Practicing

 

It was sunny finally, so I found an old class sample piece where I had done some demo quilting.  This quilting is always iffy, in that I usually am using someone else's machine, am sitting at a bad height so my eyes can't focus correctly, maybe the wrong color of thread, and everything on the machine is a bit different to me. 

 

I do understand when you take classes that this happens to all of you too!  I try and reassure students that it will indeed be better at home, so I tried that theory myself to warm up the machine and see if my old hands and eyes could still do this. 

 

The piece I unearthed was done on some lovely green cotton fabric with bright gold thread, perhaps bright yellow, hard to tell with fine thread after the quilting is done what color it actually was on the spool.  Fine silk thread takes on a new shade once the quilting is done and it is affected by the color of the fabric.  Good to know, good to use this info when you choose thread color.

 

I threaded up some shimmery chartreuse #100 YLI silk thread in my trusty Bernina and decided to echo the awkward feather plume I had done as a demo.  The tension was off on the previously quilted feather, the stitches were a bit large, the feather was stilted and boring. It was a demo.  But, for a warm-up for me, it was fine. 

 

Echo quilting is my favorite background, so I set to it, found that after a few stitches it all came back just fine.  That muscle memory that is forged while quilting will still be there with the gentle nudge of practicing.  If you cannot do any machine quilting for long periods of time, usually a brief warm-up while really trying to do well will bring it all back. 

 

Don't practice and stitch with no care; always try to do your best.

 

Because there is no stress involved as with this feather project (it was already not great, how could I make it worse?) you will be relaxed, and that is the key ingredient to good free motion work.  As soon as you tense up and think "I am going to ruin this quilt" then you WILL quilt below your skill level.  Stop, regroup, relax, let it go.  If it takes doing some warm-up quilting or practicing to feel confident, do it.  It all adds to the greater good of making you a better quilter.

 

Here is the finished work - it turned out great.  I could still quilt, oh happy day. I quilted for quite awhile and it was so good to hear the sound of the machine and feel so relaxed again.  Oliver napped in the chair by me on an old quilt, content to see me working again in his favorite room, the forbidden room.....

 

 

The echo quilting is about 1/8" apart; the feathers are giant!

 

I do like to vary the shades of thread as I quilt.  I don't use variegated threads often, although they are beautiful and do magic tricks on your quilt when you need that.  Instead, I prefer to stop and switch out the thread color as I choose.  This gives you more control in the finished "look" and is kind of fun as well.  It gives you that moment to stop, step back, assess what you've done and decide what's next, a bit like tasting the soup as it is simmering to check the seasonings.

 

Below, a detail from my quilt "Shadows of Umbria," now part of the collection at the National Quilt Museum.  The freehand feathers create movement in this very structured design, giving it softness and grace.  I changed out the thread colors frequently to lighten the background, deepen the feathers.  The urn was not freehand; I drew it and traced it to the quilt.

 

 

 

I also used several dye lots of the hand dyed Cherrywood sueded cotton for the background areas to take away from the flatness of only one shade for the entire background.  This created more dimension and oddity to the quilt, looked less modern and less planned out.  This fabric quilts up so beautifully - the stitches marry well with it and mistakes are not as visible, tension is easy to get right.  I pre-wash it and press with a touch of starch before using it for piecing.

 

I've added a link to my blog list for Why Quilts Matter: Politics, Art & History, the nine-part documentary produced by The Kentucky Quilt Project: www.whyquiltsmatter.org. The series has aired on 200+ PBS stations, and is also available on DVD.

 

They offer a special discount of 40% on orders of four or more DVDs to quilt guilds: http://www.whyquiltsmatter.org/welcome/quilt-guild-discount-offer-for-the-documentary-why-quilts-matter-history-art-politics/. They have a weekly blog that currently publishes a new post every Monday: http://www.whyquiltsmatter.org/welcome/blog/.

 

They have a guest post every month by collector and blogger, Bill Volckening (Wonkyworld) as well. Recent post topics have included a virtual quilt show of holiday-related quilts; quilts made by quilters for comfort and healing (featuring the Hurricane Sandy Quilts & Blanket Drive, the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative, and the Quilts of Valor Foundation); wool quilts; a report from Houston 2012; and various noteworthy exhibits (e.g., Civil War quilts at the New England Quilt Museum, the High Fiber fundraiser at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and an exhibit of politically themed quilts from the American Folk Art Museum at the Boca Raton Museum of Art).

