Brother SE400 Free Motion Quilting

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08-18-2011, 04:02 PM

dam1

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Thread Starter

Join Date: Aug 2011

Posts: 5

My name is Dora and I live in Montana and started quilting when I became a grandmother in 1999. I have always sent my quilts out to be quilted since I do not have a long arm machine. But, I want to learn how to do free motion quilting so I can complete a landscape quilt I want to make.

I have been trying to adjust my Brother SE400 so I can learn how to do free motion quilting. It sounds absolutely terrible and I cannot make a rounded corner - everything is very jagged. I've read everything in the manual (about 2 pages) on free motion quilting and cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I've dropped the feed dogs and attached the embroidery foot and tried several different quilting stitches. Any suggestions will be tremendously appreciated.

08-18-2011, 04:11 PM

Murphy

Super Member

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Iowa

Posts: 8,816

Hi and welcome to the board from Iowa. I am sure someone will come along soon who will have great suggestions on how to remedy this (smile).

08-18-2011, 04:57 PM

MinnieKat

Super Member

Join Date: Jun 2010

Location: northern Minnesota

Posts: 4,392

Hi Dora :) Welcome from Minnesota!

I have never had any luck with FMQ ... my sisters and I went together and bought a long arm so I haven't tried FMQ for quite a while now.

08-18-2011, 06:07 PM

Vivian Ketron

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Mo

Posts: 2,968

Hi Dora. Welcome from MO. I don't have a answer to your question but I'm sure someone will. They are very helpful on this site.

08-18-2011, 06:13 PM

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

Super Member

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: The middle of an IL cornfield

Posts: 7,014

I don't have that exact machine, but I do have a Brother. When you siad you had tried several different quilting stitches, I'm not sure what you mean. Don't set it on any fancy stitch. Most people do feed dogs down, but a few prefer up. Stitch length is generally set at 0.

You will get tons of ideas here on the board, but another good place is YouTube. Just type in Free Motion Quilting. There are 100's of videos. Leah Day has many helpful one.

08-18-2011, 06:30 PM

Lakeview Quilting

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Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Nevada

Posts: 6,271

Hello, welcome from Oklahoma!!!

08-18-2011, 06:32 PM

nursie76

Super Member

Join Date: May 2009

Location: Central PA

Posts: 5,573

Don't FMQ on my little Brother, but I do agree, you leave it set at straight stitch, put the feed dogs down, and set stitch length to 0 on most machines.