Sometimes It Takes a Little Reconfiguration!

I finished this quilt top over a year ago! I finished the back and basted it in March! I started quilting it in July! I have promised to donate it in December! Why is this quilt taking so long??!! Because it has been a challenge (serious understatement) to quilt it. This middle section of the quilt has been nothing but bird's nests and shredded thread, along with numerous broken needles.

But the middle of the quilt is now finished - YIPPEE!

After Wednesday's post, Leah Day responded to my plea and gave me some ideas to try. I am a Quality Engineer by day, so finding out why a process is producing poor quality results IS what I do. So after going through a long check list (and hearing from many who have the same machine and problems - THANK YOU), I think I have figured out one (but not all) of the biggest culprits to my problem - DRAG! This quilt is just shy of twin size with bamboo batting and a pieced back. It is quite heavy. So stitching something this dense smack dab in the middle has been a challenge.

So Wednesday I ordered a Gidget 2 sewing table! It arrived on Friday, although the custom insert will not be here for 3 to 4 weeks.

Yesterday, I took the time to start to reconfigure my sewing room.

I can't drop my machine down yet, my acrylic table is too big. But this configuration does offer more support for FMQ even before I get the insert. This is what allowed me to finish quilting the middle. I did have to really grab the quilt to not let the weight pull the needle.

So my question for you all this week, how do I quilt the dimensional flying geese?

Should I just stitch in the ditch around the white rectangles or stitch something in the white areas around the "geese"????

I'm linking up today with Leah Day at The Free Motion Quilting Project for UFO Sunday! What's everyone else up today?

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Fighting with Miss Frances (Pfaff)

(If you are looking for QED for October click here. There is still time to link up and have a chance at this month's giveaway)

Well, last night I had a knock down, drag out fight with Miss Frances. She was really having a problem FMQ. FMQ is why I bought this machine! I am not happy with this machine's attitude!

Loops and bird's nests on the top!

Frayed thread and bird's nest on the bottom!

So I went back to the beginning and tried to understand what Miss Frances was trying to tell me.

1. I put my feed dogs up (Leah recommends this)
2. I put my stitch length to 0 (the manufacturer doesn't say you need to do this in the sensormatic setting)
3. I put a 'Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washer" in because every time it did this I could hear the bobbin clonk.
4. I tightened my top tension.
5. I have been using a spool stand and spool net - I continued this configuration

She STILL did this! Now I have changed my needle several times, I have been using a 90/14 Schmetz quilting needle.

Broken needles (a lot of them)!

This is Isacord thread (same thread top and bobbin).  Everyone always seems to tell you to go bigger when your thread shreds, but 90/14 seems plenty big enough, this thread is quite thin. So I went smaller, to a 70/10 Microtex/sharp. I broke one more needle, so I lowered my top tension back to were I had been before.

That seemed to do the trick and I was able to stitch out the rest of my homework for Leah Day.

Front

Back

The bird's nests were prior to changing the needle. After changing the needle, not a single bobble for the rest of the homework.













I really loved adding to flowing lines, turning it into Goldilocks. I didn't stipple, I did just a simple back and forth to give it a more modern feel.

I was so pleased with my success, I went to stitch on my Expanding Possibilities quilt. And this is what I got!

Another broken needle! Actually I was able to stitch for a bit and it was better, only one or two skipped stitches. This needle broke when I moved to a new area, as I was pulling up my bobbin thread.

Leah HELP! What am I doing wrong??? Could the bird's nests, skipped stitches, broken needles be operator error (This mainly happens when I stitch backwards)? Could it be that the bigger quilt is pulling? Should I take the machine in for a check-up? It seems I can get rid of a lot of the problems, but them never really completely go away.

On to other projects:

I finished my library quilt this week. Yippee, skippee! I'm now down to just three WIPs!

My stats for the week:
In-process: (3)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done

New projects: (0)

Finished (1)
Geneva Public Library quilt - done
 
I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat