free motion quilting woes

I know it's a case of practice practice practice, but having briefly had a chance to try it on a different machine, I was also aware that some of the issues were related to my machine, I've tried googling with the machine name, but I only come up with shop references, so I just went by brand and that was a little more helpful. It's a Janome 423S, btw.

The best tip I picked up was to not drop the feed dogs! I tried that and there was an instant improvement.

Another problem I'm having is tension, but I'm not entirely sure whether it's how I move/the speed, or whether it really is the machine and the problems mostly seem to be bobbin related, so is it possible I have to adjust the bobbin thread tension? I'd expected to only have to adjust that is I have a different to normal thickness thread in there.

As for moving the fabric around easily, I've tried it just on the machine bed and with paper taped over, the paper was worse. I think I've got my hands in an ok position, but that seems to leave me with about a 4inch square where it's ok to quilt, is that what you'd expect?

Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers
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I do free motion decorative stitches, embroidery and stippling quite a bit. I went through all kinds of *&^&* getting it to come out like I "saw it in my mind". I don't have a Janome, I have a Viking but I'm sure they make this foot for your machine. Have you tried using a darning foot? The kind with the round or sort of horseshoe shaped foot and spring thingy on the shaft. Everything came together after this suggestion was made to me. Took care of what I thought was the wonky tension problem and gave me a smother more even stitch without constant battles. I also wear surgical gloves while I work. It seems to give me a little better control of the fabric. There's just enough 'tackiness' to move the fabric without having to grip to push/pull move it so I can lay my hands further away and create a bit larger motion/work area. (I have a friend who gets those rubber finger caps from the office supply and wears these on her three middle fingers.) I hold my hands so the most pressure comes from my three middle fingers, I seem to hold my thumbs and pinkies up a bit. Not up, *UP*, but just barely any pressure on the fabric, my hands didn't ache and get tired, seemed very natural this way. When I used even pressure from all five digits pressing down with my whole hand and shoving the fabric around I just didn't have the control, the lighter touch not only did better but I found I was more relaxed and didn't have to keep stopping to unclench my teeth and work kinks out of my shoulders. I also keep my wrists straight with the natural inward bend of my arms, sort of like the position your hands would be in if you were typing on one of those ergonomic key boards. This takes an enormous strain off you, also just naturally gives you a bit larger work area.

I hope some of these suggestions help you. Val

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

Reply to
Val

Your bobbin tension is probably OK. If your machine sews a plain straight stitch with a regular presser foot and gives no problem, then I wouldn't start tinkering with the bobbin. Lots of times, the problem is user speed. Most machines perform better if the thread pulls out of the bobbin case in the "normal" direction. When you free motion, of course, you are going in all kinds of other directions. Try slowing down in the odd directions and see if this helps. Replacing the needle more often can also help, as well as using the needle size best suited to your thread. I've never used a Janome, so no experience on your machine.

You need to move your hands. They do indeed make only a 4" window, so you need to get used to shifting without loss of control. (Practice, practice) I use the gloves with rubber nubs when maneuvering big quilts. Roberta in D

"Anne Rogers" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

I use Machingers gloves. After having tried other quilting gloves, garden gloves, finger cots, the horseshoe shaped thingy, etc, I find they are the best.

I don't notice any difference in keeping the feed dogs up, so I don't.

I use the spring darning foot that came with my Janome 1600, but I've also used a Big Foot on other machines with good success. Some machines are better than others, but I like my Janome better than the Bernina or the Pfaff, as far as free-motion is concerned. (The Bernina walking foot is the best, however!)

I use lingerie thread in the bobbin. It blends in with the backing and almost never shows on the front.

It really helps to have a large flat area around the machine. I have mine set in a big table that allows me to open the drawer to my left and fit in a temporary top piece. This gives me an L-shaped work area that really helps in controlling the weight of a big quilt.

And don't forget the practice, practice, practice!!! You really do get better. I can free-motion "in the ditch" almost perfectly now, and I never thought I'd be able to.

Iris

Reply to
I.E.Z.

Hi Anne, I also am working on my freemotion quilting. I'm far from happy with the results. I have a Janome 5700. I always turn the tension to 0 and stitch length to 0 before working. Somebody advised this and ti seems to work better.

What did you mean about not dropping the feed dogs? Is this something I missed? Unless I drop the feed dogs, then the fabric will just keep hanging, I think. Can somebody fill me in?

