Hi Quilty Friends! This quilts over the top quilting might be a bit too much for this simple lap quilt (52 x 66) but sometimes a gal just needs to quilt something to death.
About halfway through the quilting, my machine started shredding the top thread. At first, I thought the issue was the cheap stiff backing fabric. After many shreds and unpicking stitches, it was time to investigate a little more.
The checklist for shredded top thread is long, it could be anything from tension to machine issues. Of course, I started with the simple fixes like tension, thread path, new needle, new bobbin, and cleaning the machine.
When none of those things fixed the problem I dug deeper, which meant machine issues. The first machine problem check was the needle position. What I found was the needle bar had shifted ever so slightly to the left, causing the needle to touch the hook in the bobbin housing.
Adjusting the needle bar sounds hard but it's not too bad. The hardest part is the very tiny adjustment needed. It took a couple of adjustments to get it just right and back to quilting.
One of the perks of owning a cheap, no bells and whistles machine is that I can work it myself. In the 14 yrs of using my Bailey Home Quilter 15, I've never needed to take her in the shop. If I can't figure out the problem, the gals in the BHQ Facebook group are very helpful. I've also had to call the manufacturer (Chuck) a couple of times over the years.
I was proud of myself for fixing the issue without needing assistance. It was smooth sailing from that point forward. It took a week of here and there stitching to get the binding handstitched to the back of the quilt. Then once again while posting photos and a video in the Facebook group this morning I noticed the label is wrong AGAIN! Have I made a label in the last year without spelling errors? Geesh! In all honesty I cursed...A LOT! Maybe I should just make it my trademark, the quilter who always has spelling errors in the label. This time DESIGNED is spelled wrong and I even put the wrong year...HAHA!
All that matters is she's finished and ready to be loved. The errors on the label are not the only imperfections. All my quilts could be plucked to death by the quilt police or a judge if I entered them into a show. I don't need to hear from either of them to know I'm flawed human and quilter.
This quilt was made using the free pattern, Cabin Fever. You can find the link to the FREE PDF by clicking here.
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Flaws or no flaws, she's a beautiful quilt and your quilting looks lovely. It is very nice you can handle the necessary adjustments on your machine, a lot of operators can't. Happy stitching, have a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteThis is just so, so nice! Beautiful work on your quilting!
ReplyDeleteAwesome quilting! Just what this quilt needed to show off its blocks. Sorry for the machine issues, but glad it wasn't a major repair. Happy quilting, PattiK
ReplyDeleteYou might have quilted a lot on it but it still looks soft. Glad you could get your machine problem fixed yourself. I need to go warm up my longarm after a 5+ Month hiatus from it.
ReplyDeleteThat really is a lovely quilt, the colours are beautiful, and the quilting is amazing! I have had that pattern on my list for a long time!
ReplyDeleteA gorgeous finish! Only the quilt police would find any fault with it and who listens to them anyway. So glad you were able to solve the problem with the quilting machine. That's always frustrating when something quits working well.
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