Need recommendations for QUILTING ON DOMESTIC

[Margo C.]

I have several small quilt tops made for my GS and want to quilt them myself. Can you recommend any books, DVDs available. I tend to be a VISUAL learner so I am really into DVD.

I have tried viewing Sharon Shambers video but my computer/ internet connection is toooooo slow. I have tried ordering her DVD on line but it seems to be out of stock right now... I am looking for other DVD that explain the basics.

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I saw the posts on on Patsy Thompson so I am going to see if I can order get those... but I would like more information.

Thanks

[Terry K.]

Lady Rags, try these books:
Heirloom Machine Quilting 3rd Edition--Harriet Hargrave
Heirloom Machine Quilting—4th Edition—Harriet Hargrave
Have fun!
Terry

[Gloria H.]

Anna, definitely get the Patsy Thompson DVDs. They helped me so much. I have some books also but I watched the DVDs while I was at the machine and did what she was doing on a practice sandwich. Good luck.

[Beth A.]

Patsy Thompson's videos are terrific, but she has many, and I don't know if there is ONE which is the obvious place to start. Her videos tend to concentrate on various designs versus the nuts and bolts of how to begin machine quilting.

Alex's friend, Paula (with the green hair(?) - I'm not sure I remember her last name) has a good video out that covers all the basics. It is very helpful about how to manage the bulk of the quilt, etc.

BethMI

[Caroline A.]

Diane Gaudynski has a very good book - Guide to Machine Quilting.

Fi

[Betty D.]

After buying several books and DVD's, I bought Machine Quilting Solutions by Christine Maraccini. This one answered questions (even some I hadn't thought to ask) I couldn't find the answer to elsewhere!

[Betty J.]

I still think Sharon Schamber has the best. Have you tried right clicking and saving the videos to your computer and then running them rather than trying to watch online? Might make them work, and you can go back and rewatch the relevant parts.

[Lynn K.]

I vote for anything Sharon Schamber does. She teaches with such clarity!

[Lynn K.]

Sharon Shamber is currently out of the DVD on quilting... I tried to order it a month ago... but I plan to keep trying.

[Lynn K.]

I think all the books and DVDs are great suggestions. But then just do it. You will make mistakes. We all do. I learn more from my mistakes than my successes. Good luck. It's great fun even with the mistakes.

Pat

[Lynn K.]

Sharon Shamber's videos on quilting is just greate, and I love Ricky Tims's Grand finale too!! But, even if you see a lot of videos on how to do free motion the most important thing is to get some pieces of paper, a pencil and do the pattern you want to sew.
1. You need to plan on what to do in different areas
2. You need to find the best place to start/stop
3. You need a plan on how to handle the quilting if you sew yourself into a corner and "cant" get out
4. You need to get to know YOUR sewing machine and what settings/adjustments works for free motion quilting
5. You need to find the right needle for the thread you want to use
6. Free motion quilt on the paper with you machine without thread
7. Do a testpiece from scraps of fabric and batting

If you are quilting in odd shapes...draw the shape on the paper so you can figure out what kind of quilting works best in that area.

You may use a LOT of paper, but you will save a lot of fabric!!

Most important though: HAVE FUN AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF DOING MISTAKES

[Lynn K.]

Great advice, Brink!

[Lynn K.]

Hi Ladyrags:

Basic machine quilting is easy to learn. PRACTICE is what will give you confidence and skill. I don't have a video to recommend (I learned in an adult ed class years ago), but I do have a lot of advice!

First, make several "sandwiches" of fabric & batting, about 20" square. Baste them together every 5" or so with safety pins. (I use the pins that are about 1" long, but some folks like larger ones)

For straight (or slightly curving) lines, use a WALKING FOOT. This feeds the top layer along at the same rate as the bottom layer, so the top layer doesn't bunch up in front of the presser foot. Practice following lines drawn on your practice sandwich. Remove pins as you approach them (it's hard to get them out if you wait till you've stitched right up to them!). When you start or end a line of stitching, make about 1/4" of very tiny stitches so your stitching won't pull out. If you feel like you're losing control, just STOP for a moment (good advice for life in general, too).

