Sewnoma

Gently scratching at the needle holes with a fingernail will sometimes shake the threads back into place too.

In my experience, as long as you haven't actually broken a thread in the weave, the holes will eventually shift back closed with use and washing.

In place of pins, have you tried the Clover Wonder clips? I love those things, I rarely use pins anymore. Sometimes you still need pins, but often I can get away with using the clips.

lovingLakeMich

Welcome from Michigan!

klswift

When you start to quilt it, do a simple design. No one is great at FMQ when they first start. It takes lots of practice. But, hang in there, it does get easier.

Kitsie

Rub the pin-holes line with the back of your fingernail and I like the Clover Silk pins for a very sharp pin. Good luck and enjoy!

Snooze2978

I'm finishing up a BOM all done in batiks and I love that the fabric being a tighter weave doesn't seem to ravel as much. As to the pin/needle holes, don't fret about it as you can just mist a little water on them and press them out. Once its quilted you won't even notice them. Also I find, at least with these batiks, not one of them bled when I put them thru the starch.

Quiltbeagle

Yes, the holes will disappear after a washing, but if not doing that you can rub a dry toothbrush back and forth over them which usually helps, though sometimes I do need to dampen the fabric a bit. Careful not to scrub the very edge of your fabric if the threads will become unraveled and make sure the toothbrush is one purchased specifically for sewing use.

MaryKatherine

I machine quilted a whole Batik bed sized quilt once. Hated it. Ripped it all out and re-quilted it. Washed it and ALL the holes had disappeared! No worries!

letawellman

So, first of all, welcome to the Quilting Board!!
Secondly, your comment "husband and I took a 4 session class" made me smile - you're lucky that your hubby is also involved in this art!
Thirdly, don't worry about your FMQ (free motion quilting) not looking perfect. It takes awhile to really master this. And to be frank, while I've been quilting on my longarm for about 6 years now, I still don't always feel that I have "mastered" FMQ.

And finally, to your original question about batik holes - I recommend that you check the needle in your machine. While the "universal" needles are usually OK to work with, I find that if I buy the "quilting" or "jeans" needles, I have more success attaining the look I want. And, as others have commented, once you wash the quilt, those needle holes will usually disappear, or if not, they are not really all that noticeable.