Hi All:

I am attempting to quilt a double sized quilt on a new machine. I was just going to stitch in the ditch, and made my stitch length longer but stitches are sometimes tiny and somtimes what they should be. I don't think it is feeding through properly. Is the pressure on my foot wrong?

I am about to take it to a longarm quilter. I've worked too hard on this top to screw it up now.

If any of you can help this newbie, I'd be forever grateful.

Are you using a walking foot? If not, that could be your problem. I know when I don't use mine, it gives me itty bitty tiny sticthes and BIG HUGE stitches.

It sounds like either one of 2 things is happening..and they have both happened to me before. Either the weight of your quilt is pulling on the machine and you may need to fluff it up more and let the feed dogs pull it through by themselves OR....your thread is getting pulled too tightly before it goes into the machine. Is your quilt hitting your spool or something else hitting the spool that is not letting it pull of the spool smoothly?

If its not either of those...then someone else will have to help..I just take care of the simple "dumb" mistakes like I tend to make :wink:

Good luck!

It sounds like you need to get the weight up so it can feed through easier. A large flat surface beside and behind the machine for the quilt to rest on is important. I rest the quilt on my shoulders as I feed it through.

Hopefully this helps.

I am actually using a stitch in the ditch foot that I bought specifically to go with my Husqvarna. It is definatly heavy; I did put it over my shoulder for a bit, but that didn't seem to help. Should I be dropping the feed dogs for this? I didn't think I was supposed to but this just seems odd.

A lot of pining and a walking foot. And try not to push it thru to fast or to slow. That's my problem.

DO NOT drop the feed dogs! For a quilt that large and heavy, I would recommending "ditching" ( :lol: :lol: ) the stitch in the ditch foot and use the walking foot. And, like the other ladies have suggested, the weight is pulling it down probably. Make sure you have plenty of space behind your machine to hold the quilt up and that it is neither falling off the table and creating drag OR that it is not bunching up behind the machine so that is it stopping the quilt from feeding through fast enough. You can help that by stopping periodically and folding up the quilt behind the machine to leave space for it to feed through.

good luck - how about posting a picture of your quilt?!

It sounds like the weight of the quilt is causing drag and you need to switch to a walking foot. :)

Thank you everyone. Although it was well spray basted I think the weight was the issue, possibly it getting bunched at the back. (I think I need a bigger sewing room.) :wink:

I think I will go back to something a little smaller, like a table runner.

NO NO NO!!!! Don't give up. Just look at all you learned and your next one will be even better.

The size of your sewing room can't be the problem...I just now moved out of the laundry room (on top of the washer) after 2 yrs. I did queen size quilts in there! I now have a table backed into a corner and I'm thinking that I may take my machine back to the washer top when I get ready to do the quilting on the queen size I'm working on now. :wink: :lol:

You'll figure out the best way for you...just keep learning girl! :lol: :lol:

The best tip I've gotten for quilting in a standard sewing machine (which I do in my little Elna which only has a 6.5" throat) was to have a chair or small table next to the the end of your sewing table. This will help take the weight off.

Also don't Pull the quilt, help guide and feed it through (your muscles with swear your doing more than that but what do they know?). I'm certain you're on the right track here, I have done a Queen quilt in my little machine and didn't hesitate for a moment to start a king. You can try making your stitch length a bit shorter. This will amount to smaller stitches all over, for the most part the stitch in the ditch stitches sink into the quilt and can hardly be seen anyway.

Relax you can do this. If your sewing machine has an adjustable pressure foot you might try adding more pressure to help with the pull, but if not don't worry about it. My little Elna doesn't have that feature and works fine without it, but my Brother machine has it and does need adjusted depending on the project.

If it is the weight you can sort of feel the quilt pull a little bit off the edge of the machine. If that's what is happening adjust the quilt a bit until the pull/drag feeling is a bit less.

Don't give up you can do it! You have gotten some great advice. You might need to use the walking foot the help with the weight of the quilt. And as someone said once the quilt is washed you really won't see to much of the stitching. If you can get the weight of the quilt up to the same level as your machine.

Don't forget to post pictures. We will love to see your quilt.

You guys are the best. Thanks for being so encouraging. You all make me feel like I could conquor Mount Everest. I am actually sewing in my furnace room Sandpat, but I am working on a big desk. I have a huge light overtop, so I can see well.

I promise I'll post pics when its done.

I use a walking foot and I still get the tiny stitches sometimes. I sew on a Janome MC 4000. On this last one, I could hear something like a "whirring belt" or something. Will have to take it to the doctor befoe I strip everything that is in there. Sorry I jumped in, but I think these are related. :oops:

I'm with the rest of the ladies....

Even-feed foot and keeping the weight of that quilt supported.

Also, don't try to do too long of stretches. I find if I "push" it, I get stitches that are too long (when I'm starting a stretch) and too short (when I am ending a stretch and I'm litterally trying to push the monster through the machine).

I have a small space. What I did to quilt the last one was pull up a small table next to the left of the machine. Then behind the machine, I stacked some of my fabric bins to catch the weight there. It worked out fine. Don't give up. Just think about the treasure you will have when you are done. Rome wasn't built in a day. :lol: