FMQ Help - not the normal question!
 

Good evening!

I'm doing a small irish chain quilt (practicing for the big one) and I'm running into a hiccup ...

Usually, when I am going to do FMQ I do some SITD to keep my fabric in place. However, when I was doing it with this mini-quilt, the seams are so thick that I couldn't go "in the ditch" and it skipped a lot, and it has also bunched up some of my fabric (and it is sprayed down too!)

Here's my question: should I just leave it and do all my quilting, and then when I am done, take out the SITD? I'm planning on doing an FMQ pattern in all of the white squares, and appliqueing some butterflies (from other fabric) in some of them as well. I will also be doing some quilting in the 9-patch squares.

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Thanks so much,

Marion

I have given up stitch in the ditch when I do FMQ. I glue baste so nothing moves much. If I want straight lines I do it FMQ using the foot as a guide next to a seam. I am still practicing with rulers.

Instead of stitching around the solid squares, stitch from one end of the quilt to the other end. You might also stitch from side to the other side. I think stitching inside the squares is causing the fabric to shift.

If you are ditching in the ditch on more than two layers of fabric, you are not stitching in the ditch. Seams need to be pressed away from the stitching. Some of your seems in the picture indicate that.

Another thought. When machine quilting I have found that even if it is basted it is necessary to continually smooth the back with your hand to avoid the puckers. Basting alone will not keep the back smooth.

Ok so I am going to take out the stitches and then just do my FMQ it’s not big so it should be fine. This is the first time I’m doing FMQ on a “quilt” that is not a whole cloth quilt so I am running into difficulties that are new to me

I never SITD before starting to FMQ. I just pin it well and start in the center. I disagree on checking on the back. I use Sharon Schambers board method and never have a wrinkle. I didn't use the boards on a wallhanging, just taped it to the table. Guess what? Several tucks on the back. Sad because it was a gift, but the timeline said to just wrap it up.

it seems like the problem may be that your SID is really not in the ditch. Ditching is always done on the side that the seam is pressed away from. Your lower larger white block looks like it is actually ditched. The top 2 look like you were maybe trying to keep the white thread in the all white block but that is the direction the seam pressed to?

I agree that what you've done is not SITD, but I think it may be unnecessary to take it all out. After you've finished the FMQ within the squares the stitching you've already done won't be as obvious.