Part 3 Moving the Quilt: Extra Credit

 

"Batzbelow" ~ Detail of bat that appeared in hand dyed fabric.....

Some tweaks to my previous two posts about moving the quilt in a home sewing machine while free motion quilting are needed.  There are always exceptions and "what ifs" and extra info to any topic, so today I will add a little more.

FMQ Foot

Some feet can be purchased for brands of machines that themselves can be adjusted so there is less pressure on the foot, and a bit more clearance.  Investigate your brand, explore their website, blog, forum, join a forum for your brand so you can ask other owners questions. 

Take everything you hear with a grain of salt, you are the final decision maker in how you quilt.  But do have an open mind.  Don't say, well, this is the way I always do something, or this is the foot I have used forever.  Perhaps there is a better way and you are not aware.

The Bernina BSR (stitch regulator) foot has three soleplates so you can choose which one works best for the task.  It lifts and "hops" as you quilt, and it can be used with several modes.  Whenever I have worked with this foot on students' machines who do use it there have been animated discussions among them as to which mode works best.  It is different for everyone. 

Although I don't need to use the BSR, when I demo it for classes I like to remove the foot control  and use the mode that is based solely on my hand movements.  That way I don't get confused and keep pressing pointlessly on the foot control to make it go faster.  It will only run if I move my hands.  My brain can handle this and doesn't get it confused with normal FMQ when I control the speed with my foot and the quilt movement with my hands and have them balanced for even stitches. 

The BSR doesn't care about your hand movements; it keeps up with you, slow or fast, and makes pre-set stitches at a length you set on the machine.  However, it works best if your hand movements are even, controlled, not too fast (it will beep at you) or not too slow and jerky.  It does teach you how to move your hands and that will allow you to progress to quilting without it and get great results flying solo.

If you've never done FMQ, the BSR is easy to learn.  If you are trained to FMQ without this device, it takes some getting used to and trying all the modes to find what works best for you, but in the end, it does give you very even stitches.  Even, consistent stitches create beautiful designs.

Be aware there is a number setting on the touchscreen you adjust for how much pressure is on the foot when you do FMQ with the Bernina BSR.  Check owner's manual for guidance in using this, but in class we have lowered that number quite a bit to quilt easily over seam allowances, etc.

Oliver investigates my first Bernina for FMQ

My first machine for free motion quilting was a Bernina 1030, above, and I quilted for some time with the #9 darning foot.  There was never enough clearance to quilt over seams, trapunto, etc.  And there was no auto needle down; I had to tap the foot control with my heel, which I still do at times now.  I like manual control.

Now I am so used to "auto needle down" that I have on my newer electronic machines that sometimes when I sew on the 1030 I sit and wait for the needle to go down, forgetting I must tap the foot control to make this happen. 

 

Later Bernina came out with the metal #29 foot for this machine, a big round foot that was like quilting with a mini-hoop, photo above.  The best thing, of all the machines and feet I have used, it had the most clearance.  It SAILED over seam allowances, and I started doing tiny stippling that I could see within the foot very clearly, no obstructions.  I learned to look ahead of the needle, not at it, and around the shank and the foot edge, and my quilting speeded up and became smooth and even.  My quilting improved dramatically with this foot.

It is a great foot.  However, at the time, when used on some of the electronic Bernina models, skipped stitches occurred.  It was actually sitting a bit too high, and later Bernina came out with the plastic #29 foot to solve that problem for those machines.  But the original metal one worked great for me on my mechanical model.

Check with your brand of machine to see all the options.  Many times all you need is a better FMQ foot, or a way to increase clearance under one.

Manufacturers make new feet for machines after they introduce the machine model, so always ask or check online to see  if new feet are available, and give one a test drive at your dealer. 

Next time.....Batting and more.

Keep quilting, it gets easier and better.
Diane

Moving the Quilt in a Home Machine

 

Quilting on a home sewing machine is fun, relaxing for the most part, works beautifully to quilt even large bed quilts.....but.....sometimes it is a huge challenge moving that quilt under the needle and getting great results.

 

My last post was all about the foot, the right one for your machine designed for the best outcome and the most clearance under it.  It was also about adjusting the pressure on it if possible so the quilt will move smoothly with feed dogs dropped.  Finally, I discussed some ideas for you to modify a free motion foot to allow it to sit a bit higher, giving you more space under it to move the quilt smoothly.

