The reason for starting in the center is to keep the quilt top smooth and not "bubbling up" in areas. If you started at the sides and worked in you might wind up with wrinkles and and puckers, bubbles, etc. in the middle. Of course you should always either thread or pin-baste the quilt all over to help keep it even and smooth also.

Thank you both for your advice. I pin-basted the quilt together last night on my hardwood floor and if anything it might be overpinned (if that's possible)! It is really secure and nice and "flat".

Ironically, Patsy, I did use the force of wine to survive the event!!! I was cracking up when I read your message this morning. My back, however, is paying dearly today. I closed the blinds in the room just in case someone might see me and wonder why I was crawling around on all fours staring at something on the floor!

I had read somewhere that using a small crochet needle comes in really handy when clasping the pins together...thank you to whomever said so because it really saved my fingers from bleeding!

I can't imagine even thinking about binding right now! I'll be asking everyone's advice on that next though :)>

Thank you again!

Amber

Hi Amber,
The quilt is so cute and really great work. I was taught to start from the center but on machine quilting I prefer to start on the side.
I know many great quilters that start any where they want. But if you start in a corner you should quilt out from the corner to keep the quilting smooth. In other words, you will probably have puckers if you try to jump around.
Just make sure you make the batting and backing larger than the top.
I would practice quilting on a small piece to learn before starting on the quilt.
Binding like everything else is just a matter of practice.
Looking forward to seeing the quilt!
Rosa

Hi Rosa,

You've suggested great pointers...it does seem reasonable that puckers would most likely occur if I jumped around instead of quilting along continuously; I know I'm not cut out for that. That's one reason I've considered the Baptist Fan pattern that PetalPatsy recommended in the other thread. It seems like I could start in the corner and work outwards as I go and still maintain a constant "working order" of stitches across the plain until I finally reach the opposite corner. And yes, I did leave extra batting and backing all around the quilt top--it is approximately 3 inches or more wide...I hope that's enough to get me by.

Regardless, I'm still nervous about it all...so I do plan on doing some practice quilting tomorrow with my leftover "wonky" strips.

I promise to post more pics in the future...and I cross my fingers they'll be pretty pictures :)>

Rosa . . . I forgot to say THANK YOU for the advice. I really appreciate it!

I just learned to hand quilt a few years ago myself. I had a floor model Q-snap frame from JoAnn's that I got with my 50% off coupon, and it worked very well and was a pleasure to use. It takes a while to get the knack of hand quilting, and it takes a few more whiles to get even stitches. Be very generous with yourself!

At first, I tried to make even stitches like the books recommend, with the distance between stitches the same as the stitch length, ie. the bottom stitch the same length as the top stitch. It's very hard to really be consistent! Books and things will tell you it's more important to make even stitches than short stitches and that's true--but starting out I couldn't make them short or even either one.

I liked my looks better when I concentrated most on making an ideal, very short top stitch. The distance between stitches was still long and quite variable, and some stitches were still crooked. The overall effect was nicer to me, though, because the eye picks up the stitch it can see and notes their same length automatically. You have to concentrate a second to assess the 'negative space' between stitches, and the variation doesn't pop out at you so much. Once that first element of top stitch is set in your brain you can work better on evening everything out and getting that bottom stitch short to match.

Thank you for all your help PetalPatsy. I can really obsess about things so the stitches are the most scary to me. I'll try not to obsess too much on the distance/length but more so on the top stitch itself in the beginning. I basted a mini quilt lastnight that I'll be practicing on first. It would make a great barbie doll quilt if it turns out!

How does the Press N Seal work exactly? If I were to mark more of the quilt than I'll be stitching at one sitting, can you cover the markings with the PNS to keep the marks from getting rubbed off? I read about it elsewhere and saw that it is used to mark a pattern too? If it is used to protect markings, how would that work with all 150 pins I currently have attached to the quilt!?!?

I have never used the PNS, but I have read posts where others use it and like it. With machine quilting the pattern is drawn on the PNS and stitched, then the PNS is removed and they pull the little pieces from under the stitches.
I have never had a prob with designs rubbing off. Just make sure all of your markings are off before the quilt is exposed to heat or they may become permanent.
I started backwards (normal for me lol) my first quilts were hand quilted whole cloth quilts. I have only learned to piece in the last 3 years.
When you look at the stitches as you go they may look 'off' but when the entire quilt is finished they blend in better.
I love hand quilted items.
Rosa

I didn't use pns to sew through. I just covered my chalk markings with it so I could wallow the quilt around without worry. It sticks really well to the fabric and protected my markings, which were kinda elaborate vining oak leaves on the border. I'd read about people spraying chalk marks with hairspray to make them last but I just didn't have the guts. It might have been unnecessary, but it was totally easy to slap on pieces and it made me feel better. I know how it would handle over pins, but wanted to throw out the idea for you.

I did buy the PNS but so far I haven't used it. I figured with all the pins it might be more trouble than its worth. I'll save it for the future : )

However, I did start quilting the piece on Friday night and basically didn't do anything else all weekend! I had purchased a template with a row of 8 stacked arches that has turned out to be quite helpful. ((I did start from the center!)) I sketched a series of full circles from the center of the quilt starting small and then adding another around and another around, etc--stopping at 6 circles...then I've added arches (like the baptist fan look) all around the central circles, working my way out on opposite sides as I go.

I'm marking each series as I finish the previous so I haven't had to worry about rubbing out my chalk. Its really getting hard to follow the pattern I've created because the thread matches so much of the materials! I am surviving though! Each arch is definitely not spaced perfectly from the previous or next...but the more I do the less its bothering me! I kind of like all the imperfection.

Also, It was an unplanned occurrence, but kind of neat -- the pattern mimiks a big flower -- which is what most of the prints are on the front!