So glad I came across your videos! I have done some very basic quilting but want to do so much more. now I have a quilting machine I can do it. but have to learn. I hope you don't mind me asking tons of questions when I start :) thank you for all the help you offer folks. it's much appreciated.
Wonderful! Welcome to an amazing world of machine quilting. Please feel free to ask any questions you have! It can be a confusing technique to get into, but is so rewarding when you get the hang of it!
This is one of my favorites of all your videos. Would LOVE ❤️ to see a fuller picture of the work you did on this quilt….maybe include/feature it in one of your emails you send out? … maybe even as an “oldie but goodie” feature. 🙂Thanks
Thank You For Your Vido.i'm 70 yr old. your very carefullll on explaning what your doing it sure does make it easy for me to understand.thank you again. I also llllike yhe idea your using gloves.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! Yes, the variegated thread is YLI Variations. I love the very subtle color changes and it's almost exactly the same weight as Isacord, my usual favorite thread.
It's an oldie goldie (a design from the early days of the FMQ Project) and one I haven't used very often. It's so nice to try it out and see the beautiful texture it creates on this quilt.
I have been working on it on a practice sandwich since yesterday. I am improving, but have a long way to go before it will look good enough to put on a real quilt. I just love how it looks, though, so I'm going to keep at it. :)
Fossil snail!!!!! OMG, what a great design. I am attempting to learn to free motion quilt but just cannot seem to get the speed right....very tiny stitches so appears I am using to high a speed on my machine - watching you is amazing and now I plan to keep on trying. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the videos. For tiny stitches try moving your hands a bit faster or find a slower speed for your machine. It's a ratio so only change your hand speed or your machine speed - not both or the stitches will remain the same.
I just LOVE these designs you did today, as many many others!!! Can I adopt you for my daughter???? Gee you are soooo amazing. I am also following you on ruler work, as I would like to learn that as well. Thank you so much for helping all of us, you truly are special.... Claudia
LOL! I'm so happy to help you! Ruler work is so much fun as is combining and mixing designs. I think I'll leave some space on the edges of this table runner for some ruler work as well. Why not?!
It's still a work in progress, but I've shared a few new videos on this project which you can find here: freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/p/sit-down-quilting-sunday.html
Thanks so much for doing these awesome videos. Your instructions are easy to follow as you explain things even a beginner fmq can follow. My question is what kind of foot are you using?
In this video I'm using an open toe foot on the Grace Qnique. I don't think it's up on the Grace website yet, but you can call the company to ask about ordering it.
Hi Leah. Although I use a Janome 6500P, I really enjoy watching and learning you quilt anything on any machine. As I am using a domestic machine, I would like to know what I should be using in the bobbin thread. Should I be using a matching colour or is there an option where I can use a neutral colour instead please? Also would bottom-thread be appropriate. Thanks for all your wonderful videos and all the work you put into making, editing and posting them
I always match the same type and color of thread in the bobbin and top of the machine. So if I'm using Isacord in hot pink on top, I use Isacord in hot pink in the bobbin! I just find it's easier to quilt with the same thread, I don't have to fiddle with my tension when using the same thread and I find I get a lot less tension issues in general. I don't like thinner bobbin thread personally because I find my machines like to eat it instead of quilting with it. But that's just my experience! I really don't recommend mismatching thread colors - that is a recipe for headaches and heartbreak because no machine maintains perfect tension all the time. You will see little dots of the color showing up on one side or the other and it will be inconsistent and there is no way to get it to go away. Save yourself the time and just use the same color and type of thread in the top and bobbin of the machine!
love your videos so much! you have literally changed my life i love my tiara II, but whether I am using my Janome 8200 or my sitdown, I continue to have problems with the little knots and nests on the back when I need to stop. HELP!!
