I seem to also have a problem with creases in backing when I either SID or FMQ. I was told by LQS that it is hard to get very smooth backing when quilting on domestic machine since you have to bunch fabric and therefore it will loose some of its tauntness. It also seems to happen no matter how tight/smooth my backing is when sandwiching. Yes I use a walking foot on longest stitch lengthing

Heavily starching the backing fabric before layering should help. (You never want to stretch the backing fabric tight when layering. Smooth is good; tight is not.) Spray basting also helps because it keeps the layers together at many more points than either pin basting or thread basting do. To prevent the slippage someone else mentioned, it's a good idea to add pins along the edges (just to ensure everything stays in place).

Thanks for the explanation of the difference between a walking foot and a stitch regulator. I learn so many new things from this board!! Thanks again.
Dina

Well, this is what I did when I was in your situation. Unorthodox! Turned sandwich over and pinned from
The back,sliding my hand underneath! Checked top and all was smooth. Sigh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

I'm a hand quilter and use a full-sized floor frame, so I don't do any basting of my quilt sandwich. I've tried pin basting small quilts so I can quilt in a hoop and I am never satisfied and often put them in the frame anyway. If I ever baste a quilt again I will use the method in this tute. I wonder if you hand basted together this way if you would have less shifting? (Besides some adjustment in your sewing equipment.)

Doris 1334
 

No, a walking foot is an attachment for your machine for sewing multiple layers. Check your machine maker and you probably can order one. Before getting my walking foot my layers never came our even, now they come out perfect. I wouldn't sew a quilt without one now. Look up walking foot on the internet and you can see what they look like better than I can describe here.

All of the above but yes, I did have that problem recently and I believe it was due to the fabric content of the backing. Although it was 100% cotton, it was a cheaper fabric, I could tell by the feel, and it was stretchy and would develop bubbles no matter how much or where I secured the thing. I finally figured out that that was the problem and did a minimum of quilting on it and called it a day, it was a really weird fabric.

I usually have no trouble but I recently used a very thin and stretchy cotton fabric for the back. It did bunch up a bit, and I wish I had spray starched and ironed it before laying it out. I have found that the tighter the back the better. If you are pin basting on a table or floor, tape the backing down well.

When sewing or quilting a straight line down a quilt...you will want to alternate the direction of each row. If the first row starts at the top, then start the 2nd row at the bottom.

I now have a longarm machine, but when I did use my home machine, I learned also that if I treated the quilt as if it were a hand quilting job...starting in the middle, stitching around each block section, the end result was much better.

When I am quilting I usually go top to bottom consistently , then all the lefts to right. I don't change and go from the bottom of the quilt to the top, or from the right to left. I keep things consistent. I hope that helps. If you are having trouble understanding what I am trying to say PM me.