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Don’t expect machine quilting to
look like hand quilting!
It is a great way to finish many things, and it is very
attractive in its own fashion! It doesn’t need to imitate hand
quilting. Look for interesting threads and techniques to make the
machine quilting an important design element.
Machine quilting takes time to learn and practice to do well. It
will become easier and faster as you practice it, but at first it
may seem awkward, and you may have trouble getting the tension and
stitch length just right. Don’t give up early, and don’t start on
your favorite quilt top.
Machine quilting requires the right tools. For straight lines and very
gentle curves, use a walking foot. For the curved and stippling (free
motion) patterns, use a darning foot. You will need to know how to
lower your feed dogs. (Some machines have a little plastic cover for
them instead.) In addition, it's helpful to be able to release or lower
the pressure on your presser foot. Check your manual to see if you can
do this. A flat bed for your sewing machine is very useful. This might
be part of your sewing machine, or a special drop-in table, or you can
buy or make one.
A clean machine is a happy machine. Begin by swabbing the accessible
parts of your machine and bobbin casing with a soft paintbrush. Very
long tweezers can reach into the machine to clean out threads that are
caught or loose inside the machine. Get out all the lint and thread.
Wipe the exterior of the machine clean. Don’t use compressed air
to clean your computerized machine. Unless your machine is
specifically designed to be oil-free, you should oil your machine
regularly. After oiling, wipe away the excess oil and sew through some
scrap fabric to make sure it's all absorbed or removed.
Replace your needle frequently. Schmetz makes
needles designed for machine quilting or you can use a universal
size 12 sharp. Your needle will dull faster if you use a polyester
batt. You may require several needles to quilt a big bed quilt.
Machine quilting requires the same careful layering and basting as
hand quilting. This is worth the time to do right. The long threads
of hand basting are a real nuisance when you are machine quilting.
Safety pins work well, but you need to remove them as you quilt or sew around them. I like to use the Quilt-tak ®
for
both machine and hand quilting. It doesn’t leave such big holes
as safety pins, and it takes a fraction of the time to baste a quilt!
It's safer than safety pins, since nothing breaks if you stitch through
one. The Quilt Tak is more expensive than other brands of basting
guns, but I have found it to be more reliable and less prone to
breakage.
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REMINDERS
- Baste well!
- Lower the feed dogs while using the darning foot.
- Reduce pressure on the presser (darning) foot.
- Set your needle in the Stop Down position if you can.
- Use sharp needles - change frequently.
- Start at the edge or in a seam whenever possible.
- Always draw the bobbin thread to the top of the quilt.
- Hold both threads in your left hand when you start sewing.
- Check the back of your quilt periodically.
PRACTICE AND EXPERIMENT!!!
Make a practice piece (or two)
For your first attempts at machine quilting, use two pieces of cotton
fabric, approximately 20" square. "Fat Quarters" work fine, but don't
spend money on these pieces. Use your ugliest scraps.
Sandwich them with a cotton batt about the same size and use safety pins or the Quilt-Tak ® to baste the three layers together.
Use two different colors of thread (one for the top and one in the
bobbin) so you can judge the tensions. Both colors should contrast with
the fabrics you are using.
© 1997 Catherine Timmons
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