How to Quilt a BIG Quilt on your Sewing Machine

YES! You can quilt big quilts on a domestic sewing machine! There are a few things to keep in mind to make it go a little easier, and that is what I cover in this video. This video covers what you need to know to manage a quilt on your domestic sewing machine. However, it does not cover quilting designs or motifs. I have two videos on quilting designs, and you can find those here:
8 designs using one simple motion: • Free Motion Quilting -...
8 more designs: • Free Motion Quilting -...
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[@cucamonga7388]

Hi. I just started quilting last month and also put on hand under the quilt. All self taught and KZbin for guidance. My machine is smaller so I put my left hand under and hold the fabric. Nice to see someone else use the same technique. Thanks for the great video.

[@CarolinaMoore]

I don't like wearing gloves while quilting, so holding on to the fabric gives me better control. Also, I have tendinitis in my wrists ... so having my hands flat on the fabric and pressing down is too much wrist strain...

[@Dranma51]

I really like your idea of using your right hand under the quilt to help guide it! Genius! So much more control!

[@CarolinaMoore]

I have issues with my wrists, so my body always looks for wrist-saving grips. Glad it was helpful for you!! 🥰

[@debmann5168]

Thank you. Helpful. I was hoping to see the finished quilted top. It looked so beautiful.

[@amoritadyer2128]

Thank you. I normally hand quilt my quilts but decided to have a go at machine quilting my latest project. It’s a Double Wedding Ring, 94” x 94”. Your video popped up just at the right time as I’m going away in less than 2 weeks to a retreat to complete it. Thanks for the tips

[@CarolinaMoore]

Yay! I'm glad it was helpful. Have fun at your retreat! 🥰

[@rnpenelope5672]

I love the fabric!!

[@patstrawhouse4005]

Great tip re creating a ‘nest’. Thanks!

[@CarolinaMoore]

You're welcome! It makes it so much easier to move the quilt around for quilting. 🥰

[@LauraDickenson]

I like how you have a hand underneath. I also got that I should stop more often and rearrange my nest. I have been fighting with it too much.

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks! And yes, stopping to get yourself ready for the next stitches regularly is key!

[@yolandasotolopez]

great video Carolina. I've been wanting to try to machine quilt but worry that i don't have a long arm quilter

[@CarolinaMoore]

I don't have a longarm either ... you can totally quilt with a domestic machine!

[@princessjanmar9893]

Thank you for this video. The best part is great..

[@CarolinaMoore]

Yay!! I'm glad you enjoyed it!! ❤

[@kimberlyrathburn2443]

Are you sewing this without any pressure foot? Is there a certain pattern to go around quit or just random moving around?

[@debmetheral6596]

Lovely quilt.

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks! This quilt is available as a pattern through Cut Loose Press. It is called "Lattice Star." ❤

[@eddigilstrap9627]

I am repairing a quilt that my MIL made for my youngest son when he graduated college. It has been "well loved" and now has some rip and tears. I have repaired those, and now I want to quilt it on my Baby Lock Brilliant. My MIL was NOT a quilter (according to her) she was a "tacker". Which means she used yarn to hold the sandwiches together. I guess I'm just looking for some encouragement or advice on this project. The quilt is about 20+ years old. I noticed you don't roll the quilt but just make nests to work within. Can this still be done with a quilt that is already sewn together? I started taking out the yarn as I go, because I don't have enough safety pins to hold things together as I go. Thank you in advance your any suggestions or comments.

[@CarolinaMoore]

The short answer is that yes, it can be done. But the longer answer is going to include the complications you may run into. The reason we bind after we quilt is that quilting has a tendency to "suck up" the fabric. And by this I mean that the quilting stitches bring that too layer down towards the backing. This creates a pretty little valley on the top of the quilt. But the more of these valleys you create, the more of that top fabric you use up. If you start quilting from the center out, you'll find that the backing has "ballooned out" from the back and you can see it on the front. So, you'll want to quilt sparingly. Enough to secure all the layers, but not so much that you end up with ballooning. And quilt from the center out. Yes, you'll end up with ballooning on the edges, but that's better than a big bubble or pucker elsewhere in the quilt. Ballooning can be managed - worst case, you may have to unpick the outer seam, re-trim the quilt, and then give it a fresh binding. So, that isn't too bad. Hope that helps!

