New to forum, New to quilting, NEED HELP

[newbie61]

I'm just finishing up my first quilt. I decided to make a Christmas quilt for my daughter and son-in-law. I have made practice blocks by hand and by machine, but never a full quilt until now. I've had no real training, just books and faking it (big time). I have discovered there is a lot that I didn't know that I didn't know.

The quilt I am finishing is a twin size. Getting the top, batting and backing together was quite a treat. There is not enough floor space in my house to lay it all out. I had to do it in bits, so it is not as smooth as I would have liked and therefore tied the quilt instead of stitching it. Where do you find the space to lay out a quilt? What is the best technique to use if you have to pin it in sections?

Next question is how do you quilt through seams? To tie the quilt I had to use an embroidery needle which made it a bit more difficult due to the thick needle, but the seams were really hard to get through (I used a small pair of pliers to pull the needle through). What is the best way to handle these difficult areas?

I've left plenty of fabric all around the quilt so I can fold it over to do the binding without using a separate fabric. I hope this turns out to be a good way.

Any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

Sandy

[auntjana]

Sometimes when I had tight space - I would use the top of my Queen bed with one of those cardboard cutting mats - used to cut out apparel fabrics on - it protected my bed and I didn't get the safety pins caught !!

Sounds like you are learning like the rest of us!

El's media theater is wonderful - there are many techniques there -- how to layer a quilt together, making blocks and how to make and apply binding to the edge. I have done the fold from the back - but my preference is to make a binding from fabric/fabrics in the quilt itself and then apply it.

El has some wonderful books that have great instructions - good ideas for Santa!!

Come back often - we love to help!!

Jana

[newbie61]

Thanks Jana. I will check out those books.

[kho]

Hi Newbie,
Are you in northern, southern or central Illinois?? I am northern..
Sandy

[gramajojo]

Sandy, what I do when I don't have enough room is this:

Tape a button in the middle of any table that you want to use (I use a table as I am too old to get up and down off the floor. Well I can get down just not up)

Fold the backing in half and in half again to find the center. Put the center over the button and then use the ginormous binder clips from the office supply store to clip the back all the way around the table, being careful to keep the center over the button.

Now do the same with the batting, unclipping and reclipping all the way around the table. Make sure you smooth as you go along as you want your backing and batting to be as smooth and tight (without stretching) as you can get it.

Now do the same with the top. Make sure to smooth it out and clip it as you go around the table.

Now pin with the safety pins.

After you have finished the portion that is visible on the table top, you unclip and slide to the next portion and reclip. Because you have already pinned the majority of the center, you won't have to worry about anything slipping. Just make sure to smooth everything out and clip before pinning and then just work your way around until you have the entire top pinned.

Viola!! No crawling around on the floor and people will think you had a massively big table to pin it on.

Jo

[newbie61]

JO, thanks for the table idea. The floor was killing my knees and I know my 4 dogs were laughing at me when I had so much trouble getting up again. I have all the equipment to clip it to the table, but had no idea how to use them unless I was making a poster sized quilt. Your idea is awesome. Thanks.

[newbie61]

Hi, Sandy. (I feel like I'm talking to myself. hehe) I live in Southern IL just across the bridge from St. Louis. Are you near Chicago? You get colder and snowier weather. Since I just moved here a few years ago from California, this is cold and white enough for me. Brrrrrrr.

Sandy

[newbie61]

Jana, I found one of those cutting boards today only in heavy plastic instead of the cardboard I used to have. If I can get it flat again I can think of a thousand uses for it.

[newbie61]

Just thought I would share my first experience talking to quilters. I went into a quilt shop about 10 years ago (yes it has taken me 10 years to finish my first quilt.) I was looking at the fabrics available and they were $10-$16 per yard. I looked through the quilt books and found grandmother's flower garden and decided this was a good quilt to start off with. It looked easy enough. I would make a queen sized one. (I had a strange idea of easy for a first quilt.) I got another book so I could figure out how much fabric I would need for the top and backing, adding an extra 2 yards of each print as I planned on the possibility of making errors (my one correct decision). Then added up the yardage of each with the price of the fabric. OUCH! I talked to one of the clerks that was an experienced quilter to make sure I had the numbers right. When she said my figures were right, I said, "This is going to be more expensive than I thought." Her response was, "Quilting is expense, if you are not willing to pay the price, don't bother starting." I was dumb founded, but got my dander up and decided to just start with various blocks until I have blocks all over my house. But only one quilt.

[bampish]

Sandy, that was mean of that clerk to say. Although quilting is expensive for many, we make it more expensive than it has to be. Isn't it so exciting and frustrating when you are getting started? You don't know what you don't know, which can sometimes means you do things others of us might not have thought about. That can be really good, or a road block. My mom gets frustrated with how I have to try to do things my way, at times. It helps me to see why they teach other ways. I guess I just have to make my own mistakes, to know why I don't want to do it that way again.

This is a great site. Check out all it has to offer, with the block of the month lottery, photo's of things others are doing, and planty of places for tips and comments. Finding a local quilt shop with a couple beginner classes can really help you with not just the projects you pick, but also with info about local contacts and groups.

Have fun, and stay with it, your experience and skills will grow with each month. Pam