DoryJM Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I have been working on a large Civil War quilt with only 12 blocks and lots of borders. I've had to work row by row, simply because the Fairfield batting hasn't allowed me work in my normal fashion (generally, I go through and SID and then go back to the top to quilt). Today I started my last row of three blocks. I started around noon...I have yet to sew one stitch! I've been adjusting tension (monopoly in the top, prewound bobbin) all day. I generally sew a little loopy on the side of the quilt that will be trimmed away, tension is good, and then I'm off. Today, though has been an excruciating ordeal. No matter how much I adjusted the tension, the top was too loose--monofilament too loose!!! I've taken breaks (yes, Shana, the ponies got another pat from that lady in Alaska--they're hoping you'll break down and send carrots:D), I've checked the thread path, I've changed bobbins. Finally, after all of this, I decided to put on a practice piece of muslin until I could get it right. That's when I noticed it....even though I had pulled the mono through from the back to re-thread the machine, it had somehow popped out of the tension disks. So...no matter how I adjusted the tension, the only tension getting tighter was the band of pain in my forehead:o So...I win...please forward my Stupid Award immediately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyeQ Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I would forward it but it would just have to come back and live with me again soon. Been there, done that. Got chocolate? Celebrate the fact you found the problem BEFORE you took an ax to the machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Naw... ya can't have it, I already got it and hanging on tight!! I'll send you a tangerine for something... And Chocolate Crackles by Bryers is fantastic .. :P:P:P RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I will have to add though that I am trying to work through a quilt also with that same batting and my tension has given me fits too...I am blaming the batting... Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RitaR Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Its entirely possible it is the batting Vicki. I won't use Fairfield at all.. Personal choice to not kill me or the machine, nor someone's pretty quilt. RitaR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ginnysnowden Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 NO NO No I win remember the glue in the bobbin case! I do not use Fairfield at all. I did a king size quilt 108x108 used a fairfield batt and it seperated slightly. I did not notice it until I had finished a row. Froging for two days. I learn so much from you gals. Love you all! Ginny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 You know, we could make the award here on this forum and could each claim it when we do something dumb. Therefore I might get it 3-4 times in one day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Dory, Been there done that so I guess we'll have to share the award! LOL I felt so dumb once I discovered what had happened. I'm working with Fairfield 80/20 right now and I HATE it! My customer brought it to me. She had won it in Lancaster for something. You definitely have to be gentle with it. It likes to bunch up too. I called my customer because I'm getting some pokies with it. She had a dark backer so it really shows. They are small pokies but pokies none the less. So irritating. I told her I would frog it and use a different batt but she said to keep going. I had pokies on a quilt I did for my daugher and I went to look at it to see if the pokies were still there. I was amazed they were gone! It has been washed a couple of times and I guess the threads finally relaxed and pulled the pokies back in. I was at least glad to see that. I hope I don't get fairfield again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I knew it had to be me...I just couldn't figure out WHAT! Now that the thread goes through the tension disk, I've been able to, once again, have perfect tension!! Heidi...I talked to my client at guild and will show her how bad Fairfield is. I just won't accept that batting again, its horrid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calicoquilter Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Dorothy, I have done that also. Actually, my biggest award winning bit of stupidity was when I called the copier repair man to come in to fix the copier at work. He came and plugged it back in and it worked just fine! Colleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg_marsh Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I haven't tried Fairfield yet - was warned before my Millie arrived. After all is said here, I definitely will not try!!! As to the tension.......... is all I can say is "there are those days........." Glad you figured it out and that in the end it was something simple......... another thing to put on the top of the check list for when things go wrong, go wrong, go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 DOH!You have ALL my sympathy! Poor you... LINZI x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lsilver Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Someone gave me a roll of fairfield. Took one look at the coarseness and general yuckiness, and said.pass it one. Someone at the guild was happy to have it, although she said it was like quilting a poorly made Brillo pad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Colleen, ROTFL, girl!:P:P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Originally posted by DoryJM ..........So...I win...please forward my Stupid Award immediately! Right now, this coveted award has been sitting on my shelf for months and collecting dust. I have often gazed (or shall I say glared) at this award following some big dumb stunt I have done (and there have been many)...and with utmost gladness, I am happy to get rid of it and pass it on to the next "big dummy" who deserves it. Sounds like you are deserving it, Missy!!! So... question is...How fast can I get this down to you? Would FedEx Same Day Express shipping work? Maybe I'll toss in a bunch of carrots in the package too. Pet the ponies for me and tell them carrots are coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Okay Shana, I saved the award for later use. Did you build it yourself or have it built at the local trophy shop? Good Job! I may need to print it out to use from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Well, I'm too cheap to pay good $$ for one made at a trophy shop so I made this one myself with the help of Microsoft Clipart. But, now that you've mentioned it, I might just go ahead and splurge and get me a real genuine award made and engraved. It might be fun to share with my local longarm guild. They'd get a laugh out of it (and maybe we can pass it around between ourselves when we meet each month!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Hey, Shana...you are engraving my name on it before you ship it, right?? Oh, and Emma has decided that she doesn't really like carrots, she'd prefer an apple please. Forgot to add...after I had finally figured out what the problem was, the spring popped out of my bobbin case. I couldn't get it back in (actually, I'm not sure which way it goes or whether I should just toss the whole thing), so I got out my spare and started using it. Don't know who it was that suggested having a spare one, but I can't even begin to say how happy I was to have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 OK, apples it is! So... does Emma prefer red, golden or granny smith? Spring in bobbin case (btdt) I usually pop mine in using a flat screwdriver. Since the spring is out, very (very) gently adjust the prongs so they are poking up a wee bit more. The spring goes back in the case so the prongs are pointing up /out (rubs against the bobbin while it spins). Do you have an air compressor? Now's a good time to blow out that bobbin case before putting the spring back in. I also take a q-tip dabbed in alcohol and rub out the inside of the case to get any goo or lint stuck in there, then put the spring back in using a screwdriver until it snaps in place where the notches are. It's kinda tricky but with a little patience it will snap back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 They aren't picky; they're just very opinionated:P Emma wants the apples; the rest want carrots--the really big fat ones! Okay, so the spring is back in after a thorough cleaning of the case. I did adjust the prongs very gently and slightly to make them poke up a bit more and blew the heck out of it with my compressor (I love that thing). I used the screwdriver and the spring snapped right back in. Thanks!! Now to figure out what to do with the last three blocks, then the stars and loops as requested on the borders/sashing and I'm done. I won't be sorry to see this quilt go to its owner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Geez Louise! So now.... the carrots ...they can't be the normal, regular size...they must be the really big fat ones??? Well, well....well... I'll have to shop around for some "Arab-approved" carrots. And, I think somebody's ponies are spoiled rotten.... Glad you got your springy thingy in there. Would you (pretty please) share a photo of this quilt when you are done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Spoiled...they're not spoiled. You could call them spoiled if we took them hot water morning and evening...oh, wait...we do take them hot water:o Could it be...my ponies are spoiled?? I hope to have it done Wednesday at the latest, so I will post pictures. This is my first customer quilt that got a few feathers....of course, the thread matches perfectly so they don't show;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 20, 2009 Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 Actually I like the "texture" that feathers create, not necessarily the thready look of feathers. I am sure it will be very beautiful. And, I agree that if one must have horses, one must spoil them. They deserve it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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