Can someone please explain pokies and how to prevent them? I think I have them on the quilt I'm working on now. It looks like what I would imagine a pokie would look like. You can see the needle hole and it looks like batting is poking through. The front looks beautiful...Is it the backing fabric I used, is it the batting I used?

I am no expert but I thought pokies were little tips of either the top or bottom thread poking out of the fabric where you tension was not right when stitching. What yours sounds like is what they call bearding, where the batting is coming thru the fabric. Is it coming out the back? If so, maybe you need a new needle? I had that happen when my needle wasn't sharp. I am sure there are plenty on this board that can help. I too will be listening.

Usually a new needle will work. If your needle has a tiny burr on it, it wil sometimes catch on the material/batting.
Could also be tention.
I know I can't keep buying needles everytime I turn around so I have my handy dandy colored pens to cover up those little white specks.
Syl

it also has to do with the tension. If your tension is off on the bottom (too loose) it shows on the top. And vice versa, top looseness shows on teh bottom. Play with your tension on the bobbin first, then adjust the top. This is DSM? or long- or mid-arm? Different threads also require different size needles. So you have some experimentation to do...Keep notes (though I don't--do as I say and all that *G*)

I have a MidArm, TinLizzie 18LS. When I stitch with a scrap of my top fabric on both the top and bottom, the back looks fine. Thats why I thought it was my backing fabric. You can see the needle hole and a little batting poking through. It is a white 100% cotton fabric. (Probably not the best quality fabric) The top stitches look beautiful.

The needle was just changed.

I heard, there is an up and a down side of batting, I put the inside facing down.

For burred needles on my sewing machine(not a quilting machine so I don't know if this will help you or not), I take the needle out and carefully sharpen it. I have a very fine emery file(like for fingernails), and I hold the needle at about a 10-15 degree angle. I slide the needle softly across the emery file, rotating it between my fingers as I slide it. It's the same forward motion like I would for sharpening a knife, except that at the same time I rotate the needle.

I do this a couple of times and then test it to see if the burr is gone. Usually one time does it. I have been able to get a lot more use out of my needles this way.

If you are using a natural batting like cotton, wool, or silk there is right/wrong side on the batting. Just remember bumpy side up. If the smoother side is up you will get pokies like this.

Until the quilt has had time to "relax" or washed you will see needle holes.

If you are using a poly batting then I would suggest changing the needle. Poly doesn't actually have a right or wrong side to it but when loading the batting I still feel to see if one side is bumpier or rougher than the other. If so, bumpy side up.

Hope this helps.

you made need to change the size of your needle, too. Maybe a size larger?

I am using a cotton batting and didn't know that there was a right or wrong side. I'll pay attention to that next time. Too late on this one, I've gone too far start over now.