Best tip for non-FMQ quilting?
 

Please share your hints and tips specifically relating to dual-feed/walking foot quilting. I don't see this come up as often as FMQ and am hoping to learn something new (and given what I know, that shouldn't be too hard!)

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm learning FMQ right now but would also like the other.

There are several classes available on Craftsy.com, also on YouTube probably. I learned quite a bit on Craftsy.

I've been meaning to try a tip I came across once -- to use painter's tape, which is about 1.75" wide, on the quilt, and then sew on either side. You can reposition the tape pretty easily and keep sewing lines. I finally bought some tape, so I'll be trying this soon.

here's a link to a tut https://weallsew.com/quilting-straig...7c9f-295552325

Great thread. Thanks. I have quilted two quilts with a spiral starting in the center, then spiraling around and around spacing the quoting the walking foot apart until I reached the edges, then filling in so that the entire quilt is done.

Great quilt and quilting!
Could you please share some tips as to how to get that spiral to spiral properly when you start out in the centre? Thank You!



Two tops for straight-line quilting ...
* Be sure your quilt is stabilized well when making the sandwich.
This could be via a spray-baste product, or by pinning.

I'd be interested in this information, too. I've been eyeing some of the modern quilts I see with spiral quilting and thinking about trying it.

........... and like me saying, good grief, I will ruin it from the get-go?? :)



MsHeirloom ... the other question would be, how far apart are you stitching your spiral rows?

I am too chicken to try large stuff, but I do little things like placemats by tracing out the shape I want onto parchment paper, sewing around it and then tearing the paper away.

Elongated "S" works too. I received that recommendation when I was not sure how to quilt a wall hanging.. This is what it looked liked before binding, it worked great for the pattern the fabrics made:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]578057[/ATTACH]

Walking foot works great with Baptist Fan motif.

I started by drawing a small circle- trace around a coin or thread spool, then start veering off to about 3/8" about 3/4 of the way around that circle. Keep going around and around. Once I had to stop at the edges of the quilt, I started filling in the four corners. I kept the edge of the walking foot against the previous row in order to space the quilting which is about 3/8-1/2" apart. It took about 8 hours to do the quilt which measured about 45" X 60." My walking foot may be a bit wider than some as it is the one that came with my Janome 6600 which has a built in even-feed function. It is tricky to get started on the initial couple (tight) spirals, but gets much easier as the spirals get larger and the curve shallower. I practiced first on a couple hot pads to get the feel for it. It would also be helpful to practice drawing the initial 2-3 rows.

Thanks for the mini-tutorial, MsHeirloom ... I can only imagine how tough it is to keep doing the turn at the start of the spiral. Well Done!

You may enjoy this big post on 31 days of quilting with walking foot. Some good ideas.
http://blog.petitdesignco.com/2012/1...lting.html?m=1

leahday.com has some instructions and tips for walking foot quilting. Today she features tips from another quilter who also does walking foot designs. Leah Day also has many youtube videos and some Craftsy classes. She started out a few years ago with great FMQ instructions but lately has been adding walking foot and sit down machine quilting. Well worth checking out IMHO.

I've done fairly nice curved quilting lines with my walking foot on. in sashings or borders.

I still think the easiest way to start using a walking foot is to do gentle curves from one side of the quilt to the other. There is no need to space them exactly apart; it looks organic to just do them somewhat randomly. Here is a couple of examples of "wave" quilting:
https://ameetsz.wordpress.com/2011/0...quilting-post/
https://weallsew.com/free-motion-qui...asics-day-two/

Waves can be made more complex too:
http://betteroffthread.com/2013/03/0...ting-tutorial/

One of my tips is to heavily starch the top and backing before layering. This help stabilize fabrics so that you don't get distortion as you quilt. It is especially helpful if you are doing cross-hatching or some other design that requires you to cross quilting lines; it will help prevent tucks at the crossing points. It's helpful for all designs, though.

Another of my tips is to spray baste if you can (glue basting may be good also; I just have never done it). Spray basting ensures that all parts of all three layers are bonded together. This again reduces chances of fabrics distorting as you sew (especially stretching along the quilting lines); it also helps keep the batting from shifting as you quilt.

I like the spiral quilting, so I went online to do a little more research. Here are some interesting websites I found on quilting spirals and circles with a walking foot:
http://flourishingpalms.blogspot.com...g-success.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/myquil...ool-howtoqayg/ (spiral is off-set)

I did spiral quilting w/ a walking foot on a wall hanging, and found if you make the stitch length shorter for those first few tight spirals it makes it easier to keep the curve true.

and check out Angela Walter's Midnight Quilter series on Youtube (or you can subscribe to her website and get it). While most of us know her as a long arm quilter, this series is done using a domestic machine on the featured quilt.

