Machine quilting

When I did my 2 semester internship at the SW Missouri Indian Center in
Springfield, MO I worked a lot with the homeless. We kept a huge electric
skillet full of stew (usually venison from our Directors freezer) going all
the time. We gave out used coats knowing full well they would sell them and
be back for another one tomorrow. Didn't matter we gave them out anyway.
Unfortunately, all of them spent what little money they could get on Thunder
Bird and didn't have anything to eat but what came out of our electric
skillet. They slept in doorways wrapped in coats or whatever they could
find. Occassionally they found abandoned buildings and would set fires to
keep themselves warm. Unfortunately, they often caught the buildings on
fire and sometimes killed themselves in the blaze. They were a sad lot and
I found my work with them very fullfilling. Most people don't want to do
for the homeless because of their alcohol and drug problems but I always
figured that a Loving Creator sat in judgement of them and I had no right to
say what was right or wrong. I took some of the most interesting Social
Histories and learned alot about my fellow human beings from these wonderful
teachers.

--
http://community.webshots.com/user/snigdibbly
SNIGDIBBLY
~e~
"
/ \
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/snigdibbly.
http://www.ebaystores.com/snigdibbly...ox&refid=store
"Phyllis Nilsson" wrote in message
...
THANK YOU! I have never been homeless, and have never known anyone
personally who has been homeless, but they have been on my heart for many
years.

SNIGDIBBLY wrote:
http://quilting.about.com/gi/dynamic...n/uglyinst.htm

Here is the URL for the instructions for making a sleeping bag type quilt
for the homeless. They call it an ugly quilt but anyone who quilts know
there "ain't no such thing." Lot's of links to help you know where to
send the quilts and other charity quilts. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tips. Wish I were faster at this, but hopefully I'll do
it right and then I can work on fast.

Anne in CA wrote:
Phyllis,

Here's how I baste on my dining room table:

1. Mark center of each side of table by taping a toothpick down (can be
felt through lots of layers).

2. Iron the backing, find center of each side and smooth it down on the
table, right side down, with the shortest side matching the longest side
of the table, matching center of fabric with the toothpicks. Usually the
width is a bit shorter than the table -- sometimes I have to put all the
extra leafs in the table though. Tape these edges firmly to the table
with masking tape or painters tape.

3. Find the center of the batting and smooth it over the backing,
matching centers; then do the same with the top, right side up. For the
two ends that hang over the edge, I clip weights like you might use to
keep a picnic table cloth from blowing away. Other people use clips to
clamp those edges to the table edge.

4. Pin baste, starting in the middle, until the part covering the table
is all basted.

5. Gently un-tape the sides and shift toward one end. Re-tape and
re-clip, then baste that part. Un-tape, shift the other way, re-tape,
re-clip. Baste some more.

I can usually get a quilt basted in three sections that way; or you can
just keep shifting and do it in 4 or 5 sections. I do pin *really*
densely with this method. Starting in the middle like that, you can
gently smooth out any wrinkles, lumps or bumps toward the edges.

You could probably thread baste using the same method. If the table
isn't long enough to tape the width of your quilt, I would suggest the
clips or clamps for the side edges, rather than the weights.



)O( Anne in CA )O(
"It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you've got." -- Sheryl
Crow
http://community.webshots.com/user/annerudolph3
http://home.comcast.net/~annerudolph/


Phyllis Nilsson wrote:

I discovered last evening that basting has become a problem also. If
anyone has learned how to baste sitting down, I'd appreciate learning
how to do that without messing up the "sandwich". I have nothing to
lay the quilt on that is truly big enough (our house is very small) so
I'm going to have to do this in small areas at a time and hope the
part that hangs off the table (onto a chair) will not pull everything
out of place.

Unfortunately, I have a table on which clamps won't fit, but I am going
to do this.

Sandy Foster wrote:
In article ,
Phyllis Nilsson wrote:


I discovered last evening that basting has become a problem also. If
anyone has learned how to baste sitting down, I'd appreciate learning
how to do that without messing up the "sandwich". I have nothing to lay
the quilt on that is truly big enough (our house is very small) so I'm
going to have to do this in small areas at a time and hope the part that
hangs off the table (onto a chair) will not pull everything out of place.



