How to load a quilt on to a longarm quilting frame

[@naddsn6374]

Thank you Denise for this great video! By far the best instructions on how to load the Q24 and such wonderful tips, especially about the backing! Very grateful for you sharing your expertise!

[@windyday434]

Thank you so much! I've wasted so much time (and fabric!) over the years, trying to get that backing square before attaching it to the frame! This makes so much sense and saves frustration. Great video!

[@nataliarodriguez6766]

Thank you. I had a Q20 sitdown and just upgraded to a Q24. This is one of the best videos I have found on how to load the backing.

[@cindymccord8100]

Thank you for this video. You are the first person I seen describe this technique. Makes so much sense!!

[@dgldesigns9070]

Cindy McCord glad it helped!

[@lindawhite2374]

This was very helpful! I've looked at other videos and you have simplified the process

[@suzannehartnell8111]

Thank you so much. 😊

[@janecaldwell6118]

Thanks. Much better way to load thequilt.

[@lucygreenwald956]

Great video!

[@maryrose6561]

Thank you for this helpful video!

[@thehopeyoder]

Great video. I love all the realtime tips. You are awesome! Please make more videos.

[@Westernwilson]

Awesome lesson! Thankyou very much.

[@goodgriefbecky]

Super, can you show how to baste and load and quilt a quilt that is larger than one’s frame? Thanks a bunch w love from Texas

[@annettes7460]

Thanks so much. My new Q24 is being set up this coming Friday. This video is future insurance!! I'll find and save your other videos also.

[@brenholmes4894]

This is interesting. I have a sit-down quilter, but am thinking about a frame. I'd rather have seen the entire process, but I'll go look for the other videos.

[@joniperkins4277]

Thanks for the timely video, I let my students know there is a resource they can use when they load their quilts at home!

[@angelagillard3508]

Thanks. This is great advice for a newbie. My question is can I load the backing fabric the other Wayne the selvage seems pinned to the leaders

[@dgldesigns9070]

Yes. I recommend cutting off the selvage edges beforehand for best results.

[@TheLablover3]

Hi there, great video and the comment about having a LARGE backing and not being square totally makes sense to me! I have bought an old wooden Grace frame that I am going to use a janome 6600 on, this is going to be my first attempt! I am using old sheets for fabric and an old blanket for batting...to practice loading then stitching.... I want to float the batting and quilt top?? I want to baste stitch the batting to the backing and use that straight line to line up my quilt top.....Now I’m trying to figure out how to make sure I get a straight line with out computer and channel locks....any ideas? I have thought of a laser....but I can’t attach it to the frame, plum line with a string...hopefully getting the string started at the same spot on both sides??? I could set a ruler up or something of the width I want from the take up bar and mark it...then line up string from there and mark and follow the line with the machine? OR I have a clamp I could use to try and lock the carriage in the right spot?.. ANOTHER QUESTION....IF my quilt being just over 100” W just fits onto the rail with maybe 1.5” on either side of the rail to spare, do you see that I will run into problems? Ie not enough room for me to quilt the sides? If this happens, can I take the quilt off and finish it on my other machine by “hand” (not on the long arm) OR what are my options! Sorry this is long winded!

[@dgldesigns9070]

Glad you found the video helpful! Yes float the batting and back, so much easier and more control. Without channel locks, I suggest simply using one of your rails as your guide. So just run your machine up against the rail the whole way across and you’ll have a perfectly straight line. As for the edges of a large quilt, if you can’t reach the edges I have gone to my regular machine to finish. I also know people have shifted their entire quilt to finish entire sections. Almost like half and half, but that was on quilts much larger than the frame. Hope that helps, please let me know if you have other questions!

[@TheLablover3]

@@dgldesigns9070 if you shifted a quilt to the side to finish...what do you do with the part that isn’t rolled up ? Is there gonna be distortion with all that extra to the side? I’m trying to envision how that would work? Also, do you use side clamps? Where do you usually attach them to the quilt? Just the backing??

