Domestic (Home) Machine Quilters

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Comment by Kathy Koehler Holm 19 minutes ago

Ladies!..it has been a while since I did any ME on my machine, and I have forgotten..what is the best threads to use for the top stitching EM and what is best to put in the bobbin..rayon, cotton, poly ??...I want to EM little cars on a one layer cotton border...should I still use a stabilizer underneath..my Viking suggests that I do...after I do the simple EM of the little cars, then I will sandwich the whole thing to Machine Quilt it...what do you think?

Comment by Janet/MO on January 19, 2015 at 7:02am

It is so nice to have a good shop to deal with when we are in the market to buy a new machine.  When I bought my last Viking I signed up for the class as it had features my 1st Viking didn't have.  I get to the class & there was only 1 other person there.  We waited & waited for the class to start.  Finally after 45 minutes I went up to the manager & asked if anyone was ever going to start the class only to be told that the woman would be there shortly after she was finished selling another machine.  That didn't set very well with me and the other woman as we felt like they had been more than happy to take our money, but didn't want to follow through on the classes.  The other woman was so new to sewing she had never even threaded a machine in her entire life.  At least I was able to figure my machine out on my own.  Good customer service is key in my book.  

Comment by Ali Stanley on January 18, 2015 at 4:49pm

Janet, they told me when I bought it to call any time with questions or problems. I had to call once about a problem less than a week after I bought the machine. He got right on it and fixed it right away. It's also a little sew 'n vac shop that isn't so busy that one can't stand and talk and pick the brains of the people who run it. One of the main selling points to me was that the service guy is also a free motion quilter...he is a treasure trove of information. So far, no complaints from me.

And I hope your arm is doing better...we need them for quilting!

Comment by Janet/MO on January 18, 2015 at 3:40pm

Ali, also don't hesitate to call your dealer in the mean time if you have any questions.  They are all required to help their customers in order to stay in good graces with the companies whose machines they sell.  For instance, when I bought my Janome embroidery machine it took a while before they had a class scheduled.  By the time that happened I had my right arm in a cast due to carpel tunnel surgery so I didn't take the class.  However, any time I needed help they were more than willing to do that.  20/20 hindsight told me that I should have still sat in on the class though.  

Comment by Ali Stanley on January 18, 2015 at 9:55am

I am convinced. I'm going to do the classes when winter is done with us and I don't have to drive over the pass to get to the shop! Thanks to all for the willingness to share your wisdom. :)

Comment by Janet/MO on January 18, 2015 at 8:24am

Classes are a definite must in my opinion.  If they are conducted right, you should learn hints about cleaning and maintaining your machine that might not be in the manual.  Also, how to get the most use out of your decorative stitches.  My dealer breaks the classes down in to 3 sessions.  She demo's different feet and yesterday we learned how to use a type of zig zag stitch to attach a narrow ribbon to the edge of a fused heart so it looks twisted.  It is normally something you would use matching thread or invisible thread for, but she just had us use the thread on our machines.  I will definitely be doing it more.  She showed us a denim jacket that she did a large embroidery design on the back and then did a black & white twisted ribbon along the various seams just to add some extra interest.  It takes a while to do, but really added a lot of pizzazz.  She also showed us how to butt 2 pieces of batting together and use an edge joining foot to stitch them together.  I don't know if this would work with the more airy type of poly batts, but it definitely worked with denser ones such as Warm and Natural.  With the cost of everything going sky high, the more we can use the left over pieces of batting, the better off we will be.  I have heard of the basting tape, but this method seems to be faster, cheaper & that it will hold up to multiple washings if need be much better than tape would.  

Comment by Ally Bryant on January 18, 2015 at 5:31am

Just a hint on the blood stain. I am a hand quilter too, and sometime a needle will prick and blood gets on quilt. It doesn't sound nice, but if you use your own spit on the blood it will come out. Something to do with your own chemistry.

I bought my Janome 6600 off my friend and I wish I had lessons also the same with my Janome emb. Machine lesson would have been valuable.

Comment by Mary S. on January 18, 2015 at 4:09am

Ali, I took classes for my Bernina years ago and it was wonderful.  When I bought my new Janome a couple years ago, I took a class and it was very helpful also.  Maybe I have a great shop/owner, but I would hope that it is an across the board support for those of us who bought a new machine.  My shop is two hours away from me but I thought it was worth the drive. 

Comment by Ali Stanley on January 17, 2015 at 11:13pm

Janet, I have a question about the classes that usually come with a new machine. Does one really learn much more than reading the instruction manual? I bought my new Janome in November, and with the holidays and all I've not taken any of the classes yet...and the shop is 35 miles away.

Comment by Janet/MO on January 17, 2015 at 8:05pm

Thanks Cat Lady.  Bummer about the blood stain.  I hope you were able to get it out.  

I took this quilt to the store where I bought my new Pfaff as I had my 1st class on that machine today.  The owner couldn't get over how I used so many of the decorative stitches before I even had my 1st class.  I guess she forgets that I have been quilting for close to 25 yrs and this is not my first machine with fancy stitches.  

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