Speed settings
 

Both of my Janome machines are equipped with speed settings from turtle (slow) medium and then to rabbit (fast). When machine quilting on your designated home machine what speed do you use? I have some quilting papers from Urban Elementz that are really loopy and not sure how slow to go to stay on the lines when I use them and get good results. Anyone have a certain speed they use?

I mainly use a medium speed for quilt-as-you-go, and the higher speed for decorative work, called fabric 'painting'. It's what you are comfortable with. The hardest thing is keeping the stitches regular.

Mine is slightly to the low side of medium. I've found there's a sweet spot where the stitch rate and my arms fall in sync. It took playing with the machine speed on some practice bits, but it is very distinct for me when I have it "dialed in".

You need to experiment to find the "sweet spot" for you and your machine. If speed is slow and you move hands too fast you will get long spaced stitches. If speed to fast and hands slow you will get little tiny stitches. My speed is set a little above medium on my Pfaff and with "pedal to the medal" I have found my sweet spot.

Your fast might be another's slow.
Another's slow may be your fast.

For me, it depends on what I am doing ... how complicated of a stitch job (straight lines, curves, distance, fabric type, piecing and matching seams) etc. And sometimes it's a matter of how tired I am that governs my stitching speed, too!

As the saying ...... You do YOU! 👍
And another ...... There's only one right way ... YOUR way! 😜

When you do find the sweet spot for you, be sure to mark it somehow.... on these machines a small movement either way can be off.....

I prefer to set mine to rabbit and control speed with the foot pedal. I think it is just whatever you get used too going.

My Juki has the turtle and rabbit speed control too. I usually leave it in the low middle and push the control pedal all the way down. Less strain on my foot to hold the control pedal down and not have to constantly adjust the pressure using my foot. I noticed I would get leg cramps using my foot for speed control.

I guess I'm a lead footed quilter - I keep my machine speed set on high and just adjust the pressure if I need to.