Aw! That's such a wonderful thing to hear. Thank you for making my day! To answer your question, it sounds like this isn't a machine issue but an issue with how you slow down and stop. For the next week, every time you stop quilting jerk your foot off the foot pedal. This will stop the machine from stitching in place, which causes the little knots and nests on the back of the quilt. Once you connect stopping with taking your foot off the foot pedal you'll be able to quilt without this issue and probably without having to jerk your foot off the pedal. It takes a bit to get used to, but you can definitely connect those movements and fix this issue in your quilting.
Thanks. I definitely know it is me. I will give it a try this afternoon. I keep your book out when I am quilting in case I get stumped and need a new design. I hope to do your walking foot quilt soon. I worked so hard to learn fmq that I tend to avoid straight lines! Thanks again!
Thank you for making freehand quilting not so scary ;) and showing so many cool ways and patterns. I am looking forward to next youtube video - your tips and talking us through when sewing makes me more secure to start up practise on my domestic sewing machine. Does it matter what needle and thread you use or is any size okey?
Great question! Needles and thread are really subjective. It really depends on what your machine likes. A lot of quilters go into a lot of detail about which needles match with which threads and honest it's too much for me to think about. I just try the thread with my favorite needles (universal 80/12) and if it doesn't work, I try a bigger or smaller needle, sometimes I'll try a different size, but if the thread keeps breaking I throw it out and try a different thread. Some people love fiddling with stuff like that, but not me!
Hi Leah. Jus t discovered you last night and am loving your videos. Did my very 1st try at machine quilting and loved it but it is goirng to require a LOT of practice. I would love to see your finished pieces. Do you have a blog or website?
That's wonderful Janice! I'm so happy you've found our videos and are giving machine quilting a try. My website is leahday.com/. Unfortunately my quilt gallery has been a bit of a mess since we switched sites, but the design gallery is filled with beautiful designs for you to learn. Enjoy!
Hi Leah, Do you first practice in a piece of paper all your design or go direct to the machine? Thanks Leah we are learning a lot with all of your quilts, I love it, Thanks.
Sometimes I'll draw a design a bit before quilting, it really depends on how special the quilt is, what it's for, and if I want to shoot videos of it - that always requires a bit more planning!
Leah I love those designs. It's really beautiful quilting!! I do have a question...What is the benefit of a sit-down longarm over a traditional machine? +
Great question! I'm planning a series right now to answer this very question. In a nut shell, a sit down longarm has only one or two advantages - it's bigger and easier to move the quilt under the needle and you won't have to do so much scrunching and smashing into the arm of the machine and it doesn't have feed dogs so it's generally more willing to quilt in all directions. Some machines, no matter how much you fiddle with them, they will always give you issues and thread breaks in some directions. So far I've identified a few subtle glitchy spots on my longarm, but nothing like a few home machines I've quilted on.
Wow, thank you Leah for taking the time to answer my question so fast. Maybe I'll start saving for a sit down longarm. I'll appreciate any tips you have. I hope you're having a blessed day.
Love this vid! It’s given me inspiration for a project I’ve had in mind. Also, how do you manage to be so consistent with your stitching and design while teaching and explaining?
Years of practice! LOL! You should go back to my earlier videos. I didn't start quilting and talking at the same time until 2012 and then it was pretty rough. It's taken a lot of time to get comfortable and skilled at it and now it's faster for me to shoot a video than to type it. Just like with anything, the more you do it, the better you get!
Great video, Leah. Question: Did you say you got the table runner at Ikea? Or, did I misunderstand? If so....this table runner is made for this specific quilting purpose?
You heard correct - I picked up this table runner at IKEA in 2012 or 2013. It was just a single piece of canvas type fabric and I knew I could quilt it and make it much less wrinkly and more interesting. It's definitely more interesting now!
Leah I have a question regarding this machine. If it is set up on a frame, does it have auto quilt settings? Or do you have to move it manually? I hope that makes sense.. I'm totally new to the world of long arm. Thank you!
It's a new world for me too! Yes, you can set this machine up on a frame and get an automated system called Quilt Motion that will stitch designs automatically over the quilt. This is a bit like an embroidery machine where the designs stitch for you across the quilt according to a digitized design. You can read more here: www.qniquequilter.com/product/quiltmotion/
Could the reason you no longer have your Juki 2010 the fact that you now have the Grace? Could there be another reason you don't have the Juki? Just wondering as you seemed to really like the Juki.
