Tips for quilting with unique MeadowLyon patterns.

I welcome your own ideas, and will post them here. You may want to print these up and keep them handy, until you get the hang of working with these patterns.

These instructions are for the 4 cut-up panels, put into a wall-hanging.

I would suggest using a light colored fabric with as dark a thread as possible.

Cutting:

The pattern covers 36" x 44", so I cut the center area 37" x 45", and I use a 1/4" seam allowance. I cut the borders 4 1/2" wide.
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Loading the quilt top:

I load the top right side up facing the pantograph side, so I'm quilting the bottom of the wall hanging first (4th panel). Before you load the quilt top onto the frame, it is wise to fold the right edge into fourths, and put a pin in the border at these 3 points. This is a reference to where the top of each panel should be.
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Lining up the first panel:

1. For the first panel, put the needle at the lower right corner of the quilt, and put on the channel lock. Move the machine up and down the quilt, making sure needle will hit the center portion of the quilt, and not go back and forth onto the border. Adjust the channel lock, if needed. When it's locked where you want it, place the needle back at the lower right corner of the quilt.

2. Place the pattern on the table, with the bottom reference line and right edge at the point where the stylus is. Put a little piece of tape there. Move the machine over 8"-12" and with you left hand, move the pattern so that the reference line stays in line with the stylus. Hold the pattern down, move the machine back out of the way, and put a piece of tape at the top right edge of the pattern. I also like to put another piece in the center of the edge.

3. Now move the machine all the way down to the other edge, adjusting the pattern so the bottom reference line stays in line with the stylus. Put 3 pieces of tape at the left end. Then go back to the right end, and re-tape those pieces so it's all flat.

4. Now take off the channel lock, and move the machine up to where the stylus meets the top reference line. Is the needle right next to the first pin in the border of the quilt? It should be. If it's beyond that point, then your pattern will run into the border at the very top of the quilt. To fix it, you can try tightening the top a little. Another thing you can do is, as you quilt, don't go clear to the top of the reference line each time it's supposed to touch it. After 4 panels of this, you should be okay. The trick is to cut the inside of the quilt the right size, to use 1/4" seam allowance, and to not use too fat of batting. If the needle falls short, and there's extra space, you can do a couple of things. 1. move the stylus so there's a little space at the bottom, and not so much at the top (of this one panel), and 2. As you quilt, exaggerate the top points that touch the reference line along the top, going beyond it. Then when you line up the next panel, it will up a little farther.

5. There's one more thing to look at. Move the machine all the way down and put the stylus at the end of the pattern. Look at where the needle falls on the quilt. It should be near the seam. You can adjust the edges just like you did the top. If there's a bunch of space there, you don't want your whole quilt to be leaning near the right, with an un-quilted space along the left. In this case, I usually just move the machine to where the needle is at the edge of the quilt. Looking at the pattern, if the stylus has gone 1/2" beyond the edge of the pattern, I move it back towards the patterns by 1/4". So the compromise will cause it to be more centered. If it goes beyond the edge of the quilt, you can tighten your clamps to stretch it a little, or remember to fall short when you get to that end as you're quilting.

6. This step is EXTREMELY important. Before you begin sewing, following the pattern with you finger, from start to finish, so you'll be a little familiar with it before you actually quilt it. DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP. Trust me, I know.
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Lining up successive panels:

1. Put the needle at the top edge of the area that's already quilted and put on the channel lock. If you move the machine up and down the rails, the stylus should hit all the uppermost spots you've already quilted. You can adjust the channel lock until it does this.

2. With the channel lock on, move the machine down to the right end and put it at the far most right point (that's already quilted). Now you have located the top and the right of the already-quilted section (panel 4).

3. Take your pattern and line up the reference line at the bottom, and the right edge with where the stylus is pointing. Put a little piece of tape here. Do not tape the rest of the right edge yet.

4. Move the machine (channel lock is still on) about 8"-12" to the left, moving the pattern so that the reference line stays in line with the stylus. Move the machine back, and now you can tape the top right edge. I also put a little piece of tape in the middle.

5. Move the machine to the other end of the pattern, making sure the reference line stays in line with the stylus. When you get to the end, tape the top, bottom, and center of the left edge.

6. Now go back and re-adjust the 3 tapes on the other end. You should be ready to quilt.

7. When I'm all done quilting the inside of the quilt, I go back and stitch-in-the-ditch all around the edge of the inside. This gives it a nice, clean finish.

Clear as mud? If you need more help, give me a yell (Angela). (back to top)