Floating Your Quilts on a Longarm Machine
Wanda's Answer:
Hello Quilters! We only float the quilt top and batting. We use zippers to get the backing on the machine so after we zip on it might take 10 minutes to get quilting. We baste all sides down as we go, holding the bottom of the quilt top down with magnetic belly bars as it floats. So we baste along the top, down two sides that are in the quilting area, quilt it, roll it, baste the two sides and continue that way. Holding the bottom of the quilt top with the long magnets we sell. When we get to the bottom of the quilt, we baste along the bottom edge. Most times it’s almost perfect, depending on the piecing. It’s what I do with my personal quilts along with my employees and renters.
Realize too, we are doing quilts that are going to be used and loved. We rarely get a quilt that would be in a competition. If it was, I would maybe baste and square before I even started quilting, along with SID. It’s widely used now. I have a good friend who is a supreme, award winning quilter and she only floats her quilts.