Yes, I liked the Juki, but I like the Grace much better. Sometimes fewer features and less bells and whistles is the better way to go. In this case I just found the Grace Qnique to be a better fit for me.
This is a bit on the advanced scale for free motion quilting. Follow this video with me and start with Stipping and see if that works better: leahday.com/stippling
So glad I came across your videos! I have done some very basic quilting but want to do so much more. now I have a quilting machine I can do it. but have to learn. I hope you don't mind me asking tons of questions when I start :) thank you for all the help you offer folks. it's much appreciated.
Wonderful! Welcome to an amazing world of machine quilting. Please feel free to ask any questions you have! It can be a confusing technique to get into, but is so rewarding when you get the hang of it!
Thanks and Happy New Year !
This is one of my favorites of all your videos. Would LOVE ❤️ to see a fuller picture of the work you did on this quilt….maybe include/feature it in one of your emails you send out? … maybe even as an “oldie but goodie” feature. 🙂Thanks
I just love how you quilt and your designs are amazing. Thank you for a superb lesson.
Aw! Thank you Barbara!
Your videos have really inspired me to try new things! I love your teaching!
That's wonderful! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos!
Thank You For Your Vido.i'm 70 yr old. your very carefullll on explaning what your doing it sure does make it easy for me to understand.thank you again. I also llllike yhe idea your using gloves.
Thank you Jane! I'm so happy to be helping you learn more about machine quilting!
Love these designs!! Beautiful work Leah!
It was a fun combo! So glad you liked it!
Such fantastic designs Leah! I'm glad you talked about the variagated thread as I was wondering if it was just my eyes deceiving me! 😁
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video! Yes, the variegated thread is YLI Variations. I love the very subtle color changes and it's almost exactly the same weight as Isacord, my usual favorite thread.
Leah Day Yes, you got me hooked on Isacord, too! 😸
I love fossil snail! Haven't seen that one before. I can't wait to try that one on a project of mine.
It's an oldie goldie (a design from the early days of the FMQ Project) and one I haven't used very often. It's so nice to try it out and see the beautiful texture it creates on this quilt.
I have been working on it on a practice sandwich since yesterday. I am improving, but have a long way to go before it will look good enough to put on a real quilt. I just love how it looks, though, so I'm going to keep at it. :)
Thank you for the great designs.cant wait to get to the machine
I'm so glad you enjoyed this video Barb!
Fossil snail!!!!! OMG, what a great design. I am attempting to learn to free motion quilt but just cannot seem to get the speed right....very tiny stitches so appears I am using to high a speed on my machine - watching you is amazing and now I plan to keep on trying. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the videos. For tiny stitches try moving your hands a bit faster or find a slower speed for your machine. It's a ratio so only change your hand speed or your machine speed - not both or the stitches will remain the same.
Thank you for the suggestion. I will try that but need a lot of practice.
Cool designs! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you like it!
I just LOVE these designs you did today, as many many others!!! Can I adopt you for my daughter???? Gee you are soooo amazing. I am also following you on ruler work, as I would like to learn that as well. Thank you so much for helping all of us, you truly are special.... Claudia
LOL! I'm so happy to help you! Ruler work is so much fun as is combining and mixing designs. I think I'll leave some space on the edges of this table runner for some ruler work as well. Why not?!
Beautiful work.
Thank you Gloria!
Great video, good ideas on how to do these designs. Thanks
Awesome! I'm glad you liked it!
Talented lady!
Thank you! Please subscribe for more!
Wonderful I like very different designs.
Excellent!
Amazing work! ❤️
Thank you Bonnie!
Very intricate designs .. takes expert sewing
Practice is the key! The more you quilt, the better you will get.
Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you!
love this design!
I'm so glad you like it!
Thank you so much . I guess I'm going to stop wondering how to do it. And go for it .
