muskratwine

Uneven stitches is from not moving the fabric evenly - that'll come with practice. As far as stitch length - I think that's up to you - what do you like? As long as they're consistent and not 1/4" long I'd be happy!! You just have to find your comfort zone and stick with it. Believe me, you'll get there. Just takes a lot of practice. Make your sandwiches a size for placemats or dog or cat beds. Then you can see your progress months from now :) It's the same way you get to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice :D Good luck and let us know how you're doing. Marlene

JulieR

Throw out the practice sandwiches and stencils. Layer a kid- or pet-sized quilt and just meander. You can start with drawing the pattern on a piece of paper if you want, but after a few tries throw that out and just get to stitching. You'll learn more on an actual project than on a practice piece because a) it's bigger, and b) you can't just throw it out after a few minutes. It's like an extended practice session, after which you'll have a good feel for how things move and what to do to get your stitches right.

Once you have that it's a much shorter jump to quilt patterns.

LivelyLady

I leave mine on 3 and I don't use a blue bobbin. I also find using the single hole plate that my piecing is so much better too. I put a sticky note on my machine when I have the single hole plate in......it would surely break a needle if you put it on a decorative stitch function.

annesthreads

I've just realised that when, earlier this week, I managed to do some successful FMQ on my Janome for the first time EVER after 7 years of trying, I hadn't altered the stitch length to zero! I wonder if it made any difference?

aberi

go back to your sewing machine supplier. the problem is that you need a quilting bobin holder.. i had the same problem and went back to where i bought the machine and bought the different bobbin holder,....BINGO!!! IT WORKED I have a janome as well as the sewing machine guy told me this is usually the issue with janomes.. i have never put back the original one and it FMQ s great now as well as sewing tol!!!!

annesthreads

My Janome is just about managing FMQ with the blue dot bobbin holder, but the tension is still on 9, which doesn't really sseem right.

vivientan

Bingo! Just tonite, I managed to get it all right! I left my tension at 2 and it seems to work fine! I'm just wondering why it didn't work the other day with the same settings???

Just finished a meandering design for a practice 14x14 sandwich. With practice, I could see my stitches getting more even, though there's an occasional stitch or two that seems out of place.

Will keep on practicing, and hopefully I can be as good as everyone here. :)

vivientan

I'm not sure if leaving the stitch length at zero makes a difference but I do that all the time. The stitch length for FMQ is dependent on how fast we move the quilt with our hands in relation to the needle speed.

If putting your tension at 9 solves your problem, then u should just go with it. I had previously left mine at 9 and it works too! But on certain days it doesn't. LOL. Now putting my tension at 2 seems to work perfectly for me.

I'm still waiting for my blue bobbin holder...hopefully that will be the end to all my tension problems.

I was shopping at Spotlight earlier and happened to see the Janome promoter, so I spoke to her about my tension problem. She said I shouldn't have any problems if I leave the tension between 2 to 4, have my feed dogs down and use the correct needle for my thread. Also said she has never heard of anyone having tension problems for 6260. Hmm......

Btw have u tried the blue tip needles? I'm not sure if it really helps, but my tension problems seem to have improved after I switch to those needles.

annesthreads

Several Janome people have assured me that I "shouldn't" have the problems I have - but even so, I do! I'd like to see the person you spoke to set the tension on my machine to 2 and get decent results... The existence of the blue dot bobbin case suggests that they do know there are problems, but just can't admit it - I don't know of another make of sewing machine that finds itt necessary to sell a different bobbin case for FMQ.
I've tried various needles and at the moment a top stitch 11 is working for me - but I've got some blue tip and will try them if I have any more difficulties.
SO glad that you've solved the issue on your machine - I hope that you can now enjoy FMQ!

vivientan

Thanks! I hope this is the end to your FMQ woes too! :)

My machine's weird....sometimes it works and the day after it doesn't, even though I've not changed the settings. Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will be another good FMQ day!