle. If the design allows
I will anchor it (as Hargraves taught me) by sewing right down the
middle and right across the middle. If the layout is in blocks, I'll
SITD between all blocks (depending on size), and only then to on to free
motion. Most of my quilts to not have big expanses without seams, so
that works for me. Obviously, if this quarter of the quilt should be one
big feather motif (ha! maybe in my next life!) you shouldn't disrupt it
with anchoring lines.

Regardsless, I always start in the middle. Because then if the
batting/back should shift, it is an issue at the edges, and not in the
middle (imagine having too much batting once you get to the middle?)

Hanne in DK

I usually do begin in the middle, but then I do a stabilizing grid all
over. So you're saying that if I just step over the cliff of
uncertainty and skip the grid, it will be easier and mooshier?
Definitely not something to try on a just-barely-big-enough backing!

I am about to start quilting a monster and have pretty much decided
that doing it all in one piece will be the end of me, or at least my
back. So it will be done in 5 strips. And I will probably take the
batting into thirds, but leave the backing whole. And it's a humongous
backing, even bigger than the monster, bought all in one piece. Might
be able to trim off some of it, we'll see.
Roberta in D

On Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:57:29 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much, much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly

Well, there Is this - I noticed this morning when first walking into the
kitchen that either (1) one of my legs is longer than the other, (2) the
house is tilted or (3) I quilted too many hours yesterday. However, it does
make my heart happy to see the middle of my quilt all done. Yesss. Polly

"Roberta" Roberta@Home wrote in message
...
I usually do begin in the middle, but then I do a stabilizing grid all
over. So you're saying that if I just step over the cliff of
uncertainty and skip the grid, it will be easier and mooshier?
Definitely not something to try on a just-barely-big-enough backing!

I am about to start quilting a monster and have pretty much decided
that doing it all in one piece will be the end of me, or at least my
back. So it will be done in 5 strips. And I will probably take the
batting into thirds, but leave the backing whole. And it's a humongous
backing, even bigger than the monster, bought all in one piece. Might
be able to trim off some of it, we'll see.
Roberta in D

On Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:57:29 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed
with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the
middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much,
much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are
still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly

Here's the story on how I did a quilt one section at a time.
http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/Quilting_in_Sections.html

I've also cut away part of the batting while I quilted the center of a
big quilt and then added it back in before quilting the rest of the quilt.

Julia in MN

On 3/20/2013 9:03 AM, Roberta wrote:
I usually do begin in the middle, but then I do a stabilizing grid all
over. So you're saying that if I just step over the cliff of
uncertainty and skip the grid, it will be easier and mooshier?
Definitely not something to try on a just-barely-big-enough backing!

I am about to start quilting a monster and have pretty much decided
that doing it all in one piece will be the end of me, or at least my
back. So it will be done in 5 strips. And I will probably take the
batting into thirds, but leave the backing whole. And it's a humongous
backing, even bigger than the monster, bought all in one piece. Might
be able to trim off some of it, we'll see.
Roberta in D

On Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:57:29 -0500, "Polly Esther"
wrote:

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much, much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly


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When I have cut away part of the batting, I cut a curvy line. I also use
a washable marker to mark across the cut every 6-12 inches. That helps
to match it up when it is time to put it back together. It's like
matching notches when sewing garments.

Julia in MN

On 3/20/2013 9:52 AM, Sandy Foster wrote:
In article ,
"Polly Esther" wrote:

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much, much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly

I've never tried that, but I've heard of it for some time and always
thought it was an interesting idea. My problem would be getting the
pieces of batting lined up evenly after they were cut and partially
quilted. g

As for starting in the middle, I always do that; it prevents puckers,
IMHO. I do also do as much stabilizing quilting as possible before
beginning the FMQ parts, but sometimes there isn't much that can be done
without interfering with the design.

In short: it all depends.