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

I have had to do the opposite with my machine as Sunny has but I have a computerized babylock embroidery machine (not sure if yours is computerized)

I found that no matter what speed I am moving the fabric at or what speed I am running the machine at I need to have my stitch length set to 3.5 and leave the tension set to auto. For some reason if the stitch length is set to anything else the tension is totally off and the stitches do not form properly at all.

I also use the machingers gloves and found that they stop hand fatigue tremendously!

I also have another completely manual machine that says in the manual can be used for free motion but I'll be damned if I can get the settings all right to stitch properly so I just use it for piecing and general sewing.

Reply to
JPgirl

I haven't tried a darning foot, I bought one and it was wrong, so I took it back, but didn't get a different one, thing is, I can't see why it would make an difference, my machine is one with a low shank anyway, so when I put the "presser foot" down, the shank is almost on the fabric and not far from the needle, so it keeps the fabric down and sort of serves the same purpose as a foot would, it's just not around the needle.

I wonder about the gloves, it feels to me as if the issue with moving is that it's not moving smoothly over the underneath, but I wonder if I had a better grip on top then it might not be such an issue.

Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

interesting, I've played a bit with the top thread tension and the stitch length, stitch length at zero definitely seemed to help, tension I'm not so sure about, I've changed it, but it doesn't seem to make the difference one would expect and it seems random whether I get too much bobbin up top, or the bobbin thread bunching up completely on the bottom.

i found it online and one person specifically mentioned that they had a Janome and it helped, so I tried it, it made absolutely no difference to how the fabric moved, I guess without a presser foot from the top, it's not going to have nearly the same effect as when you do have a presser foot. It did seem to make a difference in the stitching though, I just don't know why!

Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

the odd thing is, that after this session of quilting practice, when I went back to piecing I did get bunching of the bobbin thread underneath and I have occasionally had that before, for no apparent reason, the machine isn't misthreaded or anything, rethreading sometimes sorts it out, sometimes doesn't.

I replaced the needle to do this practicing, 80/12, which as far as I can tell is the best one, it takes generic needles, so I can't see why it would need a different size. I've even tried a specific quilting needle.

I rather suspect getting the machine serviced would be a good idea, I'll have to decide whether to try and find a Janome servicer, or just use the guy that picks up from the Viking department at JoAnns.

Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

If you are sewing with a regular foot that is your problem, especially with the feed dogs up! An embroidery foot or a darning foot will press the fabric down just at the point when the machine is forming the stitch then it will 'let it go' for a moment allowing you to move it freely, therefore, free motion.

You really need to find yourself a quilting, darning or embroidery foot and give it a try again. Bring your machine into the shop and have them try it on there instead of making a hundred trips before you get the right one.

Reply to
JPgirl

oh no, I've taken the foot off, I initially dropped the feed dogs as all the instructions seem to suggest, but have tried with the feed dogs up as suggested in one online tip specifically for Janome machines.

What I was saying about the fabric being held down applies to the shank the foot would be attached to, so it's quite close to where the needle is and this particular machine it's quite low.

Anne

Reply to
Anne Rogers

I still think you need to find a proper quilting foot.

Sewing with no foot is not only dangerous but it can be the root of your problems as well. When the machine forms a stitch there are very small tolerances as to how high the fabric can be above the machine, if the fabric is not compressed properly or is too lofty the stitch will not form properly. That is why a darning or quilting foot only compresses that fabric while the stitch is being formed and lets it go for the rest of the time.

You need a foot!

Reply to
JPgirl

The quilt does have to be kept flat under the needle, because if the quilt moves up and down against the needle, you'll get skipped stitches & thread wads. With the feed up, the quilt will get caught on it

It is the job of the free motion foot to hold the quilt down. The way it is made, the foot only pushes against the quilt when the needle is in the down position. On the upward movement the foot raises slightly, allowing you to easily and smoothly move the quilt around.

If you really want to not use a foot, try using an embroidery hoop to keep part of the quilt flat.

-Irene

Reply to
IMS

Go to

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for "Needles -What the home sewer needs to know" (thanks to whoever posted this link, some time ago.)

80/12 is simply the size of the needle, and it may be too big for the thread you are using. Go down to a 75, which will make a smaller hole in the fabric and fits normal thread. But you are right, it may just be time for a service! Roberta in D

"Anne Rogers" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

Reply to
Roberta Zollner

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