Need recommendations for QUILTING ON DOMESTIC

[Lynn K.]

Paula Reid is Alex's friend - her video is called Fluff and Stuff and I love it. It goes over batting and thread selections as well as the layering process and of course the quilting. Here's a link to her website. http://www.battsintheattic.com/

[Lynn K.]

When it comes to free motion quilting I have found it scary to try in the beginning. BUT, I have learned this and have teached others this way...You really need to get to know YOU sewing machine!! It is the most important thing!! You can try out any pattern but it will look like rubbish if you dont get the adjustments right for YOUR sewing machine!! Try it out...play with scaps fabric and batting :lol: And, when it comes down to fabric/batting/backing its different almost each time so I always do a test using top-/batting/backingfabric for the quilt in question.
To anyone who wants to try free motion I will say this...Go for it and have fun!! :wink:

[Margo C.]

I have been machine quilting since the early 90s, and think that one of the best things to come along for newbies is Sharon Schambers' QUILT HALO. It's a weighted ring that really helps to stabilize the three layers as you move them around for free motion quilting. Even as a seasoned quilter, I find it really helpful.

http://www.purpledaisiesllc.com/cgi-...on&key=223

[Margo C.]

I bought the Patsy Thompson's DVD.. series 0.5 (remake/ update of series 1.0 ) series two. I am going to work my way through the basic quilting patterns before I go on to series three and vines and leaves. She presents a lot of patterns and variations and I am hoping buy doing several of them I will build a skill level.

I am making the BATS into a kids quilt using her BATS techniques... I cut out 14 inch blocks with batting of twelve inches. When I finish with all the patterns I am going to stitch the BATS together leaving a half inch away from the batting making a kids quilt out of my practice blocks. ( The baby needs a drag around quilt to cuddle in. )

I was disappointed in her lesson on how to layer the quilt top, batting and backing. I am going to use the board method in Sharon Schambers quilt web site instead. I tried to buy Sharon's MACHINE QUILTING DVD but it is out of stock. I can not sign up for her web site for the same reason I can not join TQS as a paying membership.... Dial up does not support the fast speed needed to view the show... I can not even view YOU TUBE.


If you guys have any other recommendation for quilting DVDs let me know. Right now I am interested in quilting on domestic machines but other topics are of interest too.

[Margo C.]

I teach free-motion quilting in a totally different way than anyone else that I know of does. I took 4 free-motion classes from great teachers, but I could never get it right. I thought I was doomed to using the walking foot or sending the quilt out to be quilted. Then I took a class from Libby Lehman and we had to hoop the fabric to do her ribbon illusion technique. All of a sudden I realized I could use a hoop to learn to free-motion. That is how I teach it today and I have a money-back guarantee. If you can't free-motion by the end of my class, you don't have to pay me. I have never had anyone not pay me! It is hard to get the three layers into a plastic embroidery hoop, but perserve, they will fit in there. Of course, you hoop the fabric the opposite way you would in embroidery. See Libby's book "Threadplay" on pages 22 to 23 on hoops. (My book is the first edition so I don't know if the page #'s are the same.) I use the one with the ridges. When you use the hoop you are not constantly worried about clutching and moving the fabric so you can concentrate on getting your foot speed and hand speed right. Your foot speed should be fast and you hand speed should be slow. If you have a speed control on your machine find out where you want the speed to be (usually 3/4 ) and then you can just floor it and not have to worry about the foot pedal. I have my students practice with the hoop on for the first hour, and they do grumble because they hate having to move the hoop, but if you do it less than that you don't learn the control. Once the hour is up I have them take off the hoop, put on Machingers gloves and they are amazed at how easy they can move the fabric and get even stitches. I always recommend Patsy Thompsons 1st video. But the most important thing to remember is to practice. Every time you sit down at your machine, practice free-motion stitching for about 10 to 15 minutes and then move on to your project. I do what Pokey Bolton of Quilting Arts does---I use a piece of felt instead of a quilt sandwich to practice on. Try it, you'll like it!

[Margo C.]

How about the one called "Grand Finale: Fine Machine Quilting and Finishing Techniques" by a man named Ricky Tims? He's a great teacher!

JoAnne in southern California

[Margo C.]

How about the one called "Grand Finale: Fine Machine Quilting and Finishing Techniques" by a man named Ricky Tims? He's a great teacher! It's in the TQS Shoppe.

JoAnne in southern California