BellaBoo

Can you loosen the pressure on your foot? That helps me a lot.

Tartan

I have not had a pucker since switching to the Hobbs fusible batt. I lay the back on the old carpet in my basement, smooth the batt over it and then the top. I start pressing with a fairly hot dry iron in the middle and work outwards until the top is fused. I flip over the whole sandwich which is partially fused and start ironing the back from the middle out. There is always a little extra fabric that proceeds the iron and I work that out to the edges. When I have the back perfect, I put a few safety pins along the edges so that I don't accidentally peel the edge up.
I use knee pads when I iron on the floor. I sew all the sashing lines first with my walking foot (middle outwards)while the whole quilt is well fused. If needed I re-iron inside the squares before FMQ inside the squares. I am going to try the 505 spray soon on a quilt and see how that compares to my fusible batt because I am not getting any younger and crawling on the floor is getting harder. Good luck and just keep trying different things until you get something that works for you.

much2nice

I have also had same problem in the past. I now have a brother mechanical 1500S straight stitch with a big heavy walking foot and also a heavy free motion quilt. Using this machine has allowed me to adjust the pressure on my pressure foot, and the stitch length, and the heavy walking foot seems to make a difference. However, with any machine, (if you can adjust the pressure foot tension, which on some machines you can't), I find that I make a little mock up first a "quilt sandwich" made up of some of the pieced extra blocks or partial blocks, or fabric in some batting. I practice on this first, and see where I may need to adjust things to get the nice even stitching that I need. This would be a twelve to 18 inch square or piece. It doesn't even have to be square, you just have to have it big enough to see if fabric is puckering on top and or bottom, what stitch length looks best, and if your fabrics are shifting. I find adjusting the pressure on the pressure foot makes the most difference in the outcome, and sometimes must adjust the top tension a little as well as the stitch length. For me it is worth the effort both in stitching in the ditch, as well as free motion quilting, to practice first. This was hard for me, since I always want to run ahead and get the thing done, but have found this to be a crucial step for each quilt. Sometimes battings are different. Also, I have begun to use the gloves, and the "supreme slider" which I bought online, that easily stays on your machine and the quilt under the needle part slides over this teflon slide thingy. It has a self stick bottom and I am wondering how I got along without it. Oh, it is wonderful!!! Also, I read that adding bobbin washers can make a huge difference in quilting. I bought these but haven't tried them yet. You pop them into the bobbin and supposed to give you a nice even feed. I am going to try these next. Don't give up. I had the same thing happen to me and was so frustrated. Wow I am long winded. Best of luck to you!!

barbpowers

I don't think anyone has mentioned that when you do straight SITD, you have to push the fabric TOWARD the foot to take in the slack. The natural tendency is to smooth the fabric as you go, which pulls it and you eventually end up with a pucker. Any developing fullness must be gently pushed in the direction of the foot.

Jingle

What barbpowers said about pushing the fabric gently towards the foot for SITD. I mostly do FMQ in a large stipple. Also try loosening your tension on the thread. I agree with making a sandwich for testing all your settings before starting on your quilt, wearing any gloves with rubber nubs. I also try to keep the quilt loosely around the needle area, takes the pull off the quilt. Good luck and just try all these tips and you will improve.

RitaFaye

ahhhhhhhhhh now I feel like I am not the only one rotfl.......hope you figure it out-
I am trying to figure out how to cover mine up....I only have two but they are bad ones and it is too
late to take apart and do over.

quiltmom04

How about the batt? Is it a flat cotton or puffy poly? I have found that poly batts, not matter how flat, are harder to quilt than cotton batts.

HillCountryGal

I was dealing with this exact same problem just yesterday. Using a walking foot; fabric/quilt supported on big table; stitch lengthened, etc. Pinned in a gazillion places... still puckers! After picking out waaay too many stitches, I gave up and went back to the regular presser foot and guess what? It looks much better!

I'd even considered just tying it off. Tried that and didn't like the look.

Honestly think each and every quilt calls for something just a 'touch' different than the last.

Please let us know what ends up working for you.

happyquiltmom

Have you tried using a stiletto to ease the top in front of the foot? I actually use a large corsage pin.

SandyQuilter

Go back to the beginning. From studying your photo, the piecing is not accurate: i.e., white point is cut off, seams not meeting. I never use starch. Just wash the fabric. I have a feeling that the fabric is being stretched during all that starch pressing. And if you have a 12-inch block, the sashing must be 12-inches also, plus seams, of course. To add sash, I've seen some quilters just start at one end and stitch to the end of the strip. This doesn't work as the blocks can be different sizes or the edges stretched. If a cut size block is supposed to be a 12-inch finished size, but the edges measure 12 3/4 inches, the extra length (1/4 inch) must be worked into the top in the location where it belongs. If it is 1/2 inch too long, the same thing applies--work in the excess where it belongs.
Best of luck. SandyQuilter