[@eddigilstrap9627]

@@CarolinaMoore thank you.

[@CarolinaMoore]

I'm glad I could help! ❤

[@pamelathornhill8650]

Your quilt is beautiful. I was wondering how you like your baby lock? I’m about to take some class on quilting and I’m looking at different machines.

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks! I love all my Baby Lock machines. I have 4, and am an ambassador for them. 🥰

[@JohnMScott-rr3rf]

me, too. I have 5...sashiko, verve, aria, jane, and quilter's choice. I loved your video! Marcy Scott@@CarolinaMoore

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks Marcy! 🥰

[@pywagner]

About how long would you say it took to complete the quilting the piece you're demonstrating on? I've worked on small table runners, etc. and it takes forever! LOL! Also, noticed you don't use gloves. Do they not work for you?

[@CarolinaMoore]

This quilt was pretty big, and my quilting was fairly dense - it took me about 2 days. I have tried wearing quilting gloves - I don't like them. I like to feel the fabric with my hands, and having something between me and the fabric is distracting. They are either too loose or too tight or I can feel the bulky seams of the gloves ... I'm really particular about wanting to feel what I'm doing. I know several quilters who swear by their favorite brand of gloves and think I'm crazy for not using them. I know other quilters who use hoops or similar tools to help them. I say - whatever works for you, go for it! I love that there are so many different options to try so that each of us can figure out what works best for us. 🥰

[@rebeccabrothers8056]

What was your stitch length, 0 or did you keep it at 2? Also, what do you use hand under the fabric-guidance!? What is your sewing machine-good video!

[@CarolinaMoore]

This is the Baby Lock Aria. It has an option for free motion quilting, so I don't have to worry about changing the stitch length. When I had a different machine that didn't have that option, I just left it at the default. Every machine/brand/quilter has their own preferences, so I suggest trying it both ways to see what works best for you. I'm not sure what you're asking regarding hand under the fabric guidance? Can you ask that question in a different way and I'll try to get you an answer. Glad you enjoyed the video! 🥰

[@infinitejusticeone]

Thank you

[@DeeSamie]

Thank you for sharing...

[@leehmajzoub7781]

Hi. I’m new at free motion quilting and have the same machine Aria that you have. I haven’t found any video on how to use free motion quilting on this machine until I watched your video. Do you use the C quilting foot or O for a straight stitch and have to change your plate? What do you do when you need to stop in the middle of your quilting? Do you backstich and tie it in? Thank you!

[@CarolinaMoore]

Hi! Glad you found me! Let me see if I can answer your questions... I don't have the manual in front of me, but I think the foot I use is technically an embroidery foot? I don't change my needle plate. I know some people prefer a single-needle plate, but I just lower my feed dogs, and have no problems If I need to stop in the middle of my quilting, I leave long ends, tie them off, and bury the knot in the quilt. You can do a small backstitch, and depending on the project it won't be that visible, so will be fine.

[@leehmajzoub7781]

Thank you so much for your help! I love your tutorial. It’s easy to follow. 😊

[@CarolinaMoore]

Yay! I'm glad it was helpful. 💕

[@lysetterivera9452]

1) I don't see any pins - how do you baste your quilts? Spray? Fusible batting? 2) What stitch length/width & tension level do you use? I always seem to get "eyelashes" on the back. Any suggestions?

[@CarolinaMoore]

Great questions! I spray baste my quilts, which is why you don't see pins. This machine, the Baby Lock Aria, has a setting for free motion quilting. My last machine did not. With that machine, I just left it at the default straight stitch settings. I have friends who say that their machines work best with the stitch length set to zero. So, try different things on a practice sandwich and see what works best for you. If you are getting "eyelashes" on the back, it could be one of several things, or a combination. It may be your tension, you can play with that. Playing with the stitch length can also help. And it could be that you are going too fast. Try slowing down a little and see if that helps. Some people have uneven quilting speed and in those "speedy" loops and swirls, their machine isn't catching up to the speed change and that is causing the eyelashes. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have more questions. 🥰

[@connieverbeck1110]

Thank you.