 

However, if other things are fighting you no foot in the universe will help overcome all difficulties.  The recipe for successful FMQ (free motion quilting) has many ingredients, and the foot is but one of them.  Below are some more ingredients you will need:

 

The Grip

 

In the photo above, my hands are lightly pressing down on the quilt while moving it smoothly under the needle, following a marked line.  This is a sample, so it wasn't a large quilt and I had plenty of room.  There was no half of an 85" quilt rolled or folded up in the opening of the machine, fighting my right hand for space.

 

My sewing machine does not have an extended arm, yet it is not at all difficult for me to quilt up to queen size quilts with it.  I roll, or loosely fold and scrunch the quilt area to the right of center into that space so that I can still place my hands flat by the needle. 

 

 

One of my students at the National Quilt Museum is using this same grip, light but firm touch, to move her quilt in a portable sewing table.  Note how her arms are resting lightly as well, and her hands are creating the designs.

 

Tip!  Avoid the "death grip"!  Relax, hold on to the quilt any way that is comfy for you and lets you have control of it, without pressing too hard.  That makes it too difficult to move. 

 

Gathering up some of it with your left hand, gently scrunching up some on the right or holding on to the bulk of it there will give you "handles" and help if you need it.  Press, lift at the same time.  It takes a bit of concentration to do this, but once you learn you don't have to think about it again.  Don't grab so tightly or press down so hard you leave creases or marks in the quilt top; then, it has become the Death Grip.

 

What about extra help?  I quilt with no gloves or extra aids, and find that this gives me freedom to move my hands as needed, and the sensory feedback from my fingers so I can quilt with more control and finesse.  Hoops provide some help if your hands can't do it alone, but I find them visually distracting and can't quilt as well with them.  But.....if you need extra help, use it.  Find whatever you can to help you move the quilt more easily and keep you from experiencing pain.

 

Batt

 

 

I use a batt (currently loving Pellon Legacy wool, and Hobbs Tuscany is also nice) that condenses nicely, and while it has loft, it isn't stiff or hard to move in the machine.  It squishes down easily while being quilted, and when quilted closely it becomes very thin.  It compresses yet stays soft. I can gather the quilt in my hands and move it easily.   It stays down in the dense quilting, and bounces back in large designs to add wonderful loft.

 

It's my favorite batt because of its properties:  loft in designs, flat and thin when quilted down, feather light to handle, compresses in the machine arm so it fits well.  The finished quilt hangs beautifully, on a wall or bed, and is much softer and lighter with wool batt than with other batt fibers.  I also like soft thin cotton batt, but only use this when wool would be too poufy.

 

If the batt is stiff the quilt will be difficult to move.  Sometimes a batt doesn't get stiff until it has lots of quilting in it (bamboo blends did that), and then it becomes like cement in the machine.  Or a board, flat and hard and so difficult to gather and move.  That's when you see quilters using gloves or other aids to help move quilts under the needle.  If you find you are getting very sore hand and arm muscles from quilting even small easy designs, the batt might be the culprit.

 

I also see quilters wearing gloves with certain brands of machines that tend to have sticky beds and feet that don't give enough clearance.  These things can be altered and your quilting life improved!  Do not simply accept the fact that quilts are hard to move in your particular machine.

 

Machine Bed/Surface

 

So many times in classes or in email questions I have to diagnose problems, and go through a mental checklist to see what could be causing them.  Many times struggles, uneven stitches, and most often the dreaded breaking needles come from a sticky surface under the quilt.  This can be the machine bed itself (many times sticky plastic), the plexiglas or other material used for an insert around the free arm, the surround added to make a flat space to support the quilt, or the sewing cabinet itself.  Whew, so many things that can go wrong.

 

If you think the surround might be sticky, wash it with fairly warm soapy water (mild mild soap like a dot of Orvus Paste dissolved in a bowl of water, or Ivory liquid) and buff it dry with a flour sack dish towel, washed but no fabric softener.  I especially recommend this for plexi surrounds, anything plastic. 

 

I wipe off machine areas with a damp cloth and white vinegar to remove residues. Anything you spray in your sewing area could make this area sticky in time.  New plexiglas often is all but un-usable until it is washed, maybe several times.  Once it is clean, the quilt constantly moving over it improves it over time and it will become like ice, nice and slippery, helping you move the quilt easily.