 

Profits from sales of the DVD, Discussion Guide, and DVD/Guide package are returned to The Kentucky Quilt Project to fund new educational resources for quilters and quilt scholars.  So check it out!

 

If you are not working on quilting but doing other things, take some time to sit at your machine and do a little practice and reinforcement.  Try a thread color you normally would not choose, do a new design until it becomes easy.  Save it and refer to it for your next project.  Sometimes I tack these up on the wall or I forget all about them. 

 

Below, my homemade pizza we had for Christmas dinner, yummy, spinach and tomatoes were our nod to red and green for the holiday.

 

 

 

Keep quilting; your work gets better every time you quilt!

Diane

 

 

Color!

 

While another half foot of snow falls, we think of spring here in the frozen tundra.  I started keeping track of how many sunny versus cloudy days we've had since Thanksgiving, but honestly it was too depressing to know for sure.  If one day a week was sunny we were lucky. 

 

After Christmas and when the grey days began in earnest, the bright reds and glistening trees were packed away, it was so flat and dull in my house that I decided some bursts of color were needed.  It began by my putting out some spring robin's eggs I saw in the junk drawer while looking for a screwdriver to repair my reading glasses, and I suddenly knew more blue of the eggs, more purple, magenta, and even chartreuse were needed in my house.

 

 

In my sewing room I opened a cupboard door and out fell this charming doll from a student at Asilomar (thank you Ann!).  It had been put away so Oliver wouldn't eat it; the feathers were a huge attraction.  It was like a burst of sunshine!  I knew I was on the right path in replacing my typical neutrals with some saturated tones.  The doll is bright orange with turquoise bead eyes and some green shiny mesh wings.  Love it.  It made me smile.

 

I rummaged around and found a few things, but knew it was necessary to go on a shopping trip for some big inexpensive bright objects.  It was a cloudy grey damp cold dreary day, of course, but shopping was fun.  My cheeks got rosy as I went from store to store.  I came home with packages, bags, paper, and Oliver was thrilled helping me unpack it.

 

 

Success!  I found a bright blue pottery jar for some faux tulips (wishful thinking for spring and Oliver eats real flowers), fresh fruit in a brown/blue pottery bowl, Oliver's wheat grass in a deep aubergine basket, and a new spring green trivet that I don't know how I lived without.  I felt much happier already, and so did Oliver.  He knows he looks great in this setting!

 

 

When I shopped I looked at items I normally would have bypassed but this time I only looked at color, didn't matter what the item was.  Purple and green striped kitchen towels went into a soft green pitcher I had stored way back in a cupboard for a splash of much needed color on my kitchen counter.  And....I can always grab a towel and use it if necessary.

 

I unpacked more exciting bags.  New pillows for the khaki cotton couch, chartreuse and ivory ikat print; and the purple quilted circles one I already had, and a shimmery silk green pillow too.

 

 

My favorite find was an abstract art print for the dining room, with rich wonderful unexpected colors, detail below.  I love it.  I got it for a steal because of a small ding in the frame, and it's signed and numbered.

 

 

 

Below the framed print I placed some of my pottery, an old everyday platter my grandmother had, and a new vase from the National Quilt Museum's gift shop that I treasure.  It has the most beautiful blues.

 

 

And in the family room I also included some shine and color with a reflective platter and added some smooth globes that have two tones of color on each, a dark and a light, so they can be rolled about to create new combinations.  Oliver is very good at rolling them about. 

 

 

The one on the left is really more vibrant chartreuse, fantastic.  I added more color here and there, lit a candle on the mantle out of Oliver's reach, and walked from room to room, enjoying the color, the focal points.  I still love neutrals and soft tones, but adding more color made them look better too.  

 

And then I unwrapped and set up my wonderful new deep cobalt blue lamp.....sigh.  It looks so pretty with my collection of blue/white china.

 

 

 

As I went through my years as a quiltmaker I discovered much the same thing.  Use what you've always loved, but look for something new and wonderful to add, an unusual color, a new or different style of print, a glistening thread.  I still like many of the fabrics from years ago, but need more color now, and love what is available to quilters that was not in the past.  Texture, shine, saturation, contrast, cool and warm, bright and subdued.  You have so much to use to create something that will delight. 

