In Quilting, Procrastination Is Not Always a Bad Thing!

In quilting, procrastination is not always a bad thing! A group of us get together on Thursday Therapy and sew for a good part of the day. If you're well prepared and in the right mindset - you can accomplish a lot. You also get to see some amazing show n tell. Have a look at what some of the others brought in to show off........ Sacha finished her BRIGHT cat quilt - I just love this and was trying to find a way to sneak it in my bag!   She started work on yet another BRIGHT CAT quilt which is going to be gorgeous as well.

The Finishing Touches – Binding a Quilt and the Table Runner

Trimming and binding a quilt and the table runner

Now that it's the end of the week and my hand stitching and machine quilting are all finished. I now need to add thefinishing touches by trimming and binding a quilt in general and the table runner. Here are the steps that I follow when binding my quilts:

1. Trim the table runner (or quilt) around all sides.

Trimming the excess batting and backing from the quilt top

2. Cut binding fabric into strips. I like to use strips that are 2½" wide. For this little table runner we'll need three strips that are the width of the fabric.

3.  Sew binding strips end to end using a mitred seam. Press seams open. Fold in half lengthwise, wrong sides together then press.

4.  Apply binding by aligning the raw edges of the quilt and the binding. Sew through all layers using a generous ¼" seam allowance. Here's a great YouTube video tutorial that shows how to make and apply binding the way that I do. It's fast and super easy!

sewing on the binding with a generous 1/4" seam.

5. Fold binding to the back of quilt and hand or machine stitch to finish. I usually hand stitch the binding to the back of my quilts, but when I’m making baby quilts (or ones that will be washed a lot) I usually use a machine stitch. This method is great when you're in a hurry too – so here are the steps I use to machine quilt the binding to the table runner.

6. Fold the binding to the back and pin it all the way around, making sure that the folded edge covers the stitching line.

binding pinned to the back of the table runner

pinned binding at the corner

7. Stitch from the front along the ditch between the binding and the quilt top, making sure to catch the binding at the back all the way around.

sewing in the ditch

machine sewing the binding, viewed from the back

the back of the binding at the corner

Debuting the finished project

Here's my table runner, all finished and on my little hall table. I think the WonderFil threads were just perfect for this project!

finished appliqued table runner

finished table runner on my front hall table

The finishing touches - handwork and the train

Whenever I go on a vacation, I always like to take along a project to work on while in the car, or at night, watching TV after a day at the beach. Next month, my husband, Mike and I are taking the train to Halifax for a week away, so I’ve been trying to think of something to work on while I'm sitting on the train watching the world go by. After my first day of doing wool appliqué with the WonderFil threads, I decided that I should bring my new threads along on my trip. On Pinterest, I've been pinning lots of images of embroidered wool brooches and I’ve been wanting to learn some new embroidery stitches. So, I ordered a couple embroidery books and I’m going to spend my hours on the train learning something new! I’ll be sure to show you some pictures of the finished projects the next time I’m blogging on QUILTsocial. Until then, I hope you've enjoyed my posts and that you're also binding your quilted table runner and adding the finishing touches!

Machine Quilting with Spagetti and Fruitti Threads

Quilting with my WonderFil threads

My skinny table runner is all hand stitched, now I just have to do some machine quilting with Spagettiand Fruittithreads. As I have a longarm quilting machine, I do a lot of machine quilting for myself and for a few customers. I tend to use mostly cotton threads in the top and a bobbin thread in the bottom. Since I have a large quilt on my frame right now, I'll try out the Spagetti and Fruitti threads on my home sewing machine instead – hopefully I can remember HOW to machine quilt with that little machine!

Picking the threads

I find the best way to pick a thread to use when I'm quilting, is to lay the spool on the quilt top and unravel the threads a bit to see how they look laying on top of the fabric. This gives you somewhat of an idea if the thread will blend or stand out. Here are the colours I decided to use on my table runner:

picking the threads for the quilting

unravel the thread and lay it on top of the quilt top to get a preview of what it will look like.

Preparing the quilt sandwich

Cut your backing and batting at least three inches larger than your table runner on all sides then secure your backing to a flat surface, wrong side up. Lay batting and quilt top (right side up) on backing, smoothing away any wrinkles. Baste the layers together using your favorite basting method - for small projects like this one, I use adhesive spray and a few safety pins around the edges.

making the quilt sandwich

Practice first!!

