Originally Posted by Maia B
Great answers, I'm learning a lot here. One thing I'll add is that most domestic sewing machines (not long arms or high end embroidery machines) that have a "stipple stitch" produce a 5-9mm wide stippled strip. It's a cute, fun, deco stitch. It does work for quilting through the layers. But it is so small that if you were to try to use it to fill backgrounds, you'd *go crazy *spend hours and miles of thread *end up with cardboard. It's small a close. I have a few stitches like this on my machine and when I use them to quilt a thin strip it's so closely quilted that it's stiff and very flat. Cute and useful on minis. I hope I've explained well.
Mine was like that too. I never could use it for real quilting stippling, like you would do all over on a quilt top (like I do on the longarm now). But, I finally read something that helped me to make the stipple pattern well...think of it, and draw it with the thread, like dog bones!
That's all a stipple is - the shape. So, if you draw a bunch of dog bones, in all directions - you've got it. And it looks wonderful! I got a lot of compliments in Houston on this, and I think it's the easiest way to make the 'stipple' shape. Practice drawing in different directions on paper first, then move to quilt.
Hope this helps,
Debbie in Austin