Go play! It's so much fun, but you will only get so far watching videos. You've gotta put some thread to fabric!
Beautiful method of quilting. I wished to see the whole thing after completion how it looked.
It's still a work in progress, but I've shared a few new videos on this project which you can find here: freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/p/sit-down-quilting-sunday.html
Very very nice!
It really came out great! It's so fun to combine designs like this!
Thanks so much for doing these awesome videos. Your instructions are easy to follow as you explain things even a beginner fmq can follow. My question is what kind of foot are you using?
In this video I'm using an open toe foot on the Grace Qnique. I don't think it's up on the Grace website yet, but you can call the company to ask about ordering it.
Hi Leah. Although I use a Janome 6500P, I really enjoy watching and learning you quilt anything on any machine. As I am using a domestic machine, I would like to know what I should be using in the bobbin thread. Should I be using a matching colour or is there an option where I can use a neutral colour instead please? Also would bottom-thread be appropriate. Thanks for all your wonderful videos and all the work you put into making, editing and posting them
I always match the same type and color of thread in the bobbin and top of the machine. So if I'm using Isacord in hot pink on top, I use Isacord in hot pink in the bobbin! I just find it's easier to quilt with the same thread, I don't have to fiddle with my tension when using the same thread and I find I get a lot less tension issues in general.
I don't like thinner bobbin thread personally because I find my machines like to eat it instead of quilting with it. But that's just my experience! I really don't recommend mismatching thread colors - that is a recipe for headaches and heartbreak because no machine maintains perfect tension all the time. You will see little dots of the color showing up on one side or the other and it will be inconsistent and there is no way to get it to go away. Save yourself the time and just use the same color and type of thread in the top and bobbin of the machine!
love your videos so much! you have literally changed my life
i love my tiara II, but whether I am using my Janome 8200 or my sitdown, I continue to have problems with the little knots and nests on the back when I need to stop. HELP!!
Aw! That's such a wonderful thing to hear. Thank you for making my day!
To answer your question, it sounds like this isn't a machine issue but an issue with how you slow down and stop. For the next week, every time you stop quilting jerk your foot off the foot pedal.
This will stop the machine from stitching in place, which causes the little knots and nests on the back of the quilt. Once you connect stopping with taking your foot off the foot pedal you'll be able to quilt without this issue and probably without having to jerk your foot off the pedal. It takes a bit to get used to, but you can definitely connect those movements and fix this issue in your quilting.
Thanks. I definitely know it is me. I will give it a try this afternoon. I keep your book out when I am quilting in case I get stumped and need a new design. I hope to do your walking foot quilt soon. I worked so hard to learn fmq that I tend to avoid straight lines! Thanks again!
Thank you for making freehand quilting not so scary ;) and showing so many cool ways and patterns. I am looking forward to next youtube video - your tips and talking us through when sewing makes me more secure to start up practise on my domestic sewing machine. Does it matter what needle and thread you use or is any size okey?
Great question! Needles and thread are really subjective. It really depends on what your machine likes. A lot of quilters go into a lot of detail about which needles match with which threads and honest it's too much for me to think about. I just try the thread with my favorite needles (universal 80/12) and if it doesn't work, I try a bigger or smaller needle, sometimes I'll try a different size, but if the thread keeps breaking I throw it out and try a different thread. Some people love fiddling with stuff like that, but not me!
Thank you! I love Aurifil thread and I like the universal needle, so I will give it a go :)
Hi Leah. Jus t discovered you last night and am loving your videos. Did my very 1st try at machine quilting and loved it but it is goirng to require a LOT of practice. I would love to see your finished pieces. Do you have a blog or website?
That's wonderful Janice! I'm so happy you've found our videos and are giving machine quilting a try. My website is leahday.com/. Unfortunately my quilt gallery has been a bit of a mess since we switched sites, but the design gallery is filled with beautiful designs for you to learn. Enjoy!
Hi Leah, Do you first practice in a piece of paper all your design or go direct to the machine? Thanks Leah we are learning a lot with all of your quilts, I love it, Thanks.
Sometimes I'll draw a design a bit before quilting, it really depends on how special the quilt is, what it's for, and if I want to shoot videos of it - that always requires a bit more planning!
What kind/brand of thread are you using?
I love your videos! What is the name of the variegated thread you are using here? Wylie?
Oh, its YLI! Silly me!
No worries! It's YLI Variations variegated thread. Awesome stuff!
Amazing work! Love it!👏🏼
So happy you like it!
Leah I love those designs. It's really beautiful quilting!! I do have a question...What is the benefit of a sit-down longarm over a traditional machine? +
Great question! I'm planning a series right now to answer this very question. In a nut shell, a sit down longarm has only one or two advantages - it's bigger and easier to move the quilt under the needle and you won't have to do so much scrunching and smashing into the arm of the machine and it doesn't have feed dogs so it's generally more willing to quilt in all directions. Some machines, no matter how much you fiddle with them, they will always give you issues and thread breaks in some directions. So far I've identified a few subtle glitchy spots on my longarm, but nothing like a few home machines I've quilted on.
Wow, thank you Leah for taking the time to answer my question so fast. Maybe I'll start saving for a sit down longarm. I'll appreciate any tips you have. I hope you're having a blessed day.
Love this vid! It’s given me inspiration for a project I’ve had in mind. Also, how do you manage to be so consistent with your stitching and design while teaching and explaining?
Years of practice! LOL! You should go back to my earlier videos. I didn't start quilting and talking at the same time until 2012 and then it was pretty rough. It's taken a lot of time to get comfortable and skilled at it and now it's faster for me to shoot a video than to type it. Just like with anything, the more you do it, the better you get!
Great video, Leah. Question: Did you say you got the table runner at Ikea? Or, did I misunderstand? If so....this table runner is made for this specific quilting purpose?
You heard correct - I picked up this table runner at IKEA in 2012 or 2013. It was just a single piece of canvas type fabric and I knew I could quilt it and make it much less wrinkly and more interesting. It's definitely more interesting now!
Leah Day that is a great idea! I loved these designs! Thank you.
Thank you very much.
is there any kind of ruler quilting foot for the quinquennial quilter that will fit
Sorry quilter ruler foot that would fit the Qnique thanks
Yes, the Qnique also has a ruler foot for ruler foot style quilting.
Thank you
You're welcome Sylvia!
Thank Leah . You have to think fast where you are going.
No, you can stop and think anytime! Just remember to stop with the needle in the down position so your work doesn't slip away from the needle.
8:52 while eye variations variegated thread? please help Leah! thanks :)
YLI Variations - it's wonderful thread! I need to convince Josh to add it to the shop!
NO MUSIC!!; Thank you!!!
Yes! I find inserted canned background music annoying too.
Leah I have a question regarding this machine. If it is set up on a frame, does it have auto quilt settings? Or do you have to move it manually? I hope that makes sense.. I'm totally new to the world of long arm. Thank you!
It's a new world for me too! Yes, you can set this machine up on a frame and get an automated system called Quilt Motion that will stitch designs automatically over the quilt. This is a bit like an embroidery machine where the designs stitch for you across the quilt according to a digitized design. You can read more here: www.qniquequilter.com/product/quiltmotion/
Could the reason you no longer have your Juki 2010 the fact that you now have the Grace? Could there be another reason you don't have the Juki? Just wondering as you seemed to really like the Juki.
Yes, I liked the Juki, but I like the Grace much better. Sometimes fewer features and less bells and whistles is the better way to go. In this case I just found the Grace Qnique to be a better fit for me.
the fossil snail is amazing. Checking to see if you have any books.
Quite a few actually! leahday.com/collections/books-and-patterns
this looks so easy, but for some reason it is hard for me. I don't know where to get started.
This is a bit on the advanced scale for free motion quilting. Follow this video with me and start with Stipping and see if that works better: leahday.com/stippling
thank you.