jad1044

For those who have had trouble with your tension seeming to be "off" when you are trying to free motion quilt - I just read this in an online quilting newsletter.

If you have problems, do not drop your feeddogs - yes, you read it right! Leave the feed dogs up - then take a large sheet of teflon or plastic and tape it to your machine top, with a hole in it for the needle to go through - and it not only lets you move your quilt easier, your tension will return to where it is when your feeddogs are in place... the tension is released when the feeddogs are down! Seems like a simple fix to me - and it must be or it would not have been in print for tips from a mastered quilter.

ssnare

Thank you.

Nana2Sew

Thank you for sharing this tip!

nativetexan

i took a class on FMQ and was told not to lower our feed dogs. i've done it with them up and with them down. sometimes depends on the fabric, batting, etc.

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

I believe Leah Day leaves her dogs up, too.

Mickey1

thanks, I really appreciate this tip and plan to try it.

tellabella

I just practices FMQ for about an hour today and boy am I frustrated...I absolutely "suck" at this, as my kids used to say...it is hard to have even stitches, smooth curves and all the rest...I am now going to try with the feed dogs up...I have heard about this..maybe it is going to be easier...

tjradj

Yes she does. On her blog she states the same reason for leaving them up - that the tension is better.
Until now, I've done my FMQ with the dogs down, but on my last project.....what the.... I tried them with the dogs up.
I like.
Yes my tension was better.
One reminder - set your stitch length to 0 so there is no forward movement with the feed dogs. I didn't even cover them.
Just another reason to try everything and use what works for you I guess.

tjradj

Maybe you're trying too hard. Really.
Try just doing wavy lines at first. Then try circles.
It's like trying to learn cursive writing again - your handwriting wasn't perfect when you started learning!
Make yourself relax. Breathe. Don't let your shoulders tense up and go up around your ears.
If you're trying stippling as a first project - remember it is one of the harder patterns to learn. Just do loop de loops until you can move the fabric smoothly without tensing up. Then move on to other patterns. Good luck, and stick to it.

lisalisa

This is an excellent point. And couldn't be more true. Plus nothing that's worth doing is ever so easily mastered.