What Do Patchwork Quilters Want in a Sewing Machine?

Here are three top features for the ideal quilter's sewing machine.

1. Able to drop the feed dogs.

This is important when free machine quilting. Although it is possible to free machine quilt with the feed dogs up, much better results come when the dogs are down. Some sewing machines come with a cover for the feed dogs, and, provided that the quilting foot clears the cover when the fabric is under the needle, you will be able to free machine quilt. It is also possible to quilt on some machines without covering feed dogs.

2. Needle stop down

When you are free machining, the feed dogs are (usually) down and you are manipulating the work under the foot. Having the needle stop down allows a quiltmaker to manipulate the fabric/quilt without movement from needle. As you need to stop, if the needle is not down in the work when you restart, it may jump to a different spot making unsightly stitching. If your machine doesn't have this feature, can you put the needle down into the work before you take your hands away?

3. Three essential machine feet.

These are the absolutely essential equipment for a quiltmaker's arsenal - a ¼ inch foot, a walking foot and a free machining (or darning) foot.Feet required for patchwork

Because many quilters use rotary cutting techniques these days to make their quilts, an accurate seam is mandatory. That is where a ¼ inch foot is essential for accurate piecing in template free quiltmaking. You can use a universal sewing foot, with a seam guide attached if a patchwork foot is not available for your machine. Feet required for quilting

1. Walking foot

A walking or even-feed foot is rather bulky looking. It has a box at the rear and an arm with or without a finger at the end. The secret to a walking foot is that it has its own feed dogs. These are controlled by the arm which attaches or sits on the bar which holds the needle in place. As the needle goes up and down, the feed dogs in the walking foot move the upper fabric at the same time as the machine feed dogs move the underneath fabric.

You MUST buy the foot which is made for your machine, as both sets of feed dogs need to match. A generic foot may be less expensive, but it won't work the way it is supposed to, and you will be disappointed with the results.

I can't live without my walking foot. It allows even feeding of many layers, and can be used for simple quilting designs - even shallow curves. The walking foot is also handy for applying bindings to prevent 'creep' as you attach the binding.

Baby Elephant Walk is a quilt that has been quilted and bound entirely with a walking foot, even the quilted cables and the curvy bits on some of the elephants' saddles.

2. Free machining foot

This foot is used for design quilting, and can be used with the feed dogs dropped or covered, although the ideal is to have the feed dogs down.

The main features are: a tiny 'hoop' at the base which connects with the fabric each time the needle penetrates, a spring or spring-like device to make it bounce back after the needle lifts, and an arm which sits over the needle bar, so it goes up and down with the needle. Some free machine feet have a clear base so you can see the work, while some have horseshoe shaped metal bases.

There several different styles of free machining or darning feet available, even for the one machine! You select the one that works best for you.

4. Throat size - does it matter?

Let's talk about the ideal throat size. Some of the newer machines are sixteen inches from needle to body. Wow! I can't afford to buy such a wonder at over $7000.

It is possible to quilt large quilts on a domestic sewing machine; I do it all the time on my beloved Bernina ™ 404QE. I don't waste time 'packing' or folding the quilt, I just do it.

To sum up:

An ideal quilter's machine needs to have the ability to stop with the needle down, to drop the feed dogs, and to have available the three essential feet: a ¼ inch patchwork foot, a walking foot and a free machining foot. Wonderful, but not essential: a wide throat.

Have fun!