Finishing a Quilt

Homesteading & Country Living Forum

Help Support Homesteading & Country Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Weedygarden

Awesome Friend
Neighbor
HCL Supporter
Joined
Dec 3, 2017
Messages
19,383
I see all kinds of classes and patterns for piecing a quilt. I see people hand quilting their quilts on a frame. I know people machine quilt their quilts instead of hand quilting. I understand that.

What I have not seen much is about how to get your quilt set up for hand quilting. I did see this idea recently and it got me thinking about finishing a quilt that I have that is a top, back, and quilt batting, but not put together. It involves rolling up a a quilt on a pool noodle. I like the idea.

My last finished quilt was finished more than a year ago. I had planned from the beginning to tie it with yarn, instead of hand quilting it. I took it to my local library and used one of the meeting rooms. I layed it out on the carpeted floor, and pinned down the back with T pins. I got the batting and the top layed out and pinned them down with T pins. Then I pinned it with large safety pins. I hand tied it, finished the binding.

I have made a few quilts that were hand quilted but it has been a while.

Who hand quilts? What kind of quilting frame do you use? Will you show photos of your set up? Any suggestions? I know that I am not the only person who gets hung up at this stage of quilt making.
 
I see all kinds of classes and patterns for piecing a quilt. I see people hand quilting their quilts on a frame. I know people machine quilt their quilts instead of hand quilting. I understand that.

What I have not seen much is about how to get your quilt set up for hand quilting. I did see this idea recently and it got me thinking about finishing a quilt that I have that is a top, back, and quilt batting, but not put together. It involves rolling up a a quilt on a pool noodle. I like the idea.

My last finished quilt was finished more than a year ago. I had planned from the beginning to tie it with yarn, instead of hand quilting it. I took it to my local library and used one of the meeting rooms. I layed it out on the carpeted floor, and pinned down the back with T pins. I got the batting and the top layed out and pinned them down with T pins. Then I pinned it with large safety pins. I hand tied it, finished the binding.

I have made a few quilts that were hand quilted but it has been a while.

Who hand quilts? What kind of quilting frame do you use? Will you show photos of your set up? Any suggestions? I know that I am not the only person who gets hung up at this stage of quilt making.

I don't quilt, but I been watching my wife do it for 50+ years.
She only hand quilts.

Here's her process.....

Layout backing on large dining table, then lay batting on top of backing, then lay the quilt top on top of batting. Get it all smooth and even, then safety pin it all together with about 3 bazillion safety pins.:)

Then she sits for months quilting it by hand,.
She goes thru thimbles and finger protectors often.

Best I can tell ya weedy.

Jim
 
As I was typing , she is working on another new quilt , in the stage I just discussed.
So I grabbed a few pics to show parts quilted and parts still pinned unquilted.

IMG_20200113_221115302.jpg
IMG_20200113_221124344-1638x1229.jpg
IMG_20200113_221115302-1638x1229.jpg


If you expand the pics you can see better.

Jim
 
I forgot.

She removes those safety pins by little sections as she gets a section quilted.

Jim
Thank you. I use a bunch of pins like that as well. My dining room table is just not large enough, nor are any of my rooms. I have almost 2000 square feet in my home, but the rooms are not that large, 12 x 14. I'd have to move furniture to lay it out, which is why I go to the library. They are accommodating if they have the space available.
Does she use a hoop or frame? In the past, I have used a large hoop, like an embroidery hoop, but much larger. I have to set a goal for myself, one square, at least, per day. It works to pace my work. 56 squares in my quilt takes about 56 days to quilt it.
 
Thank you. I use a bunch of pins like that as well. My dining room table is just not large enough, nor are any of my rooms. I have almost 2000 square feet in my home, but the rooms are not that large, 12 x 14. I'd have to move furniture to lay it out, which is why I go to the library. They are accommodating if they have the space available.
Does she use a hoop or frame? In the past, I have used a large hoop, like an embroidery hoop, but much larger. I have to set a goal for myself, one square, at least, per day. It works to pace my work. 56 squares in my quilt takes about 56 days to quilt it.

She has tried using the large hoops, but finds she just does better without a hoop.
She uses a small hoop, only to embroidery.

If you look real close , you can see the safety pins sort of outline the area to be quilted

She has been doing these non stop for over 50 years..God only knows how many quilts she has made over the years.

Jim
 
She has tried using the large hoops, but finds she just does better without a hoop.
She uses a small hoop, only to embroidery.

If you look real close , you can see the safety pins sort of outline the area to be quilted

She has been doing these non stop for over 50 years..God only knows how many quilts she has made over the years.

