Can't Machine Quilt...Why Does Machine Skip?

[wyoDreamer]

Next time you are in town at a shop, pick up a pack of needles. a sharp needle makes a huge difference, and using the right size needle too. I was having problems using a silk thread in my machine and it turns out I had too large of a needle in the machine.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, my! Look what's new on YouTube! These weren't there last time I checked for specific videos about using my CS6000i machine to quilt.

And this "hand quilting" stitch confused me because the manual didn't tell me this stuff that she did! It never looked like hand quilting to me, but she tells in this video how to really make it work. I'd never have figured it out, NEVER.

These ought to help as well as the other myriad of videos on free motion quilting. Even my usual crafts teacher Melanie Ham (iheartstitching) has a free motion quilting video, though she has one of those expensive Juki machines.


ETA: I did simple line quilting with my walking foot on this ugly little lap quilt/chair topper thing.

 

[speckledhen]

Next time you are in town at a shop, pick up a pack of needles. a sharp needle makes a huge difference, and using the right size needle too. I was having problems using a silk thread in my machine and it turns out I had too large of a needle in the machine.

I will do that, thank you.

 

[dandar]

looks like u are doing quite well..and don't try to be a perfectionist....I know I am one to, my husband keeps telling me "so what the only one who really knows it is you"...but in quilting I feel like more people will see it, but you know very few people look "intensely" at the quilting either unless they happen to be a sewer also..we spend all that time on learning to quilt and then quilting and it goes partly unnoticed....

but I have found that if i use a contrasting thread or one of the newer blended threads more people comment on the quilting..(food for thought) when i do the straight line quilting i will often use a disappearing marker so that i can get my lines straight..I have even turned my machine side ways (open end facing me) to quilt on a very large project..keeping your project level off the arm is also important if u don't have a flat surface for your machine. There are so many little tips and secrets to quilting I just go with trial and error..what worked for one quilter may not work for another..and personal preference is at the utmost important. I am doing some of the paper piecing with freezer paper, but actually what I meant in my previous post is I will mark my QUILTING design on it and then quilt and tear away..for some designs this works better for me than trying to just eyeballing it..
GOOD LUCK

 

[speckledhen]

looks like u are doing quite well..and don't try to be a perfectionist....I know I am one to, my husband keeps telling me "so what the only one who really knows it is you"...but in quilting I feel like more people will see it, but you know very few people look "intensely" at the quilting either unless they happen to be a sewer also..we spend all that time on learning to quilt and then quilting and it goes partly unnoticed....

but I have found that if i use a contrasting thread or one of the newer blended threads more people comment on the quilting..(food for thought) when i do the straight line quilting i will often use a disappearing marker so that i can get my lines straight..I have even turned my machine side ways (open end facing me) to quilt on a very large project..keeping your project level off the arm is also important if u don't have a flat surface for your machine. There are so many little tips and secrets to quilting I just go with trial and error..what worked for one quilter may not work for another..and personal preference is at the utmost important. I am doing some of the paper piecing with freezer paper, but actually what I meant in my previous post is I will mark my QUILTING design on it and then quilt and tear away..for some designs this works better for me than trying to just eyeballing it..
GOOD LUCK

You know, I am a really good hand quilter, and I don't have any false modesty about that now, especially the more criticism I get for my pricing on things, etc. LOL. They need to look at the Amish quilts and some of my hand quilting will match theirs stitch for stitch, but I'm only one person. They'll have 8-10 women working simultaneously on one queen size quilt and they can crank them out with intensely quilted pieces while I'm one person with carpal tunnel and people wonder why I refuse to take orders for bed size quilts.

No, I'd rather do pieces then try to sell them. Then, I don't stress myself out.

Folks just don't understand the work that goes into a bed quilt that is entirely quilted by hand. I am in the middle of my own queen size quilt that has 35 blocks and the wide border. I'm up to #12 block and it's taken two weeks at least to get that many done. If all I did was quilt from dawn til dusk, maybe I could be done, but I do have other things to do, a husband, house and animals to tend to, plus my internet business I have with Ladyhawk and my egg business on FB with a local online yard sale.

