1st FMQ Block
02-13-2021, 12:56 PM
#31
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 289
I wonder if I should quilt with polyester thread instead of cotton. Might try that when I finish this table runner I wanted to practise quilting on. Of course, it is just going to get straight lines now. Everything is set up for it. I just have to get the courage to see if this way will work, or if it is the gremlins causing me a headache.
02-14-2021, 05:36 AM
#32
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 289
I've been puzzling about why my BabyLock Jazz 2 isn't working properly. And I've discovered that it was my upper threading.
The machine is not user friendly when it comes to to that task. Why? The user manual shows the arm that raises and lowers as the needle goes up and down is exposed above the housing. No matter how I turn the dial that raises and lowers the needle, that arm doesn't raise above the housing, but is instead just below the housing. When threading the machine, you have to drop the thread down into a slot about 3/4 inch below the housing. Then you have to raise the thread up that slot into a round notch where the thread will reside.
Apparently, if you do not use two hands to guide the thread so that it catches that slow, it just drops down, and eventually catches on the housing, and breaks
I'm a kind of crazy person when it comes to a puzzle like this. It will bother me, and I don't sleep well until I figure things out. Maybe you could call it the mad scientist syndrome. :-)
Anyway, I will try to just do straight stitching, and some basic wiggle wobbles on some fabric to see how things go when the machine is threaded properly. I think that might also have been the cause of my having to raise the tension to almost maximum, and still have eyelashing when doing curving stitches. Hopefully this solves my problems.
The machine is not user friendly when it comes to to that task. Why? The user manual shows the arm that raises and lowers as the needle goes up and down is exposed above the housing. No matter how I turn the dial that raises and lowers the needle, that arm doesn't raise above the housing, but is instead just below the housing. When threading the machine, you have to drop the thread down into a slot about 3/4 inch below the housing. Then you have to raise the thread up that slot into a round notch where the thread will reside.
Apparently, if you do not use two hands to guide the thread so that it catches that slow, it just drops down, and eventually catches on the housing, and breaks
I'm a kind of crazy person when it comes to a puzzle like this. It will bother me, and I don't sleep well until I figure things out. Maybe you could call it the mad scientist syndrome. :-)
Anyway, I will try to just do straight stitching, and some basic wiggle wobbles on some fabric to see how things go when the machine is threaded properly. I think that might also have been the cause of my having to raise the tension to almost maximum, and still have eyelashing when doing curving stitches. Hopefully this solves my problems.
02-27-2021, 04:57 AM
#33
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 289
Solved
As you remember, I have been trying to figure out why my Baby Jazz 2's tension is not working right. The tension dial goes from zero to nine. I have had my tension set all the way up to past nine, and still got lashing on the bottom. So, something else has to be in play to cause this.
In a video watched about FMQing, it says the feed dogs are down, use a darning foot, and set the stitch length to zero. I did all of this.
The only thing that might be the problem is the stitch length. So I went back to the instruction manual, and read it very carefully again about the setting for darning. It states the stitch length is set between zero and four. The key word is "between", as I discovered when I set it at one. My tension problems went away. Apparently the Baby Lock Jazz 2 doesn't work on the zero setting, but needs to be set as stated in the instructions. I set it at one.
I also tried to locate a device that I could plug into the foot control pedal jack that would allow me to adjust the speed. Seems this machine doesn't have any way to adjust speed, other than to adjust the pressure on the foot pedal, which makes things difficult when you are trying to keep the speed of the quilt in your hands going in a steady motion.
So, I was wondering if there was some way to prevent the foot pedal from depressing completely. It just so happens that putting s small piece of wood the proper widths between the floor and the pedal top, and taping it in place will allow you to stomp on the pedal all the way, and get the machine sewing speed where you want it. Not having to worry about how far do depress the foot pedal makes it a whole lot easier to concentrate on your hand speed and motion
So, I think I finally solved my problems with quilting on my Baby Lock. Hope this helps anyone else that has this machine, or is thinking about getting one.
In a video watched about FMQing, it says the feed dogs are down, use a darning foot, and set the stitch length to zero. I did all of this.
The only thing that might be the problem is the stitch length. So I went back to the instruction manual, and read it very carefully again about the setting for darning. It states the stitch length is set between zero and four. The key word is "between", as I discovered when I set it at one. My tension problems went away. Apparently the Baby Lock Jazz 2 doesn't work on the zero setting, but needs to be set as stated in the instructions. I set it at one.
I also tried to locate a device that I could plug into the foot control pedal jack that would allow me to adjust the speed. Seems this machine doesn't have any way to adjust speed, other than to adjust the pressure on the foot pedal, which makes things difficult when you are trying to keep the speed of the quilt in your hands going in a steady motion.
So, I was wondering if there was some way to prevent the foot pedal from depressing completely. It just so happens that putting s small piece of wood the proper widths between the floor and the pedal top, and taping it in place will allow you to stomp on the pedal all the way, and get the machine sewing speed where you want it. Not having to worry about how far do depress the foot pedal makes it a whole lot easier to concentrate on your hand speed and motion
So, I think I finally solved my problems with quilting on my Baby Lock. Hope this helps anyone else that has this machine, or is thinking about getting one.
