 |
| 'Housewarming Bouquet' detail |
Guide
to Practicing Your Free Motion Quilting Skills
Terry's
Tips For Your Best Work
Welcome! Settle in for a long read. Troubleshooting tips are in the last half of this post.
Preparing
Your Machine For A Good Day:
Remove
the bobbin plate and the bobbin case and clean out all the dust bunny
lurkies using your pointy thing, Q-tips, brushes, and forced air.
Use a little machine oil on your fingertip to oil the sides of where
the bobbin case sits and inside the bobbin case. Replace the bobbin
case. Wax your machine bed. Insert a new needle. Oil your machine
if it requires oil (not all machines do).
Having
a Smooth Surface To Work On:
You
can buy a teflon sheet to place on the bed of your machine. These
are very expensive however. An alternative is to use a very thin
layer of car wax on the bed of your machine and then buff carefully.
Don't leave any residue behind. I have used the green liquid turtle
wax to good effect and it lasts a long time.
Threading
Your Machine:
As in your manual's
instructions. Problem areas can be around tension discs, hook-lift
levers, and bobbin cases. Your presser foot must be in the UP
position when threading; this keeps the tension discs open.
Spool
wound threads should 'spin' off the spool. Cross
wound threads should come off the end of the spool. But which way
up? Cones are obvious – you can't put one on upside down. Others?
Well you can test.
How to test your thread for
twist: Place your spool vertically in front of you. Cut off any
thread that has previously been unwound from the spool. Now have the
thread coming off the back right hand side of the spool. Holding the
spool on the table with your left hand, pull an arms length off the
spool in the upwards direction with your right hand. Now lift the
spool and bring your hands together in front of you and note the loop
of thread hanging down. Does it twist up? If it does you have added
twist to the thread by pulling it off the spool. Now turn the spool
over and have the thread coming off the back left hand side of the
spool. Holding the spool with your left hand, pull an arm length off
the spool in the upwards direction with your right hand. Bring your
hands together in front of you as before. Does it twist up? If it
doesn't, you have not added any extra twist to your thread and this
is the way it should be loaded onto your machine. Note that brands
may differ.
Which
way up for Batting:
All
needled batting has a best way up and that would be the way it was
needled in the factory. Look for the holes going into the fibres
(that is the top) and look for the little puffs of batting on the
rougher looking side (that would be the bottom). Why is this
important? For one reason, the batting will stitch easier when you go
with the direction of the fibres. For another, you will avoid or
minimize little cotton “pokeys” that come through the backing
(especially noticable with a dark backing fabric). It's not the end
of the world if your batting is upside down though.
Make
sure your batting is relaxed and not full of creases. A tumble in
the dryer with a damp cloth, or a steam with the iron will help.
Preshrinking your batting is a personal preference.
Planning
Your Quilting:
Strive
to have your quilt as evenly quilted as possible. Sketch out your
designs first. Practice on a piece of scrap. Plan to have a minimum
of cut threads by planning your starts and stops. It is OK to travel
over previously stitched lines (try to keep this to a minimum
though). If you are planning a lot of backtracking you could
consider using a thinner thread that will not build up a thick layer.
Start in the centre of your quilt and work outwards. One idea is to
divide the quilt into areas by stitching in the ditch, then tackle
each area separately.
Try
not to start stitching in a corner. For
ease of everything from tying in loose ends, to looks. Start about
½” away from a corner. Not always avoidable though. Try to plan
for the most sewing with the least number of stops.
Make
sure you quilt out to the edges of your quilt. Some motifs (like
feathers) you don't want to cut off though, so keep these within the
borders of your basting, and within where your binding would go.
Marking
your Quilt top:
Water
soluble pens.
Air
erase markers
Aqua
pencils
Hera
Chalk
pencils
Fine
Wax pencils
Pounce
powder and stencils.
Using
The Best Gloves For Machine Quilting.
Machingers
are the best I have found as they are thin and have grippy
fingertips. They are also expensive and can leave your fingers hot
and sweaty. Others that will work in a pinch are the thin garden
gloves with coated fingers. Or the white cotton painters gloves. If
your hands get claustrophobic in gloves try using squares of non-skid
table mat; one 5” square for each hand.
Don't
Forget To Drop Your Feed Dogs! Or Not!
Can't
tell you how many times I forget to do this, and the quilting looks
just fine. Sometimes you might feel like you have more control with
the feed-dogs up. And the stitch quality may be better for you with
the feed-dogs up. Trial with your machine to see which way you like
better.
Also
your machine may have a setting for FMQ; check your manual. With
non-computerized machines this may mean setting the stitch length to
zero and dropping the feed-dogs. For older machines, look under the
'Darning' heading in your manual.
Use
Lots Of Light:
This
keeps you from peering at your work. Prevents neck strain and dry
eyes. At home I use two extra lights coming from different
directions to minimize shadows. (One is behind the machine pointing
down, one is just in front of my head pointing at the machine). Use
eye drops if you are forgetting to blink! Get a pair of glasses
dedicated to focusing on this distance if you do a lot of
sewing/quilting. (No, seriously. Sewing is farther away than reading
and you could be craning your neck to see clearly. Talk to your
optometrist).
Use
Your Best Posture:
Try
to keep your neck in line with your spine. Lift your sternum. Lower
your shoulders. Blink lots. Raise your chair or lower your chair to
get the best for you. Stop every 10 – 20 minutes for a walk
around. Stretch. Laugh!
Here
are some good exercises for easing your muscles while quilting:
What
The Best Tension Should Look Like:
The
best tension will have the top and bobbin threads meeting in the
middle of your work. From the back, you will not see any top threads
showing through. From the top, you may just see a hint of bobbin
thread 'down there in the hole'. (Especially with a larger needle).
This hole will close up after the work relaxes a bit and then no
bobbin thread should show. For best results use the same colour top
and bobbin thread.
Here
is a video of how a stitch is formed with your sewing machine:
How
to decide on a stitch length:
Of
course, this is determined by how fast you move your hands, and how
much you step on the gas pedal. Maybe you like the race track and
maybe you drive the horse and carriage. No problem either way;
consistency is the key. Larger motifs can look great in 8-10
st/inch. A smaller stitch length like 10 – 12 st/inch will look
better going around tight curves and spirals. And an even smaller
stitch length looks best for micro-stippling. Your thread type can
help you decide; fat thread = longer stitches, thin thread = smaller
stitches.
Getting
in the Groove:
Listen
for an even chug-chug-chug-chug of your machine. Hum along. Pull
just the right amount for the speed of your machine when moving your
work around. A combination of the two that is just right for you
will feel like ZEN. Stitch from 'point-to-point' in an even motion.
Choose the point as a target destination and pay less attention to
the path in getting there. Stop for a second at the target before
choosing a new target. Keep your eyes about an inch or more ahead of
the needle, and keep your eyes moving. It's a bit like driving your
car; you focus on the middle distance and chances are your car will
stay on the road.
When
doing long lines and curves there isn't a 'target' and you may need
to stop part way along to reposition your hands. Think ahead, then
stop. Reposition your hands. To start your next section take the
first stitch in exactly the same hole – it will keep you in line.
Tying
In Loose Ends.
To
Begin: After your machine is threaded and you've chosen your start
position then needle down and up. Pull on the end of the top thread
until a loop of bobbin thread appears through the hole. Hook the
loop with your pointy thing and bring the bobbin thread to the top.
To begin stitching anchor the ends with your fingertips to avoid
thread snarl and take your first stitch in the same hole.
To
End: After your last stitch make sure your needle is up. Lift
presser foot and pull your work about 6 inches away (usually
backwards for the smoothest thread pull). Lift the excess top thread
with your left hand and place the work back under the presser foot.
Carefully use the hand wheel to turn the needle down into the exact
last thread hole. Needle down and up. Pull on the loop of top
thread until a loop of bobbin thread appears through the hole. Hook
the loop with your pointy thing and bring the bobbin thread to the
top until you can cut leaving at least a 2” tail. You now have
your start threads and end threads coming to the top and they should
be coming through their respective thread holes. If you are starting
another thread at the same spot (as in you just ran out of thread at
your end spot) then follow step one for beginning through the exact
same hole. You now have 4 threads coming through the same hole.
Continue stitching your design.
To
Tie Off: Take the two pair of threads and make sure the stitches are
snug but not bunched. Tie one overhand hitch just loose enough that
you could trap a needle underneath. Tie a second overhand knot a
little snugger. Tie a third overhand knot the snuggest yet. To hide
the knot: Place a
self threading needle into the hole*
and run it into the layers of the quilt for about 1”. Make sure
the needle didn't go through all the layers of the quilt (Look, feel
underneath). Place the thread ends through the eye of the needle,
grip tightly and gently pull the threads through the hole. Carefully
pop the knot through the hole. Restore the surface with your
thumbnail and voila! You can't tell where one thread ended and the
next one began. Trim the thread ends close to the surface and use a
needle to bring the cut ends underneath.
*Self
Threading needles
have an opening at the top of the eye so you can snap the threads
into the eye without having to thread it through the eye.
Ending
for the Day:
Finish
off a section while you are in the groove. You don't want your mood
to affect those swirls in the sky!
Make
a plan for the next day's stitching so you know exactly how and where
you are going to begin again.
Troubleshooting
Guide
In
General:
Using a NEW, high quality needle
with a large eye size 14 – 16 will prevent many problems; from
snarls, broken needles, skipped stitches, seam puckering, loops, and
broken threads. I like to use the Superior Titanium size 14 – 16
Topstitch needle for quilting. They have eyes about twice the size
as other brands. Save the sizes 10 – 12 for piecing only, or for
fine work with fine threads.
