Message Boards

I've had my Designer SE for about 6 years. This is the first time I have felt comfortable enough to try some free motion type quilting on a small wh. I have a pre-programmed stipple stitch on my machine and have Never tried it. Not sure how to go about using it. Do I start in the middle and go to the outside? Move the fabric around in a circular motion? Or do the stitching as if I were doing a straight line?
I'm so lost with this that I don't even know what question to ask. Can anyone help me out??

This message has been edited. Last edited by: patty j,

I don't know anything about your machine but could you make a quilt sandwich (about a 12" x 12" square) & just practice on that? I'd start with just trying a straight line & see what it does. That would be awesome if it would just stipple on it's own. If it doesn't then try moving the fabric around. Does your instruction book talk about that stitch? Good luck & have fun with it.

For a pre-programmed stitch the idea is to just put your fabric under the specified presser foot and start sewing letting the machine do the "driving". I agree with Nicki's suggestion. Make a test sandwich and see just what it does. You may have a lot of options (not familiar with that machine) for stitch length and width that can change the appearance of the stitching. If the stitch is one where the machine moves the fabric sideways and back and forth while stitching, any more moving on the part of the operator might not be the best idea.

patty...there is a programmed stipple stitch on my machine but it is not good for FMQ...it is just another decorative stitch in my opinion.I'm not familiar with what brand machine you have so can not comment on your stitch.Is there a name like Phaff or Singer,Brother attached to Designer SE on your machine?

Yes do try it first on a sample. I think the stitch is pre programed and you sew with it like you would a straight stitch. I also have the stippling foot programed into my D1 and I found that it wasn't all that useable. However, I did not try it with the feed dogs down and put into the forward, back, sideways motion. Having said that I'm not sure you can put both stitches in at the same time.
Let us know how the sample goes.

Thanks for ideas, I didn't think about a practice piece. Great idea, sometimes the most obvious answer is the hardest for me to see
Had to take my "baby" in to the sewing machine doctor this morning, Said it might take a few days before I got it back, Hope it isn't anything serious. I will try it when I get it back. Pat

Hi Patty! Hope your baby is feeling better very soon!

I have used the programmed stitches on my Bernina for quilting, but you also might want to use that sample sandwich to play around with the stitch length. I found that I like to lengthen the stitch a bit to look less than sewing and more like a hand quilting stitch.

Thanks for the idea KC, I'll get a sandwich together today, just in case I can have my "baby" back later today.

ask about that when you pick it up. they should be able to demonstrate it for you on your own machine. good luck.

I also have a Viking (DII) with the stippling design. It is more a decorative straight line stitch then a FMQ item. When testing it out, it wasn't easy to figure out how to move the fabric to get the stippling to be close to the last area to fill in an area.

Good luck, let us know how you made out - I'd certainly like to be able to use that and the meandering stitch.

Got my baby back today. Needed a new motor!! Will be working on my practice sandwich a little bit later. Thanks again for all the advice. Everyone on this board is so very helpfu. Pat

Really I'm not trying to keep this at the top, but I did try the stipple stitch and thought some might be interested to see how it worked out.

Here is another view, a closeup, I think I need to practice a little bit, but I was happy with how it turned out.

My opinion is start in the middle or you might end up with a c cup in the middle especially if it stretches.

I did the quillting on the "real" wh and it turned out not too badly for the first try. I did start in the middle. I watched a few stippling videos on u-tube and she was starting out on the edge and worked to the middle to the other side, didn't notice any puckering, but then I don't think this was the first one she ever did either. I'll show it on the RWB Patriotic thread next weekend.

I used to think I should start in the center and work my way out, but I found that if I start on the right side (I'm right-handed, but born left-handed and was "corrected" in school) and found that works best for me, especially when free-motion quilting. Otherwise, my stitches are too closed together and strained, while the R to L affords me the extra room to make nice curves. The only way you can have a fluid curve is to practice, practice, practice! Good luck and we can't wait to see your finished product!

kc1930- you must have had nuns for teachers to correct that left hand- been there,done that.

Wanda

Oh yes! And plenty of rulers wacking that left hand! I even tried to break my right arm on purpose so that I could use my left! Funny thing is that my sister, eight years younger and left-handed, was "left" alone. My brain still thinks left and sometimes I have to really concentrate on what I do to correct it in the "right" direction.

KC I knew you and Sue had a cosmic bonding You are both left handers.
Thanks for advice. Pat

OK Patti that looks like it is doable. What did you do to your machine before you started with the stitch?

Patty, that stitch looks great. Did you have to move your fabric around much? I wish I had that on my machine.

The stitch is already programmed in the machine and I didn't do anything special except put on the right pressor foot. Some of the lines I moved the fabric a bit, but I liked it better when I did the line. then the next line. I played with the length and width of the stitch to see what I liked best. Great idea to practice on a sandwich. I can't show my wh yet but I'll put it up on Paus RWB posting on Fri. Then you can see what it looks like on a project. That one I moved the fabric a bit more to get all the nicks and crannies.