[@dgldesigns9070]

@@TheLablover3 you’d have to fold it up...carefully. This is not optimal but the only option if you’re trying to quilt something much larger than your frame allows. I personally don’t use side clamps but if you do, I’d recommend only on the back and batting, not the top. Good luck!

[@goldstar4656]

Thank you for explaining so nicely. Ps You so attractive .

[@SB-jm9ex]

My hands/thumbs would find it difficult to pin through the thick fabric so I was thinking I ought to order my longarm with zippered leaders. How would I adapt this squaring process work if i needed to stitch the zippers to the fabric backing (instead of pinning it) and be able to make it square?

[@dgldesigns9070]

I use the zippered leaders and love them, so I highly recommend ordering them. Maybe try my process but instead of pinning, mark the leader and fabric where I pinned, then take them to the sewing machine and baste where you marked. Otherwise look for the sharpest pins you can find and pin higher up than I do so you’re only dealing with one thickness of the leader cloth, not two. Good luck!

[@pamelaanderson4211]

I sewed a leader to my zippers. I used a duck cloth type fabric, cut into 3 inch strips and serged the edges. Sew one serged edge close to the zipper teeth. The other edge is very easy to pin to.

[@sandan2358]

Thank you, just put my Q20 on the 12’ frame and I was having HUGE sags on the side.

[@amyquinn5115]

What is the brand of pins that you used/prefer?

[@Westernwilson]

How do you adapt this method to using Red Snappers instead of pins?

[@naunajan]

So, no finding the center of that piece of fabric and pinning it in the center of the leader??

[@dgldesigns9070]

Yes, I don’t do that with this method. If you do, make sure that both of your leaders are perfectly centered!

[@ruthmiller473]

Hi I really love your videos and they have helped me so much! I have a question- when I am rolling my quilt up to quilt the next section I often find my batting is bunching up between the quilt top and backing fabric. Is there an easy way to fix this? It is often tricky to straighten it between the quilt top and back on the rollers. Thanks

[@dgldesigns9070]

Ruth Miller yes! Part of the reason I prefer to float my top is so I can more easily access my batting while quilting. After I advance the quilt, I usually lift the top so I can smooth out the batting underneath. Hope that helps, thanks for watching!

[@ruthmiller473]

Ahh wonderful thank you for your reply. I guess it helps to have those blue clamps to hold the top!

[@dgldesigns9070]

Ruth Miller yes I love the clamps to keep tension on my top and batting!

[@Westernwilson]

I have a question! How do you keep **pieced** backings square? Can you check their squareness as you quilt the quilt?

[@dgldesigns9070]

I almost always use pieced backings, I treat them the exact same way as I demonstrate in the video. One reason why I prefer to float my top is so I can lift it and the batting out of the way to check my backing during quilting.

[@beverlyforeman7237]

I noticed you left your selvages on the sides of your backing. I have heard other quilting experts say to cut them off before loading the quilt because they are woven so much tighter. Does it ever present a problem for you?

[@dgldesigns9070]

Beverly Foreman yes the weave of the selvage is definitely tighter. It kind of depends for me whether I cut them off or not. The quilt I demonstrated with happened to be a donation quilt, with not a lot of extra fabric to work with, but for my own quilts YES I usually cut the edges. Hope that helps!

[@beverlyforeman7237]

@@dgldesigns9070 Thank you!!

[@ss2short]

Thank you thank you thank you

[@kerrijean515]

Thank you!

[@Wylielea]

Great video! I’m a newbie (only working on my 4th quilt) and really appreciate these demonstrations. Have you done one yet using the red snappers? I have those and have just been doing trial and error.

[@dgldesigns9070]

Wylielea I have used the red snappers but do prefer to pin. I know many people love the red snappers, the process for loading the backing would be the same! Thanks for watching!

[@csbollard2698]

Thanks