I do wall hanging size FMQ on an old 1970s Kenmore with great results. I release presser foot pressure and drop feeds. I also reduce upper thread tension a bit. I make a note to myself about those settings and keep it nearby as I go back to straight sewing a lot. My FMQ teacher says to quilt in ditch first and do fancy stuff after. I suppose it depends on style of quilt really. If I stitch in ditch I just use regular sewing settings and feed dogs up. I don't use rubber gloves now that my FMQ teacher said to use Neutrogena Norwegian Formula body emulsion lotion on my hands instead. It gives you grip without hurting fabric. I have a modern Janome I also use but prefer the old Kenmore for the FMQ. I think the heavy weight makes it more stable. I built a table for it to make a level surface since it's basically a portable without top case on. I just used an old prefinished shelf piece about 18 x 24" and cut it out with a jigsaw from a cardboard template I made first. (I can explain to anyone who is interested.) I may make a larger one for occasional use later.

What a wonderful job you did. Isn't it great to finish projects! The friendship blocks look great with the background you used. The story about your DH loving it and the little dog jumping in his lap made me feel warm and happy.....thanks for sharing that. I love the Bowtie quilt. I made one just like it years ago with all reproduction fabrics and it is one of my favorite quilts. I found the pattern in a magazine. The pattern was called Cleopatra's Puzzle but I can't remember the name of the magazine. The repros are so soft and pretty. It's too bad there aren't more of them in my area. My LQS does carry a few. I don't join in the block lotto but I also love to see the lotto blocks made into a quilt. TFS. ~Geraldine

Well, I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who has a quilting day from hades. I discovered what the problem was. You know how spools of thread have that little slit in them to hold down the edge of the thread when they're new? Well, sometimes when you try to break the thread loose to start it, you open it up into a gap. I always try to remember to place that edge up, and not down at the bottom of the end off which the thread feeds into the machine. I didn't when I replaced the spool of thread. Then I got to wondering why it wasn't an issue yesterday, but was today. It's because there is a lip at both top and bottom of the spool and when the thread is getting low, it drags the thread strand over this lip. This morning, when the feed would seem to catch, and the stiches were not even, it was that strand of thread getting caught in the slit in the spool. It yanked hard enough to break a needle. I simply turned the spool over and all was back to normal. sigh.

Here are several All-By-Machine quilt-as-you-go methods that I am familiar with. First, several tutorials on how to join pre-quilted blocks all by machine on the TreadleOn website. Good instructions and photos. You can use this method with any pre-quilted blocks that can be joined with sashing. Treadleon Web Site - Joining quilted blocks with sashing all-by-machine tutorial There are two books by Sharon Pedersen that have patterns for quilt-as-you-go quilts that are reversible - two different designs on each side of the quilt. You piece and quilt the blocks one at a time, quilting each block as you go. She uses a similar method as the one above (but somewhat more elegant) to join the blocks. The second book expands on that technique; there are some patterns in that book that don't look like they've been joined with sashing at all. In both books, the instructions and illustrations are excellent. Once you understand the techniques, you can apply them to your own designs. These can be done all by machine. Reversible Quilts Two at a Time More Reversible Quilts 11 New Projects Another method that can be done all by machine are the Cotton Theory designs. You quilt individual units, that you join into blocks with wide seam allowances, fold the seam allowances under, then stitch with decorative stitches. You join the blocks the same way. In this method you are dealing with units smaller than an individual block. You can watch videos of how this is done on the Sewing With Nancy website. This is definitely an "all-by-machine" technique. Sewing Witn Nancy Video website. Pick Quilting as the category, then scroll down to the Cotton Theory Quilting episodes. Cotton Theory website -- The Quiltyard CMC