Machine quilting

Leave the feed dogs at their regular position (high) for the walking foot.

Some people will tell you to use a longer stitch while machine quilting, but I personally don't care for that look. So that means the correct answer is do a couple of small test pieces, and choose what you like best. :)

I can't seem to piece well with my walking foot. If you're happy with the results and want to leave it in place, I can't think of one good reason why you shouldn't.

Take lots of breaks, and have FUN!

Had to smile at this, Phyllis! The thought that you wouldn't get differing opinions here!! Simple quilting with your walking foot will not be too much trouble, and you won't need to sit still for hours. Do 20 minutes or so first and then have a little walk. I use my walking foot for a lot of my quilting - am only just beginning to do acceptable free motion. With a walking foot, you need your feed dogs UP, so that the machine is in control of the stitch size. I would suggest using a slightly larger stitch - remember a lot of the stitch will be taken up going down into the batting and back up again. Always try a sample piece first. You *can* piece with your walking foot, but I wouldn't recommend it, unless you can move your needle or otherwise make some sort of provision for making an accurate quarter inch seam (like marker tape on the needle plate?). So, I would piece the whole thing and then attach the walking foot. You can do binding with the walking foot if you wish, and it helps prevent puckering along the edge. You will be able to do straight line quilting and long, gentle curves with your walking foot. (I have recently seen a lovely grid pattern with curved lines - none parallel, though curving as if from side to side of an invisible line). You could machine quilt a basic pattern on this quilt, and then perhaps hand quilt some little special bits. Good luck, you'll be fine.

In message , Phyllis Nilsson writes

Hi Phyllis,

No, you won't be able to piece by machine with the walking foot--At least I can't :) Use the regular presser foot, with the 'up' position of the feed dogs for piecing the fabric pieces together. Measure 1/4" from the needle and use a guide, a straight edge refrigerator magnet, anything to mark the 1/4" spot so you can keep the seams straight.

I use stitches between 2.5 and 3.5 depending on the thickness of the material.

=46or sewing the top, batting and bottom all together, that's when to use the walking foot, as it keeps the bottom fabric and top fabric feeding in unison. Again, this is with the feed dogs 'up.' =20

This is a great group to ask questions! Heaven knows I ask enough of them!

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

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Well - just as the books contradict each other, we probably will too (LOL)

Everyone has their preferences. I don't do much quilting myself anymore (for health reasons) but once I put the walking foot on my 30+yo Janome I rarely removed it. I did all my piecing and "normal" sewing with it, and have worn out two!

I would only adjust the pressure if the quilt was extra thick, and I always lengthen my stitch for quilting. I leave "tails" to be worked in by hand (I think it looks better and I still enjoy handsewing, even the little mindless tasks like this), but some sewers don't mind back stitching to secure line ends, and about 8-10 very short stitches at the beginning and end will achieve the same secure effect.

Good luck. Next stop - stipple quilting with a jumping foot!

Us? Contradict each other? Heaven forbid! LOL! But you'll certainly get a lot of opinions here. Personally, I don't piece with the walking foot; it's too bulky, so it's difficult to keep an accurate 1/4" seam. Using the walking foot, however, is essential for doing straight-line quilting. I use the normal stitch length; I like how it looks, and it's easy to remember my settings. ;) You'll want your feed dogs *up*, so that you have, in essence, feed dogs both top and bottom of your quilt sandwich to keep everything aligned the way you basted (pin basted, whatever) it.

I like Pat's idea of doing the straight line quilting by machine and adding special bits of hand quilting in certain areas; that gives you the best of both worlds! :)

And don't forget to BREATHE!

I've layered some masking to give me a little edge to keep the fabric

1/4" evenly, but have discovered that the edge of my walk> Had to smile at this, Phyllis! The thought that you wouldn't get

There was a website that took sleeping bag type quilts for the homeless but I can't remember where I saw it. If I locate it, I will send you the url.

Here is the URL for the instructions for making a sleeping bag type quilt for the homeless. They call it an ugly quilt but anyone who quilts know there "ain't no such thing." Lot's of links to help you know where to send the quilts and other charity quilts. Hope this helps.

When I did my 2 semester internship at the SW Missouri Indian Center in Springfield, MO I worked a lot with the homeless. We kept a huge electric skillet full of stew (usually venison from our Directors freezer) going all the time. We gave out used coats knowing full well they would sell them and be back for another one tomorrow. Didn't matter we gave them out anyway. Unfortunately, all of them spent what little money they could get on Thunder Bird and didn't have anything to eat but what came out of our electric skillet. They slept in doorways wrapped in coats or whatever they could find. Occassionally they found abandoned buildings and would set fires to keep themselves warm. Unfortunately, they often caught the buildings on fire and sometimes killed themselves in the blaze. They were a sad lot and I found my work with them very fullfilling. Most people don't want to do for the homeless because of their alcohol and drug problems but I always figured that a Loving Creator sat in judgement of them and I had no right to say what was right or wrong. I took some of the most interesting Social Histories and learned alot about my fellow human beings from these wonderful teachers.