Adventures in machine quilting

I'll try another needle tomorrow. The backing on this quilt can't get much worse, anyway!

ep

Somebody here on RTCQ suggested using my ironing board set to table level to give another surface on which place the quilt to prevent drag. The beauty of it is that the ironing board is portable. While quilt drag is always going to be a PITA, imo, the ironing board did help me.

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada

Hey Edna Pearl

I've been reading you post with some interest. I gave up on clips years ago.

You say you having trouble with your tension and a size 75 needle. For piecing this size needle is fine but for quilting, remember you are now working with three layers that equal the density of denim, so you have to adjust your needle size. I machine quilt but did free motion for a long time. I found out the hard way the a bigger needle say a size 16 is better for quilting while the 11/12 size is best for piecing. Small needles will flex too much while FMQ and could damage the SM faceplate. When the needles flexes it could bend the point and then you could hear a weird sound as the needle pierces the fabric and it has a hard time making the stitch plus the bent needle could pull the batting to the surface.

You are using spray basting. The spray basting can gum up your needle and it had a hard time going through all three layers. If you take an alcohol dampened cotton ball and wipe down the needle you can get the gunk off the needle quickly. Another suggestion, find some spray silicone, dampen a scrap piece of cotton batting and place it under the thread so the thread can pass over it before it goes through the tension disks. The silicone will cause the thread to pass through the quilt sandwich like butter.

Have fun learning and practicing, practicing, practicing.

Kate T. South Mississippi

I also have an old computer table, the kind on wheels, with wheel locks. Sturdier than an ironing board and not as long. Good as a left-hand support, or as an extra layout space near the machine or the design wall. Roberta in D

Yes, I've done that after stabilising, but is it really safe to do it without? Would be a lot simpler for me not to have to do that sometimes? I am about to try spray basting; and have done OK with fusible batting (not for baby or bed quilts though). It would be lovely to be able to quilt without all the extra fabric and batting round the edges. . In message , Roberta writes

Or the shredding of the fabric and batting edges from stuffing the quilt under the machine and shoving it hither and thither! And sometimes the presser foot gets caught in the batting and tears it or stretches it all funny.

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

I did try binding after stablizing & before finishing the quilting on my last quilt, but had a bit of a problem. I was quilting feathers in the border, but the extra thickness of the binding kept catching on the (very slight) ridge of the bobbin cover. My machine is an Elna with a bobbin that loads from the top. That might not be a problem on a machine with a bobbin that loads from the front.

Julia > At the risk of a visit from the quilt police (or maybe the guilt

I thought you were talking about washing machines for a moment there, which had me very confused - I obviously have too much blood in my caffeine stream!

Lizzy

Thanks for the caveat, Roberta. OK, stabilise first for me. . In message , Roberta writes

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:38:33 -0500, Edna Pearl wrote (in article ):

I've found that for a larger quilt the 75/11 is too small. I much prefer a

90/14 quilting needle for machine quilting. The 75/11 is great for piecing though.

Maureen

It's possible to do it with a top loader, too. I just flip my work up over the arm of the machine to get at the bobbin.

Julia > Mine is of course a front loader. Couldn't imagine working with a top

I'm going to try the 90/14 today. I used the 75/11 again last night, and I could plainly see the strain on the needle. Thanks everybody.

ep