Pin basting problems
 

So I pin baste the heck out of this lap size top. Stretch the heck out of the backing...using a sheet this time. Smooth out the batting. Lay out the top. Smooth it out too and pin and pin and pin about 3-4" apart. Using the walking foot on my DSM but has small throat or regular size throat. Machine is a Singer that I bought at JoAnns last Dec.

So now I'm quilt and the walking foot is "moving" the fabric rather than sewing over it. OMG I think I solved the problem. It was making funny noises. I think I need a new quilting foot.

Glad you discovered your problem.

walking feet can be temperamental.
sometimes it just takes removing it and putting it back on.
it can look like it's on correctly but have something slightly "off."

I've had better luck when I "just smooth" the backing (and other layers) rather than stretching it - because it will "relax" and contract and cause the other layers to "pucker" a bit when it is "released".

When the backing is stretched - think of a rubber band that is stretched - when you let go - it goes back to its "usual" size.

So - if you really stretched the backing - that could be part of the problem.

So true, I found this out the hard way. Smooth the backing out but DO NOT stretch. Disastrous results.

I had a question about walking feet that I posted in the vintage Sewing Machine section and bkay gave me this advice:

<I>
I've found you have to reduce the pressure on the presser foot, reduce the tension and elongate the stitch to about an 8.

bkay</I>

I hope that helps.

UPDATE!!!---Found my Baby Lock foot...machine died and over $500.00 to fix...NOT!...Put it on the Singer...no issue. Quilting like a charm. TU to everyone who had suggestions. I had the Singer attached correctly (learned about the BAR the hard way years ago...lol)

Bear...TY for your suggestion regarding smoothing everything. I will try NOT to be a "stretcher" in the future.

When I put the backing on my table for layering - I do put a "light tension" on it - just enough to keep it from bunching up when I add the batting and top .

What I do - I do smooth it out - and tape the ends to the table with masking tape - and the part that hangs over - I make a temporary "pocket" and put a yardstick or curtain rod into the pocket to keep it from wrinkling on me.

I have had success laying the batting out, "seeds down" on my large cutting table. I then smooth (not stretch) the backing (wrong side down) over the batting. Next, I carefully turn it over so the backing is on the table and the batting is on top. Then I smooth the top, wrong side down, over the batting. Finally, I pin.

Everyone kept telling me my Brother 1500 walking foot would fit my Juke tq98. The needle guild on the Juki would hit the foot. Everyone said their's did not. Finally the solution was found. I thought I'd try the walking foot one last time. I dropped the screw that I used to put the foot on and couldn't find it, I had another screw with smaller head so I used that one. It worked liked a charm. The other screw head was just big enough to touch the walking foot housing to not tighten the foot as it needed to be causing it not to fit exactly. I never would have figured that out just looking at the first screw. It seemed to fit fine.

I lay the batting on top of my large table and, working in sections, thinly spread a glue that washes away on the batting, and then smooth the backing on top of it. After the back is done, I flip the batting over, and do the top side. If the top has a eon of seams, I pin it down. Those seams can cause shifting too as the quilting foot might move differently over heavy seams.

I often make the blocks on the back of the quilt the same size as the blocks on the top. I like to work in 12" blocks. That way I can match the corners of the backing block to the corners of the top block and pin at the intersection of those corners. This can be tricky, so I take my time.

I smooth my backing on glass topped dining table and clamp with clamps I bought from Home Depot. smooth batting on top, reclamp to include that, lay top on top of batting and reclamp it. Then with large safety pins I start pinning the layers together. Works great for me.

Seems everyone does sandwiches differently and the methods all work.