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

[speckledhen]

Nothing will beat the perfectionist out of you like trying to learn machine quilting after 3 decades of hand quilting (and most of that time, hand piecing as well). I spent a couple of hours picking out the border motif on my Masters of Mountain View bed runner; one end and most of one long side had been finished, but it looked awful to me. I just could not follow a border area and do the waves like I wanted. They looked horrible and it wasn't getting better, though my skills are definitely picking up. So, out it came and I just did a straight outline of the two borders using my walking foot and DONE, DONE, DONE with this one, finally. It sat for months on my chair waiting for my new machine and I kept trying to do it on my little Brother workhorse, but no dice. It just needs binding now. And with a couple more sales, I'm a bit closer to that new machine, thankfully. I assume the outline of the former quilting will fade with washing and time.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Well, it looks wonderful! I'm sure the stitch lines will come out. I would try a little steam ironing on it to see if that would tighten them up. Sure hope your sales come in quickly so you can go get that new machine!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, it looks wonderful! I'm sure the stitch lines will come out. I would try a little steam ironing on it to see if that would tighten them up. Sure hope your sales come in quickly so you can go get that new machine!

Thank you for the tip. I almost have enough to buy that machine if the price quoted me by that guy from the Knoxville shop is still accurate. I still want to buy a good table to set it in so I can have an L-shaped setup, but I think I might have that soon, too. I'm told by my sister I have a little $$ coming from my late father's remaining IRA, which sort of surprises me since I figured he'd exhausted all that, being 94 years old when he passed on at the end of July. I'm trying to get that machine, finish paying off the Honda CRV we bought last January, get up $$ to buy another vehicle to replace my '96 Lumina, build that 12 x 24 coop to house everyone in all the multiple coops, etc, etc, etc. Someone want to share their lottery winnings with me??

 

[OHhappychicks]

Thank you for the tip. I almost have enough to buy that machine if the price quoted me by that guy from the Knoxville shop is still accurate. I still want to buy a good table to set it in so I can have an L-shaped setup, but I think I might have that soon, too. I'm told by my sister I have a little $$ coming from my late father's remaining IRA, which sort of surprises me since I figured he'd exhausted all that, being 94 years old when he passed on at the end of July. I'm trying to get that machine, finish paying off the Honda CRV we bought last January, get up $$ to buy another vehicle to replace my '96 Lumina, build that 12 x 24 coop to house everyone in all the multiple coops, etc, etc, etc. Someone want to share their lottery winnings with me??

LOL! It's always something!! That publishing clearhouse van pulling into my driveway would be very nice, and I would share some!

Sorry to hear about your father.

 

[speckledhen]

LOL! It's always something!! That publishing clearhouse van pulling into my driveway would be very nice, and I would share some!

Sorry to hear about your father.

Thank you, you're too kind. Oh, my, if they pulled into mine, I'd buy YOU that machine you put on layaway! Or how about a longarm? Or a new studio...or...or....

I have the binding sewn on front and pinned on back of this little unconventional baby quilt (or couch throw) in a cowboy/southwestern theme. I just love that flannel print on back!




This one still needs a framing border-will have the same backing since I bought 3 yards of that. This one is for my new grand nephew due in January. Supposedly, they are decorating in a cowboy theme, but man, it wasn't easy finding fabric for it! I did get some at Hobby Lobby, one at Joann online and some coordinating stuff I already had here. I'm not 100% satisfied with it but I think it will look fine after quilting. I rearranged and rearranged and got DH's artistic help, etc. Finally, I said, this is IT, LOL. It's larger than the other one. The squares are 6" finished size. Figured I could turn out a couple of simple ones really fast, but I thought I ordered a crib batting from Joann's. Nope, I must have dropped it off my cart somehow so back to Walmart to get one for it.

 

[OHhappychicks]

Thank you, you're too kind. Oh, my, if they pulled into mine, I'd buy YOU that machine you put on layaway! Or how about a longarm? Or a new studio...or...or....

I have the binding sewn on front and pinned on back of this little unconventional baby quilt (or couch throw) in a cowboy/southwestern theme. I just love that flannel print on back!