Free-motion quilting, once you get the hang of it, is much easier & faster than using the walking foot. It's also more versatile, as you can "draw" any shape or design you can think up. Lower the feed dogs on your machine, and put on a darning foot.

First, practice just moving your sandwich around in random directions to get the feel of the stitching. You'll soon get a feel for how fast you need to move the sandwich to coordinate with machine speed, to get more even stitches. Use slow hand movements with slow machine speeds, and faster hand movements as you speed-up the machine. Again, use small stitches to anchor the start and end of lines.

Then draw some shapes like stipples, flowers, spirals, your name, etc. on the sandwich, and try following the lines with your stitching. It's often easier to get a smooth curve when moving faster, rather than slower. You'll improve quickly with practice! Once you feel you've got the "hang" of it, it's time to do...a real quilt!

Baste your quilt the same as your sandwich, pins every 4-5". Be sure, when basting it, that the backing is smooth and taut; this will prevent pleats in the back when you quilt. The quilt top should also be pulled smooth and fairly tight (but not stretched out of shape). When I had wall-to-wall carpeting, I'd stretch and pin the backing right to the rug, using straight pins around the edges; next layer on the batting; lastly stretch and pin down the top. Then use safety pins to baste the layers together. After basting, just take out the straight pins. Now I have to tape the layers to a wood floor. This also works, but I need knee pads to do my basting!

Machine-quilting gloves really help you keep a grip on your quilt. Clean gardening gloves are a good substitute; some folks use rubber fingers or other aids. Gloves are really the only extra you'll need, aside from the walking and darning feet.

You'll read a lot about rolling up your quilt to fit it under your machine, throwing it over your shoulder, etc. etc. This makes some sense if you're using a walking foot to do long lines down the quilt. But if you're doing free-motion quilting, ignore all this, or you'll spend all your time trying to keep your rolls in place. Just get a small section of the quilt (about a foot square) in place under the needle like a puddle. Smooth it and make sure it's not pulling in any direction (like, by the rest of the quilt falling off the table), and make sure you can move it around freely. Concentrate on quilting this small section. Then move on to another little section, and puddle it under the needle, and so on. I usually work from the center of the quilt toward the edges. This helps prevent bubbles and pleats, and also gets easier as you get closer to the edges, so you're rewarded for doing the harder bits first!

Machine quilting isn't as difficult to learn as people think. Of course, getting as good as Sharon Schamber or Diane Gaudynski will take a LOT of practice...! But, you'll soon find you're able to do a nice job on your own quilts. Every stitch doesn't need to be perfect on a quilt meant to be used and loved, and no one but you will see where you wobbled off course. Really!

Let us know how you make out!

:shock:

[Lynn K.]

You've gotten great advice and of course I'm not an expert, but I teach a LOT of beginners. If you would like to contact me with your address, I'd be glad to send you my class hand outs which include written instructions and reminders, a list of books I like to recommend and then several pages of practice designs all the way through drawing and stitching feathers.

I love teaching machine quilting and I just love it when the light goes on and a student finds that something they thought was totally out of reach for them, suddenly isn't so hard after all. I love hearing "oh, I can see with a little practice this won't be so bad!"

Merry Christmas!

All the grandkids are asleep, all the Aerobeds are inflated and made up for their parents and we are just waiting for Santa tonight. And I'm just sitting here wondering if my house will ever be the same after this crew leaves! :lol:

[Lynn K.]

I found some Sharon Schamber DVDs on this site:

http://columbiariverquilting.com/videos.html

Sharon Schamber - Machine Quilting Filling the Space
Sharon Schamber - Planning Your Quilting -- CD!
Sharon Schamber - Feathers To Die For
Sharon Schamber - Longarm Appliqué DVD
Sharon Schamber - Longarm Couture Feathers
Sharon Schamber-Perfect Binding
Sharon Schamber - Trapunto Basics Longarm
Sharon Schamber-Corded Binding DVD