The Quilt Skipper

quilting makes me skip for joy

Jenny K Lyon

Quilting makes me skip for joy

Maybe next week will be better

I’m trying to hit a deadline. I had my idea all firm in my head, sketches were done confirming my idea. I did some preliminary stitching “off-line” just to make sure. Then I started stitching.

I do love lots of texture.

Ack, the thread color was wrong. On the bobbin side it looks like a spider just laid a web. Didn’t I just try that thread off-line?

Lots of knots to bury.

But it really was not right. Rip. Try again. Oh, but those motifs were the wrong scale. Really? Didn’t I just check them too? Ack. Rip. Now I’ve got it right.

Same everything but tension goes wonky at certain points.

Oh dear, there is some funky thing going on with my machine that is not Operator Error. If you envision free motion stitching a circle, the bobbin tension goes wonky from 1 to 3 o’clock. Adjust tension, rethread, recheck everything, then remember a student having a similar issue. Resolve that this is unacceptable, and rip out a huge area.

So hard to capture the correct colors on black-thread is a purply blue.

Reach into my inventory to bring in another machine and the problem is gone.

Whole lotta ripping going on, sigh.

Whew! Begin anew but now I’ve lost 3 days to ripping! I will surely finish this quilt and have something good to say next week.

Zeke. Being oh so helpful.

Stay tuned! Thank you for being patient. Oh, by the way, I’m sure this has never happened to you, no?

Comments

  1. Sending sympathy! It happens to everyone at one time or another, but that really doesn’t help when it’s happening on our own projects. Bravo to you for being patient enough to rip instead of trashing the project!

    • It really was unacceptable Martha. I really don’t rip unless the entire trajectory is wrong, and it was. Glad I did it.

  3. Mornin Jenny,
    How interesting that the machine was the culprit.. Do you mind sharing the actual machine and/or the machine that resolved the issue? Some machines are very finicky when it comes to circular free motion stitching.. Do you use the Supreme Slider under your fabric? Needle type? Thread diameter? Fabric content? Oodles of factors!! It is always really interesting to delve into problem solving, and takes a lifetime to learn! Susan D-L

    • Hi Susan; It’s indeed the right needle/thread combo (Chrome Microtex 60 w/ 100 wt silk-I use that combo all the time), Slider, Michael Miller black, wool batt. I’ve seen this on other machines. I haven’t had a chance to talk w/the dealer about this yet. Not throwing my BERNINA 765 under the bus-seen this on other machines. Our domestic sit-downs really aren’t well adapted to having the same tension going forwards and backwards. I will research. I suspect there is an answer. I loooooove my 765. My BERNINA 730 Artista did a better job on this one so that’s what I switched to. Different bobbin and hook system.

  5. I feel for you, Jenny, but I think that is just part of the “beauty” of being a freemotion quilter. As for the time lost, isn’t it just a wonderful time to think about all kinds of wonderful things since ripping is so mind numbingly boring?

    I ripped out the top 1/4, about 25×25″ of dense floral patterns because I didn’t like the size of the leaves compared to the ones on the opposite side! Thread was tan Glide on cream with cream Glide in the bobbin and a wool batt. It’s a reversible king sized wholecloth I made for our son and DDIL. Was Happy I ripped it out and all is well with the world!

    BTW, I quilt on a Gammill Classic but in years past used a Pfaff 2170 so totally understand the tension problems that can arise with domestic machine quilting.
    Love your work and blog, too!

    • Thank you Marlette, I do appreciate your thoughts. I do like seeing the hand of the maker, not looking for perfection. I actually do like how my mind wanders during ripping and it is satisfying somehow. Glad you thought your ripping was worth it–I do too in this case, totally happy I did it.

  8. Jenny, could it possibly be that the silver markings are starting to wear off on your Bernina bobbin? Just an idea. Ask me how I know!

    • ? Will need to research this-silver markings? It was happening on my newest machine. THank you for the tip!

  9. When that happens to me, it is usually the bobbin tension that is at fault, but that’s on a Handi Quilter Sweet Sixteen (sit-down) machine. I have one of the TOWA bobbin tension gauges that helps immeasurably. Usually the home machines have different issues, though – glad you found a solution!!