I am getting ready to machine stitch in the ditch my first quilt. I know I should start in the center and work my way out. My quilt top is 9 patch blocks alternated with solid blocks. I am curious how you all would go about quilting it such as...would work down a seam to the edge one way then turn it 180 degrees and go the other way and then do the same going across it and keep doing that then go back and quilt the individual blocks in the 9 patches? Does that make sense? Or would you just start in the center and work your way out in all directions? Also I am unsure as to how would be best to quilt the solid blocks? I am thinking of just continuing the lines from the 9 patches across them....what do you think? Remember this is my FIRST time doing this so I want to keep it simple and realistic. Thank you for the help. :) Here is a picture of my quilt top.
I'm no expert, but I do think you should quilt from the center and work your way out. As for the solid blocks, just continuing the quilting from the 9 patch would be fine. I love your quilt! You did great!!!
Sara, I've done stitch in the ditch (long stitch length). I started in the middle and went to on edge then flipped it and went from center to opposite edge (N and S). I did the for 4 rows in each direction then started stitching E to W for 4 rows. Then back to N to S doing 2 rows on each side of previous rows. The repeat the process. This will help to keep your quilt from getting wonky. You will still need to square up before binding.
PICK like the idea of continuing the lines through the solid blocks.
aka Grandma Sunshine
Thank you Dawn and Maggie for your responses. I guess since each of you suggested different methods I need someone to be a tie breaker now! LOL
Thank you Dawn for your compliment on my quilt. I am super happy with it and look forward to having it done and on my daughter's bed. My goal is to have it done sometime this month although by Valentine's Day would be AWESOME. Just not sure if that is a realistic goal as of yet.
Maggie what did you mean by squaring up the quilt when I am done? Do you mean trimming the back and batting down to size? Or is there another step I am missing? I know I need to trim down the batting and backing pieces after it is quilted and then the binding is the last part. I am sure I will have questions about that too!
Hi Sara, you did a great job for your 1st quilt. I have done quilt in the ditch when I've done squares and it looks fine. YOu could continue the lines on the large blocks or for something different to a X from corner to corner in the solid blocks. Post and show us what you decided when you finish.
Joyce
I usually do all the vertical then the horizontal stitch in ditch. As for quilting I recently did the top part of heart 4 of them each direction so i could do a continuouse line , but I'm still new at quilting part. As for squaring up what i find the quilt stretches as you quilt measure all sides and see if the two paralell sides are same measurement if not square up but ask others to get more oppinions as to how to do correctly.
Quilting My Rainbow
I forgot to say how great your quilt looks love the colors!
How about stitch-in-the-ditch around the 35 blocks, and then stitch from corner to corner making an X through the center of each block? Your idea of continuing the straight lines from the 9-patch blocks through the solid blocks would look nice, too.
I use a medium to short stitch length for my quilting so that the stitches don't get caught on things. My pets' nails broke several lines of stitching on my very first quilt.
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
Joyce: Hi Sara, you did a great job for your 1st quilt. I have done quilt in the ditch when I've done squares and it looks fine. YOu could continue the lines on the large blocks or for something different to a X from corner to corner in the solid blocks. Post and show us what you decided when you finish. Joyce
Thank you Joyce for the compliment on my quilt. I actually thought about doing X's through the solid blocks. Still not sure about that yet. I will be sure to post a pic when it is done.
ls2116: I forgot to say how great your quilt looks love the colors!
Thank you!! :)
MNnancy: How about stitch-in-the-ditch around the 35 blocks, and then stitch from corner to corner making an X through the center of each block? Your idea of continuing the straight lines from the 9-patch blocks through the solid blocks would look nice, too. I use a medium to short stitch length for my quilting so that the stitches don't get caught on things. My pets' nails broke several lines of stitching on my very first quilt.
Nancy - thank you for the ideas. I was going to use a smaller stitch length to be sure the quilt is very secure.
Sara
I would work from the middle in all directions. I would do this down the seams of each row. Then I would quilt the nine patches. This helps keep the back from wrinkling. I think it would be pretty to do a big X across your plain blocks.
Vinton, Virginia
Nana- so do you mean go down the seams of each big block from the center going N, then from the center S, then center W, then center E, etc? Then go back and do the 9 patches and the X's working from the center out again?
i just really want to avoid any issues that might cause wrinkling on the backside or anywhere for that matter.
I would work from the center to N then S then E then W. I would continue to do this on each of the "row" seams that you used to join all of your large blocks. Then I would go back and do the seams inside of each 9 patch block. Then I would do the Xs on the plain blocks. The only time that I worry about working from the center outward is while I am doing the seams between the rows and the big blocks not the pieces you used to make your 9 patches just the seams around the perimeter of the whole block.
Nana: Sara I would work from the center to N then S then E then W. I would continue to do this on each of the "row" seams that you used to join all of your large blocks. Then I would go back and do the seams inside of each 9 patch block. Then I would do the Xs on the plain blocks. The only time that I worry about working from the center outward is while I am doing the seams between the rows and the big blocks not the pieces you used to make your 9 patches just the seams around the perimeter of the whole block.
Thank you Nana for this detailed explanation! That helps a lot. I think that is how I will go about it. I hope to start on it tomorrow. :)