Originally Posted by vivientan
I've been trying out FMQ for the past year but I don't seem to be improving. First thing first, I never get the thread tension right. I either get loops at the front or the back. I'm using a Janome 6260 and I've tried every single tension from 0 - 9 but nothing works. Even tried varying the machine speed, foot pedal tension etc but still at a dead end.
I find it rather hard to move my quilt sandwich under the machine. Sometimes it gets stucked, causing a huge ball of thread forming underneath! What has gone wrong?
The worst is, I can never get even stitches. They are either too short or too long. Can't seem to be able to move my quilt at an even speed. Even tried drawing out my design from a quilt stencil but somehow, I just can't follow the design! Jagged curves, uneven lines etc.
I don't think I can ever succeed with FMQ, despite trying on lots and lots of practice sandwiches. Maybe I should really just call it a day and stick to my walking foot. :(
Sorry for all these ranting...I need to let off steam!
I DO NOT drop the feed dogs but move the quilts at a steady pace and it works great for me. I also had to re thread and put in a new needle and set the tension a little higher 4 and it also works great. Try it out on a sandwich and see if that works for you. BUT take your time and not rush that is where problems can occur.