Phyllis, I do the same thing all the time; our house is very small, too.
G I center the quilt on my smallish kitchen table, anchor it well with
clips, and pin baste the part that fits on the table. Then I unclamp it
and scootch it over so that what was hanging off the side of the table
is now on the top, and I clamp and pin that next. I keep doing that
until the entire thing is basted. It works for me. One tip Harriet
Hargrave gives that will help with the centering part is to tape a
toothpick to the center of each side of your table. Then you merely have
to match the center of your backing, batting and top to the toothpicks!

I agree, it isn't up to me to judge whether someone is worthy. He or
she is a human being and needs food, clothing, and shelter. I don't
know why this has been a burden on my heart, but it is and I do the best
I can with the resources I have. My husband found a place on the
Internet named "Aunt Mary's" who sells yarn for about 10 cents an ounce
or something like that. We ordered about 100 pounds last year and I had
a terrible time finding room for it all until I could get it made into
winter wear for the homeless and school kids and some lap robes for the
patients at the center where my husband gets dialysis three times a
week. It is always cold in there and some of the patients don't have
much to keep them warm. I can't cure the ills that made someone
homeless, but I can sure help them stay warm.

SNIGDIBBLY wrote:
When I did my 2 semester internship at the SW Missouri Indian Center in
Springfield, MO I worked a lot with the homeless. We kept a huge electric
skillet full of stew (usually venison from our Directors freezer) going all
the time. We gave out used coats knowing full well they would sell them and
be back for another one tomorrow. Didn't matter we gave them out anyway.
Unfortunately, all of them spent what little money they could get on Thunder
Bird and didn't have anything to eat but what came out of our electric
skillet. They slept in doorways wrapped in coats or whatever they could
find. Occassionally they found abandoned buildings and would set fires to
keep themselves warm. Unfortunately, they often caught the buildings on
fire and sometimes killed themselves in the blaze. They were a sad lot and
I found my work with them very fullfilling. Most people don't want to do
for the homeless because of their alcohol and drug problems but I always
figured that a Loving Creator sat in judgement of them and I had no right to
say what was right or wrong. I took some of the most interesting Social
Histories and learned alot about my fellow human beings from these wonderful
teachers.

In article ,
Phyllis Nilsson wrote:

Unfortunately, I have a table on which clamps won't fit, but I am going
to do this.


My table is too thick for clamps, too, Phyllis. I went to a
camping-supply store and bought the ones that hold a tablecloth onto a
picnic table; they work great!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
my ISP is earthlink.net -- put sfoster1(at) in front
http://home.earthlink.net/~sfoster1

AKA Dame Sandy, Minister of Education

I'll have to try those. Thanks.

Sandy Foster wrote:
In article ,
Phyllis Nilsson wrote:


Unfortunately, I have a table on which clamps won't fit, but I am going
to do this.



My table is too thick for clamps, too, Phyllis. I went to a
camping-supply store and bought the ones that hold a tablecloth onto a
picnic table; they work great!

Phyllis Nilsson wrote:

I wouldn't have thought anyone needed to tell me that, but I caught
myself the other day!

the black rose wrote:



And don't forget to BREATHE!



Oh, I wouldn't know anything about forgetting to breathe until I turn
blue... no, not me... *whistles a little tune and looks innocent*

--

the black rose
Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human
Relations
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts
2005 BOMs: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blackrosequilts/my_photos

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Maybe you should try the basting spray. It is a wash away, and I find it
hold quite well. Saves time basting or pin basting for machine quilting.

--
Susan in Kingston ON
quilting - what else?
http://community.webshots.com/user/sbtinkingston
"Phyllis Nilsson" wrote in message
...
I discovered last evening that basting has become a problem also. If
anyone has learned how to baste sitting down, I'd appreciate learning
how to do that without messing up the "sandwich". I have nothing to lay
the quilt on that is truly big enough (our house is very small) so I'm
going to have to do this in small areas at a time and hope the part that
hangs off the table (onto a chair) will not pull everything out of place.