I always try out new motifs and check the tension on my machine with a test sandwich that I keep on hand at all times. To make one of these sandwiches pick 6" - 9" squares of similar fabrics that were used for the quilt top and backing and a square of the same batting used in your project. Use your basting spray to stick them all together. Keep one of these squares beside your machine at all times, so that you can fix problems with tension or your design BEFORE quilting your actual quilt.

Tension

It's always a good idea to get your tension issues fixed BEFORE you start to quilt. For this project, I used the same thread in the top and the bobbin, but you can use many threads and thread weights in either spot - you just have to adjust the top tension accordingly. In my two photos you'll see three lines - one with the top tension too tight (number is too high), one with the top tension too low (number is too low) and one where the top tension is just right.

tension test - back of the quilt

tension test - top of quilt

Quilting motifs

There are thousands of different designs that can be used as quilting motifs, but when you are first starting out, basic is best. Once you have the basics mastered, then you can add in lots of different motifs to make more complex designs. If you have mastered the meander/stipple then try adding is some loops, swirls, hearts, stars, or leaves. Or try different combinations of these motifs. They only way your machine quilting skills will improve is by PRACTICE!! Look for new designs to try on the internet. Pinterest has LOTS of machine quilting designs, and I have a board just filled with pins - you can follow me with this link. You can also like my Fairfield Road Designs Facebook page too - I'm always posting pictures of the latest machine quilting designs that I've used!

Machine quilting with a walking foot

Although I rarely use a walking foot for quilting, many people do, so I wanted to try my walking foot to do my first machine quilting with Spagetti and Fruitti. I used a topstitch needle and used the side of the walkiing foot as a guide to stitch about 1/4" from the edge of each circle. I found the thread to work very well. The weight of it looks very nice and I'm quite happy with the resulting stitches.

machine quilting with a walking foot and Spagetti thread

closeup of machine quilting done with a walking foot and Spagetti thread

Free motion quilting with Fruitti

Most of my quilting is free hand, free motion quilting, but I haven't had a lot of practice on  my home machine lately as I do ALL of my quilting on my longarm machine. But, I gave it a try anyway! I decided to use the pink variegated Fruittithread and did a meander over most of the top with a flower along each side between the circles.

closeup of free motion meander and flower using Fruitti thread

Machine quilting with Spagetti and Fruitti 

The quilting on my table runner is almost done, so tomorrow I'll trim it up and add the binding. I'm really enjoying my play time with all of these awesome WonderFil threads. Hope you have a great day - I'm going to get back to my machine quilting with Spagetti and Fruitti! 

 

Fusible Applique with Razzle and Dazzle Threads

After yesterday’s success with my wool applique experiment I was itching to try out fusible applique with Razzle and Dazzle threads. Fusible applique is more accessible than felted wool applique, because cotton fabrics and fusible web are more readily available than felted wools. As a result, more quilters are familiar with the fusible applique technique.

Let's get to the project!

I've decided to make my samplers into a small table runner for a skinny table in my front hall. If you'd like to do the same, here are the materials needed:

• Cotton fabric for table runner front – 8" x 32"
• Cotton fabric for backing – 12" x 36"  
• Cream felted wool – 6" x 18"
• Light green cotton fabric – 6" x 12"
• Scraps of felted wool in black and reds for the ladybugs
• Scraps of cotton fabrics for the two birds
• Freezer paper – 12" x 12"
• Fusible web – 10" x 10"
• Razzle and Dazzle threads in assorted colors
• Tuitti and Spagetti threads in assorted colors
• Batting - 12" x 36"  
• Binding - 8" x WOF

Table runner applique diagrams. Please right click on the image and save to your computer. Once it's been downloaded, set your printer setting to "actual size" and print. The diameter of the circle should measure 5 1/4".

Make the felted wool applique shapes

Follow the instructions in yesterday's blog post to make and stitch the felted wool applique shapes.

