Experience with universal spring needle for FMQ??
 

Yeah or nay? Your personal techniques using? How many use on average per queen-size quilt using cotton top, back, and batting for sandwich?

I tried one briefly many years ago, but abandoned it because I was afraid of sewing through a finger.

They look like this for those not familiar, http://www.schmetzneedles.com/catego...ing-Needles-13

Ouch! I once had a needle go through the finger, then with the finger sore tried to do some seam ripping. To compensate for the bad finger I held the ripper in an awkward position and went into another finger with the cutter part of the ripper and had to get quite a few stitches. That was one of the hazards of learning to sew, before youtube, and not knowing anyone who sewed. My stepdad sewed and gave me his machine but I never saw him use it. The only thing he showed me was how to sew a button on by hand.

What kind of machine do you have? Most of us use a darning foot for FMQ. There are two types, I think. Mine is a "jumping" foot -- has a spring in it so when needle goes up, foot also lifts a little to allow easy sliding of the quilt. The other type is a "floating" foot -- no spring, and just floats a little higher than a regular foot, again to allow easy sliding of the quilt.

If you Google "sewing machine foot for free motion quilting" and then click on "images", you will see what this type of foot looks like for different machines.

1911 White Family Rotary that I treadle

I've used one for free motion embroidery - this was before stabilizers and you used a hoop which kept the needle away from the fingers. It isn't as easy as it's made out to be - you would be better off with the hopping foot or Leah Day's version of the foot using rubber bands.

I don't think the hopping foot fits or works with my machine unless someone can enlighten me. Have not heard of rubber bands. Off to google this........

That is the way I felt too.

I used one on a White Treadle. It worked pretty well. I wasn't worried about sewing over my finger because I couldn't go really super fast using a treadle. It seemed no different than a hopping foot to me.