How perfect does your FMQ have to be?
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 338
How perfect does your FMQ have to be?
Why I'm asking is because I have an older bernina without a stitch regulator. Mostly I'm pretty good now, but there is a bit of eyelashing every so often. Can it even be helped if I'm quilting a queen sized quilt on this machine? If I rip these out every time I'll never finish anything. If they don't seem to be loose enough to catch on anything and rip out later is it OK to leave these? I know I'm suppose to slow down around curves, but if I'm human how can I get every curve right?
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
I have quilted on my Bernina 1530 since the late 90s and I never had any eyelashes. I use the Mettler silk finished thread and Schmetz 14 needle. I would first check your tension. If you are speeding, I would slow down a bit because you could be moving the quilt faster than the machine can stitch. Yes, I myself am a perfectionist and I would take them out. Just being honest.
#3
I may be way wrong here, but I believe eyelashing is a tension problem, for the most part. If the eyelashing is on the backside, you will need to tighten the top tension (mine usually 8-9). As for what you have already done, yes, it needs to be "undone". Where you see the eyelashing, the thread is just laying on top of the fabric and probably not just on the curves....so it is pretty easy to rip out. If you don't fix it now, I am afraid you will be unhappy later.
#5
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 41,538
If the eye lashes are tiny, after washing the quilt they will disappear. If the eyelashes are long then I would re do the quilting. Slow down in the curves and always do a test sandwich to check your tension. Don't be afraid to alter your bobbin tension too, just take a picture of the screw position before moving it.
With that being said, the quilting is supposed to hold the three layers together. Does it do that? Some just tie their quilts so even loose stitches should hold as well as tying.
With that being said, the quilting is supposed to hold the three layers together. Does it do that? Some just tie their quilts so even loose stitches should hold as well as tying.
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,733
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 338
If the eye lashes are tiny, after washing the quilt they will disappear. If the eyelashes are long then I would re do the quilting. Slow down in the curves and always do a test sandwich to check your tension. Don't be afraid to alter your bobbin tension too, just take a picture of the screw position before moving it.
With that being said, the quilting is supposed to hold the three layers together. Does it do that? Some just tie their quilts so even loose stitches should hold as well as tying.
With that being said, the quilting is supposed to hold the three layers together. Does it do that? Some just tie their quilts so even loose stitches should hold as well as tying.
#9
Why I'm asking is because I have an older bernina without a stitch regulator. Mostly I'm pretty good now, but there is a bit of eyelashing every so often. Can it even be helped if I'm quilting a queen sized quilt on this machine? If I rip these out every time I'll never finish anything. If they don't seem to be loose enough to catch on anything and rip out later is it OK to leave these? I know I'm suppose to slow down around curves, but if I'm human how can I get every curve right?
Last edited by grammysharon; 11-12-2015 at 04:13 PM.
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