Blackberry

I have been trying to quilt on my treadle singer as well as my 201, 15-91, 301, etc. I am using a walking on all but the treadle but I still get little puckers ever now and then. I am wondering where the pressure bar should be set. Should it be cranked all the way down or should it be cranked up quite a ways.

vanginney

I mostly piece on my vintage ones...so will await the answer too!

Candace

The walking foot for your 301 is not helping much. There are no walking feet made that fit the 301's feed dogs. Look at the walking foot and compare it to your feed dogs and you will see they don't match up. Many people quilt with it by simply reducing the pressure. Similarly, if you don't have a straight stitch walking foot for your 201 and 15, the walking foot teeth are not meeting up with the feed dogs and aren't helping much. The correct tools for the job help immensely. Sew Classic carries the straight stitch walking foot for the 15 and 201. http://shop.SEW-CLASSIC.COM/Low-Shan...tch-P60400.htm

ro

i was told stitch length to zerio. top of machine over pressure foot is a screw. turn counterclock to lessen the presser foot.

Blackberry

I ordered my walking feet for those machines from sew-classic so I am pretty sure that the foot is matching up with the feed dogs. I am just wondering where the pressure bar needs to be set. Do you screw it all the way down or half way or is it nearly close to the top

Candace

Sew Classic carries a variety of different walking feet for many different types of machines. So you may want to double check which one you have.

You'll have to gauge the pressure as every machine is different. I typically find that midway is fine, but I usually need to lower the top tension a smidge and lengthen the stitch length depending on the batting and fabrics used. Really, every situation is different depending on the machine and quilt sandwich you're using. Do a sample first.

cricket_iscute

I have all three of those machines and I do quilt on all of them with the walking foot. I do have a walking foot that works well on the 301, also. I fmq on the 15-91 and the 301 but not the 201 since it is such a problem to put it back together again if you have to take the bobbin assembly ring off to clean out a thread mess (or lint). Since I do not have any issues (and I do not mean to sound superior or in any way critical) I suggest that the answer may be found in your technique. I have taken classes and will be glad to share information with you.

First, how are you preparing your quilt? Is it taut, and held together with either hand basting or pin basting, and how close are the pins? I have a pin every 3 inches at most. Do you check for loose backing or loose top area before you start? If everything is taut, what is your technique for feeding fabric?

When I fmq, I use my hands to form a triangle around the needle. That is, my thumbs touch or almost touch, and my index fingers touch or almost touch. I am wearing gloves. My feed dogs are down and my stitch length is zero.

If I line quilt (with a walking foot), I usually only need to support the fabric so the machine takes it and it feeds evenly. On a big quilt, that means I might put the quilt over my left shoulder. It is also vital to have the machine bed at the same level with the surrounding surface, IMHO. You don't want the quilt dropping a couple inches as that pulls too much on the needle. However, if I have problems, I put on the gloves and guide the fabric through, letting the machine take it. My hands are then on each side of the presser foot, and ahead of it, toward my body. My stitch length would be about 8 stitches to the inch. Feed dogs are up.

For both fmq and straight-line qulting, the presser foot pressure is normally set about half way.

Oh! I do also have a Singer 127 treadle, and the same thing as above applies.

Is this enough information?

J Miller

cricket_iscute,

Please elaborate on the gloves you mentioned.

Also how does your 127 feed fabric? Mine doesn't seen to have enough grab to the feed dogs to pull the fabric through. I was trying to piece my denim quilt and it just didn't want to cooperate. If it hit a hump, it came to a screeching stop till I helped it feed or raised the foot and then helped. Too much of a pain.



Joe

cricket_iscute

Joe, the best gloves I've tried are called Machingers. Here is a link:

http://www.dakotacabinquilts.com/cgi...machingersM_LG

There are other gloves that have nubby bumps on them. I always use gloves to machine quilt, and most of the machine quilters I know also do that.

It sounds to me like your feed dogs are dull, dirty, or used up and need to be switched out. It's a fairly simple thing to do. However, many machines have trouble with bumps. In that case, you need a hump jumper. Here's a link:

http://www.homesew.com/n8.html

So for less than $20, you can end your problems!

Now let me ask you a question: My 127 was dead for 40 years when I brought it back from the dead. I still have trouble making a good stitch, tension wise. The stitch is loose. I'd rather get a new head than change the tensioneer, but maybe... Do you have any suggestions?

lswan

I free motion quilt on some 301s. If I do straight line quilting, I use a vintage Singer walking foot that I got on ebay for about $20. I screw the feed dogs down. I FMQ with an all metal foot that I got from sewingmachine221sale.com for $20.00 with the feed dogs screwed out of the way. I get perfect results. I used to have a FMQ foot with a plastic bottom that gave me troubles, the metal open C ring is much better. You don't have to worry about the presser bar with the FMQ foot because you are moving the fabric and the foot is just hopping.