This one still needs a framing border-will have the same backing since I bought 3 yards of that. This one is for my new grand nephew due in January. Supposedly, they are decorating in a cowboy theme, but man, it wasn't easy finding fabric for it! I did get some at Hobby Lobby, one at Joann online and some coordinating stuff I already had here. I'm not 100% satisfied with it but I think it will look fine after quilting. I rearranged and rearranged and got DH's artistic help, etc. Finally, I said, this is IT, LOL. It's larger than the other one. The squares are 6" finished size. Figured I could turn out a couple of simple ones really fast, but I thought I ordered a crib batting from Joann's. Nope, I must have dropped it off my cart somehow so back to Walmart to get one for it.

Publishing clearinghouse, (sigh), If only!!!

I really love your cowboy quilts! Especially the top one. I love the layout of that one. The fabric goes together so well. I'm sure your niece and her new little one will love it!

 

[speckledhen]

Publishing clearinghouse, (sigh), If only!!!

I really love your cowboy quilts! Especially the top one. I love the layout of that one. The fabric goes together so well. I'm sure your niece and her new little one will love it!

I like that one better, too. I had the blue-green fabric here and used most of what I had left. The second one bugs me a bit, but it will look better quilted, I think, and with a framing border. It is so hard to find cowboy fabric. Hobby Lobby had some but not what they have online. I wanted hats and boots but nope, not in the store anyway. I didn't want to spend tons of $$ ordering special fabric so I bought a few of what they had, added the red with stars and the plaid I had here.

Sometimes, a quilt just isn't what you envision, but I am limited by what I can buy for any given project. I still want to do a quilt with only what is in my stash and I haven't done that in a long, long time. Now, that will be really scrappy!

If I wanted super hero or Star Wars stuff, I'd be set.

The first one is about 34 x 40, with the other being 6" more on each dimension. Which would you give as a gift for the baby boy? I gave a pretty good size quilt to my baby grandniece recently and I didn't want to give one much smaller to this baby (different parents), but if the second isn't that great, may change my mind. We'll see. Maybe I should wait and see when the second one is finished and compare them. Need to buy crib batting, though, two of them, one for the cowboy quilt and one for my own fall couch throw. I thought I had it in my Joann order but I goofed. Walmart coming up.

 

[OHhappychicks]

I like that one better, too. I had the blue-green fabric here and used most of what I had left. The second one bugs me a bit, but it will look better quilted, I think, and with a framing border. It is so hard to find cowboy fabric. Hobby Lobby had some but not what they have online. I wanted hats and boots but nope, not in the store anyway. I didn't want to spend tons of $$ ordering special fabric so I bought a few of what they had, added the red with stars and the plaid I had here.

Sometimes, a quilt just isn't what you envision, but I am limited by what I can buy for any given project. I still want to do a quilt with only what is in my stash and I haven't done that in a long, long time. Now, that will be really scrappy!

If I wanted super hero or Star Wars stuff, I'd be set.

The first one is about 34 x 40, with the other being 6" more on each dimension. Which would you give as a gift for the baby boy? I gave a pretty good size quilt to my baby grandniece recently and I didn't want to give one much smaller to this baby (different parents), but if the second isn't that great, may change my mind. We'll see. Maybe I should wait and see when the second one is finished and compare them. Need to buy crib batting, though, two of them, one for the cowboy quilt and one for my own fall couch throw. I thought I had it in my Joann order but I goofed. Walmart coming up.

I think I would wait until they are quilted to make a decision. They are both lovely. I'm just partial to the first one, the layout and colors. Are you planning on using the light colored fabric that is in the pic for the backing and frame for the second one? I think something darker might make it come together a little better. I really like the plaids in it. Plaids are so little boyish! I've always liked plaids. I used to make my DH and DS plaid flannel shirts.

 

[speckledhen]

I think I would wait until they are quilted to make a decision. They are both lovely. I'm just partial to the first one, the layout and colors. Are you planning on using the light colored fabric that is in the pic for the backing and frame for the second one? I think something darker might make it come together a little better. I really like the plaids in it. Plaids are so little boyish! I've always liked plaids. I used to make my DH and DS plaid flannel shirts.

I am going with a dark blue, I think. I love flannel and plaid, too, very boyish. And flannel is so soft on the back.

 

[wyoDreamer]

When I was in Wyoming, the quilt shop in Laramie had an overload of cowboy fabric. Just about any color combination you can imagine. So all I can say is "location, location, location" ...

I like both of your new quilts. I believe the dark blue border material will bring that second one together.