 

 

The Supreme Slider

 

 

If cleaning the machine's bed doesn't help enough, or the weather is humid and your quilt absorbs moisture like a sheep or your hair (!) or you notice your pets looking fluffier and nothing is drying in your house, you might need more help.  I use a product originally called "The Slider" and now called "Supreme Slider," above, because it is self stick, and can be re-activated by rinsing it off.   Check it out at www.freemotionslider.com

 

It's placed on the bed of the machine and provides a very slippery surface for that all-important area where your hands are resting, gripping, moving.  The first time I tried one of these I had passed out some of these to my class for them to try, then sat at one of their machines to do a demo, and was shocked and excited and stopped dead in my tracks to exclaim how incredibly easy her quilt was to move!  I asked her for her secret, and everyone laughed as she had one of the sample Sliders on her machine and I didn't know it.  So my first time was a true blind test, and I loved it.

 

 

Here is the Supreme Slider taped to my machine, hole centered over the opening for the bobbin thread.  This will also cover feed dogs that don't lower on some machines.  I still use, after all these years, the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream on my palms and fingers for extra "grip."  Hands are slightly tacky and quilt doesn't slip under them.  I get it at Walgreen's or grocery stores.

 

 I tend to use the Slider often, for most projects.  If the room and sewing machine insert feel a bit sticky, I use it.  If the backing of my quilt just doesn't move smoothly, I use it.  If my hands are tired or aching, I use it.  It can save entire projects that otherwise wouldn't move smoothly.  I have inadvertently used fabrics that simply would not move well, sort of moved in jerks and starts.  The Slider solved it.

 

Note:  If you press down too hard and have a "death grip" on the quilt, you could dislodge the Slider and it will become part of the quilt, and be quilted into the back.  If something doesn't feel right or sound right as you quilt, stop and check.  Students trying Sliders for the first time in class tend grip or press too hard and move it with the quilt.  Even though the Supreme Slider is now self-stick, I still tape the corners of it to the cabinet and to the bed of the machine on the right. 

 

Starch

 

 

 

Another tip is to use starch to press the backing of the quilt, before layering it.  I mix my own (recipe at end of post) with starch from the kitchen cupboard, and it works great.  It's especially nice because it is natural and you can adjust how thin/thick you want the mixture for how much body and crispness you want in the fabric.  I use a light mix for the quilt's backing, spritz it on the fabric and press it dry.  This adds nice slip to the back of the quilt and I find it really helps the quilt move more easily.

 

It also seems to prevent pleats and puckers forming on the back of the quilt from machine quilting.

 

I've also tried Mary Ellen's clear unscented starch and I like that; it's called Best Press.  It's handy and doesn't spoil, as my homemade stuff will do.  I confess I haven't used it on a quilt back, so can't say definitively that it will help the quilt move better, but I bet it would.

 

 

 

In the photo above you will also see some of the Legacy wool batt used in this sample.  It gives lovely dimension to even very tiny bananas.  They look stuffed sometimes and it's because of the batt.

 

Starch works, but you have to remember to add it to the quilt backing before you layer the quilt.  I forgot to do this on one of my show quilts, but the Slider saved me and I had no issues after that. 

 

And I always piece with starch:  press the pre-washed fabric with it, spritz it on my piecing as I press it.  Be careful not to use too much or it will cause distortion if it gets really wet.  A light mist works great.

 

Backing Fabric 

 

Choosing the best fabric for the back of the quilt is important for many reasons, but fabric that allows the quilt to move freely as you quilt is vital. 

 

For many years I used good quality muslin, pre-washed and pressed with my starch recipe, for all my quilt backings and it was perfect.  It showed quilting well (like a wholecloth), was soft so the stitches sunk in properly and tension was balanced, and it moved so nicely on my machine.  Then I decided some color on the back was a good thing, and switched to prints or almost-prints for backing. 

 

I discovered some fabrics needled better (accepted the stitch), sounded better while being quilted, and slid around so much better while quilting than others.  Tight weaves, dyes, deep colors all gave me problems.  Batiks are beautiful and stable but the thread on the back sat there on top of the fabric and tension issues were bad.  The quilt did not move well, and it became very, very stiff when it was quilted, so it was very hard on my hands and all muscles to wrestle it around in the machine. 

