FMQ: Needles

Free Motion Quilting is such fun, but only if it works!

To get machine quilting smoothly there are a few things to make sure you have.

The first step is the right needles.

Sewing machine needles are all different and have different uses - jean needles for jeans, leather needles for leather... get the idea?

So don't start FMQ without getting the right needles.

But which ones do you need?

I love using 2 different ones: Quilting Needles and Titanium Topstitch Needles.

Quilting Needles from The Eclectic Maker

Quilting needles have a slim, tapered point and thicker shaft for going through multiple layers so are perfect for going through a quilt. These needles work through the layers smoothly and I keep the tension on my machine at 4-4.5.

They don't last long though, maybe 8 hours before they need replacing - you will know because your machine will skip stitches. 8 hours fly by once you start FMQ on a quilt, believe me!

Titanium Needles from Simply Solids

The Titanium Needles are super strong and last longer than the quilting needles. They are perfect for FMQ because they larger eye and deeper groove so they slip through the 3 layers.

I do find I need to loosen off the tension a little bit when I use these needles so make sure you need to test on a practice piece before you start work on your quilt.

The titanium needles are expensive in comparison to the quilting needles, but are worth it because they last much longer.

Hope this helps!

On Tuesday we will look at threads!

Do as I say, not as I do!

On Tuesday during my class in Gloucester one of the learners bought along a length of stretch, leopard print material. She had been asked to make a skirt with it.....

During the first lesson a fortnight earlier she had been introduced to an electric machine for the first time, previously she had sewn using a hand crank. At home she had taken her new electric machine out of it's box and made her son some cushions for his flat. This had prompted her friend to ask for a skirt.

So we sat discussing the design, how to cut the fabric and how she wanted to construct the skirt. She planned everything on paper, including drawings of the finished skirt.  I had taken along this fabulous book:

It has everything a new sewer and experienced sewer needs to know about using a sewing machine!

She sat for 20 minutes reading the book, making notes and before I approached again to talk about getting started. I showed the page that explains needles and how you need different needles for different jobs - we are going to need stretch needles for this skirt. the next question was, what happens if you use the wrong needle?

I explained that the machine skips stitches, puckers and generally gets upset. I talked about leather needles, using size 90 for sewing PUL...

Then it dawned on me - I hadn't been using my own advice. When I had attempted machine applique, free motion quilting and machine embroidery I had always left the same old needle in. Just any old needle... but my tension never seems right, the machine missed stitches...

When I was researching Aurifil threads, it said that 50/2 needed a Top Stitch Needle for quilting. I bought some and they have solved all of my problems when doing any kind of quilting or applique!

If I had used my own advice I could have saved myself a whole lot of frustration and started machine quilting a very long time ago!