Are your feed dogs up or down? If you are using the quilting foot they should be up and if you are free motion quilting they should be down. I never remember this until after the frustration.
Good luck.

I know that everybody - and I mean everybody! - says to put the feed dogs down when freemotion quilting, but I have better luck with them up. And I don't go fast either. I find that I get sloppy when I go too fast. And everybody says to go fast, too! You have to do what works for you.

Ditto!!

Oh my, I am glad you solved your problem, because that wall hanging is absolutely beautiful. Love it.
Nancy

It is very easy to put the needle in backwards and it can cause big problems,
Mary

I'm glad everything worked out for you. You did a lovely job on the wall hanging. :D

I even considered that but the needle wouldn't go in at all unless I had it facing the right way.
I have no trouble FMQ with the feed dogs down but I might try them up just to see what happens.

Sorry to hear of problem with needles, but are you using the correct pressure foot and is the needle in the right position (ie, left, right or centre?)?

After breaking 4 in a week recently as soon as I went to sew, I realized that I had ignored machine telling me to change feet because needle was set to left position and kept hitting the foot, I decided to remove the foot adapter every time I turned the machine off until I remembered to double check everything before sewing :roll: Good luck with next try.

Pat, you're neither dumb or persistent, but quite normal. Determination always wins, even though it takes us a while to catch on to what we might be doing wrongly, eventually we get it right.

Just noticed you've been using hot glue for attaching flowers which would contribute to thickness if you go over the lines!!

My Brother 4000D machine tells me when I haven't put presser foot down and will not sew until I've done that.

Love your avatar and the bouquet is bright and beautiful.

I'm so sorry but you are confusing two different projects. My FMQ was on a 10" pad. I came across the pattern recently which made coasters. I enlarged it to make a hot mat. This mat had a layer of Insul Brite along with sev. layers of fabric so that contributed to the thickness which ended up being my problem. This problem didn't occur on the flower basket. I have worked on another pc. since & had no prob. Boy, did I feel dumb but so many of you said that was too many layers.

I wish my machine gave me signals when things were not right. For instance I was making a curtain for my laundry rm. door window today & I ran out of bobbin thread. I hate that since you get thru a whole line of stitching with no thread.

I hear all of you talking about the features your machines have so I'll know what to look for if & when I update my mach. It cost so much, that isn't likely to be soon.

I think it was worth the frustration. I have a viking too, and once in a while it just doesn't like all that thickness. I then switch to those super sharp needles. That does seem to help

Your wallhanging is lovely! And in the close-up your stitching looks excellent.

I envy those of you that can quilt on your machines.....I get puckers EVERY time....I think I am just too impatient with the pinning and don't do it well enough!

This post was a good reminder of all the points to watch while free motion quilting. I hadn't even thought of thickness. I admire all that are able to free motion quilt. I am still in the take a big breath and start practicing. I just freeze thinking about this skill. That is why I am accumulating UFO's.

This post was a good reminder of all the points to watch while free motion quilting. I hadn't even thought of thickness. I admire all that are able to free motion quilt. I am still in the take a big breath and start practicing. I just freeze thinking about this skill. That is why I am accumulating UFO's.

This post was a good reminder of all the points to watch while free motion quilting. I hadn't even thought of thickness. I admire all that are able to free motion quilt. I am still in the take a big breath and start practicing. I just freeze thinking about this skill. That is why I am accumulating UFO's. Oh, love the Yo's Yo's. Colors blend so nice and like the buttons.

Check your manual to see if you are using the correct needle for the type of material you are using and that your project is not too thick for the needle being used. Sometimes you have to use a certain needle for corse material or thick layers.

i agree make sure your pressure foot is down and your foot you are using is attached properly so that for some reason the needle might be hitting it or maybe did you move the needle to a differant position where it might be hitting the foot

I love it! I am currently working on a yo-yo "quilt" throw for the foot of my bead and so hooked on them wondered what to make next - of course this really makes my "procrastination" of starting to quilt that much further out...but I am totally addicted to these blogs - I love my daily laugh and learn

love your flowers

try using spray basting instead of pinning it will help you out on those puckers

Don't feel bad, I've done that, one time I kept breaking needle after needle, finally took it to my friend who repairs sewing machines. Ta Da-I had actually installed the needle backwards, so simple but I felt like an idiot.

Since I dove in with my FMQ, I'm going back & doing all of my table runners that I never felt were finished. I tried to practice but wasn't doing well so I just picked up a runner & went for it. Fear was my biggest problem holding me back. I figured what's to lose. Maybe those of you who are having the same fear should just pick up a pc. & shoot for it. Guess what? Nobody yelled at me & smacked my hands. LOL

That is the main thing that i forgot to do also, it would look like it was down and was not, ugh, what a mess it can create!

Absolutely Gorgeous. Well done!

Thanks so much. It's so nice to share all of this with all of you. Now I know where to go the next time I have a problem.

Make sure your bobbin is loaded in the right direction also.

I love it,, it's cute

I am wondering if your needle can be moved sideways and might not be centered perfected over the hole in the plate below. If I put a plate in with a small hole rather than a slot used for blanket stitch or zigzqg, etc. sometimes I prang my needles too! Anyways, wishing you the best and a quick solution to your problem.

So that is so pretty! Glad you found the problem. Guess I should read more of the responses before I kick in with my ideas in the future. You are very creative and artistic. :)

that wallhanging is so pretty and it would look nice with a lace border.....like the one it is sitting on!!!!
Elizabeth

What a beautiful wallhanging, and the quilting is great, too. As everyone says, practice makes perfect!

Pat I Love your basket of flowers!!! It's beautiful!!!

It looks lovely, the next time you do that many layers use a jeans needle, it really helps.

I just went through this the other day. I switched machines, but next time I will use a jean needle. Your quilt is beautiful. God bless.

Just to add my bit - I have found a leather needle to be very helpful when sewing through multiple layers. I use velcro a lot in a job I do and find that a leather needle is the only one that stops the thread breaking and snagging.

I am glad ou found the problem ! Very pretty !

I do that all the time. Usually when I am tierd and should not be handling any kind of equipment. :oops:

Good idea. Maybe I'll take the mat back out of the wastebasket & wait til I get a jeans needle. Thanks for the suggestion. I sure hated tossing the mat out.

Oh, I am SOOO glad I am not the only one to do that!