 

I learned what fabrics and brands worked best as backing and stuck with them.  Experiment, audition backing fabric on a small sample to see how it works before investing in yardage.  Color and design are important, but in home machine quilting sometimes function is more important.  Finding a nice compromise can be done so it will look wonderful and work well in the machine too.

 

 

Above, back of a quilt.  I used a lighter colored bobbin thread so the design is a negative of the front of the quilt.  This is a Benartex fabric by Caryl Bryer Fallert called "Gradations" that I picked up at her studio in Paducah, KY, but my local quilt shop carries it, as do many online sources including Bryerpatch studio:  www.bryerpatch.com   It has gorgeous color, the perfect weave, and stunning colors.  It moves perfectly on the machine bed and surround, and the stitches sink into it just the right amount.

 

There are many fabrics, brands, styles that work just as well.  You have to find them.

 

Note:  Do not "use up" old icky fabrics for backing unless they move well, needle well.  Do not buy ultra cheap fabric for backing either, but sometimes you can score big with fabulous quality fabric from quilt shops at sale prices that did not sell because of color or design, and that might be perfect for your style and/or for quilt backing.  I've found great things in the sale bins; fabric is very high quality but no one wanted it.  Give it a home.  And audition it first before layering the quilt.

 

I hope all these tips have helped, and will give you some confidence when sitting down at the machine with your layered quilt.  Every project feels and acts differently under the needle, so take the time to figure out what needs tweaking so everything is at optimal performance level for you.

 

Starch Recipe

 

Below is my recipe for home made starch, which is nice but also good to have in a pinch if you run out of your favorite store starch:

 

Try my recipe for spray starch for all your pressing/piecing needs. Remember, you can adjust any of these amounts to suit your own needs, and also don't keep this for more than two weeks max. I make up a batch when I need it, then dump it out when I'm finished. It produces a super flat stable quilt:

Dissolve half a teaspoon (or one teaspoon for a stiffer starch) of regular Argo cornstarch (in your cupboard probably) in a few tablespoons of cold water in a heat proof 2-cup measuring pitcher like Pyrex. Add boiling water to make one cup, stirring constantly. Then add cold water to the 2 cup line. Let cool and use in a pump spray bottle. Shake it every time you spray. You may have to dilute it a little if it is too thick or builds up white flakes. Lasts a week or so as there are no preservatives, no chemicals, no nothing that harms us or the environment, and it’s practically free, except for the spray bottle! Don't starch fabrics for storage as it will attract critters such as centipedes, and mice.  Add water as you use it up to make it last longer and dilute it a bit more. 

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and you have too many blessings to count.  Oliver licked the turkey roasting pan, a real adventure for a Vegan Cat.

 

And then slept it off on his soft blanket.....

Keep quilting!  Your work gets better every day,
Diane

Diane-shiko Tips

Many of you have been quilting this design, shown above in my quilt Shadows of Umbria, as a way to obtain a traditional Sashiko look with the ease of machine quilting simple arcs around a marked grid. I get questions about it in my classes and when I teach the technique, so here are a few tips for you. It is explained, step by step, in my book Quilt Savvy: Gaudynski’s Machine Quilting Guidebook, with many detailed photos.

Marking: Clear, crisp, easy-to-see marked ½” grids are the best. I use a ½” marked grid, on point, and use the June Tailor Grid Marker stencil. It makes it so easy. If you can’t see a nice “intersection” of two lines crossing, you are only guessing at a particular point, and the final result will be irregular. Also, you are stressed while doing the quilting because you just can’t quite see where you should be stitching.

I avoid chalk markers, the Pounce type ones, fuzzy tipped markers from too much use, lines you cannot possibly see except on another planet with a different light spectrum. Get a new marker, press lightly on it, let the ink in it wick out to the fabric rather than pushing/pressing so hard the line is fat and blurred and bleeding. Be delicate and precise.

For dark fabrics I like the Clover White Marking pen. It dries and stays crisp and bright, and is ironed out at the end.

Marking is crucial for this design. All four lines of the design “cross” at the point where the two grid lines cross, and precision helps make the design look its best.

