Quiltingboard Forums - I m dead scared to start quilting( i think i will do machine quilting cause of my painful arms/hands

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my machine is old and its only got 1,2,3,4 and 3 is normal so i guess 4 is the longest i can put it on :wink:

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunnyhope

my machine is old and its only got 1,2,3,4 and 3 is normal so i guess 4 is the longest i can put it on :wink:

Please don't misinterpret "lengthening the stitch" with "setting the longest stitch possible" - you don't want to baste.

When I quilt my SID, I find that leaving the stitch length the same as when I sew my blocks, the quilt moves very slowly through the machine and the stitches seem too small. I bump my length up by one notch and see what that looks like. Now I HAVE quilted on regular length and noticed that I forgot to change the length.....so I changed it mid-stream and kept on going.

When I use a special stitch on a project, I usually leave a note by the machine where I write down the settings so that does not happen.

Try different stitches and stitch length on your practice piece and write down what each one is. That way you can go back to it later and use it as a reference piece. I find that I have favorite settings that I go back to time and time again.

Good luck ....and happy thoughts for your therapy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuiltMania

Don't be scared. Relax, go slowly and you'll be just fine. If you sew slowly, you'll do just fine stitching in the ditch. You don't even need special feet. (I quilt on a machine that's almost 40 years old and only has 1 foot and it works ok.) If you make a mistake, you can always take the stitching out and try again. You could do outline quilting in the middle square.

Have fun and I look forward to seeing pictures of the finished product.

This is the best advise you can get,I don't need to use my words. Been there done that,just recently on the AtticWindow quilt. The key is to go slow, and if you use a thread that will not stand out but blend in you will not notice when you get out of the ditch. I got out countless times the Quilt was very large and heavy. It made me sweat even with AC on. I used beige on the attic window and unless you look real close you can't see when it is out of the ditch.
Jump right in and do it but take it slow. I did better with a applique foot where I could see really good. I do have the STD foot but for some reason I had problems with it. Whatever foot is more comfortable for you is the one to use. Have fun show pictures.
BillsBonBon