My quilt gets caught in the machine!
 

Just started quilting (completely new to it) and every time I try and make a spiral or sometimes just a straight line the fabric gets bunched and is impossible to sew through. The needle gets caught and it does several close together stitches and won’t budge, is there a way to fix this?! What am I doing wrong?! I would appreciate any response ! Thanks in advance ! If someone would be willing to drop their email then I could send a video for reference of what it’s like? Machine is Pfaff 1473cd and I’m not using any foot hope this helps!

This is when you are actually doing the quilting part (as opposed to the piecing part)?

It sounds like you are learning :) A walking or quilting foot might help. A larger needle might help. Even after years of machine quilting I often have issues with loops going up and away from me but I can handle loops coming down towards me just fine.

Probably the biggest help is keeping the weight of the project off the needle/machine, you have to bunch it up on your lap, over your shoulder, and set up your sewing surface so that you can support the most of the top as you can while working with what is immediately in front of you.

First of all welcome to the QB from SE Michigan. This problem sounds like a machine issue. I would start there. Check your bobbin case and panel to be sure there are no threads of dust collected in the bobbin case and in back of it. Check your tension. It also sounds like the timing may be off just a little. If you are getting a birds nest of threads to the back side check your tension and rethread your machine. I don't know what you mean by "spiral". We have a whole lot of machine enthusiast here that may be able to help you a great deal. What I shared here are just some of the basics. Again welcome to the QB.

Is this happening when you're sewing (2 layers of fabric together) or quilting (3 layers - fabric, batting, fabric)? Does your needle plate have a hole for the needle, or is it a wide oval (for doing zigzag stitches)? Video will be very difficult to send via an email, can you post the video somewhere online and then post a link to it here? Or maybe take a picture of what the stitches look like and post it.

I would think you would need some sort of a foot on the machine....usually each model has a list of feet to use when quilting...I assume you have the feed dogs down and are trying to move the fabric with your hands in swirls? ...So I would find your manual and look at what it suggest for doing free motion quilting....Go to the Pfaff website and see if can download a manual or even watch a video of doing quilting on the site.

Hello and welcome!

There should be some type of foot on the machine for stitching or quilting. Check the stitch length. It may be too small.

Change the needle on the machine. Many issues can be fixed with a needle change. Many quilters like the top-stitch 90/14. Needles are important and size/type does matter.

Some machines do not stitch well when moving left/right or right/left. Something to do with the machine and how it moves.

Is the machine working for straight stitching on two pieces of fabric?

Are in a zig-zag mode by accident? Make sure you are on the correct setting.

There is a presser foot called "Darning foot" - for that machine. It came with the machine and should be in the accessory box.

Then look for "Darning with straight stitch" in your manual for how to put it on. Read the instructions very very carefully. It's a bit of a challenge to get it on correctly. You will probably have to go through the manual page by page to find it.

(The manuals for the Pfaff 1471, 1473, and 1475 leave a lot to be desired as far as their indexes/table of contents are concerned)

Have you been using that foot?

Welcome to this board from outside St. Louis, Missouri.

I hope you get it all figured out so you can quilt.

I have the 1475cd, and I have done FMQ on it with success. The Pfaff has IDT, the 'built in walking foot', so no need to buy one. Yes, I use the darning foot. My machine has a setting for darning (or fmq) in the foot lift...it is not raised all the way up as for normal release when sewing, but rather you raise and nudge it to the left about half way up. You do not drop the foot all the way down as if to sew a seam. This sets the tensions so the threads lock. Drop the feed dogs and away you go.

Welcome. I'm thinking that you are asking about FMQ with all the layers. I've read of problems when reversing directions (sewing circles or sprirals) or going from side to side. I think part of that is the speed of machine and moving the fabric. Does it sew seams properly? Pictures would be helpful. The set up for FMQ (darning) can be found at https://www.manualslib.com/manual/50...page=81#manual

Thank you, mermaid, I went and looked at the manual for darning. I knew about the position of the foot lifter. When looking at the manual I noticed the darning stitch (09- on my 1471), which I have used. However. it doesn't do a neat rectangular shape. I just haven't looked it up to adjust and noticed that according to the instructions one is not to use the dual (top) feed for that stitch. I will have to try that and see if that helps.

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