Machine quilting 101
07-18-2010, 01:56 PM
#22
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Phoenix,
Posts: 137
I am a rebel. <G> I don't use either a walking foot or a darning foot for quilting. Most of the machine quilting I do I use an open toe applique foot.
The key is to reduce the pressure foot pressure. On older machines there is a "screw with a knob on it" on the top of the machine..... that regulates the pressure of the pressure foot. To see what I mean, put the foot down and lift up on the toes gently. For most sewing you want some lift but not much. If you put two layers of fabric under the foot you shouldn't be able to easily pull it out. If the pressure is tight you really can't lift the foot, as you loosen the pressure it gets easier to lift it. So if you loosen the pressure to where there isn't a lot of "drag" on the foot/ fabric sandwich you will be less likely to have problems. You can loosen the foot quite a bit, sometimes enough that the feed dogs don't actually engage the fabric. <G> But I believe most Featherweights have a plate that screws on to the bed of the machine to cover the feed dogs in order to do free motion work.
Remember that when the Featherweights were state of the art our foremothers were doing a lot of darning, and machines made that a lot easier. <G>
Have fun,
Pati, in Phx
The key is to reduce the pressure foot pressure. On older machines there is a "screw with a knob on it" on the top of the machine..... that regulates the pressure of the pressure foot. To see what I mean, put the foot down and lift up on the toes gently. For most sewing you want some lift but not much. If you put two layers of fabric under the foot you shouldn't be able to easily pull it out. If the pressure is tight you really can't lift the foot, as you loosen the pressure it gets easier to lift it. So if you loosen the pressure to where there isn't a lot of "drag" on the foot/ fabric sandwich you will be less likely to have problems. You can loosen the foot quite a bit, sometimes enough that the feed dogs don't actually engage the fabric. <G> But I believe most Featherweights have a plate that screws on to the bed of the machine to cover the feed dogs in order to do free motion work.
Remember that when the Featherweights were state of the art our foremothers were doing a lot of darning, and machines made that a lot easier. <G>
Have fun,
Pati, in Phx
07-18-2010, 06:31 PM
#26
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,224
Loosening the pressure on the presser fot is a must for FMQ,dropping the feed dogs and wearing gloves with little rubber nubs on them and using a darning foot. I don't do SID, can't stay in the ditch, I run a line of straight stitches about 1/4" - 3/8" from the ditch, I run the walking foot along the ditch and that makes for a straighter line. I usually always do FMQ and use high loft polyester batting, but, then I have only machine quilted 40 quilts and only a couple of them were baby quilts all the others were mainly double - queen size.
This topic has been talked about lots of times before and all has been said and resaid.
This topic has been talked about lots of times before and all has been said and resaid.
07-18-2010, 06:55 PM
#27
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 2,083
WOW_ You had a lot of firsts in this project. Glad you handle all of them so well !
Originally Posted by Joeysnana
I just finished my first machine quilt project- a table runner. First time I used a walking foot, first time I tried SID, first time I sewed using a charm pack, first time I made my own binding, and first time I used the Missouri Star Quilt Co. binding tool. It was such a good learning experience. Sometime I will get brave and move on to a lapquilt!
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