I have not yet learned FMQ, so only quilt with my walking foot. I find that straight line quilting (edge to edge) is easy, start with a vertical line down the middle of the quilt, then just work left and right, spacing the distance you want (I like either 1" spacing or 1/2" spacing. You can also do a lot with gentle curves, I start the same way with a center full length gently curving line, then work off that going right and left. I used this method to create the 'wood grain' quilting look on my Fancy Forest baby quilt. Here are a few other photos of simple walking foot quilting that I have done. As others have said, there are a lot of great Craftsy classes on walking foot quilting.[ATTACH=CONFIG]578094[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]578095[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]578096[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]578097[/ATTACH]

Jacqui Gehrig (or is it Gehring?) has a great class on using the walking foot. Personally, I like the original class better than the second.

One take-away is to work slowly when using the walking foot. I recently was reminded of this when I sped up my SID and the layers started to shift. I slowed down and no more shifting.
When sewing with curves, make it gentle curves. Those go much easier than tight curves as you don't have to lift/readjust the foot as much.
It is REALLY important to have a taut sandwich to keep things from moving. When I use 505 basting spray, I iron the sandwich from both sides. When using pins, I generally pin fist-width apart and make sure I don't put any pins in the way of my quilting line.

I've done cross hatching on a couple of baby quilts using my walking foot. Usually it is on a pattern like warm wishes so you just stitch corner to corner (diagonally) through the blocks so there is no need of marking...then I use the little bar that plugs in behind your presser foot as a guide for the next row(s). It goes pretty quickly on crib size quilts.

Make sure you buy a brand name tape. The cheaper ones don't stick as well, particularly with longer lines.

Beautiful quilts, Jeanne!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]578109[/ATTACH] Not sure if you can see this, but I SIDed the center diamond and then echoed that line of stitching by 1/2" (my foot width) in an angular spiral. The effect was quite modern - now hanging in a Manhattan office!

Loved this site for lots of ideas.

http://blog.petitdesignco.com/2012/1...-quilting.html

Love your quilt and the quilting really ties it together.

My walking foot came with 2 bars, one for the right & one for the left. They fit into either side on the back of my walking foot & once you decide how far apart you want your lines, you set the bar in place & sew from there. You place the bar on the line you just finished & go from there. The only line you have to mark is the first line. No need for masking tape or having to draw all the lines to finish your quilting. When you finish one side you just remove that bar & insert the bar for the other side & voila, before you know it, your straight line or even serpentine quilting is done without tons of marking. I use this all the time & does a great job !! Hope this makes sense.

I use 1 3/4" width Scotch brand and still have to pin it down the center, but it works wonderfully. I usually use two strips, one being a spacer, so I can sew down both sides of the tape each time. I did an 80" x 80" this way on my DSM with a 6 1/2" throat.

I liked that class a lot too. Sometimes I hear her say "It is a WALKING foot, not a running foot." :)

So many great ideas and quilts, thank you all!!

If you do Pinterest, there have been several offerings of walking foot quilting. Search for same and see what comes up for illustrations of completed quilts.

Here is the back of one of my walking foot quilts, straight doesn't have to be boring. [ATTACH=CONFIG]578139[/ATTACH]

There are a couple of excellent classes on Craftsy regarding using the walking foot to quilt.

Let the walking foot do the work. Don't rush it by pushing or you will have long stitches. Be sure to support the quilt so there is never any drag. That is when you get the little bitty stitches. When you are following curves and lining up the edge of your walking foot it is the needle area that you want to make sure is touching the last curve. When you are curving the toe of the foot goes off the line but that is normal.

I like walking foot quilting. I use blue painters tape of different widths as an easy guide to stitch next to. I move the tape as needed and you can alternate widths of the tape. If you are using a decorative stitch, make sure that it is one that does not require moving in reverse. My flowers ended up have only three petals instead of five. The serpentine stitch looks great. Also, experiment with different stitch lengths and widths.

I consider myself a beginner FMQ so thanks for all your info.

What about ruler work? Anybody into that? I've been playing with it lately, but on a sit-down quilter. I know you can get a ruler foot for domestic machines too, though.

I think it's a LOT of fun, even doing just straight lines - it comes out so perfectly, I might not even use my walking foot for SITD anymore!