please invent this gadget

I'm dealing with this too Roberta. Maybe not as loopy as yours, but certainly not nice to look at. I've been machine quilting on a baby quilt for a gift. I checked tension on a practice piece, but I think my machine/hand speed made the tension goofy. I NEED a BSR!!!! KJ

I wouldn't dare invent one for an ugly back of my work (even if I could). I would go mad from all the buzzing or flashing lights it would emit >g< . In message , Roberta Zollner writes

I probably watch the back of my stitching as much as I watch the top - probably because they're usually for babies and very often, babies prefer the backing. Plus - we wouldn't want any tiny fingers or wee little toes getting caught in a loose, loopy stitch. BSR is calling to me too. Has anyone given the new Pfaff with their own version of regulating stitch a test drive? Polly

I have 3 friends who purchased the stitch regulator for the Pfaff. 2 have returned it and the 3rd hasn't gotten hers yet. One of the 2 did buy the Bernina (she is also keeping her Pfaff). It seems the Pfaff was a poor imitation. I did try the Bernina and it wasn't bad. I wouldn't trade in my Pfaff for it but if I was in the market for a new machine to use for quilting, I would definitely give it serious consideration.

I would suggest trying them both on an actual quilt sandwich before choosing.

Laurie G. in CA (who really likes to free-motion quilt without special stuff!)

As a kid, I did a bunch of cross stitch. My mum one time kindly told me that her needlework teacher had insisted that the back had to look as good as the front (not the same, just _very_ regular). Once in a blue moon I still pick up some cross stitch, and I'm still anal about getting the back perfect...

Now, my quilt backs are usually decent, but not perfect. Frankly, my pet hatred is the piece of fluff which shows right _after_ you cleaned the whole thing inside and out and screws up the tension!

Hanne > I wouldn't dare invent one for an ugly back of my work (even if I

That's the same thing that my DGM told me when she taught me to embroider (as a 5-6 yr. old). Drove me nuts at the time, cuz the front looked okay. But, like you, I still have to have a neat back. Amazing the things that stick with us over the years ME-Judy

I was taught just the same with embroidery - and practised it for years. However, now, with my quilting ... ... >g< I suppose it's because I mostly make wallhangings! . In message , Judy writes

Maybe we could glue a little mirror to the bed of the machine, with just a small movement be able to see the back of the quilt. Or mount one of those small mirrors designed to fit inside your hall locker at school. I think they are magnetic.

My mother also emphasized the same thing -- and practiced it in her own embroidery. One day I noticed that my daughter had a scarf on the dresser wrong side up -- Mom's work was so neat on the back that DD couldn't tell the difference :)

Julia > That's the same thing that my DGM told me when she taught me to embroider

It seems like I "bank my curves" on all my machine quilting curves. The bobbin thread takes a short cut around the curves and the top thread makes big loops to connect to the bobbin thread. I think I have a hand vs. foot pedal problem. Maybe I'm moving around the curves too fast? Either way it's terribly annoying to be stitching well and then mess up all the curves. I think some practising and analyzing is in order for me.

Leslie & The Furbabies > OK, I'm machine quilting, everything going along just fine. Stippling along

Yes! Yes! Yes! That's EXACTLY what I do too! It has to be a hand/foot coordination problem. However, I did switch my invisible thread types and a larger needle today and things are going much, much better! I really do think I'd be a better quilter with a BSR. I've put in quite a few machine quilting hours and I don't seem to get much better at stitch length consistency.....let alone artistic interpretation! Time to buy lottery tickets! Lots of lottery tickets! KJ

KJ - your and Leslie's previous post just 'rattled' something in my memory: are you both (and anyone else who like us gets these un-cool backs) using a needle plate which accommodates the zig-zag stitch? Some time ago, on here, I remember it was recommended that we bought a single hole needle plate, particularly for use when free-motion quilting, so that the threads did not have so much 'freedom to move'. Well, I did buy myself a single hole plate recently; but, when I was in a rush to do my last piece of quilting, I forgot to change the plates. When I have an hour or so, I really must change the plates and have a go to see if it makes a difference. Wouldn't it be wonderful if it really did?!

(You do have to remember to change it back - or suffer awful consequences! but it would be worth the effort.) . In message , KJ writes

I have one of those straight stitch plates but have been reluctant to use it. Probably I would need to paint it red and attach some flashing lights to it simply to remember not to set any sort of swing stitch while it was on. Bernina makes a fine 1/4" foot that is absolutely for straight stitch only and I have to be seriously focused to keep from pinging it with a zig. So far, I haven't had a wreck with it. So far. Polly

"Patti" wrtoe> KJ - your and Leslie's previous post just 'rattled' something in my

Pat-

My Janome dealer told me there wasn't a "small hole" plate for my machine! I wonder if they have it for your model and not for mine? I would be very willing to buy one if it were available. I've messed up with the wrong foot in the past and snapped off my needle, but turning the machine off and on again seems to make it "reset" itself without major damage or needing repairs. I wouldn't advise anyone else to try this, but I've been lucky so far..... I need to study what is causing this problem and work on a solution. I think I speed up with moving the quilt around the curves. It's operator error as the rest of my quilting is decent, but those darn curves- and the narrower curves are okay- it's just the wider ones that get the awful loopies. grrrrrrr!!!

Leslie & The Furbabies > KJ - your and Leslie's previous post just 'rattled' something in my

Hummmm. I'll have to go check. I do have both plates and sometimes do make sure I have the "correct" one on my machine. I was using a decorative stitch for part of my quilting, so I'm sure I have my zig zag plate on. Now that I'm just freehanding it, I'll swap it out and see if it helps. It certainly can't HURT! I'd settle for uneven stitch lengths (for a while) if the tension stayed correct. Thanks for the reminder Pat. KJ

It seems like I went through a siege of what Leslie's suffering and (!) I believe that was the time that I was given permission to test the tension on the bobbin case. When the case was adjusted, the 'lean into curves' went very nicely. Perhaps my bobbin case was just lots too loose? That was a couple of years ago and I'm pleased when I remember breakfast. Do you know how to check the bobbin case tension? You hold the thread from the case over your lap or get in the middle of your bed - you don't want to drop that rascal. The bobbin case should slowly descend from the thread. If it doesn't slide or it just drops down quickly, you need to make a tiny adjustment. When you conquer this one, you are authorized to adjust carburetors and transformers and all sorts of fun stuff. Polly

Me too until I put the needle tension up to 7. Made quite a difference.

For non-straight stitch plate owners....I heard that you could tape an index card or similar over the bed of the machine and your needle would then make a single hole through it and it would work nearly as well as a specialty plate. Haven't tried it, but if you had some tape and a card then it wouldn't cost anything to see.

marcella