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Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Machine Quilting Is Not Fun




That was my feeling when I was machine quilting this. I do not know what is wrong but puckering on the front was getting me down. I had to stop after outlining 8 blocks. In session 2 of quilting, I hoped it would be better. I did 14 blocks, it was slightly better but a couple of blocks were quite bad. Perhaps, I did not smoothen the quilt out properly during basting.

The only machine quilting that I did in my first quilt was sewing in the ditch. I had problems with puckering at the back but not the front. This time I decided to sew 1/4 inch in front of sewing line making an inner square and puckering/pleating was ocurring when I try to close up the square. I may have to rip off certain sewing lines. I still have 14 more squares. Session 3 of machine quilting must be better!
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14 comments:

  1. Annie20 September 2011 at 22:29

    So now I know even more pitfalls to be aware of if I try quilting. Hope one of your commenters can give you some tips to prevent this problem.

    The colors are so pretty!

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  2. CJ STITCHING AND BLOOMS20 September 2011 at 22:39

    My Dear Wendy, You need to lay your quilt out on a table and hold it down all around with clamps to keep it nice and smooth. Then you put in lots of safety pins to keep it all straight while quilt it so you will not get any puckers. You could also baste it while you have it clamp down if you do not have safety pins and this will also keep it good while you are machine quilting it. I hope this helps. Hugs Judy

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  3. Karrieann20 September 2011 at 22:44

    I understand frustrations with quilting with a machine. I am not a fan of, so I only do small quilts on sew machine. I usually hand quilt anything in sizes of baby quilt and bigger.

    Keep on with perseverance! The quilt is pretty by the way. The colors are a wonderful mix!

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  4. Margarets designer cards20 September 2011 at 22:53

    Oh dear what a shame, I dont know what is wrong, it usually happens if you have two different types of material, but I cannot see you would make thaat mistake, sorry I cannot be of help.
    Margaret

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  5. Margarets designer cards20 September 2011 at 22:53

    I have just had a thought, is your tension on the sewing machine too tight in places.
    Margaret

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  6. teresa20 September 2011 at 23:02

    Are you using a walking foot? it should not be bunching up like that :-( lots of luck

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  7. zarina21 September 2011 at 00:14

    That is why I stick to FMQ. Almost all my straight line quilting got puckers and the top got distorted.

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  8. CarolynK21 September 2011 at 00:32

    How awful for you! All that work of piecing and then the machine goes and messes things up. And do-overs are so frustrating, aren't they.

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  9. Valerie21 September 2011 at 00:34

    i like your fabric combination. don't know where the fault lies bcos i haven't come to that lesson on quilting but surely it can only get better. :)

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  10. Lace-lovin' Librarian ~ Diane21 September 2011 at 07:35

    Oh, dear! Are you using a walking foot? My youngest daughter has completed two quilts since June, one king-size and one twin. She machine quilted them both and is having so much fun. I do know that she is using a walking foot. They're kind of expensive, but I'm guessing it's worthwhile!

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  11. Umintsuru21 September 2011 at 11:52

    I am really grateful for all your comments and suggestions. I think I need to practise more on the machine (with a smaller quilt) but as I was on a deadline, I may have to leave it as it is.

    I am not giving up yet on machine quilting. I must practise free motion quilting (FMQ) as Zarina suggested.

    I did baste the quilt with safety pins about 6 inches apart and used the recommended walking foot. I thought about the presser foot tension but I can't seem to find the control for this Brother NV50 machine. Will adjusting the stitch length help?

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  12. Anonymous22 September 2011 at 05:49

    My experience quilting a King size quilt on an old fashioned Singer meant using a walking foot, sewing about 6 inches and then checking again to be sure things were still flat. I had tables and chair backs and things spread out in all directions around the machine the same height as the machine cabinet so that the weight of the quilt didn't pull on the fabric. I also worked from the center out.

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  13. Umintsuru22 September 2011 at 11:54

    I think you have a point. My sewing table is the size of a desk so the weight of the quilt was hampering movement. Thanks so much for your suggestion.

    Also perhaps a hoop to clamp down the area I am machine quilting may help.

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  14. Sherry7 May 2013 at 06:01

    Just catching up.. been a while, huh?! Had to comment about machine quilting: In 1976 (USA bicentennial year) I redesigned a set of quilt blocks for a company called Cameo Paints - oil-based paints like a huge ballpoint pen. There were 12 blocks, 12" x 12", each with a man & woman from various times in US history wearing authentic period dress. I painted each block then set them with 6" strips between each (made a lovely HUGE queen-sized bedspread). Each side and bottom was 18". I machine embroidered around the couples of each block, did a 5-pointed star in the blocks where the 6" edgings came together, and did 5 different US flags, from the original 13 colonies flag of 1776, to our current flag of 50 stars plus stripes, and a continuous fill-in design as needed elsewhere - ALL in machine quilting - done with my portable Singer sewing machine on the living room floor, with 2 cats; two children ages 2 & 5 running around, and another on the way!! What a JOB!! Unfortunately, no photos. Keep up the GREAT WORK! ((HUGS!))

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