Route 66 Quilt -- What Now?

This post is for my friends that know I quilt -- and they know I have a giant sewing machine -- and they have a pretty good idea what it takes to make a quilt -- but this is to show them how my big machine works.  I have really enjoyed this day, although I didn't think I would.  I haven't quilted a top for over a year, and I was afraid I may have forgotten what to do.  Funny -- it is like riding a bike -- it just comes back to you.

You know the top with all of its road stripes was all done.  The next step was to get the BACK of the quilt ready because a quilt has to have a top and a back and stuffing in between.  So here is the gigantic piece of fabric I had purchased for this purpose. 

I had to make sure both ends were perfectly straight.  Then I had to find the center of all four sides and mark them with a safety pin.  You have to START pinning your pieces on from the center.  You want to make sure your quilt top actually ends up inside the backing. 

Next, I had to put the backing on the longarm upside down.  You have to put it on with a thousand pins, and they have to be straight.
So that is the back.  NEXT, I had to put the Route 66 Quilt Top on the rollers.

This goes on a different roller than the back and it too takes a thousand hat pins.  You have to constantly straighten everything so the quilt will come out square when it is done.

After you get the back and the top on the rollers, the HARDEST part -- I think -- has to be done -- and that is the batting. 

First, you have to figure out WHICH batting, and then you have to go get it off the giant roll in the attic.  The giant roll wants to completely unroll all at once, so you have to have 4 arms!

Look through the open door and you can see the giant roll of batting hanging down from the ceiling.

The piece on the table is what I cut off of it.  It has to be SANDWICHED IN BETWEEN the top and the back between the rollers.  Batting is like a magnet and it picks up every thread and every piece of fabric, so you have to constantly pull all that stuff off of it. 

It has to be straightened and cut the right size.

Then you put it on the longarm:

See the two rollers in the front with the silver knobs?  One has the back rolled onto it and one has the top rolled onto it.

I have to stuff that batting in between the two and attach it by sewing it onto the top of the backing.

This is the part I don't enjoy very much.  But I do enjoy the quilting part. 

I made you a video showing you a bit of how I actually quilt the top.  Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lMGQuNqtvs



Jerry is home.  Time to cook supper.

Hugs, Joy