bneuen

Trying to learn to FMQ and ran into a challenging situation with my last project. It has been suggested that to help hide stitches, use a matching thread. My problem...the stitches were so hidden I had difficulty seeing where I had stitched. With the printed fabrics and the thread color I used, I couldn't see what I stitched and when I wanted to echo, I couldn't see the stitches I had already sewn. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

TheMerkleFamily

Yes, I've had trouble seeing the matching thread on a quilt top while FMQ and what helped me was to add LED strip lighting under the harp of my machine (or add'l overhead lighting) and to wear the right eyeglasses.

Hope that's of help to you and please show us your quilting

Christine

ArtsyOne

Definitely a lamp would help - aim the light horizontally across your sewing and you should be able to see it better.

anonymous

My longarm machine has a set of LED black lights to help threads stand out while quilting.

QuiltnNan

I had trouble seeing my stitching, too. I have an LED under the machine arm and a strong light to the upper left. Turns out the light was too strong. I turned off the upper left light and could see my stitching much better.

Stitchnripper

Same issue here. Good lighting placed correctly does help and sometimes I have to go slowly. As your skills improve you can try a thread with a little more contrast.

Tartan

A piece of white chalk traced over the stitches would make them visible but not very practical while you are quilting. If you can find a bendable lamp, try lighting from the side so the indentation of the quilting shows rather then the thread.

Jingle

Good ideas. My eye doctor told me a warm light helps better than a bright white or soft white light.

bneuen

I ‘m using 2 additional lights. The fmq just wasn’ Showing up.

Appreciate the suggestions

quilttiger

If FMQ is being done on a long arm machine, try turning off all or but one lights in the room and see if the light from the machine itself helps to illuminate the stitches for you.