 

 

My little doll says goodbye by showing you her back and her lovely wings.  Think about some orange or polka dots when you make your next quilt!

 

Keep quilting, keep growing.  Your work gets better every day.

Diane

 

 

Is it REALLY 2013??

 

It is frozen "everything" here in Wisconsin, frozen windows, frozen feet and hands and face, frozen food being used for meals as it is too nasty to venture forth to buy fresh.  After two mild winters we are getting hit by cold and ice and snow and rain and frozen rain.  I slip and slide to the mailbox only to find its frozen side is smashed in and snow has sifted inside on my letters. 

 

Fortunately Oliver and I are cozy and safe and warm inside, with no trips to worry about, no flights missed. I've been cooking some marvelous meals, rediscovering some simple pleasures of home.   However, cabin fever could be looming, so we are hoping for some spring-like days soon.  Ha.....

 

I have meant to catch up here and post some information for you quilters but days go by and we are hibernating and I forget all about it.  I had an injury to my wrist/thumb from doing something dumb, sweeping the floor, and it's better but not great yet.  I try to be careful but I think it's going to be one of those things that flares up all the time and keeps me reading books or watching TV and not quilting.

 

 

One of the most exciting things recently was my trip to the pet store where I found a pot of wheat grass for Oliver.  I had to go next door to the import shop and pick up a pretty basket for it too.  I brought it home, wondering if he'd even know about grass, being an indoor boy his entire life, but wow he dived in and sniffed and nibbled and got big eyes and a pink nose. 

 

The first pot lasted 3 weeks with his nibbling, and I gave the grass daily showers in the sink.  Then we discovered it is available for people at the grocery store.   I bought the next batch there, organic, fresh, 3 times the size of the cat stuff.  I guess I should be eating this???  When I trim the tips it smells like freshly mowed grass.  Really?  I should be eating this?  Oliver is eating it and likes it a lot; not quite as much as that which was designated especially for cats, but still, he likes it.

 

So.....Happy 2013!  Sorry to be so long in posting; I am keeping track of things quilty, but enjoying some time off from it.  I do have some things I will post soon, and hope all of you are making use of this time of year and quilting something you love.

 

My best wishes to everyone for 2013 and I hope our paths will cross.

 

Keep quilting; your work gets better every day!

Diane

 

 

Merry Christmas

 

As snow falls and deep dark winter descends all around us, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  I cannot thank all of you enough for your love and support as well as your continued enthusiasm for the art of home machine quilting, the excitement you bring to this blog, the depth of your commitment and knowledge.  For all of you I wish the very best this holiday season and many blessings and much happiness for the future. 

 

Oliver is well and happy.  I took a wild chance and moved things around in the house, and put up the small faux Charlie Brown tree decorated only with birds and small nests and eggs.  Many of the nests were found in our yard, exquisitely and intricately constructed, a delight to examine and save on my little tree.  How they can construct these so perfectly whereas I have a hard time threading a needle I will never know. 

 

 

 

I carefully added several strings of clear lights to glow in the window and light up our long evenings and even the dark days. 

 

Oliver noticed it of course, and mostly wondered where his table by the window had gone and what was this big thing sitting in the way instead.  So far he has not noticed the birds, the nests, any of it.  He did nibble the end of a faux branch but that was not worth doing again, blech, so we have been safe for a week. 

 

Any time now I fear he will tilt his head as he tends to do when thinking about trouble, and notice that there are BIRDS on this tree with real FEATHERS on them and he might have a wild and wonderful time stalking and attacking them.  Until then, if that day comes, we enjoy it together.  He gazes at the lights reflected in the window and is content. 

 

Below, he joined us on the side table when his Godparents visited from far away AZ and enjoyed some Wisconsin frozen custard and coffee, and good conversation.  He settled in and was happy we were all together.

 

 

Merry Christmas from Oliver!

 

I hope in 2013 to bring you more information and tales of quilting, life in the home of a quilter with a cat.  Until then, keep quilting, take some time to enjoy your passion, but relax and enjoy the holidays.  Merry Christmas!

Diane

 

 

Thread and Tension

 

I always advise a quick tension check when you switch to a different spool of thread.  The color and type of thread, even the brand of a certain type of thread such as silk, the humidity, a dull needle, all will affect the top tension and how the stitch looks.  It only takes a few minutes to do a bit of off-quilt stitching on a sample to see if all is well.