Preparing the fusible applique shapes

 Here's the process to follow to make the fusible web appliques:

1. Trace the background circle, the bird body and the wings onto the dull side of a square of fusible web, making sure to leave at least ¼” between each of the shapes.
2. Loosely cut each shape out, just outside the drawn lines.
3. Place these fusible web shapes onto the BACK side of the cotton fabrics and iron.
4. Cut out all shapes before removing the backing paper.

ironing fusible web onto backs of fabrics

5.  Peel off the backing paper.

peeling paper off fused applique shapes

6.  Place the bird shapes fusible side down on the right side of the background circle and arrange  these and the felted wool appliques onto the background fabric as shown in the following picture:

placement of the appliques

7.  Iron the fusible appliques to the background fabric and then remove the wool appliques – they'll be sewn onto the background later.

Here's a YouTube video that goes over all of these steps again. In order to get the best possible results, make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions on your fusible web as there are a few different products on the market, and their instructions may vary slightly.

Stitching the fusible applique with Razzle and Dazzle threads 

1. Thread an embroidery needle with a length of the desired color of either Razzle or Dazzlethread and blanket stitch all the way around the applique shapes. I found that both threads unraveled even more with the fusible applique, but when I applied a bit of thread conditioner it happened MUCH less. I think I'll use it all the time when using these threads to do handwork.
2. Add any desired embroidery or other embellishments (like buttons or beads if desired) to the background circles.
3. Blanket stitch around the edge of each background circle.
4. Spray the back of the wool applique circles with the adhesive spray and then press them down in place on the cotton background. Blanket stitch around each of them to secure them to the table runner.

adding the wool appliques

Well, now that all of the handwork is done, I'm anxious to try out the Spagetti and Fruitti threads to machine quilt my table runner. So far I'm impressed with the results that I'm getting with my wool and fusible applique with Razzle and Dazzle threads, but tomorrow we QUILT!!

Wool Applique with WonderFil Threads

Razzle and Dazzle - oh my!!

As soon as I saw the weight and colors of the Razzle and Dazzle threads, I knew that I wanted to try using them for felted wool applique. I didn’t have a project in mind yet, I just wanted to see how they worked with the wools. I LOVE doing wool applique both onto wool backgrounds and onto cotton backgrounds. The texture is amazing and it's so nice to hand stitch through. Usually I use three strands of embroidery floss to do all of my applique, but I was definitely ready to try wool applique with WonderFil Razzle and Dazzle threads!

Picking a test project

Luckily I had a little applique project that I never got around to finishing. The wool circle with the ladybug was supposed to be finished into a pin cushion ages ago, but I had obviously moved on to bigger and better things! I got it out and found an embroidery needle and picked a couple of the Razzle and Dazzle threads that worked well with the colors of the wools. I use a hand blanket stitch when I applique most of my wools, but as felted wool won’t ravel, all of the edges of the applique pieces do not necessarily need to be stitched. Sometimes for added visual appeal and a 3D effect, I'll leave the edges of flower petals or leaves unstitched, but for this project I want to see how the threads look when used in a blanket stitch.

Finished lady bug applique. Notice the sparkle and shine of the Razzle and Dazzle threads!

The Razzle and Dazzle threads worked really well for the blanket stitching so I did a little embroidery as well. I was so happy with the end result, that I decided to make two more – an idea for a project is starting to take shape!

Preparing the wool applique shapes

 Here's the process to follow to make the wool appliques:

1. Trace the background circle, the lady bug body and the wings onto the dull side of a square of freezer paper.
2. Cut along the drawn lines.
3. Place these freezer paper shapes, shiny side down on the felted wool.

The freezer paper shapes placed on the right side of the wool

4. Cut the wool along the side of the freezer paper shape.

5. Peel off the freezer paper.

6. Spray the back side of the lady bug body and wings with an adhesive spray.

The freezer paper has been removed and the lady bug body and wings have been sprayed with spray adhesive

7. Place the shapes down on the right side of the wool circle and press down firmly with your hand.

Blanket stitching the wool applique with WonderFil

If you've never done a hand blanket stitch, there are LOTS of video tutorials online. I found many, many on YouTube – here is a link to one video to show you how to hand blanket stitch. I noticed when I used the Dazzle thread, that the unknotted end became unraveled before I had finished stitching all the way around the shape. I think this is because I had started with a piece of thread that was too long. The more times the unknotted end is pulled through the fabric by the needle, the more chances it has to unravel. If you find this also happening to you, just start with a shorter piece the next time.