[@samanthaaltman7079]

Hi, I have completed 2 quilts (piecing and FMQ), the first a lap sized and the second a king sized, on a VERY small Singer Patchwork (5.5 inch throat). I am looking into getting a larger machine. I looked up the throat length of your Aria (11.25 inches), and the machine I’ve been looking at is the Bernette b77 (9 inch throat). My question is will the Bernette b77’s throat be of a sufficient size to handle large quilts, or should I keep looking for a machine, in my price range, that has at least the 11.25 inch throat of your Baby Lock Aria?

[@CarolinaMoore]

I have a Baby Lock Jubilant as well, with a smaller throat. And I've had many other machines through the years. The larger throat space is always so nice. I love not having to fight a quilt through the machine. 8 or so years ago, I sewed on a very inexpensive machine while I saved my pennies for a machine with more throat space. I never regretted it. ❤

[@tinamadden25]

I found your channel looking for a way to fix an old quilt...I'm still not sure if its possible. My great grandmother made me a quilt, she used an old quilt her mother had made, the outer quilt fell apart, but the inner one is wore out but looks maybe fixable, not sure if I should try, or just leave it. 🤔

[@CarolinaMoore]

I'm not an expert at fixing quilts, but I know a little... The first question is - why do you want to fix it? Are you going to keep using it? Do you want to keep it on a shelf and want to make sure it doesn't get more damage? Those will change how you go about repairing the quilt. My first step would be to go to a local quilt shop with the quilt and see if they have any advice. If you don't like their advice (not everyone with an opinion is an expert - me included) feel free to go to another quilt shop with the same questions. Also, I have a feeling that the value of this quilt is 100% sentimental. But, if the quilt has monetary value in the antique world, any repairs could decrease the value of the quilt. So, that might be important, or it might not. Good luck! I hope that helps!!

[@tinamadden25]

@@CarolinaMoore it is 100 percent sentimental, I had no idea there was a quilt inside the original quilt, when she gave it to me almost 30 years ago, I used it often and washed it, didn't really know alot about over washing, so outside fell apart, that's how I found out there was a quilt inside, I wont use it now, would like to preserve it.

[@CarolinaMoore]

@@tinamadden25 there is probably some kind of story as to why there was a quilt inside the quilt ... perhaps the old quilt was already falling apart and a new cover elwas added? I have some family heirloom quilts, and they are absolute treasures! 🥰

[@tinamadden25]

@@CarolinaMoore yes, my grandmother said that's what they did, she told me when she gifted it to me that it was repurposed and part of it was a quilt from my great great grandmother...I had no idea, I saved some of the outside pieces, I guess I'll just keep it put up.

[@CarolinaMoore]

@@tinamadden25 totally up to you. For me, as a quilter, nothing makes me happier than knowing my quilts are being use (and used to bits). I still remember walking up to my first award-winning quilt at a show. Two ladies were looking at it and one said "I want to touch it." This is a total no-no for quilts hanging in a show. But I said "oh! Please do! My kids already sat on it ... that's what a quilt is for, right?" But everyone treats their quilts in a different way, and I have yet to discover a "wrong" way to love a quilt! 🥰

[@sheilamartin4666]

Hi my name is Sheila do you use basting spray for your quilts? And how do you not have the quilt bunch up on the back. Thanks

[@CarolinaMoore]

Yes, I do use basting spray to baste the layers together. To keep from getting puckers, I make sure it is well basted (and that all the layers are flat and smooth before, during, and after basting) quilt from the middle out, and keep the layers flat and smooth during quilting.

