how about starching the flowers "stiff as boards", sew them down, and wash the quilt when you are completely done....the starch will wash out, and the edges will softly fray.

From my experience, what you are describing is normal. Machines are not made to sew tight curves, they are made to sew in straight lines. So if you want to do tight curves, you have to work around the machine.

I'd lower the foot pressure and use heavy stabilizer underneath. the stabilizer will help to limit the feed dogs so that you can pivot more easily, You may still have to lift and adjust in tighter corners. If you have the option to partially lower the feed dogs, do that too. Or drop them all together and do it free motion.

Starching will work like the stabilizer does, it's going to help hold the fabric stable while you are trying to move the fabric in a different direction then the feed dogs want to move it.

Doing stuff like this is why I love my knee lift, a slight pressure with my knee, adjust the fabric with hands, move knee, sew a few stitches and repeat. on the Juki it's mechanical so you can raise it just a tiny bit and lower back down. On my Desitiny it works more like a switch, so you can't lift it just a tiny bit and put it back down.

Why don't you use a walking foot and go slow.

Yes, I've both got a 'down needle' or pivot position and the stop/start button. I've never used the button before, and I'm wondering if I'll feel like I need 3 hands to use it? I'll give that a try though. I'll starch the ...starch out of it next time...and try slower.

Ha! "Light as a feather, stiff as a board"... ;-)

This what I was going to suggest as well. See if your walmart carries the liquid stayflo so you can control the strength of it.

Well, the machine is a Janome DC 1050, so some basic functionality, no knee lift. I'll give the thoughts here a try before I throw in the towel. I really want to make this one! Sometimes I feel like I'm the worst quilter in the world because all these logical solutions escape my mind!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. At least I feel like I've something to go on!

If you Google "French Roses" quilt pattern, there is a link (Pinterest) that is actually a link to a tutorial on how to construct the quilt. Hope this helps.

That's what I thought. I'd starch them heavily and then lessen the pressure on my presser foot and see how that works.

I have this on my to-do list, and I'd been planning on using my hopping foot to sew the tight curves since the walking foot and other regular feet are basically intended to do straight sewing. I wonder if this would work for you?