Notice the sparkle effect of the Dazzle and the shine of the Razzle thread. A little fraying at the end of the Dazzle thread because too long a piece was used.

Adding some embroidery

After I finished with the blanket stitching, I used a back stitch to make antennae for the lady bug and then used a daisy stitch and some running stitches to add some embellishment to the backgrounds. YouTube also has video tutorials for Learning the Back Stitch, as well as Learning the Lazy Daisy Stitch.

A successful first day

So far, so good! My experiment with doing wool applique with WonderFil threads has been very successful. Tomorrow I'll try the Razzle and Dazzle threads on fusible applique. After that, I decided that I'm going to incorporate these test pieces into a skinny runner for my front hall telephone table. Until tomorrow, have fun stitching - I'm going to keep working on my wool applique with WonderFil.

Playing with My WonderFil Threads

Stepping outside the box

Like most other quilters I tend to use the same type of threads over and over again for all of my projects. It’s safe. I know how they work in my machines and I know what to expect of the finished product. But once in awhile it’s nice to step outside the box and try something new. So, when Carla asked me to be this week’s guest blogger and to try out some of the different threads from WonderFil, I jumped at the chance! After days and days of waiting for the threads to arrive, the package was finally delivered!! When I opened the box, I was amazed at the different types and colours of threads that it contained. I was instantly excited to start playing with my WonderFil threads!

Opening up the box of WonderFil Threads

Checking out the WonderFil website

Since I had never used any of these threads before, I decided that the best way to start was to check out the WonderFil website. There I found their extensive selection of threads and descriptions of the different properties of the threads that I'd been sent.

Fruitti

The first thread I pulled out of the box was Fruitti - a variegated 12 wt thread. According to the WonderFil website these threads are great for quilting, longarming, top-stitching, decorative stitching and hand embroidery. I love variegated threads and can’t wait to try these out for machine quilting!

An assortment of Fruitti threads from WonderFil

12 wt 100% Egyptian cotton, double gassed and mercerized. Fruitti is great for quilting, longarming, topstitching, decorative stitching, and hand embroidery. Available in 41 variegated colors in 437yd (400m) spools and 1000yd (914m) cones.

Spagetti

The other 12 wt thread in the box was Spagetti. This thread is the same weight as the Fruitti, but is all in solid colors. The website lists the same uses for this threads as for the Fruitti - quilting, longarming, top-stitching, decorative stitching and hand embroidery. Although I don’t usually quilt with solid color threads – the colors in the box are yummy and I definitely want to try them out!!

An assortment of Spagetti threads from WonderFil

12 wt 100% Egyptian cotton, double gassed and mercerized. Spagetti is great for quilting, longarming, topstitching, decorative stitching, and sashiko. Available in 41 colors in 437yd (400m) and 1000yd (914m) cones.

Razzle

Next out of the box was Razzle an 8 wt rayon thread that the website says is fantastic for bobbinwork, couching, hand embroidery, decorative stitching, knitting and crocheting and decorative purposes. The weight is similar in size to a No.8 perle cotton so I'm already thinking about using it for wool applique and maybe some punchneedle!

An assortment of Razzle threads from Wonderfil

8 wt - 100% rayon. Comparable to a no.8 perle cotton in size, this thread is fantastic for bobbinwork, couching, hand embroidery, decorative stitching, knitting and crocheting, and any decorative purpose. For couching thread use InvisaFil or DecoBob. Available in 46 colors in 250yd (228m) spools.

Dazzle

Last but not least was Dazzle – the same weight as the Razzle threads but with a strand of metallic along with the rayon. The uses listed are the same as for Razzle. The WonderFil website also has videos showing uses for both the Razzle  and Dazzle threads.

An assortment of Dazzle threads from WonderFil

8 wt rayon with a strand of metallic. Comparable to a no.8 perle cotton in size, this thread is fantastic for bobbinwork, couching, hand embroidery, decorative stitching, knitting and crocheting, and any decorative purpose. For couching thread, use InvisaFil or DecoBob. Available in 34 colors in 200yd (182m) spools and 450yd (411m) cones.

