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  1. #1
    TeresaM is offline Junior Member
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    Question Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Hello! I'm fairly new to quilting but have made a tablerunner, table topper and another little placemat-sized project so far and have machine-quilted them myself.......with much difficulty and not such great results on the back of the projects. I have a very "plain Jane" Janome sewing machine with just a few stitches and had to buy a "generic" walking foot for it for straight line quilting but for the free-motion I bought one of the special feet just for that. However, I cannot find anything that tells what settings....i.e. tension & stitch length....to use when using these 2 different feet. The stitching on top of my projects looks fine but on the back, the threads look kind of like they are just sitting on top of the fabric and some are very "loose" looking. I realize it takes alot of practice to get the whole stippling thing perfected but I really suspect that my machine is not set at the right numbers to begin with. Can anyone please share with me what those settings should be? Also, this walking foot that I ordered and have been using seems to go along just fine for a few inches and then all of a sudden it just "tightens down" and actually CAUSES wrinkles instead of preventing them, as it is supposed to do. Very frustrating! It's brand new so I think it must also have something to do with my settings perhaps. Thanks for any advise/tips you can offer.

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    a1angiem's Avatar a1angiem is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    For fmq, I have my Janome set to tension (almost) 6. I have my straight stitch length set to zero (since your hand movements & pedal speed determine the stitch length), stitch width doesn't matter, and the feed dogs down. Hope that helps! Have fun! It will take practice to get the stitches nice(r).

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  4. #3
    Patrice's Avatar Patrice is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    You have to drop the feed dogs when you FMQ. The loops your getting on the back might be because you are going to fast. Mine does that if I go to fast. You don't set a stitch length when FMQ As far as the walking foot. What stitch length do you put it on. Every machine is different. I use either 2.8 or 3.0 with the walking foot
    Patrice

  5. #4
    TeresaM is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Thank you Patrice. Actually, my stitch length is just on a dial with 1 2 3 4 ....not able to get "exact" with it.

  6. #5
    TeresaM is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Thank you very much.....that is helpful! I cannot adjust the feed dogs but I do have a little plastic "cover" that goes over them....seems to work ok.

  7. #6
    HdWench's Avatar HdWench is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Hey Teresa, good answers on FMQ - And leah day has a tut for beginning FMQ on you-tube that's worth a watch.

    I bought a generic walking foot for my Pfaff and thought it was the problem -- But it was a combination of my fabric "dragging" and not being level with my sewing machine needle area, and the tension too tight... I didn't realize with the top, batting and backing, you need a larger stitch to go through and come back up without making it "pinchy"... Some machines you can adjust your pressure foot "Pressure" -- This helped alot! See if your manual shows a spot (dial maybe on the back side?) where you can fiddle with Pressure Foot Pressure -- Another You-Tube find !

    Good luck and hope you find your Sweet spot for you machine.

    :-Debbie
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  8. #7
    TeresaM is offline Junior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Thanks Debbie....I will have to see if I can adjust that. By the way, I love your sewing buddy! :-) Mine is a little 6 lb. toy fox terrier named "Buddy"...lol.....

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  10. #8
    pcbatiks's Avatar pcbatiks is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Hi Teresa.........Debbie mentioned Leah Day. She has really good info and shows how to adjust a generic darning foot for FMQ. This link has good info also.

    http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransso...-quilting.html

  11. #9
    bec's Avatar
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    bec is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    Quote Originally Posted by TeresaM View Post
    Thank you very much.....that is helpful! I cannot adjust the feed dogs but I do have a little plastic "cover" that goes over them....seems to work ok.
    As long as your stitch length is set to 0 you should be okay. In fact Leah Day (She is a well known quilter and has many videos and a website) says she never lowers her feeddogs.
    Last edited by bec; February 11th, 2013 at 11:27 PM.
    Bec

  12. #10
    bec's Avatar
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    bec is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Help! What machine settings for free-motion quilting?

    I have a Janome 6600. This is what I do:

    I lower my feeddogs,
    set my pressure foot tension to 1, some people set theirs to 0, but my machine suggests 1
    keep my tension the same as my regular sewing- around 5-6,
    set my stitch length to 0.
    Last edited by bec; February 11th, 2013 at 11:23 PM.
    Bec

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