Good for you, Lynn, I really love mine. And I'm really enjoying being a member on Sharon Schamber's web site, I'm learning so many good things there.

Pat in Rockport, TX

Yes, yes, on the glue stick! I adopted this from the Sharon Schamber methodology. She is a master and her web site has the best video librarary!!! And SOME of them are free!

On another note, PKNord, I rec'd my needle sharpener from Clotilde over the weekend and haven't tried it yet. I have to find a magnifying lens good enough to enable me to see the needle size first on all of my old needles! I expect this little baby to save me some bucks! Of course there are always the ones I break and bend that are gone forever, but still.................

Lynn

What a good idea, I'll try the glue stick.

Pat in Rockport, TX

pknord wrote: I use an Elmer's (washable) glue stick.

Just a little update on my progress... ( I'll be done with this quilt top before I figure out my stitch technique.... Either that or I'll toss out my machine & get a new one! )

I'm using Bottom Line in the bobbin and monofilimant in the top. . Even still, I have some loops from the bobbin showing on top. I'm sewing with the top tension about 2.5. After seeing one of the posts above, maybe I should lower it even more.

ONTO another topic...... At a recent quilt show, I saw a beautifully machine appliqued quilt with the stems top stitched, rather than using a IMA technique. I thought it looked great. So, on one of my blocks, I top stitched the stems. It looks good. I hate to mix techniques within a quilt. But I'm considering this my "test" project anyway.

Good Question, Pat. I wondered that myself. I think I would try pinning it. But if its lightweight, would is slip?

The quilt I'm working on now has 24" pieced blocks in a variation of Drunkard's Path. There's a large white area in which I'll be doing a bit of embroidery for stems, and appliqueing flowers and leaves using the blanket stitch, and I plan to put a sheet of tearaway paper behind the whole block while working on that part. How do you keep it in place, by pinning or basting it?

Pat in Rockport, TX who's still learning after 46 years of quilting

Well I'm going to take a chance here and make a suggestion. Perhaps your background fabric needs to be stabilized a bit to keep it from puckering. Lightweight stabilizer works great....but sometimes, if I don't have any (in a pinch) I'll slip a piece of paper under the piece to give the feed dogs something else to grip instead of the fabric. Sheets of newsprint work very well and they tear away easily. Might be worth a try.
Good luck. I know little things like this can be very frustrating.
LindaKs

I'm a weekend quilter and am just getting back to my project. After reading all of your posts and practicing a bit, I am leaning toward the thought that my machine won't make perfect stitches with nylon on top & cotton in the bobbin. I am still going to practice a bit. Thanks for all of your helpful suggestions. Anne

I don't change my bobbin tension when using nylon (monofilament) as the top thread. I have done a lot of invisible thread machine applique with it using the zig-zag stitch set at 1.5 width and 1.5 length....and most important I loosen my top tension to between 1.5 and 0. On my machine, my usual tension setting for 40 weight thread is 4 to 3.5.

Hope this helps...I love monofilament thread...I regularly use YLI.

Dorene

Yes, Margo. I'm just now learning the advantages of using starch or sizing! It really does make such a differnce in the handle-ability of the fabric during sewing. Worth it, for sure!

Judymc wrote:
The problem with that (according to Bob The Thread Guy of Superior Threads) is that there is no universal system for threads.



One brand's 40 is another brands 60....ya just gotta figure it out fer yerself!

I have used YLI brand "invisible" nylon for years, and never had any trouble with it melting. Maybe my iron's not hot enough???

As for the tension with invisible thread, I don't ever mess with my bobbin tension for machine applique, but I do loosen my top tension quite a bit. I just don't want the bobbin thread to show on the top, and it also seems to take care of the puckers. One more thing you might want to try....starch your BACKGROUND fabric, too! I find that helps a lot!
Good luck!

Anne, you are not alone in needing a cheat sheet to keep track of needles, thread, etc. When I took a class for my new Bernina, I asked if they had a needle chart with size and purpose for each needle--and, sure enough, they gave all of us a copy. Maybe we need to ask the thread companies for the same thing. Judy

Lynn, thanks for helping me with needle size. It's thread that is smaller as the # gets bigger. LOL, I guess I'll have to make myself a cheat sheet so I won't keep forgetting.

Anne in Illinois