Ready to start playing with my WonderFil Threads

Now that the box has finally arrived and I've done my homework on the specifics for the different threads, tomorrow I'll try out the Razzle and Dazzle threads to do felted wool applique. I'm so happy that I've been given this opportunity and I'm ready to start playing with my new WonderFil threads  – can’t wait!

Christine

A Variety Of Appliqué Stitches On The Quilt Expression 4.2

Today is the final test drive for the Quilt Expression 4.2 to get familiar with the machine before I set out making an actual project. Yesterday during the second test drive we took a look at the different modes of quilting this machine has to offer. There is a variety of appliqué stitches on the Quilt Expression 4.2 which is great because I do a lot of appliqué in my work and am always looking for interesting stitches to outline the pieces with. Of course I do have my favourites as well and I'll be checking them out below.  

So far the week has been a lot of fun and I've had a lot of fun learning a new machine. It's funny how we get so used to our own machines and a certain brand that we don't even want to look at anything else. It's always good to keep an open mind about new products and machines. 

Let's get ready for the final lap around the test driving track.

Machine Appliqué

Most of my appliqué is done with fusible web as I find it the easiest and fastest way to create my appliqué pieces. 

Once fused to the fabric these pieces then need to be stitched in place. There are a number of different stitches that I use for outlining the appliqué pieces. 

The test drive today is to check out my favourite stitches and see how they look.

Blanket Stitch

Wow, there are several different blanket stitches on the Quilt Expression 4.2 to choose from. I decided on stitch #90 as it looks close to what I'm used to using. I prefer the stitch to be a single stitch in the length and width. If I had wanted the stitch to stand out more then I would have chosen #59 which appears to be a double stitch. 

Let's see what each of these look like.

Stitch #90

Well, I thought the #90 stitch looked like a single blanket stitch on the stitch guide panel and it turns out to be a triple stitch blanket stitch. This means that the machine puts 3 stitches in each vertical and horizontal sections. This makes the stitch very thick and it stands out very well on the fabric.

On to the next one.

Stitch #59

When looking at the stitch map on the machine I was pretty sure that #59 was going to be a double blanket stitch where there are 2 stitches in each horizontal and vertical section and it was. I occasionally use this stitch when I want the stitching to stand out a little more.

Next.

Stitch #60

Stitch #60 is the regular blanket stitch that I use most often when doing appliqué. This stitch is a single stitch in both the horizontal and vertical sections. It also uses the least amount of thread.

And then I found this cool one.

A cool blanket stitch

I really like this stitch and how the vertical bites gradate down in size. It would be good on the side of a very long piece or as a decorative stitch in quilting or thread play. 

There are so many options with all of these stitches for size in length and width. They can all be mirrored as well. 

Satin Stitch

The satin stitch is a great stitch to outline an appliqué shape with if you really want a dense outline of stitching. The draw back to satin stitch is that it does use a lot of thread. 

A satin stitch is created by using a zigzag stitch and decreasing the length of the stitch to 0.5 and putting the width at the desired size to cover of the edge. This can be a wide line or a skinny line of stitching. 

On the Quilt Expression 4.2 the satin stitch is stitch #7.

Satin stitch

Varied Width Zigzag

I really like the look of this stitch and it's a great alternative to the free motion zigzag stitch that I'll be showing next. This stitch creates a very jagged looking stitch because of all the varied widths of the stitching throughout the line of stitching.

Varied width zigzag

Free Motion Zigzag

The free motion zigzag stitch is one I use a lot on my art quilts especially my Bargello flowers. This stitch is done with the sensormatic free motion foot on as I outlined how to use in my post yesterday, Quilting With The Quilt Expression 4.2. Make sure to change the stitch to zigzag and put the feed dogs down. 

Okay lets see how it does. 

Free motion zigzag stitch

I like how the free motion zigzag looks - a bit like total chaos. This stitch gives a lot of texture and I use it quite frequently in my quilting. 

 

Stabilizer

It's always recommended to use a stabilizer behind your fabric. The stabilizer gives the thread a little extra something to grab onto and make nice even stitches with good tension. Oh boy there's that tension word again. Yes, you might have to play with the tension if you're not getting the results you like with the auto tension set by the machine. 

