Each year I try to take at least one quilting class. Some years, like this year, I take more than one (depending on cost and time frames of the classes). It seems all the classes are crammed into the first four months of the year this year, and that's okay.
Friday's class was an introduction to machine quilting with a walking foot. For non-sewers, machines have "feet" that are interchangeable depending on the type of fabric and sewing you are doing. Personally, I think they should be called shoes, but they're not. Anyway, I signed up for this class because I know the instructor is an incredible quilter, AND every time I've shown one of my quilts at the store that was quilted with a walking foot she's made a slight face. I figured there must be several things missing in what I've learned so decided to take a class with her. It was well worth it!!
I'll have to post pictures later this afternoon, but the biggest thing was how to knot your thread at the end of the seam without leaving a "nest" (where you see the thread or a bunch of thread on one side of the quilt). I knew how to prevent it at the beginning of a quilt seam, but no one has ever showed a class how to prevent it at the end of a seam before. I was so excited!! Sue also helped me with some tension issues, and answered the questions I had about the differences in needle plates on the machine. My manual says to the use the single hole needle plate when quilting, but when I took a class at the Janome store (where I bought the machine), the quilting instructor said not to do it. The single hole needle plate should be used if doing straight seams with a walking foot, as it prevents the fine points (like where all the points of a star meet) from being pulled downward into the bobbin area. For using wide seams or doing free motion, then the wide space/zigzag plate is okay to use.
While giving us a demo on basting spray (over half our class has never used it and we had questions!), I also learned a new trick to help when pin basting my quilt (mark all center points on each layer's edge and match before pinning), as well as some practical advice on how to stabilize the quilt before doing the detail work that I love to see in quilts.
I was expecting this class to mostly be review since I've had two classes on machine quilting, but this was the most informative and helpful class I've taken on the beginning basics of machine quilting. I don't know if I'll be able to take the second class of the quilt or not, but I certainly plan to work it into my schedule at some point!
Friday's class was an introduction to machine quilting with a walking foot. For non-sewers, machines have "feet" that are interchangeable depending on the type of fabric and sewing you are doing. Personally, I think they should be called shoes, but they're not. Anyway, I signed up for this class because I know the instructor is an incredible quilter, AND every time I've shown one of my quilts at the store that was quilted with a walking foot she's made a slight face. I figured there must be several things missing in what I've learned so decided to take a class with her. It was well worth it!!
I'll have to post pictures later this afternoon, but the biggest thing was how to knot your thread at the end of the seam without leaving a "nest" (where you see the thread or a bunch of thread on one side of the quilt). I knew how to prevent it at the beginning of a quilt seam, but no one has ever showed a class how to prevent it at the end of a seam before. I was so excited!! Sue also helped me with some tension issues, and answered the questions I had about the differences in needle plates on the machine. My manual says to the use the single hole needle plate when quilting, but when I took a class at the Janome store (where I bought the machine), the quilting instructor said not to do it. The single hole needle plate should be used if doing straight seams with a walking foot, as it prevents the fine points (like where all the points of a star meet) from being pulled downward into the bobbin area. For using wide seams or doing free motion, then the wide space/zigzag plate is okay to use.
While giving us a demo on basting spray (over half our class has never used it and we had questions!), I also learned a new trick to help when pin basting my quilt (mark all center points on each layer's edge and match before pinning), as well as some practical advice on how to stabilize the quilt before doing the detail work that I love to see in quilts.
I was expecting this class to mostly be review since I've had two classes on machine quilting, but this was the most informative and helpful class I've taken on the beginning basics of machine quilting. I don't know if I'll be able to take the second class of the quilt or not, but I certainly plan to work it into my schedule at some point!
Comments