Quilting with an embroidery machine?
 

How many of you have finished your quilts using an embroidery machine instead of FMQ? I currently have a Janome 6600 but still struggle with FMQ..........not enough practice I guess!! I have been looking at a long arm but space is definately an issue at the moment. I have a spare desk that would hold an embroidery machine next to my 6600 but am wondering how the embroidery machines would work on quilt sandwiches. If anyone has samples, I would love to see them.

My first quilt was a nine-patch and I had no idea how to FMQ (still struggling with it like you). I used the embroidery feature on my machine to put a feather medallion/wreath in the center of each of the plain blocks and did stitch in the ditch in the nine patches. Sorry I don't have time right now to post a pic, but the quilt is on display above my bed and everyone is wowed by my quilting "ability"!

I have used some of the quilting designs from Emblibrary on small quilts. I have been pleased with the results. For me the biggest challenge was supporting the weight of the quilt so the emb. arm could move freely. i did not hoop the quilt, but used washaway stabilizer and spray to stick the quilt in place. Added pins along the edges to help prevent any shifting.

I bought the diamond just for that reason. I have emb. on a few quilts and it looks so much better then any FMQ I could do.

My question is---If you do use the embroidery for quilting do you hoop it? I've wondered about that as I have two embroidery sewing machines.

this would depend on the size of the quilt; sometimes you have to float it on top of the hoop. Emblibrary.com and alot of other sites has tutes on embroidering quilts. You do need to make sure you have a large table service so that it is supported. There are lots of designs out there.

I'm about to find out myself, as my Husqvarna is now in the shop, and I've pulled out my Bernina embroidery machine to sew/quilt, etc. Love the embroidery feature and it does everything but sing to me while I'm using it, but just have never used it for the machine quilting...I suspect it will work out wonderfully and I'll wonder why I didn't use it a long time ago for that purpose. : )

I've quilted many of my quilts using my embroidery machines.

I use mine to quilt, from baby to king. I do hoop the quilt but I have a huge table top to do it on. I put the machine in the middle of the table to keep the weight of the quilt even. I have the continuous hoop for borders but have not tried it out yet.

I hooped mine and did not use a stabilizer. But washaway stabilizer and spray to stick the quilt in place. Added pins along the edges to help prevent any shifting. As Bakermom said would be good to .I used Tearaway stabilizer once it was a pain.

Hi Mary, I'm confused by this. I'm assuming you hooped the quilt but say you didn't use stabilizer. Then the reference to washaway stabilizer confused me. Could you please clarify how you did this?

Thanks, Cathy

I have found it easiest to quilt the blocks separately and then assemble them using a quilt as you go technique. Supporting the weight of a big quilt so it doesn't bog down the machine is a pain. You have to hoop something, so doing a block at a time, I hooped the backing, then smoothed the batting over it, then did the same with the top fabric. I just pinned the sandwich in place and used the baste feature on my machine. I did not use stablizer

I Love doing quilting on the emb machine. This design is from Perfect Little Stitches and sews out perfectly. I did the whole quilt moving from block to block.

http://perfectlittlestitches.com/products.asp?cat=21

I love to quilt with my embroidery machine. So far I have always hooped the whole sandwich (which can be tricky) but may try the ideas posted here.

Good thread. Looking forward to lots of responses. :)

If you are quilting using the embroidery part of machine then what kind of thread do you use? I didn't think that embroidry thread was strong enough to hold the quilt together?

You use just regular, quilting thread.

I've used my embroidery machine for quilting and I like it. No reason to use stabilizer. It's a good option. Not giving up on the FMQing though.

I've done quite a few quilts using my embroidery machine -- and there are lots of magnificent quilting patterns for that purpose. It works just fine with a sandwich.

There are plenty of quilting patterns that have been designed for this purpose. The main problem is hooping it whilst it sews out. There are a few methods plus improved hoops which allow you to do this. The method that I find easiest is to baste the piece to be quilted on top of a piece of hooped, dissolveable vylene . Then it washes out after quilting.