 

One of the first things I advise students in every class I have taught is to check the thread pathway before beginning to quilt.  From the spool all the way through to the needle's eye, make sure nothing is catching or interfering with smooth, even flow of thread through the machine. 

 

With the presser foot UP, pull the top thread through the needle.  It should move smoothly and easily; the needle shouldn't bend.  If there is a catch, or the thread is not coming off the spool evenly, you will feel it right away.

 

Bless your heart, try a cone thread holder....!

 

 

Make sure all thread guides are used.  If you have issues with the top spool pulling too tightly and creating tight tension, try a cone thread holder instead of whatever your machine provides.  In the photo, above, you can see it sitting behind my machine to my right, out of the way. 

 

A large cone of thread sits on the base spindle, unwinds gently with no pulling or tugging, goes up through the metal loop, then goes down to the thread guides on the machine.  It's the best method to deal with large cones or unruly threads such as invisible monofilament, but I have used it for normal spools because it works so well.  It's a nice option to have if you sometimes have trouble with upper thread tension.

 

However, trouble might be in a place you never check, the spool itself.  In her blog today Jenny Lyon discussed her adventure with figuring out why the top tension suddenly was very bad:  quiltskipper.com 

 

Jenny has many good ideas and posts about home machine quilting, design, problem solving, etc. on this blog, and you might want to check back often, and also enjoy her creative and beautifully done work.

 

Meanwhile, may all your spools be well behaved!  Take a break as I am from dusting the house, or shopping, or baking, and do a bit of quilting.  You will feel better for it.....

Diane

 

 

 

Part 4: Moving the Quilt: Batting, Products, and Visibility

 

Here are some more tips for home machine quilting.  Then take a break and have a tea party!

 

Note: Please keep in mind that everything I blog about or what I teach is geared to my expertise, quilting on a normal size home sewing machine.  Other machines including those with extended arms, or frame machines that are mounted over a quilt stretched in a frame, are different.  They can handle heavier batts, thick trapunto, and can build designs differently because so much of the quilt can be seen while quilting, and the thicker batts don't have to squeeze down to fit in a home machine.

 

Batting

I occasionally read Facebook posts or hear from other quilters and have discovered that many use two batts to get the dimension they want, especially in show quilts. Some will layer a basic stable batt with a softer loftier batt such as wool over it. Thin flat Poly like Quilter's Dream Select, and then something like wool over that, or Dream Orient and then wool. The wool highlights the quilting so beautifully.

I've used flat cotton batts from Quilter's Dream, Select usually, and then trapunto on top of that with wool or poly, but never an entire batt over another entire batt, not for my home machine. 

Why? Because for me it is too thick to roll or package to fit in the arm of my home machine. All that thickness and puff makes it difficult to move smoothly with my hands, and there is too much puff under the needle.  The underlying layer of stable batt makes it stiff too, so the quilt has two issues:  stiff and puffy at the same time.  Shiver, shudder, I need a cup of tea just thinking about it.

For the style of my own quilts, one wool batt is sufficient.  Or one "any fiber" batt, but I like wool the best. 

I don't try to obtain the overly stuffed designs; I prefer a gentler dimension from just the batt, with thread color choices or ink shading to set off the designs and make them stand out.  But the style you want, the effects you love, all those things determine what batt to choose. 

Also, there are the limitations of quilting in a home machine you must always keep in mind.  There is only so much room for half the quilt to fit in the arm space, and you have to be physically able to move the quilt under the needle smoothly and easily for good stitches.  Keep these things in mind when you start layering batts with gusto.

What batt to use?  There are many wonderful batts on the market now.  I began machine quilting in 1988 thanks to Harriet Hargrave's lecture and then her first book as my guide.  I used a 100% cotton batt, Mountain Mist.  It helped keep the layers from sliding while quilting, it was thin and would roll up to fit in the machine, and when done and washed, would shrink up a bit with lovely puckery drape to give a vintage look.  It needled so well, the threads sunk into the soft cotton wonderfully.  It was a great way to learn machine quilting.

After some years of making quilts using cotton batt or an 80% cotton, 20% poly (Hobbs Heirloom Cotton or Fairfield's Cotton Classic), I craved some puff in the designs, which were getting lost in all the puckers and on print fabrics.  I learned machine trapunto from Hari Walner's book, adding polyester batt over the cotton for the trapunto designs. 

