Update & minor problems with my art quilt
29 Jan
So I started free motion quilting my art quilt. I am a beginner so it’s not perfect, but it’s good enough to hang on my wall, so I’m happy with it.
I notice on my stippling and swirls that my machine is skipping stitches…. I can’t quite figure out how to change my machine settings to prevent this from happening. When I stitch on my practice piece… which is a layer of batting between two pieces of cotton, my swirls and stippling looks great, but as soon as I try to swirl or stipple on my quilt I get those skipped stitches.
The only difference between my practice pieces and my quilt is that the quilt has a layer of decor bond added to it… I suppose if I was a smart woman I would add decor bond to my practice piece, huh? But I’m not really that smart so… LOL
So there is where I am. My lines aren’t perfect or super smooth and now and again I get some skipped stitches, most I just go back over them, but there was one section that was so bad with skipped stitches that I ripped it out.
Today when Hannah is at school I don’t have anything going on so I am going to sit and quilt some more. I soooo want to finish this quilt, but I don’t want to rush it. I have already spent 6+ hours free motion quilting this. Not to mention the days I spent piecing it, so I definitely don’t want it ruined by rushing….
Does that ever happen to you? You get so close to finishing something that you begin to rush it?
PS. I am not ashamed at all to say that I am a Craftsy affiliate and that when I share class links with you, they are affiliate links {meaning if you purchase a class from my link I get a small commission}. I would not ever recommend something to you if I did not honestly think it was awesome. And having said that… I am learning FMQ with Leah Day’s class and I am learning this pictorial quilting technique from Wendy Butler Berns’ class.
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LbIUxBCoXdw/TqkdL6HEocI/AAAAAAAAA0k/aTQXZPuqbFs/s150/TMW_button_featured.jpg")
Found your blog via Freemotion by the River. I don’t have any suggestions about your skipped stitches, but I just wanted to say that your art quilt is so beautiful!
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Thanks so much!
Unbelievable!!! I just love this quilt and am amazed how well you pieced, designed this beauty.
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:)
What a neat quilt and yes…..when you’re getting down to the end there is a temptation to rush. Maybe when you are quilting it you are pulling or pushing a little without realizing it….that can give you skipped stitches. Good luck! Thanks for sharing.
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Maybe! Thanks :)
Usually the skipping of stitches on curves is because of your speed & hand/foot co-ordination. I don’t know if you have noticed this, but I found I am usually much more careful on my practice sandwich than I am on the actual quilt! Especially curves! Next time, try slowing down for a curve or swirl, the difference is phenomenal ;)
Thanks for the advice! I found out my problem… I was using my machine’s speed slider and I had it set to medium, at full speed I don’t have any problems.