oireachtas Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 I am working on a batik quilt and am having a terrible time with skipped stitches. Made it half way through the first pass of a 11" panto with no problem and then things went downhill fast. I've tried new needle, new bobbin, rethreading, with and without SR, but still keep getting skipped stitches - areas of 4-5 or more stitches not catching. I have ripped out the bad area and hoping someone can give me some advice. My machine and I usually play nicely together and I am really frustrated. My machine is a Nolting, so I'm not looking for machine specific advice. I'm guessing it's the batiks. I am using King Tut on top, So Fine in bobbin and Dream Puff batting. Anything else I might try before I consider retiming, which I have never had to do and dread trying. A marguerita would surely help but it's too early to drink!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Claire, Batiks are so tightly woven (from being dyed and washed over and over again) that sometimes the thread doesn't travel smoothly through the weave. When I have issues, I use Spray Silicone (blue and white can at Hancocks) - spray top, batting and backing, sometimes thread too - this gives just a little more lubrication to the process and helps the thread to move like it should. According to the can, it's safe for fabrics and I've had no issues with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nadia Wilson Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Claire, Make sure your quilt is not too tight on the rollers, a little on the slacker side may work better with the batiks. If you do a search on DawnCavanaugh, she posted a while back some excellent info on working with King Tut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbi Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Hi Claire! I'm with Barb, I use the silicone spray from Kingsmen Quliting Supply... google them... It's about $7 per can... It's great stuff! leaves no residue. Like Barb, Spray everything! I spray as I go with each pass... it seems to work better that way. Sorry you are having troubles. I love the look of the batiks, but they are pure heck to quilt. Good luck and show us a pic when you are done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollyrw Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 I was afraid to try my first batik quilt on the long arm after reading about all the trouble people had. While I didn't have skipped stitches, I did have some tension issues at first. Like Nadia suggested, I loosed my quilt sandwich and it was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oireachtas Posted October 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Thanks ladies. I went to Hancock's and got some silicone spray. I haven't tried it yet, but am crossing my fingers. I may just stay away from the machine for the rest of the day. Once things go bad, it usually helps me to just walk away for awhile. I'll let you know if it works. I think I'll bake instead this afternoon. It may be too early for Margueritas, but not for chocolate chip cookies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 What size needle are you using? I get best results with Batik using a 3.5 PS: It's never too early for Margueritas or chocolate chip cookies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 FYI, With King Tut as your top thread, it will put a lot of force on your needle (it's stronger and thicker). This pulls the needle away from your hook, creating the skipped stitches. With finer thread a 3.5 needle gives good results with batik, but with King Tut you may have more success with a 4.5. Let us know how it goes when you get back at it tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhappy Posted October 27, 2009 Report Share Posted October 27, 2009 Have you tried sewers aid? I LOVE it,wish it came in larger bottles LOL tho it does need to be re-applied to the spool frequently, it is definatly worth the time. Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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