ConnieF

Hello Ruthie, Stippling is a freehand motion where you sew in as I teach like puzzel pieces, and you never cross a line of stitching. That takes a lot of practice but is addddddicting. The biggest thing is to breath. You can't do it if you don't breath. LOL There is stippling where you can cross the lines like stars or curlie q's or spikes and so on. It is used to make turpunto stand up real small or larger just to quilt a whole quilt.
Hope you can get the picture here. Sorta hard to explain... happy quilting.
Connie :lol:

Suz

Sibble,
I let my feeddogs up but have lessened the pressure on my presser foot. One of my machines has three settings, another has a "bolt-like" post that can be turned to tighten or lessen the pressure.
You can test the pressure by putting your presser foot down and then attempt to lift it by hand from the back of the foot. Obviously, if it is difficult to lift, you will need to loosen same. Because you have three layers going under the needle the machine will require a bit more space, thus lessened pressure in order for your project sandwich to flow.
To cover your feeddogs, I would hesitate to use any kind of tape over them owing to the possibility of the tape residue getting into my machine guts and gumming it up. I have heard of taping a credit-card like card over the feeddogs.
Ask me to clarify if this is not clear and helpful. Blessings, Suz

allets

You don't have to drop the feed dogs. I have stippled on a Brother, Bernina and a older Singer that doesn't have a way to drop feed dogs. The main thing is to use a darning foot or a universal Big Foot. These let the material ride above the feed dogs when the pressure bar is lowered and the feed dogs actually help control your movement. You can set your stitch length to 0 if you want but it doesn't effect your stitch length, they are controlled by the speed you move your material in relation to the speed of your machine. If you move your material slow you will have little stitches, if you move it fast you will get big stitches. Practice until you have the right rhythm between the movement of your quilt and the speed of your machine. Practice does it. Good luck.

Stella

waynette

I have a Brother and it has a plastic disc that snaps over the feed dog.
I have also straight line quilted with the feed dog up. Works pretty well.
I'm new at quilting and sewing. Just been retired and starting out. Really enjoy it. :)

Diana

If you are just starting to stipple and are tense about crossing over the lines as you go, then print a stipple design on a large piece of paper, take the thread out of your machine, lower feed dogs and follow the stipple lines on the paper with your needle. This will get your hands, arms and movement into the stipple motion. Practice this, then practice on fabric. Place a stipple design sheet under some light fabric, draw the lines on your fabric and then go to the machine and follow the lines. Once your hands, foot and eye can follow the lines, they will remember that motion when you are free motioning later.

chrisfass

Hi: If you are proud to show your quilts then your sewing machine has done a good job so dont be ashamed of it be proud that you are smart enough to own it Chris :wink:

susan s.

At least now I know that stippling and free-motion sewing are the same thing. The problem with tape, if it works, is the sticky it leaves behind. I don't think I'd want to risk that. I have a pressure adjustment control for the pressure foot (the piece that comes down on the fabric) it adjusts how tightly the the top foot rests against the bottom or pressure plate. The pedal on the floor that makes the machine go is usually referred to as the foot pedal, and some models have a lever that drops down from the cabinet which you push with the side of your knee. Referred to as the Knee Pedal ;-) I made a bedspread with full pcs. of fabric and backing (Queen size) and did the same thing. The straight line stitch. It came out just fine. Until I either can afford a new machine or inspired by new info. I guess I have plenty to keep me occupied in the meanwhile. :lol:

zyxquilts

Sibble, you said you have a Singer? Does it have the part that slides off so you can have the free arm, like to sew on a cuff? On my Singer, I slide that part off, then on the back side there is a slide switch - slide it over & the feed dogs drop...slide it back & they come up!

Hope that helps.

sue

Moonpi

For further information, contact SINGER® Consumer Affairs at 1-800-4-SINGER. They are very helpful, and will walk you through it if you give them the serial/model number


I have the "commercial" Singer, and feed dog control is a lever you have to take the outer housing off to see - as if you were using it as freearm.

susan s.

My is a one pc. platform, But thanks for the info this could be very helpful. I also have a Futura. My Mom bought it at a yard sale for $25.00 some time ago. she left it in the sun and the foot pedal was sitting on top of it I guess on the sewing platform, and some of the plastic melted into it. I can imagine what that looked like. She said she took it to a shop but could never get it to sew after bringing it home. I haven't even plugged it in. I was planning to eventually take a look at it, and maybe take to another shop if I needed to. It has a bunch of little plastic discs for embroidery and fancy stitches. I thought that would be great to have working properly. Maybe someone at singer could help me.