I tend to emb. mine as individual blocks and then join them. This works great with the rag quilts I like to do for baby mats. I do not join the backing when emb. I use a piece of stablizer under the batting and fabric. I do applique and regular embroidery this way. I use the iron on batting, life gets a little easer with this. and I do hoop all my pieces.

The embroidery machine works great for quilting small quilts, table runners, placemats, etc. I haven't tried it on a large quilt because it would be difficult to get to the middle of the quilt and you have to hold the quilt up to keep the weight from pulling the quilt out of the embroidery hoop. It can be done, but I don't want to have to hold a large quilt up for that long. LAQers are still your best friend for large quilts. The king size quilt that I am working on is definitely going to the LAQer.

Yup every chance I can cause my fmq is pathetic lol! With that said since its basted etc I toss it on the hoop and clip it to the hoop. It's hard with large ones and the quilt must be supported or there's drag on the arm. Mostly it's quilting or rework designs. I will to regular embroider on a block prior to sandwich and then in that case it's hooped like normal. Also I don't care for the look of the tag so I embroider it on the back area again prior to sandwich. Hope this makes sense.

I have a husqvarna emb machine and have done many quilts using the embroidery designs to quilt. I just hoop each block or space I want to quilt and it works out just great.

I have used a method called "blue tape hooping method" found on a forum a few years ago. Basically you use wide painter's tape (that blue not so tacky stuff) and place it around the bottom edges of your inside (or top) hoop, so that the sticky side is up. Gives you about an inch or so of sticky to hold the quilt down. Then center your quilt area and press into the tape. Be sure to support the whole quilt! Do your design, pull the quilt up, move to next area to be embroidered and press down onto the same tape! You can usually do 6 or 8 designs before retaping. This moves along quite quickly, is easy to do and gives great results. Stabilizer isn't needed because the quilt is stable. (Quilt, not quilt top! You would need stablizer for just the top with no batting or backing.) I have done table runners and baby quilts and they are fast and easy using the tape method. The tape does not leave a residue on the quilt, there is no stabilizer to wash out, and the tape is cheap and easy to replace on the hoops when needed. It does stick to the hoops, so you have to remove before storing for a long time (ask how I know this) or you will have to scrape it off later. No problem when it is fresh, though.

Whoa! You ladies have opened a window for me! It never occurred to me to embroidery on my quilts as a way of quilting. Please post pictures! Does anyone know of a tutorial for this? I have the hoop and embroidery machine. Maybe I should be using it in a different way. You really can quilt a sandwich in an embroidery machine? Tell me more, please.

I've done a little with my Viking embroidery unit in combination with a little FMQ, but really had it in my head that I wanted to learn FMQ so have kept at it, and things do get better with practice - and patience. I really love doing FMQ now, but naturally the throat of a domestic is pretty limiting So I just bought an affordable Sunshine 16 - WOW! It's great to work with and I believe it would be much easier to learn FMQ due to the space and how easily the quilt sandwich slides! The blue painters tape tip sounds like it would be worth trying so I may attempt that too - ALSO following along with Leah Day and a Craftsy Class - Sew many options!

Pictures pictures please

You can also do what they call "floating" your quilt on your hoop where you put the stablizer on the hoop and spray it with 505 or one like it and the place your quilt on top of the hoop. This method is also done with some fabrics that don't lend well to being hooped. Check emblibrary.com under kenny's corner or projects and he has things on this. Hatched in Aftrica and emblibrary.com and sewswell.com, plus many others have great quilting designs for many different sizes hoops. Viking even has two quilters hoops, so yes quilting your quilts with the embroidery machine can be done. Good l uck to you all. Leah Day's site is great. I'm just learning FMQ as well on my Viking Ruby.

I finished a lap size quilt on my embroidery machine. I would not recommend it for a larger quilt. The limited hoop area is the main reason, plus the weight of the quilt had to be supported in such a way as to prevent drag on the mechanism.

Has anyone tried something like a Snap-Hoop for this? Curious - have been thinking about maybe trying one and just wonder if anyone has had any success with something like that?

Marysewfun

I have a Janome 10001 with a giga-hoop and I use it for quilting. I just pin my top together, beginning in the middle, and hoop it. Remove the pins before quilting. There are loads of good websites with quilting designs. It looks beautiful!