Tension
Issues:
Top
thread too tight.
This looks like a railroad track on the top. If you run your
fingernail along the stitchline you feel the dat-dat-dat of the
bobbin thread. Tips: loosen your top thread. Choose a larger eye
needle. Choose a larger needle. Is your machine threaded properly?
Did the bobbin wind properly? Is the bobbin case clean?
Bobbin
thread too tight.
This looks like a railroad track on the bottom. If you run your
fingernail underneath along a stitchline you can feel the dat-dat-dat
of the top thread. Tips: tighten your top thread. Loosen your
bobbin thread tension. Is your bobbin wound too tightly? To test
this use your thumbnail on a wound bobbin. The threads should move
apart easily and the surface should be slightly spongey, not loose
though. You can probably adjust your bobbin winder if you think your
winder tension is too tight.
Your
top and bobbin threads should have the same amount of 'pull' after
correctly threading your machine. Give them a tug together to test
if one is tighter or looser.
Thread
Snarls Underneath:
This
can happen when the fabric bounces up and down with each stitch.
This pulls extra bobbin thread up and subsequent stitches get
tangled. How to avoid this problem: Use a larger needle (14 – 16)
with a larger needle eye (Superior Titanium Topstitch) so there is
more room for the thread to travel through the hole. Loosen the top
thread if you have to. Increase the weight on the presser foot to
keep the work down. Use a thinner top thread if you have to. Make
sure you thread your machine with the presser foot UP; this way the
tension disks are open. Have you got the correct bobbin size for
your machine? Is the bobbin inserted correctly? Is the bobbin wound
properly?
Top
Thread Breakage or Shreddage:
Are
you using a spool cap and/or a thread net? (try one or both). Is
your tension too tight? Are there burrs on the needle plate?(Smooth
with an emery board). Is your thread of a high quality? (Try a
different thread). Are you stitching too fast? (Try slowing down).
This can cause the thread coming off the spool to 'whip' and touch
itself after the first guide. (Try moving the thread spool farther
away, or slow down). Are the top and bobbin threads at equal
tensions? (Test this by pulling both threads together after correctly
threading your machine. On a home sewing machine you should usually
only have to adjust the top tension).
If
a particular spool of thread always shreds then it could be too dry.
First remove a few old yards from the outside of the spool, then run
a few finger-drips of water along the spool and let is sit for a bit
in a plastic bag. Old or dry thread will benefit from this. (Store
your thread in tubs, drawers, or bags that keep the air out.)
Sometimes,
even with your best efforts the thread gives you headaches. I see
thread shredding with polyester or rayon embroidery threads.
Experiment with different needles, or silicone. Or sometimes this
can happen when the needle comes down on the top thread, piercing it
and shredding it. It often breaks after that, or ruins the thread so
you have to stop and fix. When does the needle come down on the top
thread? Often when you're changing directions, like sewing backwards
(ie pulling the work towards you) or to the left. Try using a thread
spool CAP to keep the spool from jumping up and down on the thread
holder. Try using a thread silicone lubricant (Like liquid Sewer's
Aid) to keep the thread from coiling. (using the tip of the bottle,
draw a vertical line on the spool of thread). This works well for
difficult threads like metallics. Try a thread net over the spool
(cut a piece of nylon stocking and tie gently over the spool. This
keeps the thread from jumping off and coiling/kinking. Try placing
the thread spool in a tub some distance away from your machine.
Sometimes
shredding happens when stitching through fusible applique. The hole
is tight around the needle and thread and stops the proper stitch
being formed. If you are stitching through fusibles or glue then the
needle can gum up and disturb the regular stitching motion. Try
cleaning the shaft of your needle and lubricating it with some Thread
Heaven (silicone).
Sometimes
shredding is simply the dye lot of that thread – some colours (or
brands) break more easily than others, like dark colours.
For
50 tips on how to cure a 'Shredding Threadache'
http://www.emblibrary.com/EL/elprojects/Projects.aspx?cs_productid=pr1702.
To
confirm or dispel all those thread
myths try Superior
Threads comprehensive education section. go to:
To
subscribe to the Superior Threads educational newsletter go to:
Problems
Stitching Backwards Or Sideways:
More
thread breakages occur stitching backwards and sideways. This is for
two reasons: one, because the thread is pulled tighter than in the
normal sewing direction. Two, because the needle shaft flexes when
you move your work around. Again, the problem is usually solved by
using a stronger needle and a larger eye.
Sometimes,
but rarely, these problems stem from the machine and there is nothing
you can do about it entirely. (For example, in my experience, bobbin
cases spinning on the flat horizontal do not do a perfect straight
line the same way bobbin cases spinning on the vertical do).
If
your Thread Breaks:
Unpick
enough stitches backwards so that you have 2” of tails. Then begin
sewing again in the last hole. Tie and sink the knot as per
instructions.
No comments:
Post a Comment