Everyone has their own personal choice of stabilizer and there are many on the market. I have my favorites and also certain wants for different jobs depending on what I'm making and creating with. Stabilizers can be fusible leave in products, tear away products or even wash away. 

Here's a sample of the stitching done with a stabilizer behind the fabric and without. The top stitching line has no stabilizer and the stitch just isn't quite as even and uniform as the bottom stitching line which has stabilizer. 

It really does pay to have stabilizer behind the fabric as it not only keeps the stitches looking nice but it keeps the fabric from bunching up and looking wrinkled.

Stabilizer on bottom and none on top

Thanks for joining me this week here at QUILTsocial to play in the studio and test drive the Quilt Expression 4.2. It has been a great week getting to know this wonderful machine that has so many great features, stitches and options. For a complete list of its features and details check out the Pfaff website.  

I've been very impressed with how the machine performs and the quality of the stitching. This machine has all of my must haves in a machine that make sewing and quilting much more pleasurable for me. What can I say - it's a great machine to quilt with in the studio once a week or everyday. It will not disappoint. 

I'm looking forward to playing some more with the machine and creating a small project in July using many of the features and stitches I highlighted this week as well as some that I haven't.

I'll have instructions along with some tips and tricks to make the whole creative process go smoothly.  

I sure hope you'll join me the week of July 21-27 to have some fun, be creative and end up with a fabulous little quilt.

Until then, Happy Quilting

And the winner of the Indygo Junction Permission Purse pattern is...

Congratulations Anne G.! You are the winner of our draw for a free indygo junction Permission Purse pattern! Share the love! Let your Facebook friends know that you won!

Stay tuned for more giveaways!

Cheerfully,
Carla A. Canonico
Publisher, QUILTsocial.com
A Needle Pulling Thread

New Giveaway!

Click here http://ptab.it/3nfUM for your chance to win this fun to make Ingrid Convertible Canister Pattern! Includes 3 quilted canisters and convertible handles! Make, sort, store and organize today!
by Hemma Designs

Perfect storage for summer picnics, patio or a day at the beach!

Quilting With The Quilt Expression 4.2

Today is another rainy day, so a great day to stay in the studio and take a second test drive and do some quilting with the Quilt Expression 4.2. I am very excited about this after the very successful initial test drive for the Quilt Expression yesterday. We put the machine through its stitching paces with straight stitch, zigzag and some of the fancy decorative stitches.

Today I'm moving onto the quilting modes. As I do a lot of quilting with both the walking foot and free motion I'm very interested in seeing how the Quilt Expression 4.2 performs in these two areas. 

The green flag has been raised and we're off and running with this second test drive.

Important Features for Quilting

There are a couple of very important features that I like to have on my machine when I am quilting. 

Needle down position

It certainly makes it much easier to stop and start in mid stitching if the needle can remain in the fabric when stopped. This allows for a continuous flow of the stitching with no jigs or jags because the needle took a little unwanted detour as you started again.

This feature is a must for me on any machine and this machine definitely has the feature. To turn on this feature hold the needle button down until the green light comes on beside it. 

Needle down button

Foot Hover

Foot hover is when the presser foot hovers a few mm above the fabric when the machine is stopped and the needle is in the down position. This feature is especially useful when there is a lot of pivoting and turning to be done in a quilting motif. 

The foot hover feature is found in the menu section under the heading Auto foot lift. It should have a dark square beside it meaning it is turned on, if not then scroll down to it and press okay to turn it on. 

 

Foot hover in main menu

This machine does have the hover feature but if it didn't there's a way to create the feature manually. The external knee lift that I talked about in the first post, Out of the Box & Into the Studio can be used in the same manner only you are lifting the presser foot with the knee lift each time you stop and need to turn and pivot. 

The lever just fits into the hole at the base of the machine near the accessory box and then hangs down below the table so it's easily accessible with your knee. 

Knee lift in place

Extended Sewing Surface

This is the perfect time to use the extension table as having the extra space will help with a smooth area for the quilt to glide over. It is imperative to make sure there is no drag on the quilt because if there is the stitch length and tension can be altered making for an uneven stitch line. 

