Husqvarna Viking Freesia Sewing Feet Questions...
 

(Oh, and this is my very first post - I am new to quilting and have just pieced my very first quilt top! I already feel like I have learned a lot from reading this board, particularly in regards to the lack of quilt police and the 'good enough and finished being worth an awful lot of unfinished perfection' attitude. I struggle with wanting perfection on the first go, even though I know perfection takes an awful lot of practise...)

I've just got an 'open toe stippling foot' in the hopes that I can learn how to use it to sandwich my quilt together. I've tried to have an initial go just using a couple of pieces of fabric, just to get the idea before trying with a quilting sandwich, and eventually on my quilt. The foot seems to sit way too high, it's like trying to stitch with the presser foot up. Is this the way it's meant to be? Even with a quilt sandwich in there, it's going to be hovering above the fabric (apart from when the needle goes in when it presses down) - is this right? Do I just need to get used to it?

The other thing is, the dual feed foot I got as part of the quilting feet package seems to have a fixed foot, rather than the interchangeable one I was expecting. Is this likely to cause me grief later on? The package really wasn't that much cheaper than getting the feet separately - although no-one seems to have the stippling foot on its own at the moment...

Thank you in advance for any tips you are able to offer.

Your ( stippling foot) should ( hop) as in, it is above the fabric sandwich while idle, and goes up & down while stitching. So, it is probably right.
Are the feet you purchased Viking feet? Or are they some ( generic) set?
I'm not sure what you mean about the duel feed foot not being ( interchangeable) my duel feed foot works with the feed dogs, evenly advancing the fabric top and bottom. It is different from a walking foot which { takes steps} as you sew.

Thank you for that, ckcowl, it does not 'feel' how I imagined it would, but if it sounds correct, I will keep at it.

The dual feed foot for my machine, when listed separately (ie not as part of the quilter's bundle), talks about containing changeable straight stitch and zigzag stitch feet (so just the foot plate on the bottom of the great mechanical gubbins that is the dual feed foot being changeable - I am sorry I don't know the correct terminology)

The set was ordered as a Husqvarna Viking set, and that's what it says on the pack.

Yes, as ckcowl describes is the FMQ foot does hop up and down in order for YOU to move the fabric. It will come down again to do the next stitch. The other foot is more commonly referred to as a "walking" foot since it feeds the "'sandwich" under the needle. I always suggest that you start to get comfortable with the walking foot first. Watch your quilt move thru the quilting process to get a feeling between the speed of the machine and the speed that the machine moves the quilt. That is what you need to match when doing FMQ. You have to guide the sandwich thru the machine starting slowly at first. There is never any reason to rush thru the process. In order to get even stitches and smooth curves, you need to move the fabric at the same rate the machine does. That takes some time to develop. Good Luck.

I got a Viking quilting kit for my Designer I. It had an extension table and several feet. The walking foot that came with that package was the older original version, the one with the fixed base plate, which I used for years. Eventually I did get the newer foot with the interchangeable plates. I will say that it was very expensive, but I do use all the plates. If you are going to do a lot of SITD, that plate is wonderful.
CK's comment about the even feed vs. the walking foot operation was intriguing. I'm going to my dealer today and will ask if they make an actual even feed. I'll let you know what she says.

They rarely include a walking foot with any of their feet, especially the interchangeable. You could probably trade in the one you got and pay the difference for the interchangeable one but the one you got as long as it is a Viking foot and not generic will work great. I love the interchangeable, it does so much more and works great. Its a luxury to have but what you have will do what you need.

The interchangeable will allow you to do zigzag, decorative stitches, double needles, it has a 1/4 plate and other plates too.

Romanojg, that's what I had in mind about the interchangeable parts, they would all be very useful... But, getting the set seems to be the only way (short term) to get the stippling foot too, and, I am trying to get the quilt finished as a birthday present for my lovely MiL...

I tried the stippling foot, did not badly (for a total beginner, obviously, lol!), ran out of bobbin thread, and now can't manage anything other than a tangle. All the tensioning seems off suddenly. Argh!

It sounds like you need to unthread your machine, including bobbin and try again. One note, when threading your machine, ALWAYS, have your pressure foot up and not down. Having it down while threading the upper part of your machine will cause tension problems. That being said, if the tangled mess or even stitching problems are on the bottom then the reason is on the top thread, if the thread on top of fabric is messing, then the problem is on the bottom, in the bobbin. Make sure to use the little brush and keep the lint out of the bobbin area and when using the walking foot, go slow and you'll get it. I always use the same thread in the top and bobbin when doing any quilting or sewing, it doesn't have to be the same color but the same type. Make sure your bobbin thread looks even on the bobbin and not clustered. I slow mine down when winding the bobbin. I hope this helps. Put the changeable foot on your gift list, it comes with two plates and you can get more as you go, they are around 30 or less I paid 130 for my interchangeable foot.

Just came from the dealer who confirmed that Viking makes 2 types of walking feet. The interchangeable one and the fixed base one that comes in a bundle with the hopping foot. BTW, they had the hopping foot for sale separately, so your dealer(s) must had just been out. I was hoping they made the even feed foot that CKCowl described. I would like to piece with the walking foot, but that walking action drives me crazy!