I used this technique and these batts for 6 years until in 2000 I vowed NO MORE!  The trimming of the poly batt was painful and tedious, and quilting over the two batts in my home machine was doable but difficult.

I researched batts (and this is what you must do and keep on doing) and discovered Hobbs Heirloom Wool batt that had been there all along but I was so stuck in my rut that I never even considered it.

Interestingly enough, my bold departure from sure-fire winning batt and thread choices resulted in my first quilt that went on to win numerous awards and eventually was named a Masterpiece Quilt by the National Quilting Association, a huge honor and achievement.

This quilt, "Through a Glass, Darkly:  An American Memory," above, used Hobbs Heirloom wool batt.  Also for the first time I used solids (mostly hand dyed sueded cotton from Cherrywood Fabrics) and YLI #100 silk thread in the top and Aurifil #50 cotton thread in the bobbin instead of invisible thread. 

Every single step of the way on this quilt was a pleasure, and that told me I was so on the right track.  Listen to that inner voice!  The fabrics, the feel of the batt as I quilted, no trapunto to trim and wrestle with in the machine, the dimension in the designs that did not shrink up and disappear when I, gasp, washed this quilt, and the beauty of the machine stitches using silk thread - all these things were like rain after a long drought.

The pieced top had 1/2" logs when finished, and the weight of it was much greater than other tops I had done.  It was heavy, but so pretty.  I almost didn't want to quilt it.  I know you all know exactly what I mean. 

However, the wool batting was feather light and this quilt was actually very easy to handle in my machine.  It hangs well, it drapes beautifully, you could sleep under it and be comfy with a breathable batt like wool, warm in winter, cool in summer.  It packs and travels well too as the wool tends to rebound and creases hang out quickly.

After washing, there are some puckers, but not too many.  Steaming it when it was dry helped block it into perfect squares.  I found the wool batt could take just about anything I did to it.

Quilt detail

 

 

Would wool batting work well in all quilts?  Probably not!  If you have a heavily embellished wall quilt it might not have enough substance and/or stability to keep it flat and even while hanging for long periods.  You might try a wool blend with some poly in it for those needs, or a more stable batt.  

 

Research and find out what batt is available, how it acts, what is its intended purpose.  Often there are comparison articles in the quilt magazines or information online in forums or from manufacturers on their websites that will give you valuable information.  If you like to touch and feel it, see a quilt made up with it, go to your local quilt shop and see what they have and recommend for your quilt and what your quilt will be used for. 

If it's a fiber you like such as cotton or wool, silk, poly, bamboo, blends, it is probably available from various manufacturers and might have differences from brand to brand.  If you discover one you love, be sure and nail down a source either locally or online that you can order.  Catalogs offer batting too; it is readily available so you don't have to be limited by what your fabric chain store carries.

 

"Red Square" ~ Detail, wool batt

Pick up "batting samplers" at quilt shows or if they are offered by manufacturers online or in catalogs.  You can then try them out, but be sure to label your quilted samples with a permanent marker on the back for reference.  I always think I'll remember, but it's not easy to keep track after a few samples, trust me.

The main thing is to make some prototypes that are useful with various batts to see what works best for your style of quilt: 

• Use all the same materials in the samples, but vary the batting so it will be a valid comparison test. 
• Pay attention to how the batt behaves as you quilt as well as how it looks when finished.  Sometimes batts are so stiff they are all but impossible for me to deal with in the machine, or have bits of chunky cotton debris that will break a #60 needle when hit during quilting.
• Make samples into small clutches, placemats, bags for sewing supplies, etc. if they turn out well.  Mistakes don't matter in items like this, especially placemats.  Doll quilts are good ideas too.

Quality batting is expensive, but well worth the price for the results, the ease of quilting, and longevity of the quilt. 

Visibility:

In a home machine it's possible to see only a small area around the needle, the flat part of the quilt held smooth by your hands. Even if I am doing long freehand curves that will be the base of feathers, I sketch those lightly on my quilt because once the quilt is in the machine, it is difficult to see or quilt a big smooth curve.