[@kramer6205]

Can ypu link the quilt pattern? It's beautiful 😍

[@CarolinaMoore]

Sure thing! Here is the pattern: cutloosepress.com/products/the-lattice-star-quilt-pdf-pattern?_pos=3&_sid=169e37ed6&_ss=r

[@bella-bee]

Thanks fir the “nest” tip

[@CarolinaMoore]

You're welcome! It helps so much to not have the quilt drag down against the corners/edges of the machine/table. ❤

[@MariaGonzalez-mb5tv]

Great info

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks! 🥰

[@janellfree3127]

How is the quilt sandwich prepped before putting it under the machine?

[@CarolinaMoore]

It needs to be basted - spray basting, pin basting, and thread basting are all options. Here is a short video where I show spray basting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2LdZ4yNZpVpbM0si=DixJu-672mgLLOBx

[@rebeccabrothers8056]

What do you use as a stitch length on your quilting?

[@CarolinaMoore]

General preference is to leave the default stitch length or dial it down to 0. What works best will depend on you and your machine. I would try it both ways on a practice quilt sandwich to see what gives you smoother stitching and feels better for you. Personally, I liked the default stitch length on the machines I have quilted on. But I have friends who swear by dialing it down to 0. So ... the right answer is whatever works best for you. ❤

[@kimrohrbach36]

Do you spray baste your fabric sandwich or stitch bite it?

[@CarolinaMoore]

I usually spray baste. ❤️

[@ginnyscott1234]

I tried free motion quilting on a large baby quilt. Lap size. It caught on the seams and skipped. Not a great experience so I ended up seeing lines. Maybe it’s my brother machine? Maybe the quilting foot?

[@CarolinaMoore]

Is it your foot that is getting caught on the seams? If so, there are a couple things you can try. You may want to see of there is a way you can adjust the foot so that it sits up higher, and doesn't get caught. Also, when you get near a seam you may want to go more slowly, using your hands to carefully press the seam line down under the foot as it passes over the seam. And one more thing to look at is how you press. If your seams are sticking up very high, you may want to press your quilt top very well before basting to make sure those seams are as flat as possible.

[@annzuber3396]

is the needle down when you do your adjustments?

[@CarolinaMoore]

Yes, I keep the needle down while I'm adjusting the quilt. It holds my place and keeps me from unspooling a bunch of thread while moving the quilt.

[@cindyc4089]

Great vide9

[@CarolinaMoore]

Thanks! 🥰

[@szelop]

Beautiful quilt! Music too much for me. Thanks for the video!

[@CarolinaMoore]

You can always turn down or mute the volume. Long periods of video with no sound always feel a bit eerie to me... ❤

[@vickienochs8738]

Where do you "travel" quilt once you start near the middle. That's that part I struggle with, is where to do with it...

[@CarolinaMoore]

I pick a section, then work on that section. Eventually, my bobbin runs out. Then I can choose to continue, or start in a new area.

[@trudymayhew2308]

Am I correct to say there really isn't any particular pattern you are using?

[@CarolinaMoore]

On this quilt, I'm using swirls. I didn't draw it on ahead of time, and I'm not using a template. Just stitching the swirl design as I go. Kind of a cross between a plan and a doodle.

[@paulasaenz3019]

Can u use zig zag stitch when quilting?

[@CarolinaMoore]

I'm not one to tell people they "can" or "can't" do something in quilting. But I will talk about what may happen when you choose different options. So, you can set your machine to a zig-zag stitch, and you can put a quilt through. But, what will happen is that left-right-left-right stitching will create a pucker or pleat. Also, all that thread will create a hard, stiff ridge. So, you can do it ... but the results are not what I'd want for most of my quilts. If you'd really like to try a zig-zag, I'd suggest using the zig zag stitch that has several stitches on it's way to each side. That should reduce the puckering. And if you are able to adjust the width and length without making the stitches too long, that might give you an even better result.

[@JenniferJones-bd2yr]

Do you have a good video for preparing the quilt sandwich?

