I have tried all sorts of things to get into the FMQ again. Yesterday I stopped by the Janome dealer to get some thread from her. The only cotton thread she had was 12 spools in a gift pack for $50. Ouch! Price isn't that bad, I just don't normally buy 12 spools at one time. It is an assortment of colors so there is only one white. It is Iris Quilting Thread, 50 wt. Janome is printed on the box. Anyway, it seems to be working. I did some quilting last night and did not shred any thread. The Essentials I had been shredding is 50 wt as well. So, what thread do the rest of you use? I didn't find any place on the web that sold the Iris thread so I probably still need to find another thread.
Pat, sorry to hear of your problems. I love my 7700. I just use all purpose Gutermann's and have had no shredding in the small amount that I have done. I have been so busy that I have done no fmq in probably a month. I hope to get back to it shortly as I have 2 that I want done by the summer.
Paris, Ontario
Sorry to hear about your difficulties too. I have had no problems with free motion quilting with any thread I have used. Have used anything from Coats and Clark to several kinds of Superior Threads. Have had no problem with any of the feet either. Wonder if you got a "lemon"? Hope not.
Hi Ladies,
Marie over in Fear No More - Free Motion Quilting mentioned that this group was here and suggested I join.
I too have a Janome Horizon and love it! It's been quite a learning experience since I traded in my old Universal (that was over 20 years old) for this new beast of a machine, but I haven't regretted it for a second.
I started sewing when I was very young, I still have that first machine, and old Singer my grandmother gave me that uses a knee pedal vs a foot pedal. It had been about 20 years since I did any quilting, and decided to get back into it last year. Once I started, and picked up a few notions, I saw the Horizon at my local sewing machine shop and just had to try it. A computerized machine! Wow! What a step up! lol
It's been a lot of trial and error since last August but I'm getting the hang of the free motion quilting. I've already completed a few projects, a lap quilt for my mother in law, a baby quilt for a girlfriend, and several mug rugs for my girlfriends for christmas. For the most part I used patterns copied onto newsprint, stuck it to my project and quilted on the lines. That worked well enough, but it wasn't "free flowing" enough for my liking.
On the baby quilt I ended up doing the borders in some free flowing hearts, trailing all along and I was impressed with how well it turned out.
I've also been following the JanomeHorizon7700 yahoo group. It's been a huge help with learning about this machine, the different quirks it has, and how to play around with the settings to get it to do the things that suit you best.
I joined the QCA a few weeks ago, and signed up into the free motion quilting group. Decided to take their challenge. Today I was able to post pics of my first major attempts at FMQ'ing. It definitely takes practice. I'll add them to this group so you can see.
Hope to talk to all of you soon,
Laurie
Ottawa, Ontario Canada
Ottawa, ON Canada
Welcome Laurie. I never heard of a knee pedal machine, I learned on a foot pedal and I still have it and it still works LOL. I love my 7700 but have not had enough time to work on it. I keep getting side tract with new quilts so now have a UFO pile again. Hopefully this week I can get back to practicing and working on the quilts I have started. Glad to have you with us, check out the Canada group, we are doing lots of stuff there too.
Hi Laurie, welcome to our little group
[Ava, Missouri
I learned on a knee pedal machine, and using the knee lift does bring back memories. LOL. I haven't gotten the hang of using it for its real purpose for that reason.
I am almost finished with fmq a baby quilt. It has been an adventure! I think a big part of my problems has been winding the bobbins. There has been a lot of discussion on bobbin winding on the Yahoo Janome group and I have been trying the different tips. I have been using the Janome thread, but plan to try winding some bobbins with the Essentials from Connecting Threads to see if I can use it. The quilt still does not move as smoothly as it did with the Babylock. I can not imagine why not. I purchased a Sew Slip and that has helped. It is similar to the Supreme Slider only much larger. It is a thinner material and probably won't hold up as long as the slider. I got it on Ebay for $20. The queen size Slider is $58.
I am anxious to start trying some of the different stitches the Horizon can do, but want to finish this baby quilt first. Although the binding has to be machine stitched because it is for the hospital so I will use a decorative stitch for that.
Overall I am happier with this machine than I was, but I will have to get a lot happier to chase thoughts of a longarm away. LOL! Although looking at my checkbook will chase those thoughts away. roflol! I am sort of dreading trying to quilt my queen size MQ4 since the baby quilt is tough to move around. The baby quilt has a flannel back which might make a difference, we shall see.
I finished the baby quilt today. I'm not thrilled with the quilting, but think I am getting to know this machine and its quirks. I know it is the machine's quirks because surely it couldn't be moi! LOL! I even did a decorative stitch on the binding. Boy does that use the thread! Four bobbind to get around a small quilt. I tried to post pics, but for some reason it is not working. This quilt is for the hospiral so it has to have a label. I thought I'd use the Horizon to embroider a label, but so far that isn't working either. Guess it's time for another lesson with the dealer. I sat there with the manual in hand and thought I was following the directions, step by step but couldn't get it. :-( Once I learn how to use this machine it will be great. LOL!
Everyone's been so quiet lately (almost 2 months now). Must be busy with summer activities, enjoying the hot (too humid) weather. :)
I've been busy, still practicing my free motion quilting. I guess I could post the pictures here, but a quick link is to my blog... http://charmedcreations.blogspot.com/
Hope everyone is well.
Hi Laurie, I am still here but you are right I have been busy in the gardens. I did manage to finish two tops and their backings and just need to get them sandwiched, and I am down to the binding on a wall quilt for our bedroom but it was just stitch in the ditch. I am going to London tomorrow for a fmq class and hope to get in enough practice to get back to my two parts of SBS. My goal is to get them done by the end of the summer so I can do the next mystery quilt guilt free LOL. Your fmq is very very good. I am embarressed to show what I have been doing but promise to post what I did in the class tomorrow.
Hi Marilyn,
Have fun in the FMQ class tomorrow. (London is my hometown). I took a 4 hour class last month at the quilt shop in Richmond (20 mins away) http://thecountryquilter.ca. It was on using a Tin Lizzie 18. So cool! Nice thing is you can rent the use of one for a day for only $80 and they'll help you set up your quilt and get started.
I wanted to do the mystery #4 here, but I couldn't find the magazine anywhere around town, and by the time I subscribed online the mail strike hit. So I'll have to wait for the next one. In the meantime, I need to finished up Bonnie Hunter's mystery Roll Roll Cotton Boll. (www.quiltville.com) I have all the blocks made, just haven't sewn them together into rows and columns.
I also have a pineapple blossom quilt on the go (another of Bonnie's patterns) that I want to get finished before the end of August. Tough finding time for all the projects I want to do, and the FMQ'ing practice each day.... work is such a bother! lol
Laurie, Ottawa, ON
Hi! I purchased my Janome in April at Paducah Quilt Show. I expressly wanted to have the extra space for free motion quilting on larger quilts. Is anyone else having their thread "shred" and then break, A LOT?! I have tried 5 different weights/brands of quality thread, added the Super Slider, adjusted to every tension setting, etc..... I can take the same thread & quilting pattern to my old Kenmore and never have the thread break.
SOOO frustrated right now. And VERY sorry that I bought it from a company from Alabama and I live in Illinois!
Any advice, anyone?
Hi Becky, I have had a few problems with the thread breaking, I find that if I change my needle it helps.