rethread top and bobbin. Clean all around the bobbin area.

Hi Lintu, yes, lovely fabric. The LQS that I work in carries a collection of Amy Butler fabrics and patterns, they haven't caught on yet here, but I like what you did with them, your daughter will love it ! You've had lots of great advice for the quilting, our shop is really into the varigated threads. That seems to be the popular pick lately. As far as the funny stitches on your machine goes, is it still under warrenty? Check your bobbin tension, bobbin case could be loose, thread take up lever (some machines have had a recall on that) bobbin wound properly? Some machines don't wind bobbins properly and we call them soggy bobbins, they are very loose. Some sewers actually put extra tension on when they are winding bobbins, to stretch the thread and wind more onto their bobbins, which causes the bobbins to be wound too tight, and then the machine can't pull the bobbin thread properly, and thus causes tension problems. Of course, you said you already changed your needle and rethreaded the machine, which is the first thing you should always do, did you make sure your bobbin is running in the proper direction? What kind of thread are you using, the same top and bottom? Some sewers like to use the prefilled bobbins, which is a little bit lighter thread and sometimes doesn't always get along with your regular weight thread. Oh so many little fussy things just to sew a nice straight and true seam! Hope some of this helps, not just you, but anyone that reads this. Take care, and Hello from Auntie B in Saskatchewan.

clean out your bobbin case, lint can affect stitch quality, also dull needles, maybe change your needle

I find that when I get carried away and forget to clean my machine I'll have the problem of a stitch 'skipping' every so often. Hope your problem is no more than that. Lovely colour combination.

change your needle

So I changed to a machine quilting needle and I don't seem to be having issues (but I also didn't last night with the old needle---I think the bobbin was wound better at the middle than at the outer edges).

I've decided to do allover loopy flowers, probably in pink or variegated (depends on what I find today at the store).

I recently had that same stitching problem with my machine. I took it apart and when I lifted out the bobbin holder I was shocked!! The lint and fuzz in there was enough to choke a large dog! Needless to say I clean it after every project now. No more wierd stitches.

It's a darling girl quilt!
Your machine problem could be cause by line - try cleaning before you quilt. I use pipe cleaners to get into every nook and cranny - and then I use sewing machine oil where the manual suggests. I clean every time I change bobbins or needles.

Perhaps lint fuzz somewhere in your machine?

Just a word on your construction tecnique: Measure the strip length, cut all the same length, pin to make them fit and the finished quilt will be more square.