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On 20/03/13 06:52, Hanne in DK wrote:
Den 20-03-2013 03:57, Polly Esther skrev:
Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and
then add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I
toyed with that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right
down the middle of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah
but it is much, much easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller
sm if the sides are still soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT!
spellCheck). No quilt police and no rules, I know, but it really was a
gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly



I've never done the batting in stages, it sounds sort of like "modified
quilt as you go"?

But I always start quilting somewhat in the middle. If the design allows
I will anchor it (as Hargraves taught me) by sewing right down the
middle and right across the middle. If the layout is in blocks, I'll
SITD between all blocks (depending on size), and only then to on to free
motion. Most of my quilts to not have big expanses without seams, so
that works for me. Obviously, if this quarter of the quilt should be one
big feather motif (ha! maybe in my next life!) you shouldn't disrupt it
with anchoring lines.

Regardsless, I always start in the middle. Because then if the
batting/back should shift, it is an issue at the edges, and not in the
middle (imagine having too much batting once you get to the middle?)

Hanne in DK

Oh yes, I know people who quilt from the outside in and then they cut
chunks out of the back or pleat it over, because it won't show - it is
on the back! Makes me cringe after all the time and effort they go to,
to make the top!

Janner
France

Den 21-03-2013 09:20, Janner skrev:
On 20/03/13 06:52, Hanne in DK wrote:
Regardsless, I always start in the middle. Because then if the
batting/back should shift, it is an issue at the edges, and not in the
middle (imagine having too much batting once you get to the middle?)

Hanne in DK

Oh yes, I know people who quilt from the outside in and then they cut
chunks out of the back or pleat it over, because it won't show - it is
on the back! Makes me cringe after all the time and effort they go to,
to make the top!

Janner
France

Wow! That is just scary!!!

Hanne in DK

My plan is to do the batting in thirds and the top in fifths. So the
batting joins will not line up anywhere near the seams in the top, and
there won't be any seams in the back. I think, once the center 20% is
done, that I will be able to splice in the rest of the batting on one
side (Might not have to cut off the other side at all, we'll see). And
I plan to cut the batting in a scallopy curve so it should be very
clear where it goes back together. And I might just use fusible seam
tape to do the splicing! Anybody ever tried that?
Roberta in D

On Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:52:41 -0700, Sandy Foster
wrote:

In article ,
"Polly Esther" wrote:

Someone over on the Bernina group suggested that it was easier on a big
quilt to just put batting on the center of the quilt, quilt that and then
add the sides. Less to mooch up and struggle with - you know? I toyed with
that idea and wasn't willing to try it but I did quilt right down the middle
of my quilt first. Ta-dah! Well, only a little ta-dah but it is much, much
easier to quilt the center of a quilt on a smaller sm if the sides are still
soft and more mooshable. ( Take THAT! spellCheck). No quilt police and no
rules, I know, but it really was a gentler process. Your thoughts? Polly

I've never tried that, but I've heard of it for some time and always
thought it was an interesting idea. My problem would be getting the
pieces of batting lined up evenly after they were cut and partially
quilted. g

As for starting in the middle, I always do that; it prevents puckers,
IMHO. I do also do as much stabilizing quilting as possible before
beginning the FMQ parts, but sometimes there isn't much that can be done
without interfering with the design.

In short: it all depends.

Sometimes some fusibles gum up needles. That would be a very bad place.
You could use plain old blue masking tape to hold it in place and remove it
as you stitch. I'd be afraid of gummy; too much at stake to risk it. Polly

"Roberta" My plan is to do the batting in thirds and the top in fifths.
So the
batting joins will not line up anywhere near the seams in the top, and
there won't be any seams in the back. I think, once the center 20% is
done, that I will be able to splice in the rest of the batting on one
side (Might not have to cut off the other side at all, we'll see). And
I plan to cut the batting in a scallopy curve so it should be very
clear where it goes back together. And I might just use fusible seam
tape to do the splicing! Anybody ever tried that?
Roberta in D