Help with stippling

[justdawne]

Need any and all words of wisdom from the veteran quilters. this rookie is having a hard time.

I have a Brother sewing machine. It is NOT designed for quilting.

I can't drop my feed dogs but I can put a little plate across the bottom. This feels too 'tight'. The presser foot feels like it is squeezing the fabric onto the plate.

I've been doing practice blocks without the plate - just using my regular foot and sewing very slowly. Because of a small throat space I get a design I can live with but feel it's perhaps not small or tight enough.

I want to get this technique down pat so I can use it on wall hangings and lap sized quilts.

Any suggestions? How much quilting does a quilt need anyway? I've heard every 4, 6 and even 8 inches.

Thanks,
dawne

[cindyg]

Dawne, your batting dictates how far apart your quilting should be. That's all I know because I haven't tried stippling yet.

[sewbug]

You can tape an index card over the feeddogs, that may help with your machine situation. The machine makes all the difference in how your machine quilting will be.

[CindyB]

Do you have a different foot that you can use? Maybe one that is used for darning? It will have a "U" shape (open end towards you) or a circle.... you might be having problems because of the foot you have, if your feeddogs are covered on the bottom.... just a thought (I've had that problem, so I know...)

[minniemouse]

Hi Dawne, Have done a little stippling and the one thing that tells me something is wrong is that your pressure foot (you need to use what is called a darning foot) should not sit down on the fabric. Your fabric should be able to move freely. When you start to do this everything looks all wrong till you actually see how it works. You do need to cover the feed dogs with your plate so it is not interfering with you moving the fabric through the machine. Those are there to help move the fabric to the back of your machine as you sew. You want to be able to go back and forth and side to side. You do not need to worry about stitch length because you will control the lenth of your stitches by how fast you run your machine and how fast you move your fabric. I'm not and expert by any means and I'm sure there will be better discriptions. But if your fabic is tight under your pressure foot just sit back and wait for a better discription cause somethings not right. Jan in Punxsutawney