Jim
There is something about creating things like quilts. We are driven, without understanding how and why. I wished a happy birthday to the oldest of the 5 girls who lived on my block and sewed all their own clothing. And since I haven't seen her in more than 50 years, I thanked her for helping me all those years ago. Her response was that she still really enjoyed sewing. Yes, I totally get that as well. She and her sisters still do all kinds of needlework. They make Christmas gifts for each other every year. It started at the suggestion of their father many years ago.
 
Jim,
That is a beautiful quilt.
Weedy,
I sometimes use a large quilt frame.
Have also used frame bigger than embroidery hoop.
Or a scroll frame.
But if quilt is for child, almost always machine quilt it.
Using a machine to stitch a quilt is becoming more common. I've tried, but the quilt was too big. I have a queen sized quilt that I want to get finished. The top and back are ready, as well as the binding cut out. Just got to stitch it together. It is too large to try to do it with my machine.
 
Using a machine to stitch a quilt is becoming more common. I've tried, but the quilt was too big. I have a queen sized quilt that I want to get finished. The top and back are ready, as well as the binding cut out. Just got to stitch it together. It is too large to try to do it with my machine.
I only machine quilt children's quilts.
Everything else is hand stitched pretty much.
Or a combination of the two.
But I have tied comforters too.
 
I only machine quilt children's quilts.
Everything else is hand stitched pretty much.
Or a combination of the two.
But I have tied comforters too.
I visited a quilt shop a couple years ago. I could take a class on long arm machines and then get x amount of time on one of those. It would be quicker than my block a day, but it is not close to home, so it would a journey to go there. I need to get this quilt finished.
 
@Weedygarden You can actually do it on your table. Lay the backing down making sure the drape over the edges is even. Then the batting, then the top (flimsy) just like you were doing it on the floor. Just make sure there is more backing and batting than the top on all sides (also like on the floor.) Then, begin pinning from the center. I work first in a '+' then in an 'X' - so in other words work to your straight edges from center then again from center work towards your corners. By pinning from the center, you don't "migrate" and loose your excess batting/backing. (Does that make sense?) Just slide the sandwiched layers around to get it all pinned. Then depending upon size of quilt, I work with a large hoop or the frame. I do have a large scroll frame that I will be selling. The frame I'm keeping is smaller and I will actually probably use push pins to hold the quilt in place or lace it around the 'sticks' with a cotton thread. I have one ready to go on the frame but probably won't get to it until the weekend. I will try to remember to take pix and share them here. I don't use as many pins as Jim's wife, but I do pin it - recommendation is every 4 inches. There are bent safety pins specifically for pinning quilts. I have used both sizes, but prefer the smaller ones. The larger ones poke big holes in the fabric. Oh yea, smaller (child sized or lap sized) I just use my big hoop. When I quilt, I also work from center.
Hope this makes some sort of sense.
 
@Weedygarden You can actually do it on your table. Lay the backing down making sure the drape over the edges is even. Then the batting, then the top (flimsy) just like you were doing it on the floor. Just make sure there is more backing and batting than the top on all sides (also like on the floor.) Then, begin pinning from the center. I work first in a '+' then in an 'X' - so in other words work to your straight edges from center then again from center work towards your corners. By pinning from the center, you don't "migrate" and loose your excess batting/backing. (Does that make sense?) Just slide the sandwiched layers around to get it all pinned. Then depending upon size of quilt, I work with a large hoop or the frame. I do have a large scroll frame that I will be selling. The frame I'm keeping is smaller and I will actually probably use push pins to hold the quilt in place or lace it around the 'sticks' with a cotton thread. I have one ready to go on the frame but probably won't get to it until the weekend. I will try to remember to take pix and share them here. I don't use as many pins as Jim's wife, but I do pin it - recommendation is every 4 inches. There are bent safety pins specifically for pinning quilts. I have used both sizes, but prefer the smaller ones. The larger ones poke big holes in the fabric. Oh yea, smaller (child sized or lap sized) I just use my big hoop. When I quilt, I also work from center.
Hope this makes some sort of sense.
Thank you. That totally makes sense.
 
She says she rocks her needle.

Jim
I would love to sit and watch her. I do to, but am far from proficient. Seeing someone who knows what they are doing is sometimes more helpful than all the other instructions. I hope she has shared her talent. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find anybody to learn from. Blessings to her (to you both!)
 
I would love to sit and watch her. I do to, but am far from proficient. Seeing someone who knows what they are doing is sometimes more helpful than all the other instructions. I hope she has shared her talent. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find anybody to learn from. Blessings to her (to you both!)
Me too.
 
Back
Top