Lockstitch? Please explain how to do this.

[doetexas]

I am very new to quilting; I took a beginning quilting class and was concentrating on hand quilting since I couldn't carry my sewing machine back and forth to class. (I was a little embarrassed because mine is just an old Kenmore and two of the others had Berninas) Anyhow, I had to switch to my machine due to arthritis at the base of my thumbs and I don't know the 'tricks' that might be helpful for machine sewing. I have the "Quilts for All Seasons" book and E.B. mentions 'lockstitching' and I was hoping someone here could explain it to me. I'm not really happy with my machine stitching right now because I was quilting a line 1/4" away from the seam and I don't like the way it looks when I stop and start the quilting line--hoping learning to 'lockstitch' will help. Thanks in advance for any help.
Doe

[cindyg]

Doetexas - there's nothin' wrong with a good old Kenmore! About the lock stitch - I don't lock stitch unless the pattern specifically tells me to. It adds too much bulk in the seams. I think it's the same as a back stitch where you go forward a couple of stitches, backward over the same stitches, then forward. If you are beginning your seams and the machine is eating your fabric try using a starter piece of scrap fabric - just sew onto it and then butt your real fabric up to it and keep sewing. Or you can hold on to the threads behind the presser foot and kind of pull on them to get things started. If the lock stitch is not the same as a back stitch then I've written all this for nothing and maybe someone else can help.

[auntjana]

Good afternoon - Kenmores are good too!! I use a lock stitch when machine quilting - I take one stitch and the pull the bobbin thread thru to the top of the quilt by pulling on the top thread tail till I can grab the bobbin thread loop and pull it thru all the layers -- then I stitch in place the same spot 3 or 4 more stitches - I hold the thread tails while I do these 3 or 4 stitches and then trim them off after I finished the 3 or 4 stitches. After this quick step I continue machine quilting until I need to move to the next design, at that point I again take 3 or 4 stitches in place and then trim the threads (top and bobbin) and start the procedure again at the new area I want to quilt. It doesn't seem to cause any bulk and they don't unravel with little fingers (grandbabies) pulling on them

I hope that this may help you - sometimes my directions leave me wondering so if any more questions, just ask -

Glad to help
Jana

[doetexas]

Thank you for your answers, ladies. Jana, your directions were quite clear to me. I've been doing that, but, I've been doing it more than 3 or 4 times and making a big 'glob' of thread -- that 'glob' is what I didn't like. And I've been trying to just move my piece to the next spot without clipping threads -- just to save time and thread. Not a good idea, I guess.
Cindy, thank you for your answer. I think you are talking about piecing and I was talking about the actual quilting. But, I'll try your idea of using a scrap piece of fabric to butt up against when starting a seam, since I do have a problem sometimes with the machine 'eating' my fabric at the start.
Thanks a lot, gals!
Doe

[auntjana]

I was having problems with my top tension being wrong - it was leaving loops on the underside of the quilt that I was doing. I changed needles to a jeans needle size 16 or 18 and switched to the King tut thread, now it works beautifully . I put all the top tension back to the factory setting too. I have not had any globs of thread since I changed that stuff. If you move any tensions - write down or put a mark where you began and only move one thing at a time. If that did not work, go back to orginal settings and try another adjustment. As I would machine quilt, sometimes my thread would jump out of a tension spot and that causes globs of thread.

Hope that this might help

Jana

[sewcarolyn]

Using leaders and enders really does help get rid of "bird's nests" and helps me keep my stitches straight at the end on a piece. Here is an article that might help
http://quiltville.com/leadersenders.sht ... ders.shtml

[CaroleJ]

Doe, you also might need to adjust the tension on your machine. When I am machine quilting, I usually need to turn the upper thread tension to almost zero. Also, if your machine has the option of varying the pressure on the foot, you can experiment with that as well.

I make all my quilts on a Singer 257 portable, circa 1972, and do all my machine quilting on a Singer 401 from the 1960s.

There are lots of folks here who love their Kenmore machines! No need to apologize or be embarrassed about what we have! More important to just get in there and SEW!

**Almost forgot...are you using a walking foot (also called an "even feed" foot)? Makes a HUGE difference!

[GrandmaTaz]

Doe, I sent you a PM (personal message)

Jeanne