Heirloom Machine Quilting Tips

by Caroline Fritz

Overview

Quilting is a time-honored tradition in which anyone can partake. The quilting process is straightforward and allows a quilter to get creative with patterns and colors. The great thing about making a quilt is that you create a cherished keepsake that is passed down from generation to generation.
Tools and Accessories

Once the top of the quilt has been pieced together and the layers have been assembled, you are ready to quilt. If you are making an heirloom quilt, use the correct tools and accessories, such as new needles and the correct thread. For the quilt design, consider using a pattern with intricate details--although this is not a "hard and fast" rule of heirloom quilting. You also can quilt the top in what is known as freehand style. If you are using a pattern, it usually is marked on a quilt top before it is assembled. There are several ways to trace the design on the fabric, including: placing the design on a light box or against a sunny window; using stencils to mark the fabric; or using tear-away patterns or perforated patterns, which are left on the quilt top while it is being sewn and are removed afterward.

Start to Sew

Whether or not you are using a design, make sure your machine is properly threaded and is fitted with the correct sewing foot for your design. If you are sewing straight lines, use a walking foot and a straight stitch throat plate. If you plan to quilt the top in freehand style, including curves, use a darning foot and drop or cover the feed dog on the sewing machine. In the book "Complete Guide to Quilting," it is recommended to start in the middle of the quilt to avoid having the entire quilt underneath the sewing arm at one time. Sew in the middle and move toward one edge, completing the half, then return to the middle and finish the other half.
Stitches

There are several ways to sew a quilt, depending on the design of the quilt. If you have traced a pattern on the top, sew along the lines of the design. If you decide on straight lines that do not follow a pattern, consider channel quilting (straight lines that run in one direction) or grid quilting, which are straight lines that intersect on the perpendicular, so you end up with several small boxes. Stippling is freehand quilting, also called puzzle quilting, and involves sewing haphazard curves, straight rows of stitches or random zigzags. For invisible quilting, try stitching in the ditch, which means to stitch inside the seam line of the quilt block. Use this method to make a quilt block stand out, and let the colors and shapes of the quilt lead the design.

References & Resources