nativetexan

goodness, i've never had so much trouble sewing through Batik fabrics. when i have two of them together, they tend to dull my needle quickly or get pushed down into the feed dogs. i have some more that has fern print on them and when i add one of the fern with the other, it goes through easier.
I changed to a Sharp needle but now having more problems.
how in the world will i be able to quilt this thing?? anyone has this much trouble?
most of the fat qtrs were splotchy print and then some fern print that was not as wide either.
I have three more rows to piece, then to put the rows together. But not tonight?
all lovely Fall colors too.
maybe i should let a Long arm quilter do this one, he, he.

irishrose

Try a size 11 needle. I can sometimes hear the needle go through a heavily dyed batik, but it always goes through. Do you have a staight stitch machine or a SS needle plate for your machine? When I try to piece on a zigzag machine, the fabric is pushed down into the feed dogs.

sewbeadit

Did you pre wash your batik? I hear it really helps in sewing on it. I have batiks but haven't found a project for them yet.

Wine Woman

I was told to use a quilting needle. I haven't had any problems but I'm also using a Featherweight machine and nothing seems to phase these little machines! Even layers of flannel went through just fine. My Bernina was not liking these two fabrics very well so I pulled out my featherweight! It did such a great job.

ghostrider

Sorry you're having problems with batiks. I use them (prewashed) all the time on my Bernina with none of the issues that have been mentioned. I use a microtex (aka sharp) needle, size 90/14, with a zigzag stitch plate and there's no resistance at all, absolutely none.

QM

I had problems with my old Bernina, even with a new needle and prewashed fabric. I have not had any problems with my straight stitch Janome. I have sewn a great many batik fabrics since I changed machines (the motor gave out on my 3 year old Bernina.) I had a few minor problems with my Janome 6600 doing embroidery edging stitches through multiple layers of batiks. I had a featherweight for a while. I did not much care for it, but it did sew batiks just fine.

BTW, Superior Threads sells a super-sharps needle that I have been very pleased with since I got the first one a few months ago.

leatheflea

Yep its horrible fabric. Getting the quilt top together was a real chore. Its been in the closet waiting to be quilted for about a year now. Good luck with all the suggestion.

Hinterland

I hate to say this, but I've never had a problem with batiks when I hand sew or hand quilt through them. I prewash mine, so maybe that's the key.

Janet

RV Quilter

Love batiks! No problem with stitching on my Janome 6600 even some minimal quilting on those not sent to LA Susie.

romanojg

I washed mine before doing anything but I had 4yrds that I cross hatched quilted then cut and sewed to make a jacket out of and had not problem and used the same needle thru the whole process which was just a general quilting needle.