How To Machine Quilt

Machine Quilting is the Best!

Gather your supplies:

1. Rubber tipped gloves, preferably cotton, to grip the quilt and save your hands.
2. Safety Pins, the thinnest and finest you can find.
3. Brand new needle in your sewing machine.
4. Good music. You decide.
5. Straight Pins.
6. A walking foot. Buy one.

Stitch structural quilting lines
 
Sew structural lines across the quilt. Follow the sashing, for example, stitching in the ditch. Start in the middle and work your way to the edges.

Let the Quilt Talk to You

Sometimes at this point I let it sit overnight. It bubbles in my brain while I'm sleeping, and I wake up knowing just how to finish the quilt.

Here is a peak at my process:

The block has one large X across it, for structure. Hmm, not enough.

I added a diamond in the middle of the block. Still not enough. It doesn't speak to those little tiny 3/4" squares.

That's it! Stitched on the diagonal, through every other row, and now those tiny squares are talking to me!

Body Care:

1. Get up and do something different every half hour.
2. Turn on the lights. Work in natural light if you can. Add a lamp over your machine.
3. Drop your shoulders. (I tried Tai Chi-briefly-and came away with this gem. Turns out I'm not such a balanced person.)

Do you have any machine quilting tips? Tell us everything! One lucky winner will receive Schmetz sewing machine needles and a pack of 5" 1930s charm squares. Drawing ends Oct. 2nd at midnight.