Sandy Foster wrote:
In article ,
Phyllis Nilsson wrote:


I've never done machine quilting before, always hand sew piecing too.
Have a bad back from 50 years of sitting at keyboards and can't sit at a
sewing machine for many minutes at a time. I'm making a quilt for my
son's new stepdaughter and I'd like to finish it by Christmas. If I
hand quilt it, I won't get it done on time.

Yesterday I bought a walking foot for my 40-year-old, White sewing
machine and since I've never done machine quilting before, I was hoping
some of you could give me some help. I only have three settings for the
feed dogs; high, low, and down. Which should I use with the walking
foot? Should the stitch be longer than for regular sewing? Will I be
able to piece by machine with the walking foot in place, or do I have to
remove it and replace the regular presser foot for that?

I've watched tv quilting shows, I've dozens of books (which contradict
each other on just about everything from the way to press seams to the
way to knot thread), but I thought you could give me better advice if
you'd be so kind.



Us? Contradict each other? Heaven forbid! LOL! But you'll certainly get
a lot of opinions here. Personally, I don't piece with the walking foot;
it's too bulky, so it's difficult to keep an accurate 1/4" seam. Using
the walking foot, however, is essential for doing straight-line
quilting. I use the normal stitch length; I like how it looks, and it's
easy to remember my settings. You'll want your feed dogs *up*, so
that you have, in essence, feed dogs both top and bottom of your quilt
sandwich to keep everything aligned the way you basted (pin basted,
whatever) it.

I like Pat's idea of doing the straight line quilting by machine and
adding special bits of hand quilting in certain areas; that gives you
the best of both worlds!

I think I may still have some from a previous project. Will check;
thanks for reminding me.

Susan Torrens wrote:
Maybe you should try the basting spray. It is a wash away, and I find it
hold quite well. Saves time basting or pin basting for machine quilting.

--
Susan in Kingston ON
quilting - what else?
http://community.webshots.com/user/sbtinkingston
"Phyllis Nilsson" wrote in message
...

I discovered last evening that basting has become a problem also. If
anyone has learned how to baste sitting down, I'd appreciate learning
how to do that without messing up the "sandwich". I have nothing to lay
the quilt on that is truly big enough (our house is very small) so I'm
going to have to do this in small areas at a time and hope the part that
hangs off the table (onto a chair) will not pull everything out of place.

Sandy Foster wrote:

In article ,
Phyllis Nilsson wrote:



I've never done machine quilting before, always hand sew piecing too.
Have a bad back from 50 years of sitting at keyboards and can't sit at a
sewing machine for many minutes at a time. I'm making a quilt for my
son's new stepdaughter and I'd like to finish it by Christmas. If I
hand quilt it, I won't get it done on time.

Yesterday I bought a walking foot for my 40-year-old, White sewing
machine and since I've never done machine quilting before, I was hoping
some of you could give me some help. I only have three settings for the
feed dogs; high, low, and down. Which should I use with the walking
foot? Should the stitch be longer than for regular sewing? Will I be
able to piece by machine with the walking foot in place, or do I have to
remove it and replace the regular presser foot for that?

I've watched tv quilting shows, I've dozens of books (which contradict
each other on just about everything from the way to press seams to the
way to knot thread), but I thought you could give me better advice if
you'd be so kind.



Us? Contradict each other? Heaven forbid! LOL! But you'll certainly get
a lot of opinions here. Personally, I don't piece with the walking foot;
it's too bulky, so it's difficult to keep an accurate 1/4" seam. Using
the walking foot, however, is essential for doing straight-line
quilting. I use the normal stitch length; I like how it looks, and it's
easy to remember my settings. You'll want your feed dogs *up*, so
that you have, in essence, feed dogs both top and bottom of your quilt
sandwich to keep everything aligned the way you basted (pin basted,
whatever) it.

I like Pat's idea of doing the straight line quilting by machine and
adding special bits of hand quilting in certain areas; that gives you
the best of both worlds!