Large designs - how to stitch?

JaneDough

I really want to stitch the chatelaine pond quilt.  It will be the biggest thing I have ever stitched so any advice on stitching big designs would be welcome.

The fabric is 32inches square - how do you deal with that much fabric?

medillon61

I just started a very very large project 25 x 35.  Right now I am doing a hoop and just dealing the moving the material out of my way not sure what I am going to do once I get to the middle.  Have been considering spending the money and getting a floor stand but they are so expensive.  Also this is the first time I have ever mapped out my work but since this is so big I felt it would be best.  My piece is full coverage and you cannot even see the lines but they do wash right off.

JaneDough

I thought about it but I was going to stitch it in the overdyed silk recomended so it wouldnt be washable.  Also with a hoop I would probably stitch the excess fabric to the back of the work!

I think Ill probably grid it with thread since this wont be full coverage. Its not too scary a project - its big but its really just lots of smaller squares so hopefully Ill manage.

LouAnna

I clip my fabric up with clothes pins so they just hang off the side of my hoop.  I do have a floor stand though.   A cheap one that isnt fancy but it does hold up the hoop as I stitch.  I just slide it into the clamp area and dont clamp it down.

JaneDough

thats a great idea, Id never have thought of clothes pins! Thanks, LouAnna! :D

Spooky-Nurse

Ive just started a big piece, the material is 27x39 inches.  It is broken up into 3 rows, each with 9 alphabet letter panels measuring 70 stitches wide x 100 high. Im using a 8inch hoop which allows you to see a whole letter panel at a time and the surrounding material is rolled/folded and held with bulldog clips - no problems so far.

JaneDough

Spooky-Nurse replied at 2013-9-24 05:51
Ive just started a big piece, the material is 27x39 inches.  It is broken up into 3 rows, each with ...

That makes sense but what if you have to put the hoop over the completed work to get to the next section? Could it distort the stitches?

Spooky-Nurse

JaneDough replied at 2013-9-24 06:53
That makes sense but what if you have to put the hoop over the completed work to get to the next s ...

I was worried about that initially, but its never been a problem - important thing is to take the hoop off when you are not working on it so that any stitches under the hoop are given time to recover. I think if stitches were under a hoop for days, rather than a couple of hours then there might be issues.

waterlillie

Im trying qsnaps (Michaels brand) with my new, fairly big but not huge, project. I put the "mittens" from my scroll frame on it & tucked in the extra fabric. I think they make special qsnap covers, theres even a pattern so you can make one yourself. Id been using a hoop for a tree skirt I work on every Christmas, but the extra fabric was always in the way. Im not sure if the covers will work on that much extra fabric, but I use a lap stand so I stitch with one hand on the bottom and the other on the top, which makes it much easier to deal with.

GrannyNeedle55

I just rolled the extra fabric and that worked for me, but I dont use a hoop.