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

[BrandyMcCoy]

Thank you! Yes it's a whale. I ordered my machine online all the way from California I think it was. It's a great machine and the speed control is wonderful

 

[wyoDreamer]

High quality thread makes a huge difference. It is second only to a sharp needle.

There were three of us who quilted on our block back in Wyoming and we placed an order for quilting thread from here:
http://www.connectingthreads.com/threads/quilting_threads.html
The quality is good, as is the price, and it works wonderfully in my machine.

We also joined together and purchased a thread chart - unfortunately they don't have that anymore. It was a chart with a small sample of each of the threads so we could get an accurate color comparison. By ordering together, we saved on shipping.

 

[wyoDreamer]

That Whale art quilt is really cool!
Welcome to BYC

 

[ozark hen]

Cynthia that piece is gorgeous. I,too, forgot to welcome Brandy!! So welcome Brandy

 

[BrandyMcCoy]

That Whale art quilt is really cool!
Welcome to BYC

Cynthia that piece is gorgeous. I,too, forgot to welcome Brandy!! So welcome Brandy

Thanks so much

 

[speckledhen]

High quality thread makes a huge difference. It is second only to a sharp needle.

There were three of us who quilted on our block back in Wyoming and we placed an order for quilting thread from here:
http://www.connectingthreads.com/threads/quilting_threads.html
The quality is good, as is the price, and it works wonderfully in my machine.

We also joined together and purchased a thread chart - unfortunately they don't have that anymore. It was a chart with a small sample of each of the threads so we could get an accurate color comparison. By ordering together, we saved on shipping.

Bookmarked, thank you!

Cynthia that piece is gorgeous. I,too, forgot to welcome Brandy!! So welcome Brandy

Thank you, Carrie. I think I can improve on it. Seems fairly easy to do. May just use that on my bed runner waiting to be quilted as soon as I get some decent thread. I don't have the right color of the Gutermann here for it. Needs black, I think.

 

[speckledhen]

@wyoDreamer , you have a PM. I'm posting that here because seems not many are getting their notifications, but every time someone mentions me, I do get that by email. Glitchy, glitchy!

I am making some progress on handling my machine better. It still does weird stuff with me and I do think some of it is the machine, but I am getting the hang of it. I do feel a machine with speed control is a must, or at least, will help avoid massive frustrations. So, at the moment, the Juki 2010 is the top contender. Just need to save more $$$ to be able to pay cash for it. I don't want to put it on credit.

Trying to do a combination of swirls and leaves and practice echoing at the same time. My efforts are clunky but still, I feel I am making some progress. The machine doesn't seem to care for FMQ all that much but it grudgingly complies most of the time. I put these here to show 1) anyone can learn a new skill at any age (I'm 58). 2) Just because a person can hand quilt doesn't mean she can machine quilt, LOL. This is an entirely different skill. Just using a machine for me, period, is a new skill. I still have some machine phobia but I'm getting over it slowly. This is not something learned in a day, especially for a non-sewer.


I had done some quilting on this first piece and decided to draw a square in the center so I could practice going around it like I'll have to do on the bed runner. Still working on moving the quilt at the same speed as the machine and not going too fast around the curves.

 

[wyoDreamer]

your freehand quilting is very good. it is better than I could do right now. I haven't even had thread in my machine in over 3 years.

 

[speckledhen]

your freehand quilting is very good. it is better than I could do right now. I haven't even had thread in my machine in over 3 years.

Well, it's better than it was, anyway. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm still working on making things round, not jerky/jagged. That is just going to take time, lots of scrap fabric and cheap batting and my good thread since my machine hates Coats & Clark. It's fine with it when piecing but the stress it puts on the machine during FMQ just makes it impossible to use.

I have to use my Gutermann thread. I had some King Tut thread that my good pal, Terrie Lacy, sent me, but I used that sweet stuff all up and will have to order some online. I have to order the big spools of Gutermann. The quilt shops only carry the smaller spools around here.

 

[speckledhen]

Do you see any improvement in this one? It's a larger piece. I know you can see where the machine got away from me in places, but I think maybe this one flows better than the others I've done? I'm almost ready to try it on a real quilt...almost.