I think that you need to baste horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Also use a walking foot. Start at the center and work your way out. Colleen

If you baste really well, you can start the quilting lines anywhere you want. I baste with safety pins every four or so inches apart, and I've never had problems with puckering on the back of my quilts. Basteing is the key to having a nice flat backing.

Also, I don't roll the sides on my quilts when quilting them. I use the fluff and stuff method, where I put the quilt in my lap, fluff it up and just stuff it through the machine under the needle. You can reach behind the machine from time to time and pull the excess quilt on through. This is much easier than rolling the quilt and trying to get the big rolls through the small opening on the machine. I have quilted several king size quilts using this method.

One more thing, I don't know what type of set up you have for your machine table, but if you have something, an extra table, your ironing board, just anything, to place behind the table your machine is on, it catches the weight of the quilt as it goes through the machine and keeps the drag off your needle area. I have a wide sewing table that my machine fits in and the machine is flush with the table. I don't need anything behind the table since the table is so wide, but I do put my ironing board in front of my table, to my left, to help hold some of the weight of the quilt, the part that isn't being quilted at the time.

Have patience, don't worry about the "whole" quilt, just the part under your needle at the moment, and you will do just fine.

Good luck, an don't forget to post a picture when you're done.

You need to baste really really well. As in, lots. Trust me. It's NOT fun to pick out lots of stitches because your backing puckered a lot. Really.

I have a tendency to quilt on the floor. Okay, I can do this, 'cause I'm young. I do it because then I don't have to worry about the weight of the quilt anywhere. However, if you're going to do this, I wouldn't recommend quilting leaning over your machine for more than about 15 minutes. It gets pretty difficult to get up. My mother puts more leaves in the dinning room table and quilts there, with her machine on the right side, so the table supports more weight. We do this because our sewing table isn't all that big, especially when you have two people sewing on it at once.

And patience, like Kathy said! Don't be in a hurry to get it done, and just take your time. It'll be worth it.

~ Kit

I really think you'd be better off basting with safety pins than with stitches. You can put them 4 or 5" apart whereas you wouldn't want to have to thread baste that closely. You might try using basting spray as well. Also ditto on the fluff and stuff method. A rolled up quilt is really stiff and inflexible.

Another trick to easier machine quilting are those gardening gloves with the rubber nobbies on the palms and fingers. Even for straight stitching they help to control the beast!

Know where the ends of your threads are before you start stitching and if you can..hold on to them for the first couple stitches. Avoids those jumbled bundles on the back.
Bon
:)

Keep those ideas coming, ladies!
I found a generic darning foot for my machine yesterday ($6) and made a few practice quilt sandwiches to work on.
It's really easy on the small pieces but I'm sure it will be much harder on a full size quilt!
I've heard you can use latex gloves and since I have those I will give them a try.
I wish I could find more pictures of finished meandering quilting to look at before I begin.

I pin baste mine a hand width apart (about 4 inches). I stretch the back and pin to the floor with "T" pins, put a marble underneath and roll it around as I pin so I don't pin to the carpet (learned that trick on the forum). I have only done straight lines, no meandering, and if you alternate the direction you sew it will help prevent the fabric from creeping as you sew. Pull the bobbin thread to the top and hold them as you start to sew. Take a few really short stitches to begin, then trim the tails. I also have a table behind my machine and one on the side to help support the quilt as I stuff it thru the machine. I have got to learn to hand quilt so I don't have to stuff it thru the machine.

beverly

Here''s some of mine. I'm not saying it's good, but I'm happy enough with it.LOL

Thanks for the picture! I put it in my pictures so I could blow it up for a closer look! Nice Job!

Another thing I thought of that I should have thought of before is to use two different colored threads on the practice piece that way you can tell if the problem is top or bottom tension! duh!
I picked up a blueberry cheese danish so after I take care of that I'll get back on it! How come sewing doesn't burn up more calories? ; ).

You guys are the best! Wow, so many great tips.

Hmmmm...I guess I need to be patient and do a thorough job of basting after all. Ok.

Now the question is, pin or hand-sew baste? I've always thought pinning would be more time-consuming, but maybe not. Will have to think about that some more.

Thank you all so much...I"ll let you know how it goes! I"m almost ready to get started on that...