Actually I want to scream or swear but I chose to sigh instead, big sighs.
After juggling several sewing projects this week and before I started working on the Freefall QAL blocks, I had time to machine quilt a top which needed to be done by June. So last night, I sewed the backing, ironed it, cut the batting, prepped and ironed the top and then pin basted so I was ready to start machine quilting this morning. Of course, before I started, I wound some bobbins, cleaned the machine, installed the walking foot, adjusted the foot pressure and changed the stitch length. I enjoy machine quilting now since I resolved my problem I was having with my Juki 2010Q Even Feed Foot, you can read about it here:, long story short, using a Janome Walking Foot was the answer. While I was doing my favorite straight line quilting, I noticed that the fabric moved more than usual so I thought maybe my luck with the Janome Walking Foot was ending. After the first bobbin of thread was used and I placed the quilt on the table, I noticed how puckered the quilting looked and felt and how the basting was so out of whack. Because I had to get ready for Church, I left the quilt on the table feeling very disappointed and wondering how this could have happened. As soon as I walked into my bedroom, I knew what I did wrong, I used the Juki Even Foot instead of the Janome Walking Foot. Usually the Juki foot is in a drawer now but I had used it to sew some binding on a quilt, which is the only way I use this foot and left it beside my sewing machine instead of putting it away. It didn't even cross my mind to check to make sure I had the Janome Walking Foot since it stays next to my sewing machine.
Lesson learned, big lesson learned--I put a label on the Juki Even Feed Foot which is something I should have done when I bought the Janome Walking Foot. Also, to make matters worse, I decided to use Aurilfil thread for this quilt and was marveling at how many more rows of quilting I could do with one bobbin; instead of the usual fourteen rows with another thread, I could do twenty-five rows, which is how many rows I have to remove now.
Big sighs, big, big sighs. Instead of having a quilt machine quilted tonight, I will be ripping out quilting instead while watching TV. The quilt will have to wait until after I finish this week's Freefall blocks. It's a good thing I have until June to finish this quilt. Big sighs, big, big sighs. I think this is the Mother of all the Quilting Mistakes I ever made.
Oh Rose, I am so sorry this happened to you! But lesson learned, I suppose! Did you know I unpicked a whole quilt I had quilt once! It took me days! Happily that quilt only recently found a new home with a dear friend. I am sure your friend will appreciate the lengths you went to!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. You're talking about the Shelburne Tartan Quilt--it was worth it, the quilt is still getting pinned--several this past week. The unpicking is done, I'm hoping I won't have to re-baste the entire quilt.
DeleteYuck! I'm sorry, Rose! I hate it when I feel like I've made real progress and realize how far I've gone with some kind of mistake that really sets me back. Here's hoping the ripping goes quickly!
ReplyDeleteThanks Emily, it took four episodes of Gilmore Girls and the dirty deed was done. I'm on the last season now.
DeleteI hate when that happens! We should always listen to our inner voice about something not being quite right. May you time ripping be easy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathleen. I knew something didn't feel right when the first stitch was made but just shrugged it off because I was so excited to start the quilting. Ripping is done and the rest of the basting is laying flat so I may not have to re-baste. Keep your fingers crossed.
DeleteRose I hate when those types of things happen. But the up side is you will never make that mistake again. The hard lessons learned are the ones that aren't forgotten. I love straight lines, one you sit down to start you will whip through it in no time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jan. It was definitely a hard lesson. The ripping is done so I'm hoping to do some quilting today.
DeleteI'm in the process of quilting my first quilt with my Brother machine. It's been a learning curve, and I can relate to what you're going through a little. When something didn't "feel" right, I did go ahead and stop immediately. Thankfully, not too much frogging to be done. At least you got to enjoy some Gilmore Girls.
ReplyDeleteThanks, You would think I would have known better. Good luck with your quilting!
DeleteI hate it when stuff like that happens. Why do we never trust ourselves when something starts to go wrong. Oh well. Good luck picking out the stitches.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa! All the bad stitches have been ripped out and new quilting stitches are in, just six more rows and I'm done. What a difference between the two foots-I learned my lesson.
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ReplyDeleteHi Rose, Great post today! I appreciate the sharing of your process! I spend most of Sunday ripping apart a girls comforter. (I reuse the batting from stuff like that). I also take a big sigh and become resigned that "it is what it is" and get to it. Pretty inspired that you took out all the quilting so quick! you are one determined quilter Rose!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah. I wonder if our collective sighing cause any howling winds anywhere. I'm glad to be done with the ripping and the quilting now (I do have to add some diagonal lines). "It is what it is" would be a nice linky party where we could post about something we did without finishing a project. I had good TV to watch while I was ripping so that helped. Good idea about reusing batting. Thanks for stopping by, you must have heard my sighing.
DeleteOh no! I hate picking quilting stitches out. I think I would be banishing the Juki foot from my sewing room, but a label is a good idea too :) Why is it we never stop when we know something doesn't feel quite right? I know I always stitch away and try to ignore my instinct and then regret it later.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tish for stopping by. I wish I could say I learned my lesson but knowing me there's more lessons to be learned. The label on the Juki, at first I was just going to put a sticker with a cartoon on it, but again knowing me, I would have forgotten why the sticker was placed there. It needed a label that said Juki.
DeleteI am sorry to hear that you have so much ripping to do, but I am glad the solution to the problem was quick to learn. I am going to have to ponder your walking foot discovery. Thanks for sharing about using the Janine foot and I will research that more!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne, here's a funny side story to this post. Laura Piland (Slice of Pi) and I are both in the Better Blogger Bee Hive and we posted together during Week 1. The day I did this post, she posted about having problems with her Juki Walking Foot and someone who read it mentioned that I have just posted about my problems so Laura reached out to me with some questions. The funny thought is we both follow each other but I didn't read her post because I was busy ripping out stitches and busy re-quilting. I hope you check out the Janome foot, it's makes straight line quilting so nice now.
DeleteI have both the Juki and Janome walking foot and doubt I could ever mix them up because my Juki foot is ridiculously loud and squeaky!! Lol! So sorry this happened -- having to rip out a lot of quilting stitches is the worst. :(
ReplyDeleteSaroy, have you ever contacted Juki to receive a replacement needle clamp screw which does eliminate some of the noise. I received mine last year. And if your Janome walking foot is high shank, it will fit on the Juki and you have to try it--works great.
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