Wednesday, January 9, 2013

My Quilt Went in the Garbage Can!

Tell me you have had one of those days where things do not go right?  Like not one thing!   I had that day today.   It started off, well it started off bad.   So I decide to work on a quilt that I am giving to an organization I strongly believe in.  

Instead of just doing swirls for the quilting, I thought it would be lovely to write some words that are predominant in their workplace.   That would be the first poorly thought out plan I had=)   While the words were lovely on one side of the quilt, I neglected to realize that to do them on the far side of the quilt, I would have to jam the whole quilt under the machine to quilt the words on the other side.   Normally if you are just stippling, you turn the quilt upside down.   Unfortunately I haven't mastered writing words upside down!   Here are a few shots of some of the words.


After getting all the words on the quilt, I was pretty much home free, or so I thought.   All I had left was to free motion some waves in the ocean.  Now I do have a Janome Horizon that I love.   And I should mention that I had fused the ocean on to the quilt.   I don't know what happened or what time warp I had entered, but my machine would not sew through the fusing successfully.  (This is the part where my quilt visited the garbage.)  It skipped or jammed, or broke the thread.  I changed 3 needles, 3 bobbins and 2 spools of thread and finally I limped my way through the job.   If anyone out there has any advice for stitching through fusing on my machine, please leave a comment.  I can't believe that a machine that good, couldn't do the job.  I just don't know what I was doing wrong.



When I finished, I put the quilt away for the day and will tackle the binding tomorrow!






19 comments:

Renate said...

The quilt looks interesting. Can't wait to see what the whole thing looks like. I have found that if I add a drop or two of "Sewer's Aid" to the needle and the thread, it goes through the layers of fusing much easier.

Nina Marie said...

being a horizon owner too - I just want to say I love my machine - I don't like to fuse for just the same reason you're having - not to mention my work ends up looking all glued down and 2d without the texture that fabric and stitching gives. That said - maybe the best of both worlds? you could try to use steam a seam strips along the edges of your pieces and then the middle would be all glued down making it hard for your needle to get through.

Nina Marie said...

being a horizon owner too - I just want to say I love my machine - I don't like to fuse for just the same reason you're having - not to mention my work ends up looking all glued down and 2d without the texture that fabric and stitching gives. That said - maybe the best of both worlds? you could try to use steam a seam strips along the edges of your pieces and then the middle would be all glued down making it hard for your needle to get through.

Nina Marie said...

being a horizon owner too - I just want to say I love my machine - I don't like to fuse for just the same reason you're having - not to mention my work ends up looking all glued down and 2d without the texture that fabric and stitching gives. That said - maybe the best of both worlds? you could try to use steam a seam strips along the edges of your pieces and then the middle would be all glued down making it hard for your needle to get through.

Gene Black said...

Jackie, I don't know which fusible you use, but some are easier to sew thru than others. I really like misty fuse as it is very thin and easy to sew thru. However, it doesn't have backing so it is harder to use.
My other choice is Wonder Under 805. It is easy to stitch thru also.

Sewing Junkie said...

Fusibles are tricky. Try a denim needle and see if this helps. I don't use fusibles because of this reason. Also a lighter weight fusible if you didn't use it might be a better choice. Hope it works out for you. Chris

jlk said...

Good luck. Don't throw it in the garbage again. That's just dramatic.

Marti said...

It is the fusible that is the culprit. As mentioned above, misty fuse leaves no trace that it is there except to hold your subject comletely in place. It is all I have used in years since discovering it.

monika@mysweetprairie.ca said...

oooohhhh : ((((

Be it known that I thread paint every day on my 7700 - which is 1 layer of stabilizer fused to 1 layer of canvass, fused to one layer or two of fabric.

I used to have trouble - but for me everything has worked since using Topstich 80 or 90 needles EXCLUSIVELY. They have a long long eye. Universal, quilting, even denim do not work for me. I finally just tossed them.

Also, I never have a single skipped stitch ever when the needle plate thingy is engaged. It keeps the needle & threads precise to catch that bottom thread properly every time.

It's totally not the machine. I swear! I thought it was, but it's not.

Also - the crazy jamming up stuff- in the FMQ setting, that only happens to me when I thread or sew with the foot up. TOTALLY an accident. Because the 7700 does not have a hopping foot, it always appears to be down since it hovers. You need to set the darning foot to be in the lowest position to not create drag (I'm sure you know this - to also prevent skipped stitches). But check the presser foot lever before you sew. I make the mistake of assuming it's down when it's not, and that is when you sew and get all this giant jam up of thread on the back, stuck into your machine... and cry... and head to the garbage. oh my

: )

good luck Jackie!!!!
~Monika

Jaime said...

I can't comment on anything else, but your handwriting is beautiful.

scarlett said...

Ditto what Jaime said.

Snoodles said...

Hmmm, I learned something new from your first comment - might have to find some of that stuff! LOL
Oh, I love how the words look, but I can totally identify with tossing the project. It's happened more than once!

Mama Pea said...

What kind of fusible did you use? My machine will not sew through some fusibles. I stick to Heat N Bond Lite, because my machine sews through that nicely. I also agree that Misty Fuse is good. Steam-a-seam light gums up my machine so bad the thread breaks, etc. Same with Wonder Under.

What Comes Next? said...

that is so frustrating :(
I agree with several of the recomendations - the Sewer's Aid is like a liquid silicon, and works well to help sow down the gunking from the fusibles - just be very careful that you do not get any ot it in any of your tensioning disks. When I use it I just wipe a bit of it along the needle. Try a different fusible - Misty Fuse is light weight, or try 'donuting' your fusible - drawing your design on it, but then cutting out the middle section leaving only a ring of fusible before you fuse it to you fabric. And finally, like Monika, I only ever use topstitch needles - they are sharp, strong and the large eye reduces thread wear. Good luck!

Linda said...

T mysweetprairie: Thanks for the info re topstitch needles. Good idea. I have a Janome too and have not had any trouble so far, but maybe my stabilizers were lighter, and not so many layers. I use Heat 'N' Bond light most of the time. I have used denim needles to embroider with good results too.
Good luck Jackie. I am sure it will be better when you go back to it.

Susan J Barker said...

I sure am not one to give advice on fusibles because I really don't like them at all, never use them any more except for postcards and even they they are a last resort. I sure hope some of the suggestions you have gotten work for you. I do like your machine handwriting!

Westend Quilter said...

I agree about using topstitch needles - I always use them for quilting. And how about writing on that yellow paper for quilt stencils (like tissue paper), pin it down upside down then following your lines.

Jake said...

I agree top stitch needles are great for FMQ. Also, about your words, why must they all be upside right? Why not quilt them at different angles and even upside down to be hidden amongst the other quilting? When folks view your quilt, they will always be looking for something "new" that they hadn't noticed....a very inspirational activity.

Hawberry Historian said...

If you want to sew through anything ever, and all the time, I have some sage wisdom to pass on to you Jackie. Pay close attention.... Throw your Janome in the garbage and get a Husky!!! ;-)

Guild was great last night. Not a ton of people, but VERY relaxed and more social than usual. Had a sarcasm deficiency without you, but we made ot through the night!