Library Quilting Club

4. Quilting on a PC Quilter

Quilting was done on a PC Quilter.

Everyone was choosing a thread color and giving me a wish list for the pattern.

I promised myself to design new, unique quilting pattern for each quilt. I was almost able to keep my promise. But 2 girls (best friends) requested the same patters (stars) and I was not able to refuse.

It was my first experience in quilting tops made by VERY inexperienced quilters. I was very unpleasantly surprised by their stitch length while piecing by hand. It was enough to catch my darning foot in a dead lock!

After my foot was caught 3 times (sewing machine foot, of course), I decided to stand by the frame all the time while it was stitching. This way I was able to see the coming hole and push fabric under the foot around it. It was very boring, and I developed exercise routine to do while I am standing by.

Loading the Quilt

Loading quilt on a frame is a daunting task for many machine quilters. Here is how I did it.

After checking the backing and batting are bigger than the quilt top, I pin backing to leaders.

I have velcro leaders. I made them from fabrics with big checkers and straight lines pattern. It gives me a reference straight line when I am pinning.

After pinning backing to the leaders I stick a leader to the backing pole.

First, middle is attached. Then one side (see picture).

Stick other side of the leader to the pole.

It is important to keep it straight.

It is not important for a small quilt to align a perfect center of a leader, quilt and a pole.

Roll the backing on a pole.

Make sure it is very straight, tight and smooth.

Take you time!

Stick middle of the front leader to the front pole.

Velcro makes it very easy.

Stick the side of the front leader to the pole.

Keep it straight.

Make sure backing is straight, not shifted.

Stick the other side of the front leader to the pole.

Tighten it by turning the poles. Poles should not bend (easy for me to say with reinforced steel conduits).

Backing is loaded!

Put batting and quilt on top of backing. Align front along the front pole.

You are ready to PC Quilt!

If you think that floating quilt can shift, you are right.

But...

Since PC Quilter stitches by itself I stand by the first row and make sure it is laying straight (adjusting with my hands when needed).

I do not use side clamps for 2 reasons.

1. My backing is tight enough. If it gets not tight I adjust a backing pole.

2. Clamps that I have tried are distorting backing significantly.