How to handle a large quilt on a domestic sewing machine? [Q&A #6] 

I use a breastfeeding pillow (the one that has the shape of a letter C) on my lap. I “wrap” the pillow around the front of my body at about my waist level, which creates a flat surface with my sewing table. I also nudge the left side of the pillow just under the side table I have to my left. (The two tables are in an L shape). Because the breastfeeding pillow I chose for this purpose is soft, I can still sit close enough to my sewing machine table to keep relatively good ergonomics while quilting. I stop often and stretches a lot to avoid aches and pains.

Your method that you used in the last Sugaridoo Bernina Quilt a long saved me. Finishing a large very heavy quilt on my domestic machine and it was just to heavy. I unstitched it down the middle and quilted both halves and put them back together like you did. I used batting tape since I didn’t plan ahead to do this way and felt it might be a little more secure than stitching the batting together and some small pieces of batting could be added in a few places. I am in your debt.

I put 4 "I" (eye) hooks in the ceiling and then stretchy bungee cords with plastic clamps on the ends to lift up the bulk of the quilt in the 4 corners when I free motion quilt at a sit down machine.

I place my ironing board at the back of my table, at the same height, to increase my working space and avoid my quilt to drag over too much, and I place the back of the chairs toward the table as well so that the sides of my quilt are also lifted

The pillow is a great tip. I also use my ironing board at the same height as my table to hold the weight of fabric on the left.

Great tips today! I was wondering if you could talk about the differences in types of thread and which threads are best for different situations. For example: In what situations do you use all cotton thread, cotton blend thread or poly thread. I am just getting started with machine quilting. (Typically I have been machine piecing and then hand quilting and use cotton thread for the hand quilting because I like the "feel" of how it goes through the layers.) If you've answered this question in a previous video, I must have missed it. If I missed it, could you reference the video and I'll go back and watch it. Thanks so much. LOVE your videos so much. You make everything seem so easy!

Feel silly...never thought to use a pillow on my lap😳 Thanks for great suggestions ✂️🧵 Happy quilting ❣️

The pillow is a great idea!! I just do a lot of muttering and frustrating talk!!😊

Yes I also roll on each side. I also sit on a counter chair infront of my dining room table, instead of a regular size chair. Also another hindrance is my cats wanting to hide under the overhang of my quilt as I see😜 go

Kind of related to the topic today. I know that having a big table like the one you build for quilting a big quilt will help. You have show it a bit in a video in the past. But could you go through in a bit of in detail especially in the video to show how you build the table? I Need to build one for my new Bernina and I would like to build something like yours. Thanks!

I have a set of IKEA alex wide drawers on castors that I have set up to my left so my table is kind of an L shape. I drape most of the weight of the quilt on that and my table so only minimal goes into my lap. It helps with drag and avoiding puckers.

What an excellent tip! Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you for the great tips!!

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

I have got a cheap table for my sewing machine, my son made a hole, a bit bigger than my sewing machine and made plate a bit deeper, so my surface is flat. That helps as well. Even there are tables for sewing machines, but there are quite expensive.

Tips on wrangling assembling rows together in large quilts. There’s a lot to deal with.

I just finished my first quit. and I also was doing some research how to quilt it with sewing machine. find a picture on line that shows a quilter was using clamp and rope and a metal frame to hold the corners of quilt. good luck.

I agree about the rolling. Really hard to maneuver. I basically scrunch the quilt up like you said. That seems to work the best for me.🙄

Ich quilte an unserm Esstisch und drehe alle nicht benützen Stühle mit der Rückenlehne zum Tisch. Die stuhllehnen sorgen dafür das der Quilt nicht vom Tisch rutscht. I quilt on our dinigtable. I turn all not used chairs whith the back to the Table and the becks keep the quilt on the table.

Good tips but I'm so tired of wrestling with quilts, that once the big tops are finished that's it. I'm only going to make wall hangings/baby size quilts or smaller from now on. But I do want to free motion quilt as well as learn to use rulers so I'll be here for the SAL next year.

I have a question, how do you baste a large quilt if you don't have enough floor space or a big table?

I put my table in a corner, so the quilt can't drop off.

Love the pillow tip BUT I worry about the sharp corners of the tables. When I scrunch up the quilt it sometimes falls off the back or sides and if I pull it the weight can make it catch on those corners before I notice then when I pull it back towards me it risks a tear. Any ideas to keep it from snagging on the corners? Thank you.

I have a non-quilting question - I went to Amsterdam (and Zaandam) once for a few days (not long enough!) and had bitterballen. They are one of the best foods I've ever had! Do people in the Netherlands make those at home ever? Or are they the sort of food you only get when you go to a pub? 🤣