Thread: Free motion...up up and AWAY!

Eeeek! I'm so excited.......I started free motion quilting (am new to it) the border of my 'Quilt for Me' last night. I have done the centre panels in a diagonal straight line grid, and the braided border will be stippled. Heres a pic of it (pre-quilting) to remind you what it looks like)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maryeli...7616262186142/

I started to do the stippling on Sunday after I had done all the straight lines, but all of a sudden the thread KEPT jamming underneath, where the bobbin is. This usually means the machine needs a clean, so I did all that, changed the needle etc, but it still kept jamming (new nickname for my machine - Bob Marley, cos he just loves to keep jamming :lol: ). So I gave up.

I went back to it last night (in the meanwhile the quilt has acquired a new coat of ginger kitty hair as I had left it out on the table) and mysteriously the machine was fine. So off I went! I'm not doing the stippling too tight as I want it to be puffy rather than flat. But it's looking good so far! Couple of hiccups (must remember to put the needle down when I pause for any reason) but I am pleased with it so far. It's hard work though! I did about 20 inches of the border (which is 8 inches wide) before the thread broke, so I took this as a sign to go and have dinner and come back another time.

YAAAAY! Love it! can't wait to carry on! :lol: :shock: :-o :-) :D :P :lol:

Sounds like my first attempt at free motion.
ALL of it, including the cat fur. lol
You'll get the hang of it!

Glad you have attempted this. I am no where near brave enough to try it. Good luck and hope Bob stops that jamming for ya. lol

Well....you GO GIRL!!!!!! Can't wait to see pics of what you are doing. Its great fun isn't it??? :lol:

What is "free motion"? Maybe I know it by another name?

Sounds like the kitty fairy fixed your machine while you were away!!! I can't wait to see your quilt....it sounds like you are having a lot of fun with it :D :D :D

Originally Posted by quiltswithdogs

What is "free motion"? Maybe I know it by another name?

Free motion or sometimes you'll see it as FMQ, is when you drop the feed dogs on your machine and quilt without a set pattern kinda. I'm not good at explaining..mostly you might just see stitching that looks like "doodling" although some people might draw (with thread) something like pebbles or other "free hand" designs..hearts, butterflies, etc.

Use the search function at the top and type in free motion, you will see some pictures posted that will explain it better than I can.

Prettykitty, are you sure you put the presser foot down? Even tho it doesn't sit on the fabric it absolutely has to be down. :wink:

You have answered your own question. Obviously, you need ginger cat fur to stipple. LOL :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think free motion must be the official title for what I've called "meandering". Have you ever heard it called that?

I love the look but I sometimes overlap my loops and squiggles. Everyone I make gifts for thinks it's so fancy and never seems to see any mistakes. It takes more handwork with the machine though, so I can only do this on a block ie for a pillow. I use a special foot. I forget it's name

I have found that if the bobbin jams and makes a rat's nest while FMQ, I have forgotten to lower the darning foot back down. DUH. :shock: I usually discover this after cussing out the bobbin, putting a new one in and rethreading the machine. Yeah- everytime it is I forgot to lower the foot.

Way to go!!! It's fun and addictive when you get into it!

I want to see your finished product. Good for to be trying it! :lol: :lol:

Way to go!!! Can hardly wait to see it, and yes, that's the lesson i learned to, have to leave the needle down! or it just floats away on it's own lol lol :)

Yep! The darning foot always looks like it is down ... but, if the bobbin is jamming ... it probably isn't!
Interesting how taking a break changes our perspective and we do automatically what we could not think to do when we are a bit frustrated.
That is quite the task you have chosen for you, and it looks/sounds like you are well on your way!
Sometimes, I think we build up the problems of accomplishing something to a lot more than the effort to just do it!
When I approach a new task, I just remind myself that someone has done this before me. I am a human, I have superiority over inanimate objects, therefore, I can follow the examples of the persons before me and accomplish the task!
You have set a good example! Good for you! We are proud of you!