Mrs. Mel

Hi All:

I am attempting to quilt a double sized quilt on a new machine. I was just going to stitch in the ditch, and made my stitch length longer but stitches are sometimes tiny and somtimes what they should be. I don't think it is feeding through properly. Is the pressure on my foot wrong?

I am about to take it to a longarm quilter. I've worked too hard on this top to screw it up now.

If any of you can help this newbie, I'd be forever grateful.

tlrnhi

Are you using a walking foot? If not, that could be your problem. I know when I don't use mine, it gives me itty bitty tiny sticthes and BIG HUGE stitches.

sandpat

It sounds like either one of 2 things is happening..and they have both happened to me before. Either the weight of your quilt is pulling on the machine and you may need to fluff it up more and let the feed dogs pull it through by themselves OR....your thread is getting pulled too tightly before it goes into the machine. Is your quilt hitting your spool or something else hitting the spool that is not letting it pull of the spool smoothly?

If its not either of those...then someone else will have to help..I just take care of the simple "dumb" mistakes like I tend to make :wink:

Good luck!

mary quite contrary

It sounds like you need to get the weight up so it can feed through easier. A large flat surface beside and behind the machine for the quilt to rest on is important. I rest the quilt on my shoulders as I feed it through.

Hopefully this helps.

Mrs. Mel

I am actually using a stitch in the ditch foot that I bought specifically to go with my Husqvarna. It is definatly heavy; I did put it over my shoulder for a bit, but that didn't seem to help. Should I be dropping the feed dogs for this? I didn't think I was supposed to but this just seems odd.

Quilt4u

A lot of pining and a walking foot. And try not to push it thru to fast or to slow. That's my problem.

mamatobugboo

DO NOT drop the feed dogs! For a quilt that large and heavy, I would recommending "ditching" ( :lol: :lol: ) the stitch in the ditch foot and use the walking foot. And, like the other ladies have suggested, the weight is pulling it down probably. Make sure you have plenty of space behind your machine to hold the quilt up and that it is neither falling off the table and creating drag OR that it is not bunching up behind the machine so that is it stopping the quilt from feeding through fast enough. You can help that by stopping periodically and folding up the quilt behind the machine to leave space for it to feed through.

good luck - how about posting a picture of your quilt?!

Shadow Dancer

It sounds like the weight of the quilt is causing drag and you need to switch to a walking foot. :)

Mrs. Mel

Thank you everyone. Although it was well spray basted I think the weight was the issue, possibly it getting bunched at the back. (I think I need a bigger sewing room.) :wink:

I think I will go back to something a little smaller, like a table runner.

mary quite contrary

NO NO NO!!!! Don't give up. Just look at all you learned and your next one will be even better.