The ideal set up would be for the machine to be in a cabinet and flush with a table but unfortunately most of us do not have that kind of set up and the machine is sitting up on a table. 

I have come up with a solution for this problem by using small containers such as thread containers and small rubbermaids placed around the machine to extend the sewing machine platform making an even work surface the same height as the machine. Check out a picture of it here on Quilts by Jen, Extending Your Quilting Area. 

Extension table in place

Tension

This is the most important part of quilting to ensure perfect looking stitches. 

Don't be afraid of adjusting your tension - depending on the thread being used, the fabrics being used and the number of layers being sewn over the tension often needs to be adjusted to get the best looking stitches that you can. You definitely don't want the bobbin thread showing at the top especially if it's a different colour. 

This machine has auto tension but there is also a place to change the tension manually if need be. It's found in the main menu after pressing the tools icon. Use the arrow buttons to scroll up and down to change the tension and then press OK.

Tension - set at auto of 4.6

It's always a very good idea to have a small quilt sandwich of the fabric and batting the same as the project to do some tension testing on before tackling the actual piece of work.

Each stitch also has a tension recommendation and is found on the display screen when you press the information button. This is very helpful for getting the tension just right but also note it may still need to be changed depending on the thread and fabrics being used.

Recommended thread tension for straight stitch

When I quilt I use fancy threads on top and they are usually a heavier weight thread but in the bobbin I try to use a 40 or 50 weight cotton that matches the thread colour on top. Because I have a different weight of thread in the top and bobbin I usually then have to adjust my tension. Maybe with this machine I won't have to. 

Are you confused about the different weights of thread and what they mean? Here is a quick overview, The Thick and Thin of Thread.

The Walking Foot

I am so used to putting on a walking foot when I quilt that it was a bit strange not to have to do that with this machine. Because of the IDT system which I talked about the other day in Getting Ready For the Test Drive there is no need to have a walking foot. 

The IDT system moves the layers of fabric evenly and smoothly just as a walking foot would. Make sure to use a foot that has a cut out for the IDT system such as 0A or 1A. Both of these feet also have a large clear area at the front of the foot making it easier to see the stitching.

IDT engaged and ready for quilting

Straight Line Quilting

When quilting with the IDT engaged the quilting is all straight stitch quilting in lines or slight curves. I put the stitch to a length of 3.0 as I felt that 2.5 was not quite long enough. The stitches are even and regular with a good tension on auto tension. These stitching lines I did at 1 ½ inches apart. 

Straight stitch quilting

I was thinking that these lines of stitching looked a bit too plain so I decided to add in some lines perpendicular and build a grid keeping the lines the same distance apart as the horizontal ones. 

A grid of 1 ½″ squares

Stitch in the Ditch

I thought to myself well I might as well use the blind hem stitch foot since it has the cut out for the IDT and give stitch in the ditch a go. This has never been my favourite quilting stitch and in fact I find it the hardest to do because if you fall out of the ditch it is so noticeable. 

The trick is to use a finer weight thread on top and to match the colour exactly to the background. I used black for this one piece and a 50 weight cotton thread.  Normally I would use an even finer weight threat of 60, 80 or 100. I have to say I was very impressed with how well the blind hem stitch foot kept me on track and in the ditch. 

 

Blind hem foot

The red piece on the foot is what sits in the ditch and guides you along the seam edge. This is also adjustable. The only issue I had was that it was hard to see where I was stitching since there is a lot of plastic and metal sitting in front of the needle but I did okay and stayed on track. 

I was quite impressed with the results, maybe I'll change my mind on whether or not I like stitch in the ditch. In fact the stitches are so well hidden that I didn't even take a picture of them but take a look and see if you can see them on the star quilting below around the border. 

Continuous Line Quilting

The less starts and stops in a quilting motif the better because the stitching remains smoother and flows more evenly. Plus the less tie offs one has to do the better. 

I have an eight pointed star that I like to do as a continuous motif in squares. Lets see how it turned out. 

 

eight pointed star motif

The star turned out okay except I found that I had a bit of puckering of the fabric where the start and end were. You can see it in the lower left hand corner of the star. I wondered whether it did this because of the stitch in the ditch I did beforehand?

