Skipped Stitches
 

I'm practicing FMQ using a Babylock Jane (straight stitch only) machine, size 14 topstitch needle and Superior King Tut thread.

My question is: Why do I get skipped stitches when I use the Westalee ruler foot but not when I use the Babylock quilting/darning foot?

As Tartan said, skipped stitches are usually a sign that the westalee ruler foot is a little too high. My PQ1500s (identical to the Jane) does best with the Westalee foot if it is just barely skimming the fabric. I found that the tool Westalee provides to help with adjusting the height of the foot leaves it too high off the fabric. You want the foot low enough that it is barely touching the fabric, but high enough that there is no drag/friction as the fabric is moved under the foot.


Rob

I'll try lowering the foot. Thanks.

Thanks for your help. A very slight adjustment to the ruler foot and no more skipped stitches.

I'm kind of new at quilting, so this may be a question or problem I should be able to resolve, but I'm stuck. I'm using a babylock katherine with a walking foot. THings were rolling along just fine until the wallking foot eventually jiggled itself loose and I wasn't even aware that it was. Then it went on to a broken needle because I didn't have the needle positioned correctly. Then the thread started breaking. I started a new spool of thread, made sure I threaded the machine correctly, got the walking foot on correctly, put in a new needle, and reset the needle position. Now, it goes maybe 10 stitches and then skips a huge amount (maybe 10 stitches worth) stitches a couple good ones, then skips again. I don't know what to do.

You could try a larger needle. Sometimes that will cause skipped stitches.