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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-05-2005, 10:10 PM (1 of 25)
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I am working on a patchwork vest and have never quilted a darn thing. I am supposed to crazy stich all over it. I understand the concept. What I need to know is what kind of things do I need to do to my machine. Do I drop the feed dogs and move the fabric through on my own, or do I let the dogs do their work and just guide it in a crazy pattern? Is there a good stitch length to use for this? What about tension? Walking foot yes or no? Any other information you could give me to help me through this would be greatly appreciated. My machine manual and the patchwork book both assume that I already know how to quilt  .
Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: M & M's Mom
Date: 05-06-2005, 12:54 AM (2 of 25)
| Hi! I'm a beginner in the quilt department, but I've always thought (and have seen), crazy quilting done by hand, by embroidering different stitches over the seam lines of the patches. Lots of embellishments can be added and your flair for embroidery can really be shown off. [Of course, I'm thinking as one who doesn't own an embroidery machine. If you have one (lucky you!), perhaps you'll get some help with your question on another thread.] Congrats on tackling such a project. Lots of work - but the results are worth it. I want to try one myself some day! |
User: M & M's Mom
Member since: 12-01-2004 Total posts: 102 |
From: weezyrider
Date: 05-06-2005, 11:15 AM (3 of 25)
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It's usually fancy stitches on the seams - You just use the fabric any which way for crazy quilting. What kind of machine do you have? Some of the utility stitches work well for this. Weezy |
User: weezyrider
Member since: 08-19-2003 Total posts: 218 
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From: shirleyp
Date: 05-06-2005, 12:23 PM (4 of 25)
| I did a crazy quilt tie. If you look in gallery 17, you will see a picture of it. Just hit the picture and it will enlarge. You can find the gallery on the home page. I did the stitches with my sewing machine. |
User: shirleyp
Member since: 02-12-2002 Total posts: 352 
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-06-2005, 03:52 PM (5 of 25)
OK. Some misunderstanding is going on here. I am not making a crazy quilt it says to CRAZY STITCH. The directions say that it is a free form quilting stitch. Basically like a bumblebee path twisting and turning all around. It shows a picture but does not tell me how to do it. I would think that using a regular foot and tension would make it difficult to make the tight turns.  Found a picture here on the site that is similar to what I have to do. Click Here (http://www.sew-whats-new.com/gallery17/quilt3.jpg) It is the stiching that goes all over the part with the words on it. Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: carman
Date: 05-06-2005, 04:11 PM (6 of 25)
you drop the feed dogs and away you go, it does take a bit pf practice to get the hang of it, as in keeping the stitches from being WAY to big. some people like to listen to music so keep an even pace, others drink a glass of wine  i call it stippling, which is all over but not crossing the thread pattern, or meandering which is all over the place with lots of criss crossing, hmm maybe i have that swtiched around  hope tis helps.
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User: carman
Member since: 04-17-2000 Total posts: 692 
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-06-2005, 04:21 PM (7 of 25)
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Thanks Carman. So do I need a special foot? And do I need to do anything with the tension?
Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: plrlegal
Date: 05-06-2005, 05:25 PM (8 of 25)
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Pudge you need a darning or free motion foot for your machine for free motion quilting and I also loosen my top tension just a smidge. When you first start, take one stitch, stop and pull your bobbin thread to the top of the quilt sandwich by just pulling up on your top thread. I just took a free motion quilting class a couple of Saturday's ago and instead of gloves, rubber fingers, etc. she had us use squares of the rubber shelf liner that looks like a net, except its rubber, under the palm of each of our hands for moving the quilt around on the bed of the machine. Carman: Here's how it goes -- it took me a while to get my terminology straightened out also -- "stippling" is the very small and tight free motion quilting and "meandering" is the bigger free motion quilting. I don't know that the crossing over, etc. has a name other than free motion quilting. And, yes, it does take a lot of practice to get the hang of it, but it's fun practcising. So far, I've just practised, practised, etc. No actual quilt done that way yet. Patsy Patsy
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User: plrlegal
Member since: 05-19-2001 Total posts: 318 |
From: carman
Date: 05-06-2005, 05:32 PM (9 of 25)
those gardening gloves you get the dollar store, work great too, and cheap, the quilt stores want 15 sor so dollars and i get them for 2 buck at the dollar store 
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User: carman
Member since: 04-17-2000 Total posts: 692
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From: BRG
Date: 05-06-2005, 07:39 PM (10 of 25)
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Yeah I use my winter leather gloves! I have to get a cheap garden gloves - I need to wear it when I am machine quilting!
- Brenda -
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User: BRG
Member since: 01-12-2005 Total posts: 388 
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From: BRG
Date: 05-06-2005, 07:45 PM (11 of 25)
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Yeah I use my winter leather gloves! I have to get a cheap garden gloves - I need to wear it when I am machine quilting!
- Brenda -
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User: BRG
Member since: 01-12-2005 Total posts: 388
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From: M & M's Mom
Date: 05-06-2005, 07:53 PM (12 of 25)
| Sorry about the misunderstanding. I am obviously still sewing back in the Dark Ages - thought Crazy Stitching meant Crazy Quilting. (My face is red.) Learned a LOT from reading all the posts. I am going to get some garden gloves and try my hand at this technique...you are all so helpful! |
User: M & M's Mom
Member since: 12-01-2004 Total posts: 102 |
From: Pudge99
Date: 05-07-2005, 11:12 AM (13 of 25)
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Why do I need gloves? I may have to give up on this if I have to wear them. Can it be done bare handed?
Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: BRG
Date: 05-07-2005, 02:41 PM (14 of 25)
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Some people can machine quilt without gloves ... I find the gloves with "resistance" helpful for me ... it allows me to move the quilt easier and faster ... without them, my hands slide on the quilt. It's a personal preference (my opinion) - kinda like wearing shoes or not when using the pedal for sewing. - Brenda -
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User: BRG
Member since: 01-12-2005 Total posts: 388
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-07-2005, 07:19 PM (15 of 25)
This is getting more and more puzzling by the minute. So if I drive the machine barefooted I should be OK barehanded too?  I am a very touchy-feely kind of person. I love the feel of the things I create on my hands, wearing gloves would drive me crazy. I guess I will just have to try it and see.OK so far as I can tell here is what I need. Drop the feed dogs Use my darning foot (I assume this foot allows the fabric to slide easily) Loosen the top tension ever so slightly pull the threads to the top (like with a buttonhole?) set a rhythm (music or a glass of wine) Gloves for better traction I think I am ready to give it a whirl on Monday when the kids are down for their nap just in case I have a few choice words to say.
Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: carman
Date: 05-07-2005, 09:10 PM (16 of 25)
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don't forget the music and wine i find with out the gloves i am always wanting to lick my hands for grip, don't laugh now. |
User: carman
Member since: 04-17-2000 Total posts: 692
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From: BRG
Date: 05-08-2005, 12:57 AM (17 of 25)
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Carman I am the same .. no gloves ... it's hand lickin ... even with sewing fabrics ... man it sucks sometimes!!!
- Brenda -
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User: BRG
Member since: 01-12-2005 Total posts: 388
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From: susies1955
Date: 05-08-2005, 04:26 AM (18 of 25)
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I like to wear something on my fingers or hands when I free motion quilt. My new favorite are the machiners. http://community.webshots.com/photo/66536579/66619068fxkEAu Here is a video on free motion quilting. I like the less tight look myself.  http://www.taunton.com/threads/pages/tvt035.asp Susie northern NY
http://community.webshots.com/user/susies1955 |
User: susies1955
Member since: 11-07-2003 Total posts: 124 
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-08-2005, 09:26 AM (19 of 25)
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Susie, that video clip was nice. I am a see-do kind of person so that really helps. I don't like that tight look either. Well, I am going to go for it on Monday, without the gloves. The dollar store is only five minutes away if I need to go get some. I'll let you know how it goes and come back here if I have anymore questions. Thanks for all your help everyone. Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: Magot
Date: 05-08-2005, 10:40 AM (20 of 25)
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Sounds like you are ready to go Gina - do you have any scraps to practice on first - I did and it made the world of difference - you may want to practice drawing a free motion scribble pattern on a piece of paper to get the hang of how the thing works. I have a useful movie clip of the stitch in action but can't find where I got it from to post for you. I may be able to e-mail it to you as an attachment if you like - pm me your e mail address and we can give it a try. I find it so much easier to have SEEN something before I get to it.
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
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From: susies1955
Date: 05-08-2005, 02:23 PM (21 of 25)
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.........I am a see-do kind of person so that really helps. I don't like that tight look either..................... Gina, I do MUCH better with photos and such too. I think there are quite a few of us like that. Glad you liked the video, Susie northern NY
http://community.webshots.com/user/susies1955 |
User: susies1955
Member since: 11-07-2003 Total posts: 124
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-16-2005, 12:43 AM (22 of 25)
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I did it. It was actually kind of fun once I got the hang of it. I messed up in a few places but that is the bonus of crazy stitch, nobody but me knows that I didn't mean to do it that way. I put on some Brad Paisley CD's, skipped the wine (I had a horrid migraine yesterday and didn't want to take the chance of it coming back). I used my darning foot. NO gloves. I accidently sewed my foot to the vest once (I laughed so hard that my kids thought I was crazy). It seems that I missed one of the sides of a patch when I was sewing it to the flannel, the foot slid right between the flannel and the patch and I just stitched it in. I got bit by the bug now. I am already thinking about the next vest I can make. My 7 yr old and 12 yr old both want one now. Thanks eveyone for all your help! Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: BRG
Date: 05-16-2005, 07:52 AM (23 of 25)
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Great! Glad you did it and you had fun! And you wanna make more!!!!!
- Brenda -
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User: BRG
Member since: 01-12-2005 Total posts: 388
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From: Magot
Date: 05-16-2005, 02:26 PM (24 of 25)
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"Accidentally sewed my foot to it" Am I the only one who is imagining you with your leg on the table and your sock attached to your sewing... well done you - it is fun. love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
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From: Pudge99
Date: 05-16-2005, 04:22 PM (25 of 25)
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Jan, I am laughing at the image of me stuck in that predicament. Unfortunately it wouldn't have been my sock  as I sew barefoot (gives me better speed control).
Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
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