Quilt As You Go, Simply Done

Simply Done

Machine Quilting – How to Stitch in the Ditch

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Here they are! I went with the two-part format because I felt that there was just too much information that I had to cut in order to meet the 10 minute limit for YouTube (not criticizing, just explaining) so:

Part One – – –
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiJllrOdrZ4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]

I would love to know what you think!! So far I have only remembered one thing that I should have said – and that is “don’t buy cheap pins”. I did this once and totally regret it, it was a waste of time and money because I had to go BACK to the store and buy the good (expensive) ones just to get them to go through 2 layers of fabric and a needled batting. Better to just buy the good ones up front and avoid the frustration and waste of having a bag full of useless pins.

Please let me know what you think of the videos and of quilting a large quilt at home on your sewing machine. Do you stitch-in-the-ditch? Do you do things differently than me?

If you found this useful, please share it with your friends 🙂

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Comments

  1. Thank you so much for making this video I learned so much on how to roll the quilt. How do I smooth the backing on a hardwood floor? Keep up the great video’s, I learn so much from you!

  2. I LOVE your videos!! Thank you so much for all the great info. I’ve added your blog to my blog list and will continue to follow the progress on this quilt.

    hugs,
    Cheri S
    cheris56@yahoo.com

  3. Good stuff. I did learn about the folding technique and that was very helpful.
    I spray baste and find it really makes life so much easier for me. But on a larger quilt I suppose I would have to pin too.
    Yes, I think I bought cheap pins as it was very hard to put them in.

  4. I use painters tape to hold my backing in place while pinning on my hardwood floor- it doesn’t leave any adhesive residue on my fabric.
    So mom, will I be putting the binding on this soon or are you going to do it yourself and make a video?

  5. Whoo Hoo! If teaching just the rolling and folding helped then I consider the whole thing a success 🙂

    I need to decide what I want to do to this quilt. I am thinking about pulling out some of my Star Variegated thread and just adding some free motion stuff here and there….I should probably video it…maybe next week. I'll bind it myself – I want to find the perfect shade of green…. hmmm, more fabric shopping 🙂

    Thanks Rannyjean, Cheri, Nanci & Sarah 🙂

  6. I found your video very informative. As a beginning quilter I have been rather overwhelmed by the thought of quilting a large quilt for my bed but the cost of having someone else quilt it was more than I could pay. Besides, I want to make it all myself. Thanks for the great video. It came just in time.

  7. thanks so much for doing these videos, I am doing my first quilt ever and am so enjoying your blog and videos. They are helping heaps.

  8. Marguerita, Thank you so much for your great videos. I learned so much! Perfect timing for me, as I have been quilting for a while, but seem to be “specializing” in making tops. I’d love to quilt them myself, and I think stitch in the ditch will work for some of them. So, I’m off to give it a try on a Log Cabin charity quilt. Wish me luck!
    Any chance you’ll be making a free motion video soon? I’d love to learn to do that on my home sewing machine too. 😉
    Eileen S

  9. Thank you so much for sending me the link to your video. I have downloaded it to watch again and I will take my time next time instead of trying to do it all at once. Great how to and I will be watching your others as well.
    Ariel

  10. Hi Kathy, Sharon, Eileen and Ariel!

    Thank you for watching and for your comments 🙂

    I *do* want to make more videos, hopefully this weekend, first with some basic free motion quilting and then (whispering) feathers!! I *love* feathers and I have 3 favorite ways to make them.

    I am so glad that the timing of these videos is good for you!! Let’s see those quilts! I am coming to your blogs to peek … 🙂 Marguerita

  11. Excellent! I came over from Quilt Designers after reading your post response. I can’t wait to watch your videos. I need help with machine quilting!! It all looks great to me!

  12. Your videos are wonderful, thank you for your time. I saw the link to YouTube in the Yahoo Bernina 200Group, and then found your blog from YouTube. i have just started quilting, I’ve sewn for 40 years but never quilted. I have a quilt top ready to quilt and your video sure helped me understand the process. Thanks again.

  13. Thanks for sharing your video. I've been quilting a queen size, in the ditch, on my 20-year old Sears sewing machine. There is so little space between the needle & the machine that it has been a challenge at times. I'll try the fan folding in the front. So far I've just had it bunched in my lap. For assembly, I used Sharon Schamber's method, on my dining table and hand basted it. Looking forward to seeing your free motion video. I don't see how I could do that on my machine, but anything is worth a try.

  14. Thanks for the wonderful videos! I’m a newbie who has only done tie quilts so far and is now attempting to learn beginner machine quilting.

    Question on your Part II video. You show your bobbin thread pulled on top of your quilt sandwich. How do you do that? Do you have the bobbin thread pulled really long all the way around your rolled up quilt sandwich with the tail stretched back across the quilt top so you can hold it?

    Thank you again!