notmorecraft

I've been finishing a couple of UFO's, one straight line quilting and the other free motion, both on my Juki dsm. The straight line quilt took longer than the free motion? Am I the only one that finds this? Both quilts double size.

rryder

No, it's not just you. If I'm doing straight line quilting using a walking foot it always takes longer than FMQ because of having to reposition or at times turn the quilt at the end of each line plus just having to sew slower so the walking foot can do its job properly. Most of the time if I want to do straight line quilting I FMQ with rulers so I can avoid dealing with those issues.

Susan Cleveland has a neat trick of just sewing in reverse instead of turning the quilt for nonFMQ straight line quilting. But it requires a machine that can be set to keep sewing in reverse rather than one where you have to hold a lever or button down with one hand while reverse stitching, otherwise it's hard to manage anything other than a very small quilt.

Rob

NZquilter

It takes me longer to do straight stitch quilting too. I always thought it was because when you want to turn a corner, you have to lower the needle, lift the walking foot and turn the entire quilt. But for FMQ I don't ever actually turn the entire quilt as often; maybe ever 20" or so.... That was always my thinking why.

luvspaper

I have to agree. I have a sitdown handiquilter and find the preciseness of straight to be harder/more time consuming than things like stipple/feather/designs

tessagin

the last time I straight line quilted, I didn't use a walking foot but that was on a crib quilt and I didn't know about a walking foot.

mjpEncinitas

Absolutely, quilting with a walking foot is much slower. I sometimes do straight lines FMQ because its so much faster. Many times I change the design to slightly wavy lines as that is so much easy when FMQ.

Onebyone

90% of my quilting is straight line. I mark the quilt with my six foot or four foot straight line 2 1/2" ruler. I can follow the marking line with walking foot pretty fast. I do cross hatching with squares or diamonds any size straight set or on point. For all over loopy quilting I just wiggle the quilt under the walking foot following the marking line as a reference. I won several viewer's choice for machine quilting at local shows. I can quilt a queen size quilt in less then six hours.

MadQuilter

It makes sense because you end up doing EVERY line from start to finish in straight-line stitching. Once you establish the pattern, you can't just skip a line. With FMQ it's generally free-form doodling which is more fun. Straight line works from the left side of the brain - FMQ from the right.

toverly

You are so right. I have straight lined quilted only once for that reason. It was a modern looking quilt, so it was really needing the lines. I have also found when doing free motion a loop de loop crossing over the threads is quicker than a puzzle piece pattern not crossing the threads. Loop de loop is my go to pattern for get it done and out the door.

sewbizgirl

Well, yes, because it's stop and start... stop and start... turn the quilt, etc. I do love straight line quilting, tho. It's what I do best.