Quilt Suspension | Basting and Topside Quilting

Yes, a melange of thoughts in this post.

Thought 1:  Basting and Topside Quilting:  QuiltMavenDave was discussing quilt basting using homemade basting spray.  Californiaquilts.com was where I first found the recipe and wrote a post about it which you can find here. The interesting information that he presented was this:

💡 Basting your quilt top to your backing, and then quilting PRIOR to basting the back. 

To be fair, Dave was talking about doing this to a table runner.  I thought, that I would give it a try on my most recent quilt.  I had a number of Lemonyne stars that I wanted to do outline quilting only.  The balance of the quilt was perfect for straight line.  So I assembled my quilt in fourstages.

Stage 1:  I utilized my design wall for basting (and I will never go back).  I put the quilt batting up.  I sprayed with basting spray.  I also used some fusible web just because. I smoothed my quilt top over.  

Stage 2:  I outline quilted my stars on the top.  It is nice, because you don't have to worry about the back at all.  I had no problem with the scrim side of the batting getting caught on feed dogs etc.  The lessening of bulk was noticeable and meant something when I only have 7.5" of throat space.

Stage 3:  I put the quiltop up on the wall and smoothed with my garment steamer.  I then flipped it over.  Sprayed the batting (left half then right half) and effortlessly smoothed everything thing out.

Stage 4:  Put the walking foot on and walked that baby through the ditches.

Thank you Dave.

Thought 2:  Finding a way to better get the quilt weight supported.  I've seen several quilt suspension systems. One is an arm that costs $200 per arm that clamps on your table.  It looks particularly like the dog grooming arms that you can get for less than $30 each.

The key thing is the attachment.  I was looking at spring clips.  Nope.  The traditional spring clamps require gorilla fingers to open. Having snapped a tendon in my finger, I don't want to risk exerting more pressure.  Instead, I found these at Lowes.

Pony 2-in 3200 SERIES Spring Clamp

It clamps clean, is lightweight and that metal trigger releases it easily.

There are a number of different ways to create a suspension system.  As we are DIYers (we physically built our home), we are comfortable with engineering a system that works for my space.

My sewing area is in the bonus room over the garage.  I don't have aesthetic considerations because no one sees that room but our family. (Though if you looked at any other room in my house, you would see same lack of consideration). But it is a very nice room.  All of my sewing furniture is cobbled together from furniture that I already had.  My sewing machine sits on a Pennsylvania house solid cherry dining table with two extensions.  I had to support the middle of the table because it started to sag.  Dinner plates weigh far less than sewing machines (I had a serger and coverstitch on it as well).

So I have PLENTY of surface which is a luxury that many don't have.  Our idea is to do an L-shaped bend of conduit (suspended from ceiling).  It will be a bar that goes to the left of my sewing surface, front to back, and then will bend and go from left to right toward the midway of my sewing surface.

To the conduit,  I will put 2" welded rings which will smoothly slide over the conduit.   For the attachment of the clamps, I will do a combo of adjustable strap to which on one end it will hook to the conduit rings I will likely make an adjustable strap (I have webbing strapping and hardware) to which I will put a D ring. (You could do this with any material or paracord, but I like the adjustable element. I will then simply use paracord to attach the ratchet clamp to the strap.  The adjustment mechanism on strap will allow me to easily change the height without re cutting/tying the clamp hanging material.

I think that this simple, but effective, quilt suspension system will allow me to more fully enjoy the quilting process.  I will have to fight less, and quilt more, and be less sore.

My goal is NEVER to do a King/Queen sized quilt.  I'm perfectly happy doing throw sized quilts and baby quilts.  So for the throw sized quilts, this suspension system would be helpful.

I'll post a pic when I'm done.