How do you compensate for not having "needle down?"
 

I'm doing some free motion quilting on my old machine that doesn't have the needle down option. It's certainly a wonderful thing to have but I know there are probably a lot of you doing wonderful work without it. Do you have any tips for keeping your line of stitches straight and smooth when you have to stop to reposition your hands? Do you always put the needle down into your fabric before you re-start your fmq? I'm thinking as long as you hold your fabric firm & steady you don't really have to. I'm also having a little difficulty on my old machine keeping my speed at a steady pace. I'll press down so very slowly on the foot peddle and the motor will whine & suddenly I'm zooming! Any ideas on that? Looking forward to reading your replies.

I have the same problems, but I've learned I have better control when I manually put my needle down before I begin sewing. The second problem of steady speed is still a problem but I am getting better with practice, but there are many times the speed gets to me. I'll be looking forward to advice from others. Thanks for posting .....

I've never had needle down, so don't even know what I'm missing. When sewing to a point where I need to stop and turn, I just lay off the pedal slowly, bring my right hand to the fly wheel and as the stitching comes to a stop I manually give it an extra turn to stop with the needle down. After 40 years I can do it without even thinking and wouldn't know what to do if I had a machine that made decisions on its own.

If your machine is whining it probably could use a drink of oil. Place a drop every place metal meets metal, even under the machine. Turn your hand wheel so you can see what moves and oil it. As for the needle down, do just as ArtsyOne said. Put your needle into the fabric when you stop the machine, before you lift the presser foot. Problem solved.

Needle down sure makes it easier but you have to go with what you got.

Every time you stop get into the habit of putting needle down by turning wheel.

Isn't that kind of like asking how you change gears in a stick shift if you have an automatic? :eek:

I did it by instinct for decades on my old Viking, and sometimes still lower it manually now that I don't have to anymore.

Yes, you should put it down manually(turn the hand wheel) every time you readjust your hands or fabric if you don't have an auto needle down. It's not really that big of deal and you'll find it will look better than not doing that.

Definitely manually lower the needle before turning your fabric if you want a smooth line.

It is not that big of a deal to do it.

I have also learned that the bobbin thread can get " weird" if I try to turn or reposition the fabric when the needle is not in the fabric.

Try it both ways and check it out for yourself. Perhaps your machine behaves differently than mine do.