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Blowing off steam....................!!!!!


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Just need to vent and no one here except the dogs who don't really listen. The local shop saw my freehand quilt I was so proud of (feel like a real quilter now post) and asked me to make a quilt, wall hanging size, to display in their main window. I decided to make it simple and with spring pastels and large white areas to show off the quilting. Easy said, easy done.

While in Sisters, Or., at the quilt show I bought some beautiful varigated thread and some pattern packs and decided today to try them both on the sampler. I drew on the pattern I wanted in the large open areas. I have never used a stencil or pattern before so this was new to me. Pinned on the piece and threaded up to go. The thread is rayon, made in Mexico, can't find a brand name but is gorgeous. It won't work on my machine:-( Did the bottom line in the bobbin, used Sew-aid on the spool, etc., all the known solutions. I finally said enough and frogged out the bit I had completed. It continually broke when sewing. I switched to my favorite cotton thread in a soft cream color and after doing two of the blocks decided I didn't like the design. So started frogging it out and ripped my top!!! I mean a big ol rip! So I grabbed my scissors and cut the offending blocks out of the sandwich including the backing and the batting! I am going to run the top thru the washer and get the markings off then make a new section to replace the cutout part. Sigh, it is 103 degrees, my cooler in the sewing room is laboring, I am hot, angry at myself and throwing in the towel for today. Thankfully it is a simple block and I have lots of the material. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed!!! On the brighter side a new customer picked up her quilt this morning and was estatic over it and is bringing another one next month. I can look at a pattern and pretty well do it freehand but this pre-marking is a killer for me. Think I'll stick to what I do best.

Thanks for a place to vent...............

Mary & Sophie in CA

(her name is no longer 'big girl', she told me it is Sophie)

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Oh I hear ya. I put on my first real quilt for myself. No more practice sheets. Decided on a panto. First row went beautifully. Thought this was going to be a breeze. Half way through the second row I had to change bobbins. Thats when all troubles started. Didn't check to see how the tension was. Got down with second row and it had railroad tracks on the bottom. Took 2 hours to frog out.:mad:. I'm about 8 hours into this queen size quilt with 2 more rows to go. Man, I hope I get faster. It's going take me a life time to make any money. The metal bobbins are just messing with my mind!! Well, I feel better now:)

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LOL Sharon, I feel better after reading your post!!! I have a suggestion for you ----- get one of those cheap mirrors from Walmart or Target, the tall skinny kind that you hang on the back of a door? Lay it on your table under the machine/quilt sandwich and each time you change your bobbin, glance at the quilt back in it when you start stitching again. I did this and boy did it change my life! I only had to frog tiny amts as I caught it as soon as it happened and eventually I began to actually feel when the tension was wrong almost as soon as I started to sew. Plus I didn't have to stand on my head to see the back. It will come with time and practice - hang in there. I also figured out that most of my loopies happened when the thread had jumped out of an eye-guide (user error!) Hmmm, just realized I haven't had back-loopies in ages.

Mary & Sophie

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Guest Linda S

Ladies,

May I recommend a nice bath with Calgon (remember "Calgon - take me away!"?), some nice lavender scented candles and a glass of wine (or a martini)? Sounds like it's been a rough day for you both! Tomorrow will be better. :)

Linda

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Sharon: Yes! I don't have a problem with it though. I wear an overall apron with pockets when I quilt and in the pockets, I keep all kinds of stuff but one of the things is my teenie little screw driver. I test each bobbin before I put it into the machine. Sometimes I even take the empty bobbin out, refill it and put it back in and I still check the tension. I just used the "drop" test and have had great results. It takes half a second and I do any tweaking necessary. Overall, for me, when I consider the cost of the pre-wounds, I'd rather do my own tweaking on the metal bobbins.

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I don't know why the bobbins vary, but someone suggested the Towa bobbin tension gauge to me about six months ago, and I use it all the time now. APQS and other sites sell it for about $75. It's worth it. Now I check the tension each time I put a new bobbin in the bobbin case -- just takes a second and often it doesn't need adjusting but, when it does, it just takes a second. I use a tiny screwdriver that came in a glasses repair kit from the grocery store that cost about $2.95.

Mary

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I can't tell you how many beautiful spools of thread I have that are unuseable, mostly foreign made. I make it a practice to never buy any thread that isn't a major name, my favorite is Superior Threads and they are BEAUTIFUL and never have a breaking problem. I normally only use pre wound bobbins, an exception once in a while but I wind them on my Bernina and check the tension with the first one and they all seem to be okay after that.:cool:

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Ok, this might sound stupid! When I try to "drop" test the bobbin, it usually slips out of the case before I can give it the test. Of course, my DH comes by and it works for him every time. Maybe he sould LA. I'm looking for 4-6 " drop with a metal bobbin, right? This bobbin gauge is easy? Worth the money? Of course, if it will help me save time on frogging I would probably pay double. Shhh...shouldn't say that to loud!

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Much better today thanks to the advice on Calgon and wine to go with my whine:-) Re the bobbin, my old girl has been so tweaked that I never mess with the bobbin tension. I do play with the top tension occasionally. I have two bobbin cases and one is set for my favorite of Star all cotton thread (runs everything including the polys) and the other for Bottomline. The only thread I can't seem to run is that blasted rayon from the estate sale (old old old) and this new rayon thread from Mexico. The new thread was being used and sold by a Bernina display and it is so pretty that I took the chance it would work on the longarm. It is wonderful on the embroidery machine tho so that is its destination. I have some Superior cotton varigated and haven't yet tried it but think I will clamp on some muslin and give it a go later today.

Mary & Sophie

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I rarely have bottom tension problems...but I clean the bobbin area with a brush every time I change bobbins...I find if I get lazy and just pop a new bobbin in I will have problems. Only takes a sec, and can save lots of minutes when you have to stop and re thread. I ususally oil the shuttle area after the third bobbin....and of course I do the clean and oil at the start of each quilt.

I haven't had my Liberty all that long, but I did learn the hard way...I was breaking thread like crazy,bobbin thread kept getting caught and never had to worry about oiling...cause I never made it thru a whole bobbin!! After some reading and paying attention to chat, I took the cover plate off of the top of the shuttle area to look at where the hook thingie was ( very tecnical term). Imagine my surprise to find several large wads of oily lint. No wonder I was having problems. I cleaned, used the WD40, wiped it down and then oiled. Wiped it down again and put in a well wound bobbin and my problems were over.

I also look at the bobbin case with each bobbin....most times I find little bits of lint there...probably just enough to screw things up if not taken care of.

Sorry this is so long....it is just a simple machine...with good maintenance it should last a good long time.

Cheryl

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