Getting Ready to Machine Quilt You have finally made the decision that you will complete that beautiful pieced top that has been on the shelf for months. Despite the fact that you have always thought a real quilt was HANDQUILTED, you are finally ready to quilt it on your own sewing machine.
Preparation is, in my mind, half the battle in this important endeaver. Let's begin by cleaning your sewing machine.
Lint and fuzz gather inside from even the finest fabric. Remove the cover to the bobbin area and with a soft brush, begin by brushing and picking up all the accumulated fuzz around the bobbin and carrier. Remove the bobbin and clean under it. Fuzz accumulates all around this area, so reach in back, under, and everywhere you can, to get all that lint. Carefully replace the bobbin being certain everything is back in place.
Lint also compacts in the feed dogs. You may need a stiffer brush to remove that. Brush across, slightly lifting to pck up the lint that can be really tightly packed in there.
Refer to the sewing machine's manual to find how often to oil any vital parts. Follow the chart provided. Sparingly, sparingly - we don't want any excess oil on the quilt.
Change the presser foot by attaching an even-feed foot if one is not built-in. Install a new needle. I use Schmetz Universal for my Janome. For my older Kenmore I try to keep Sears needles on hand. The size of the needle will depend on how heavy this quilt, the batting and backing will be. For a fairly heavy quilt, I use 90/14, for lighter, I try a smaller needle, 80/12.
Make up a small sample of the top fabric, the batting and the backing and run a line of stitching. This will show if the TENSION is right for this thickness. Pull on the top thread of your line of stitches. Does it pucker or pull out? The tension needs adjusting. Try pulling on the bottom thread. Does that thread pucker or pull out? Tension needs adjusting. What you want here is for the top and bottom threads to lock in the middle of the layers, and neither pull loose when you tug on one of them. Again refer to your manual and adjust the tension as indicated until both top and bottom stitches are locked in the middle.
Sandwich your quilt, fill 4 or 5 bobbins with thread for a large quilt and quilt away!
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