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Boy, thanks Z
yngawf for asking this question and thanks for all the great answers, references, I too am a beginning FMQer so I have had all these problems myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peckish (Post 6771399)

What you're describing sounds like what we call "eyelashing". Here are some resources:

http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.c...-or-speed.html
http://www.quiltersclubofamerica.com...irdsnests.aspx
http://www.generations-quilt-pattern...eshooting.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...s-t179288.html

I looked at those. Mine doesn't look any where near as bad as those pictures. It Isn't eyelashing, but just thread that looks like it's sitting there without stitches. Too lose every couple of inches. Now that I think I know what I may be doing wrong I guess the next question is, do I pull out stitches and start over? If it looked like these links you posted here I would say thats a yes, but if I don't with mine will the whole thing hold together. I've done half the quilt already. Geez, something has gone wrong with every single quilt I have made so far.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Diana (Post 6773326)

9 times out of 10, issues on the underside is the quilter.......eyelashing is when you are moving your fabric faster than your speed on your machine. Try slowing down, particularly on curves, or speed up if you want to keep your fabric moving faster. There has to be a perfect speed....with your fabric motion and the speed of your machine. This is why it takes a lot of practice. Do some small practice sandwiches and see how your hand motion and machine speed can be matched a little better. Above all, don't get discouraged....BTW those practice squares can be made into pot holders! Just slow down your fabric a little on those curves....and you should be just fine. You didn't say if you were new to FMQ. Also, make sure your fabric is moving freely...sometimes holding on to the fabric too tightly causes you to push harder, which then makes your fabric move to fast. Also, don't mess with your tension for FMQ. Many quilters think that it is their bobbin tension....sew a straight line, if your tension is OK, then it is your speed....slow your hands down or speed up your machine on those curves. If you have skipped stitches it is because you have moved your fabric faster than your machine's ability to do the lock stitch with the bobbin thread.

Now I'm not sure what you mean by skipped stitches. Mine has stitches, but they are just too loose. There will be a couple inches of stitching that looks good and then a couple inches where they aren't as tight.

I'm not brand new to it, but I have only made about a few quilts so far. I don't remember having this problem before.

My stash is obscene. I have no reason to justify its size or cost, its mine and it makes me happy :-)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zyngawf (Post 6775767)

Okay that sounds like we're back to a tension problem. If the top of the quilt looks fine, but the bottom has loose stitches or even loops, then you need to tighten your top tension. If it's tightened as far as it can go, then you need to loosen your bobbin tension. You said you "played" with the tension, but you didn't really describe what you did. You might need to get some scraps of fabric and batting and do some serious tension adjusting.

Good luck!

Pull it out and redo, or finish it as it is?

Are you using a proper hopping foot for fmq? It does make a difference. I have Brother machines, and use polyester batting for quilting, with no trouble.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zyngawf (Post 6775932)

Pull it out and redo, or finish it as it is?

If it were my quilt, I'd pull it out and redo. I'd be concerned about the threads catching on something and coming undone.