I can see only a portion of a long line at a time, and many times it is behind the needle. Soon you must stop and adjust quilt and hands, begin again, making a long curve that in actuality is a series of small curves with lots of stops and starts. It is essential to learn to stop and start a continuous line of quilting smoothly and with no visible flag that you had to stop. That is not easy!

I tend to readjust the quilt, then put the needle in the "up" position. It is in the down position to hold the quilt in place as I move things around before continuing.

When I resume quilting I first move the needle to UP, position the needle exactly where I will begin, and start slowly.  Then pick up speed so there are no little glitches or wobbles at this point.

It becomes second nature to move the needle to "up" and sometimes it is really important (poufy batt) or in the center of a large quilt, and sometimes it doesn't really matter, but the trick is, you NEVER KNOW if the needle will jump a bit to one side or the other when you begin. On my Berninas I can tap the foot control with my heel and the needle goes up or down, so I don't have to move my hands to press a control for needle up/down. Very handy to use the foot control.

I prefer an open toe foot so there is no obstruction around the needle. I can hit a previously stitched line precisely, no guessing.

As I quilt "away from myself" on the line behind the foot, with an offset shank as I have on my #24 foot, I can see the line.

A foot that has the shank offset to the side is also very helpful in seeing behind the foot, as in the foot above. There will always be a blind spot for you where the shank must attach, but I prefer it to the side, rather than spot in the middle of your line of vision on the back of the foot.

Wherever the blind spot is, you can turn the quilt slightly so that visibility is better for that particular angle.

Older Berninas do not have the offset foot available. You must look around the post in the middle of your field of vision, as is necessary in many brands of machines. Again, turn the quilt slightly so you can see better.

Sometimes the manufacturer puts a very large thumb screw used to attach the foot on the left of the foot and this too obscures your line of vision; you can replace it with a flush screw that will need a small screwdriver for removal or tightening. It really opens up the floor plan around the needle though, well worth doing.

And don't forget magnifiers for better visibility.  I need one and use one frequently.  Mine is by Bernina and attaches to my machine and is optical grade so I don't get seasick or a headache, and is easily attached or removed.  There are generics available too.  Try one out for detail work or if you feel it might help you.  Save your eyesight every chance you get.

Products:

If you use the Neutrogena hand cream or any specialty product for giving hands a tacky feel for better grip, rub it in well. Any excess could be absorbed by the quilt, although I have never had a problem with this product as it is not oily.

If a drop of oil might find its way on the quilt, blot it well with an absorbent paper towel, then place some cornstarch on the spot, rub in gently and let it sit for a few hours. Many times residue will disappear. Brush out the residue of cornstarch later.  If I'm washing the finished quilt, a bit of Orvus Paste dissolved on a damp terry cloth and some gentle rubbing will get it out nicely.

Adhesive basting sprays. I don't use them because I am allergic to chemicals, especially aerosols, but students layer quilts with these sprays, and I note that in addition to gunk that gets in the machine from them, in the hook/bobbin area, and even on the needle, the quilts can get quite stiff as they are quilted.  It's then more difficult to handle them with ease, get good thread tension, package them (roll or fold) to fit in a home machine, hang on to them. Machine needles will dull quicker too.  I still use safety pins, #1 bent ones for layering quilts, and am happy with them.  If sprays work well for you, use them.

Conclusion:

Don't be afraid to try new things that might help. I do think it is a "less is more" thing though - the more aids and products you depend on the more you stray from the basics of you, the machine, and moving the quilt evenly and well. It takes experience, and you gain that by quilting.

Each little improvement I found, things that made my job easier, resulted in better quilting, and I was more relaxed, and didn't ache as much.

Try not to move from project to project, finish each one if you can. They all act and feel so different while quilting, so you won't get sustained improvement on each one unless you see it through to the end, even if you have to grit your teeth to finish.

 

"Blue Market Bag" - detail, wool batt

Do accept small variations in your work, stitches that are not perfect, freehand designs that are not all identical. Freehand quilting is machine quilting by hand, not by computer, and these variations give it the look of a hand made one-of-a-kind piece. Try not to take out stitches too often. Let them all be part of the story of the quilt, adding character and interest. Outright mistakes? Catch them and fix them right away. There is nothing worse than finishing a quilt and then having to go back and find the spots you have to fix. If quilting begins to deteriorate, stop and take a break, try again later. 

 

 

Oliver says......keep quilting! Your work does get better every day.
Diane

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