Hello Quilting Friends!!
We are enjoying this long and beautiful fall in Colorado! We have yet to have our first snow which is very unusual at this time of year. But even so, my thoughts are turning to the upcoming holidays. There is much to be done. Dishes to plan, food to buy, family and friends to invite and of course the shopping! And, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for you. Your support allows me to continue exploring different manufacturers to find gorgeous fabrics and finishing beautiful quilts for others with care and passion. Thank you for choosing small, choosing fellow quilters, and choosing me. Wishing you a beautiful holiday surrounded by good food, good company, and lots of gratitude.
New Monthly Sale
If you are looking for a quick Christmas gift for that special someone, consider a quilt kit. You can skip right over the fabric color selection because all the colors are preselected. And, our Jiffy Kits are even pre-cut for you. To sweeten this wonderful opportunity, we are offering all Quilt Kits at 25% off. Beginning today through November 23rd! Just use promocode: Kits25.
End-of-Bolt Cuts are not as small as a remnant, but really need to be cleared from the shelf to make room for the new fabrics. The yardage cuts range from 1/2 -yard to 1 7/8 yard cuts. These 108” & 118” wide cuts are normally 30% OFF!! From today through November 23rd, you will get an additional 10% OFF on EOB cuts. No promo code is needed. The 10% discount will automatically be applied during checkout.
Also, FREE SHIPPING is available for orders of $75 or more.
For your convenience, here’s the link:
Featured Product(s)
New Fleece Fabrics—
We are now offering beautiful, thick 60"-wide fleece. Soft and fuzzy, in a variety of colors and patterns, fleece makes a cozy blanket for family members young or old, even your furry family members! This is top quality, anti-pill, velour-face fleece with weights ranging from 200 to 240 GSM. They are just now beginning to arrive, so check them out here.
Culinary Corner – Cranberry Orange Bread
I LOVE color on my Thanksgiving table and I LOVE to bake! Cranberries and oranges are deep with red and orange hues that bring spark and an enticement to my guests. A few years ago, I traded my old recipe in for this one by Natasha Kravchuk. It’s definitely a keeper. The sweet glaze that tops this moist loaf filled with cranberries is truly mouth-watering. Enjoy!
Download Recipe HereDownload Recipe Here
Free Patterns Square Dance by Diane Nagle for Benartex
LONG-ARM QUILTING SERVICES
Please allow four to six weeks for completion.
TODAY’S TIPS, TRICKS & TECHNIQUES—
Skipped Stitches--What to do….
Skipped stitches, or poorly formed stitches, are probably the most common and frustrating issue for quilters and sewists. Fixing skipped stitches yourself begins with understanding the root causes.
1. Wrong Needle Type
We just covered types of needles and which needles to use for what type of fabric last month. Again, different fabrics require different needle points and materials. Using the wrong needle is the #1 cause of skipped stitches.
What happens: The wrong needle for the job will fail to pick up the bobbin thread consistently.
Fix: Replace with the correct type of needle.
• Stretch or knit fabric --Use a stretch or ballpoint needle
• Woven fabric --Use a sharp/microtex or universal needle
• Thick materials (vinyl, leather) -- Use a leather or larger microtex needle
2. Dull, Bent or Damaged Needle
What happens: Even a slightly bent needle can cause intermittent skips because the needle can’t pick up the bobbin thread consistently.
Fix:
• Replace the needle immediately
• Replace every 6-10 hours of sewing, or sooner if you hit hardware or thick seams. Tip: 6-10 hours slips by really fast for most of us and I can’t keep count. So, I change my needle with every new project I sew. While some projects were certainly longer than 10 hours, at least I’m in the habit of changing my needle frequently.
3. Incorrect Needle Size
What happens: If the needle size is too small or too large for the thread/fabric:
• Too small - thread can't pass unimpeded through the eye of the needle
• Too large - needle makes an inconsistent loop (I call this WILD thread)
Fix: Match the needle with the thread weight or Tex using. For example:
• Tex 40-45 thread -- Size 90/14 or 100/16 needle, or even larger if using thick fabrics.
• Tex 70 ---Size 110/18, 110/20
• Fine fabric/thread -- Size 70/10-80/12
4. Threading Errors (Upper Thread and/or Bobbin)
What happens: Incorrect threading prevents the hook from catching the loop.
Common Upper threading issues:
• Missed a tension disc
• Thread not seated in take-up lever
• Thread behind a guide incorrectly
Common Bobbin threading issues:
• Wrong bobbin direction
• Bobbin not evenly wound
• Wrong bobbin type for machine
Fix: Double check your user’s manual for the correct path of threading and bobbin winding. Tip: I have prolonged my skipped stitches event because having sewn all my life, I just knew I was threading correctly! Well, using several sewing machines, I apparently forgot. Reviewing the manual revealed to me that I had missed the check spring on one of my machines.
5. Tension Problems
What happens: Incorrect tension (especially too tight upper tension) can prevent the bobbin thread from being picked up to form the loop.
Symptoms: How do you know this is the most likely cause?
• Thread looping on underside
• Snagging the fabric
• Intermittent skips
Fix: Try rebalancing upper/bobbin tension or rethreading to reset everything.
6. Walking Foot/Presser Foot Not Holding Fabric Properly
What happens: If the fabric isn't flat against the feed dogs, the bobbin hook can miss the loop.
Fix:
• Foot pressure is probably too low so make an adjustment
• Using the wrong foot for the fabric type. Example: using a Teflon foot on standard cotton fabrics may not hold the fabric firmly in place.
• Bulky seams lifting the foot creating space between the fabric and feed dogs. You may need to reduce bulk in the seam allowance, try hammering your seams, or use a quilt clapper to flatten them
7. Timing Is Off (Hook Timing)
What happens:The needle goes down and comes back up, but the bobbin hook arrives too early, too late, or in the wrong position to catch the thread loop.
This is especially common on:
• Industrial machines used heavily
• Domestic machines that hit zippers, needles breakage
• Sewing thick/bag layers
Symptoms:
• Skips ONLY at certain needle positions
• Needle thread frays or breaks
• You hear the hook "clicking"
Fix: Unless you are skilled at this, it will require a technician to adjust the hook-to-needle timing.
8. Feed Dog Issues
What happens: The fabric is not moving steadily
Fix:
• Feed dogs may be gummed with lint or double-stick tape
• Feed dog height is incorrect for the thickness of fabric(s)
• Presser foot pressure is too low
9. Using Poor-Quality or Old “dried out” Thread
What happens: Shredding or excessive lint buildup can cause a timing issue with the bobbin hook.
Fix: Use good-quality cotton, trilobal, polyester or bonded nylon threads
10. Pushing or Pulling Your Fabric When Stitching
What happens: The fabric should only be feeding past the feed dogs when the needle is above the fabric. If you are pushing the fabric through, you may be pushing when the needle is in the down position causing needle deflection. Needle deflection will cause the bobbin hook to miss the thread loop. This most often happens when multiple layers are being stitched or when stitching over sticky fabrics.
Fix:
-Use a slower, steady speed for sewing
-Clean the bottom of the presser foot and feed dogs with a Clorox Wipe or Alcohol.
When to see a technician? Keep in mind that several of these causes could be impacting your sewing experience all at once. So, you may need to work through the list, correcting several culprits before your stitch is smooth and consistent again. And of course, if all of this fails, get to know your technician!
Happy Quilting
Linda
Log Cabin Quilt’N Sew
703-586-3265