darningthuffy

I am new to quilting and I have a brother LX3817 sewing machine in grey I can't sew a quilt straight with it but when I use my mom's huskvarna viking iris type600 with the table attachment I sew straighter do I need an extension table for the brother sewing machine or do I need more skills with that machine? I'm not sure on this. I feel the quilt pulling when I use the brother sewing machine and I have to pull it back into place which messes me all up. please help me out with this situation and with another situation. my newly created quilt when I put it in the wash a couple blocks unraveled in 1 section. should I have starched the quilt?

Tartan

Welcome from Ontario, Canada. You need to keep your hand on the fabric to guide it as it goes through the machine for a good 1/4 inch seam. Try making a simple 4 patch and measure the finished size to see if you are piecing correctly. If a seam opened up, it probably didn’t have a consistent 1/4 inch seam or it could be the fabric was poor quality.
Bonnie Hunter in her Tips and Techniques tab at the top of her Quiltville site shows how to make a seam guide for most machines and you can see if having something to run the fabric against, helps you do straight seams.

ktbb

no matter what machine you use it's all about the tension on the fabric (vs tension setting on the machine). Sounds like your Mom's table set up provides better control of the body of the fabric which reduces the tension. Table extensions are great, but there are tricks you can use if you don't have one - hold the unsewn part of the fabric on your lap or throw it over your shoulder so it doesn't drag so much (letting it hang to the floor either in front of or behind the needle increases the tension/pull. Don't force the fabric either by pulling or pushing - let the machine feed dogs pull the fabric through with you only guiding it. Try "puddling" the fabric - keep extra fabric piled/puddled up around the machine - again, to reduce the drag/tension when fabric moves through the needle area. If I'm sewing a long seam I often fan-fold the material then drape it over my shoulder so the fabric feeds off my shoulder and not my lap or the floor. Takes some time to fold/adjust, but reduces work and frustration later. Keep readjusting your material so that there is no drag around the needle. It will take a little practice but you can do it.

Iceblossom

When both my vintage machine and my expensive machine were in the shop I was using a lightweight low-end Brother comparable to yours and it was doing great making masks and doing basic sewing tasks, but piecing on it was like chasing a loose dog.

First I tried a bit of rug backing under the base which wasn't enough. Finally I took big strips of blue tape and I taped the machine down to my work table, going from the under the front of the table, and then folding it up and over the bed of the machine and down the other side.

For a small project with lightweight batting like a crib quilt, I could see doing that on my Brother. But it is simply not made for heavier/larger projects. There are Brothers that are, but your model is more for light weight clothing construction, hems and repairs and things like that. You can certainly learn to work around your machine's limitations, people can do marvelous things with a Featherweight for example, but your model is just not meant for decades of heavy use.

juliasb

Welcome to the QB from SE Michigan! Sewing a straight seam can take a bit of practice when you are new to sewing. The more table space the better. If you can use a dining room table or something like this you will be able to guide your fabrics a bit easier as you are sewing. Be patient with yourself as you are learning. I frequently find myself getting off my 1/4" quilting seam allowance if I am speeding to fast. Taking my time with my sewing always provides me the ability to get the seam allowance I need weather I am doing 1/4" for quilting or 5/8" for garment making. Give yourself time and you will get it. We have all been there. Again welcome to the QB.

Barb in Louisiana

I have a low end Brother too. The tips above have to be followed because these machines will move all over on you. Even with my hanging on and guiding the fabric, I still could not sew a good quarter inch seam until I bought this foot. WalMart used to sell them. https://www.amazon.com/Brother-Pieci...5229579&sr=8-2

I, also, have this one with the vertical part on the edge. I found it got stuck on the seams when I tried to sew blocks together. https://www.amazon.com/Quilting-Patc...5229579&sr=8-3