[@CarolinaMoore]

I haven't done one specifically on making the quilt sandwich (I'll add that to my list!) But in this video I show how I spray baste my quilt sandwich: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJSlh5uZnquokM0

[@JenniferJones-bd2yr]

@@CarolinaMoore thank you

[@CarolinaMoore]

@@JenniferJones-bd2yr if you start at minute 2:54 on this video, I go over pin basting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/haHEgKOPm8-isNU

[@JenniferJones-bd2yr]

@@CarolinaMoore i watched it. Easy for a small quilt. Not as simple with a large quilt

[@CarolinaMoore]

@@JenniferJones-bd2yr the process is the same, except I do it on the floor instead of a table. I spray basted a California King sized quilt and then quilted it. You just spray in sections. I did a throw size last night on the floor of the sewing room. The trickiest part for me is finding space for basting those larger quilts. The California King Quilt I did on our back patio. I cleaned it off really well before putting down fabric, though!

[@Espflogirl]

Where on the quilt do you start to free motion and where do you go from there.

[@CarolinaMoore]

As long as it has been well basted, and you are quilting evenly throughout, technically you can start anywhere, and go anywhere. With long arm quilting, a long armer moves from the top down, because of how a long arm is set up. With free motion quilting, you don't have those restrictions. However, many free motion quilters prefer to start in the middle and move outward from there. This is because when you quilt, the stitches pull together the layers, which makes valleys and hills. Taking a top that was flat, and stitching in those valleys, means the fabric gets "scrunched up" a bit (for lack of a better term). This means that the unquilted areas end up having "fullness" until they get quilted down. If you start from the outsides and work your way in, you have to be very careful about quilting down that fullness, or you can end up with a pucker in your quilt. If you go from the inside out, any fullness can get pushed to the edges, so you don't have to be as exact. I hope that all makes sense?

[@kathleenduncan7685]

@@CarolinaMoore !

[@vicsachiriboga5547]

Is the middle always a starting point.

[@CarolinaMoore]

Great question! Generally, starting in the middle is a good idea. As you quilt, the stitching pulls the backing and quilt top closer together, compressing the batting in those stitches. If you look at this from the side, you'll see it makes like a V shape with the stitching at the bottom of that V. Lots of quilting means lots of VVVVVV ... and you can see that the top and bottom aren't parallel anymore like they were when you basted ======. So, if you start from the edges and work your way towards the middle, you may find that you end up with puckers or bubbles when you quilt. Starting from the middle prevents this. Someone with a long arm does not start in the middle. They go from the top of the quilt to the bottom. But, this still keeps the quilt from having bubbles as they work their way down the quilt. Hope that makes sense?

[@Mrsarynoya]

how big is a King size quilt?

[@CarolinaMoore]

It varies, depending on how much overhang you want. Standard is something like 95" x 108". For my CalKing I did 108 x 108.

[@marykopydlowski6037]

The arm of my sewing machine is not big enough for large quilt

[@CarolinaMoore]

I think you'd be surprised how much quilt you can get through even a smaller sewing machine... you work from the middle out, so only half needs to be rolled up and squished in there at a time.

[@laurahawkins912]

How do you know when the bobbin is empty

[@CarolinaMoore]

With this machine, it beeps at me when the bobbin is low. Not all machines do that. For machines without that, the top thread won't "catch" anymore to complete a stitch, so the thread will be lose on top rather than held in place by the bobbin thread. Unlike piecing, you see it very quickly with free motion quilting. ❤️

[@laurahawkins912]

@@CarolinaMoore I've never heard of one beeping

[@CarolinaMoore]

@laurahawkins912 yup! My Baby Lock Ballad does. ❤️

[@catarinapietri1577]

Going to try.... I was thinking I couldn't quilt a large one.

[@CarolinaMoore]

It will depend how much throat space you have on your machine (room from the needle to the right of the machine). I have quilted a California King sized quilt on my home machine that had a 18" throat. So, it can be done!

[@bella-bee]

Look no gloves!

[@CarolinaMoore]

Hahaha... I actually hate gloves! I want to be able to feel the fabric. Gives me more control.

[@bella-bee]

I find a fairly good compromise is to cut the fingertips off. Works for me!

[@CarolinaMoore]

@@bella-bee that would probably work for me, too. Except I gave away my quilting gloves because I never used them. 🙃