Thank you for all your tips! I'm such a newb when it comes to using a machine anyway that I feel like I'm fumbling in the dark with no one to sit here and say, "Look, this is what you're doing wrong." I got it all quilted, mistakes and all and I found some wide quilt binding that I bought about 20 years ago at half price, a seafoam green that matches some of the green fabrics in the piece so I'm going to bind it with that and I'll have my very first machine quilted piece, such as it is.

Next, to use the other foot, drop the feed dogs and get comfortable with free motion stuff. That will be a challenge for me, I bet, but you ladies have been such a big help that I see light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh, how timely! A very sweet friend just sent me this message:



This is the binding I found. This stuff is so darn old, lol, but it matches some of the green fabrics in the piece so I finally get to use it. I think each package cost me about 50 cents and it took both of them.

 

[speckledhen]

Okay, tried the quilting foot, feed dogs down with a scrap piece. EPIC FAIL. I can't move the fabric easily, it's all over the place, can't make circular motions, it's all spiky. I may be stuck on stitch in the ditch for the time being using the walking foot. Sheesh. I'm still machine-challenged.

On the other hand, this ugly little quilt is now finished and has a job to do, on the back of my recliner. Better used than sitting in a lonely plastic tote.

 

[sunflour]

Okay, tried the quilting foot, feed dogs down with a scrap piece. EPIC FAIL. I can't move the fabric easily, it's all over the place, can't make circular motions, it's all spiky. I may be stuck on stitch in the ditch for the time being using the walking foot. Sheesh. I'm still machine-challenged.

On the other hand, this ugly little quilt is now finished and has a job to do, on the back of my recliner. Better used than sitting in a lonely plastic tote.

You are being too critical….guess quilters are always that way..

I like it, love the bright cheery colors.

I have never had success with a walking foot. For straight quilting, I use my regular pressure foot and keep the layers together with a pair of horseshoe shape quilt pushers. I'll see if I can post a pic. Tried gloves for grip, but didn't have a feel for it.

Never tried curves, but love freehand with darning foot and dropped down dogs. Takes practice and is hard on hands/arms/shoulders but love the final effects.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: If I posted my try at this you'd be horrified. I couldn't get a curved anything out of it, huge long stitches, short stitches, just no control at all. I haven't given up, but it's going to waste a lot of fabric, thread and batting before I get the hang of it. On the other hand, I do think I could use the walking foot like I did on this little lap quilt and do stitch in the ditch or echo type quilting without much trouble. I am going to be making a baby quilt for Ladyhawk's neighbor who is expecting a little girl so maybe I will be machine quilting this one. I did one for their little boy and they treasure it.

 

[speckledhen]

I found this youtube tutorial on machine quilting a bed quilt on a regular machine. Seems so darn easy when she does it. It's not free motion, only straight stitching, but even that is a challenge for me right now. I'm sure I can master that, but the free motion is a ways off for me.

 

[sunflour]

@speckledhen

You can see in the video that you have to "fight" the weight of a full size quilt. It can be challenging to get the center because of the drag on the right side under the sewing arm.

For a large item, I set my sewing table in front of a table or piece of furniture about the same or a little lower than your machine table to help support things at the back.
And I use a stool or small table to the left side of me to help support the left side of quilt. Rest of it sits in my lap.

Drag is the worst part of machine quilting. What has been sewn and is behind the machine will need a little lift and help to move back and the quilt in front needs to be loose enough to be pulled thru by the feed dogs. Took me several broken needles to learn to keep it all free to move.

Straight is best to do til you get used to it. But when you want to try free motion, make really small stuff to get a feel for it. The largest I ever did on free motion was a full size bed quilt and I really don't think I have the stamina to do a larger one.

I have tried the quilt things that keep it rolled up on the sides, but don't recommend, they cause even more drag.

Good luck with your next quilt. I do think your first turned out better than you think. Why are we so critical of our own results? Don't know, but I do that as well.