Speed: Another tip is to quilt this design at one even speed, not too fast. If you move your hands too fast, the stitches will be so large the design will not look clean and even, but filled with irregular big “basting” stitches. Smooth slow steady hands create lovely even stitches.

Run the machine at a nice even medium speed so it doesn’t sound like a runaway train. Too fast and there go your hands, whizzing away and missing the intersections. Too slow and the stitches get large and uneven, and there goes the look of the design.

Learn the sound of the machine for the correct speed. It becomes comforting and allows you to relax and let your shoulders drop, and arms rest comfortably. You really only need to lift and move your hands for this design, not your arms at all.

Moving the quilt smoothly: Make sure the quilt moves smoothly on the machine bed. Use a Supreme Slider (http://www.freemotionslider.com/) or starch the backing of your quilt. Make sure any Plexiglas has been cleaned and polished so it is smooth and slippery.

I never add anything to my surface, just keep it clean, and I don’t use any sprays near my machine that would settle on the surface and make it sticky. For me, the Slider really helps, but even without it, starching the backing, and my stainless steel bed of my Bernina make a huge difference in being able to move the quilt smoothly.

Look ahead of the needle. Visualize the half-way point on the arc and aim for the next point where two lines cross. Do not watch the needle itself.

Where to begin: I usually place one line of the arcs on both sides of a line forming little ‘footballs’ right in the center of an area as an anchor to hold it in place and then work from that.

Many times I do this from a design such as a quilted feather out to an edge and back perhaps twice, forming a "V," then cut my thread, place the needle at the outside edge or ditch and then work back to the design and “travel” on the edge, or the ditch, rather than on the outer edge of the design.

Visuals: It’s nice to do the Diane-shiko in a slightly different color thread than used for the design or different from the fabric color. But if you choose to try this idea, be sure and echo the design with the background thread color first, then proceed to do the Diane-shiko. This line of echo quilting in the thread color of the background quilting will give you a pathway for travel to the next line and will be undetectable.

Sometimes you have to slow down just a tad to do this travel quilting for a few stitches, and this is when you DO look at the needle and stitches. Being precise at traveling or stitching over a previously quilted line is crucial. If you can do this well, it will be undetectable and look fabulous.

I always place my Diane-shiko on the diagonal, or “on point.” I find there is less distortion of grainlines of the fabric, no pleating will develop, and the look is more elegant. Also, you won’t run into the "issue" of the design lines not being quite parallel to seamlines, a problem that can happen when you mark parallel to seams or with the grainline. It looks bad and can cause excess fabric pushing into pleats. In a very small area it works, but be wary of doing it on a large expanse of background.

Be sure and remove your marking thoroughly when finished. Check it under an Ott light or fluorescent light to be sure it is totally gone.

If you make the arcs correctly the finished design will look like interlocking circles. If the arcs are too skinny and flat it will still look great, but the overall circles will be flattened. Whatever you do, keep it consistent overall and don’t try and change to fatter arcs, flatter arcs, back and forth. Don’t over-correct if you find that the arc you just quilted is too thin or fat. Always try for the correct arc, and the few odd ones will simply blend in. Circles over circles will confuse the eye and no one will notice.

Words of Wisdom: If there is a bad arc, “let it go.” Don’t spend unnecessary time picking out quilting stitches. In time all the arcs will be great. If you stop all the time and un-quilt, you will always be making mistakes because a rhythm and muscle memory for the design won’t have a chance to develop.

Take breaks! Use a magnifier to see the marked grid! My Bernina has one available for purchase, a set of 3 wonderful lenses that do not make me carsick when I use them.

Use a slightly different colored thread so you can see the design, or blend it in with a matching color.

Use this design all by itself to cover and quilt a border, a block interior, a circle in appliqué, the center of flowers, on garments. Divide up a section into soft curves and do this design in one of them, other motifs in the remaining sections.

Yes, you can do this on a smaller grid such as 3/8" or 1/4" for tiny areas, or larger, perhaps a 1" grid. The larger the arc is, the more difficult, in a home sewing machine, to keep it smooth and all arcs similar.

If you do enough of this, it will get better and better. The biggest danger is to try and go way too fast. This design needs your concentration and focus but will garner results in the end. Everyone will love it.

Keep quilting, your work gets better every day.
Diane