Saturday, April 24, 2010

Machine Quilting

I have been sitting on the front porch for the past 45 minutes ripping out some machine quilting that I did last night. It was Horrible!!! By it, I mean both the quilting and the ripping. I have learned a few things about machine quilting, 1.) It is harder than it looks, 2.) You should probably not do it when you have had a glass of wine (are you beginning to notice a lot of talk about wine?) 3.) Ripping machine quilting out is harder than ripping a seam out, 4.) Classes on machine quilting should probably be taken or at least have some type of mentor sitting around waiting for your panicked phone call.

I have read with great interest about Lane's machine quilting progress on That Man Quilts. He is doing a wonderful job and I really admire his work. I don't think I am anywhere near that. Trying to get my brains, my hands and my foot to work at the same time is really hard. When I went to Massage School, I thought I would never be able to get my right and left hand to do the same thing at the same time, but I finally did it. I am not so sure about machine quilting. I have gone to the site he refers to, 365 Days of Free Motion Quilting, and watched the videos and I have learned a few things from it. I am going to get some scrap material and practice, but right now, I have to get these table runners finished.

I will continue (last night I had a bit of a fit and then a cry about it), and I will master this too. As you all saw with the Vegemite video, I am someone who follows through with what I start. I really want to give up on these table runners, but I will continue and get them in the mail on time for Mother's Day.

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Pin It Now!

4 comments:

Shay said...

I hate fixing things I'm not happy with , and I hate it when things to dont go according to plan, so I hear your frustration on this one. I've never had the guts to free motion quilt anything to date, so you're one up on me.

Keep it up with the wine. Apparently it helps. I had a few drinks twice this week (unheard of for me)Aside from a slight sangria headache this morning I'm feeling a lot calmer...

Trish said...

I have been attempting to machine quilt for a year or so....can't get the hang of it either. My stitches LOOK like I'd had a little wine (perhaps I should try that). I may finally give in and take a class, although I hate to spend $100+ on a class when I could spend it on fabric!!!!
Don't give up and I won't either.

Marg said...

I hear you. I dread quilting, I can barely get by with stitching in the ditch, and then I have to use matching thread because I can't sew a straight line. My quilt making is going to be limited to making quilts that I can sew very very basic quilting,

Shevvy said...

Its the tangled nest of thread that sometimes happens at the back that gets on my nerves.
I've discovered that I always have to do a sample beforehand as not all threads work for me in the bobbin. I know it is tension issues but it is easier to use a different thread that try and work it out.
I usually forget to change my stitch length to zero at first.
I forget to put the presser foot down.
I change the needle.
I fiddle with the top tension and eventually when it is back where I started it seems to work!
I don't stress about the stitches all looking perfectly the same size, otherwise nothing would get done. Each time I do it they are a little bit better and thats good enough for me!