I figured I would give it another go and see what happens with no stitch in the ditch and no border. 

Here's the results. 

Another 8 pointed star

I found that this star had the same issue but not as bad as the first one. You can see the puckering in the top right corner of the star. 

I have just realised that I have been doing this stitching with a universal needle so will see what happens when I change to a topstitch needle. The sharper needle should help alleviate the bunching and pucker of fabric. 

Third time's a charm

Changing to a topstitch needle has certainly helped with the issue of bunching and puckering. The star looks much better now. Using a needle made specifically for quilting is always a good idea and always using the right tools for the job will definitely improve the final outcome. 

Free Motion

When I was taking a look at all of the feet the other day I thought that I was missing the free motion foot as I didn't see one that looked the way I thought it should. After a couple of e-mails with my contact person at Pfaff I discovered that oh yes it was indeed in the bag of accessories. A tiny little foot that I would have never guessed to be the free motion foot. 

The Quilt Expression 4.2 machine uses either a sensormatic free motion or a spring foot. I only have the foot for the sensormatic free motion so I will be test driving with it today. This is the 6A foot - a bit different looking than what most of us are use to. 

The sensormatic free motion foot

Getting Started

Press the tool icon to the right of the display screen to bring up the main menu. You can see the tool icon just above the 'i' button in the photo below. Scroll down to the sensormatic free motion line and press OK to engage this mode. Use the arrows to the right of the display screen to do this. 

 

Sensormatic free motion turned on

Make sure to lower the feed dogs. The feed dog lever is found at the front of the machine just to the right of the accessory box. Shift the lever to the left to lower the feed dogs. Lowering the feed dogs allows the fabric to move more freely and gives you the quilter control of where the fabric moves and the stitches are stitched. When you're finished with the free motion mode don't forget to put them back up. I do this all the time and then wonder why my machine won't sew.

Lever for feed dogs

I always wear gloves with rubber tipped fingers when I am doing free motion quilting. This just makes it easier to move the fabric under the foot and have better control of the stitches. 

I also use a Supreme Slider under the fabric which helps the fabric glide more smoothly and prevent any drag. 

Both of these are optional tools but do make life much easier when free motion quilting. 

Gloves & Supreme Slider

Stippling or meandering 

Now that I have everything in place it is time to take the sensormatic free motion foot for a test drive.

I love free motion quilting - it's like doodling with thread. So much fun to see what happens as the fabric is moved under the foot. 

I was amazed and impressed at how well the sensormatic system works as I have only used the spring based system in the past with other machines. The stitches are even and uniform. The fabric slides well and it was easy to free motion with. The tension was perfect on the auto mode and I didn't have to change anything with the 50 weight thread I was using in the top and bobbin. 

Learn a little more about free motion stippling also known as meandering. 

Stippling sample

Free Motion Zigzag

I like to do a fair bit of free motion zigzag which means setting the machine to zigzag while in free motion. This means that the needle moves side to side rather than back and forth. Because the feed dogs are down I am in charge of where the stitches will end up and what design I can create. 

It's has a much more erratic look than just straight stitch free motion. Once mastered it's a lot of fun to use and create motifs such as trees, grasses, etc. 

I use this stitch a lot for applique which I'll demonstrate tomorrow.

Free motion zigzag

Tie-Off Mode

There are many ways to start and finish a line of stitching. You can leave tails of thread at the beginning and end of stitching then tie and bury them under the backing afterwards. This is the time consuming method but also a very nice finish. I have to say it is my favourite method. 

For those of you who do not wish to spend time with the above method most machines now come with a tie-off option and a pair of scissors to cut the thread when finished. The Quilt Expression 4.2 is no exception to this feature.  

I did like how it performed as it didn't leave a knot but rather went back and forth over the first and last stitches at the same length that the rest of the stitching was done. However, you could change the stitch length when at this part so that they are a bit smaller. The scissors did leave little tails but those would be easy enough to snip off after the fact. 

Tie off button

Another successful day of test driving. Only one day left to see what this Quilt Expression 4.2 can do. Tomorrow will be applique stitch day and I am sure you won't want to miss it. 

Until then, Happy Quilting