A FMQ question for all of you feather quilters
 

I am relatively new to fmq and find that I just love the process of creating designs on fabric. I am still working on making my feathers look better, but find that when I try to do feathers in a larger area like a setting triangle I have issues. I am using a Janome 6600, so while there is plenty of throat room, it's hard for me to smooth out the entire area and keep it that way while still trying to sew. If I stop to adjust the sandwich, then I've lost the continuity of the stroke and it looks all jerky and bad. If I try to do it in one stroke, then the fabric bunches at the needle and it's worse. How do you keep the fabric sandwich smooth and taut for a larger area? I love the look of feathers, but at this point, I can't do the bigger ones like I want. Please help me.

I haven't mastered feathers yet so I will be watching this thread

Even tho the piece is basted, I will add the long yellow headed pins around in the area to give additional supporyt for the area. I have to position the pins so they don't stick me. but lots of additional basting around the area works for me.

this is one reason i use spray basting or fusible batting. it doesn't move on me. now if it's bunching up around the needle, perhaps you don't have enough room for the quilt to go behind the machine easily. If i'm doing a border, i do curves all around the border then i start the feathers on one side of the curve and when back to where i started, i go onto the other side. smaller areas should be easier. You should look at tutorials online and practice on some squares of fabric and batting.
this pic shows one partially done on a border. i did some loops on the curves so i could insert circles in them.

i have not attempted feathers, am still trying to master stippling... it's great that you can do small feather designs... keep it up, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon

I am wanting to master large feathers, too. The biggest problem I have is keeping the stitches smooth and even on long strokes. I need to get another grip on the fabric and when I do, no matter how careful I am, it leaves a bit of a jerky spot. Any thoughts from you who can do this? I so badly want to be a much better FM quilter. I have gotten a lot more confident and practice is why.

The problem is partly because I have very small hands and can't seem to control a large enough area of the sandwich and still keep my sewing stroke smooth. It isn't how I have basted as I use basting spray to make sure that there is no slippage between the layers, or puckers on the back. What I wouldn't give to be able to watch somebody as they fmq feathers on a domestic machine.

I'm curious, how much pressure do you have between the base of the foot and your fabric? My Horizon has an adjustable knob on the darning foot. If I have it too "tight", I get puckering problems. If I back it off so it just skims the top, then my feathers don't bunch up. If I have to stop to adjust my hands, I try to stop on the "straight" side of the feather, not on the curved top. I just find it easier to start straight. Good luck, and keep practising :)

I've not checked the pressure.....will have to do that....and it makes sense too

How about using the needle down position when you stop so it doesn't move, so maybe you wouldn't get that little jiggle? I know I have been trying this too and it helps with the needle down, or else I get a good wiggle when I stop and start.