vivientan

I just bought a ditch quilting foot for my Janome 6260 to SITD. However, I realised that it's pretty tough to glide the quilt through the machine, as compared to using a walking foot. I would like to have the ease of a walking foot, but yet getting straight stitiches to SITD for the top. There's puckering at the backing fabric too. Any advice for me pls?

np3

Oh, sorry to hear that. I love my SID foot, but I have the Pfaff with the built in walking foot. The combination has made quilting so much more fun and less stressful. I hope someone has a good idea for you.

Stitchnripper

I had the same problem with the SITD foot. I am just wondering if your machine has an adjustment for the pressure on the presser foot would that help? The one I was using didn't have that adjustment.

CompulsiveQuilter

The only way I've been satisfied with my SITD is to use invisible thread - which I really hate to do. But I wander in and out of the ditch no matter how careful I am. I tried a decorative stitch but the bulk of the quilt - or something - made the spacing of the stitches so uneven unless I went REALLLLLLLLLY SLOW. Any suggestions there?

EasyPeezy

You can use your walking foot to SID just go slow. Either way you can't
go too fast, I think.:) About the puckering...how did you baste your quilt?
Did you have your backing taped to the floor or clamped to a table? Also,
when you SID, did you start in the middle and work your way out? You
know...center-East, center-West, center-North, center-South.
Hope this helps.

amma

Lengthen your stitches when quilting :wink: They don't need to be as short as when piecing, and it may help it feed through easier too. :D:D:D

vivientan

I'm doing the SID on a practice quilt. This is the first time I'm attempting this with a ditch footer and thought it would be good to test it out first before starting on the actual quilt. But the results are disastrous! :(

With regards to basting, I usually do it with the backing taped to the floor.

When you start to SID from the centre, do u sew right to the extreme end, then start a new line of stitiching again?

vivientan

With regards to SID, how do u normally lock the starting stitiches? I've asked this question before and some quilters have advised me to lock the stitch using very tiny stitches at the beginning, then gradually increase the stitch length to my desired. I've tried this but I notice that it's hard to control the tension when stitches are tiny. No matter how I adjust the tenstion, the bobbin thread will show on the top. I'll be using different colours for the top and bobbin threads, hence I will need to resolve this issue.

vivientan

I've also tried on a practice quilt using invisible thread and I almost tore my hair off! No matter how I adjust the thread tension, the bobbin thread shows on the top. :( And the backing puckers like mad.

EasyPeezy

Yes, I go to the extreme end and then start again in the middle.
I start and end every line with small stitches then gradually increase.
I also bury my thread in the middle. Leave enough thread when you start
a new line so you can thread a needle and bury it just at its source then
make a few stitches through the batting, bring the needle up and cut the
thread. I'll try to make a diagram and post in a few.

I always use same thread top and bobbin to avoid the kind of problem
you're having. I read it's very difficult to control when using two different
colors. I use some neutral color and I'm done. :D