World Wide Quilting Page
Question of the Week
Question for the week of March 3, 1997:
Our question this week comes from voewood from Australia
Does anyone have any experience with a domestic sewing machine that
reproduces a "hand quilted stitch" look ? Does it really work well ?
mabel schmit :
I have a New Home Memory 9000 and it makes the stitches look just like they have been quiited. I like it.
C Fuller :
Yes, the #1 Viking. It looks like it was hand quilted. You use clear thread on the top and the color you want to show on the bottom. And the Viking 500, 1100,#1, and #1+ all do that.
Angela Humphrey Australia :
Yes the Pfaff 7550 &7570 both
have a stitch that you can use with
monofiloment thread that creates a hand
stitch look. If you contact a Pfaff
dealer closest to you I'm sure they will
be able to show you how to do it.
Thea Weeks :
The VIKING 500 does a very impressive imitation of a hand stitch.
by using transparent thread in the bobbin and increasing the upper thread
tension with a built in stitch. Visit a VIKING dealer for a demo.
Kathleen :
I've tried many and still think just plain tissue paper is the best. I like the kind that comes with new shirts--little stronger than gift tissue paper but still tears easily away.
Kyle in minnesota :
i don't know of any sewing machine that would reproduce the hand quilted stitch. However, there is a bernina on the market that will reproduce the look of a blanket stitch for iron-on applique. Chek with your local bernina representive.
Deborah Bruce :
I just saw a Bernina "Quilter's" Edition, I believe the model # was 1080, and it creates a 'hand' stitch look.
anthony :
I too have he Pfaff 7570 (great machine) which uses the same method described by Marie. I find that the finer the thread, the better the stitch looks. I use 80 wt cotton embroidery thread in the bobbin and YLI .004 invisible wonder thread in the top.
KAREN TEH :
To me, a domestic sewing machine that reproduces a "hand
quilted stitch" look is my hand, and, guess what?It works, wonderful.
Ginger Brant :
I use the stitch all the time on wall hanging. I still prefer hand quilting ofr larger items. The back of the quilt will look like machine sewing, but the top looks like it was done by hand. The stitch your machine needs is one that goes 2 forward 1 backwards. By using this stitch and adjusting your tension it will work. Use a transparent thread in the top and the color you want the "quilting" to be as the bobbin thread.
Marie Panyik :
I have a Pfaff 7550 that will do a nice mock hand stitch.
Use nylon thread in the top and regular thread (in a contrasting color to the quillt top)
Set the upper tension to 7, select stitch #11 and adjust the stitch length to 3.5.
The high tension on the top pulls the bobbin thread up and the machine takes a backstitch
securing the stitch and them continues. I like to use this on "Little Quilts"
JoAnn in Oregon :
I took a machine quilting class from Harriet Hargrave in summber of 1996-she also works with Bernina...She indicated that she is developing a somewhat simpler machine with the bells and whistles that quilters want-not necessarily a computer model costing $2000-4000. I am waiting for that machine to come on the market.On the other hand, everyone I talk to (including Harriet) sez that the 1090 model of Bernina is the best for quilting stitch.
Judy in Illinois :
A domestic machine? Is there such a thing? I thought just about all sewing machines were made outside the U.S. these days. Anyway, the best, most authentic-looking quilting stitch with a "hand-sewn" appearance is on the Pfaff (top of the line). But I hate Pfaff for a variety of reasons. The Viking 400 has a very good one as does my machine, Janome 9000. My Janome dealer (who also sells Singers) contacted Singer hdq. to ask about such a stitch before I made my final purchase decision. She was told that Singer had not anticipated such a terrific increase in machine quilting popularity and did not anticipate the demand for such a stitch so they did not include it on their top models. Because of this one difference, I chose the Janome and just love it!
Mary :
Is this different from machine quilting? I use my regular JCP $150.00 machine to machine quilt by dropping the feed dogs and using the darning feature. You can do curves, write your name, anything.
Moose in Nebraska :
The "hand-quilted stitch" can be accomplished by using the Bernina 1080 of 1090. I have the 1080 and LOVE IT!! The back does not look as great as the hand quilted look but the front does. You use filament and cotton thread to get this look. It's great. It doen't do curves as well though at least I don't think so. It finally helps gettin some of those projects done that have been calling me to finish. Good luck!!
Jo in Lancaster County, PA :
One of the top of the line Bernina
machines does this stitch. It's pretty
nifty...but the machine cost over $2000.
Saw it demonstrated at Hinkletown Sewing
Machine shop when I picked up my 'Nina
1080 in for a tension repair.
Linda Heminway :
I Do not personally have experience, but have seen it with my own eyes! A woman brought a sample of this stitch to a quilt guild meeting. It was a pretty good immitation. Not exactly, but very similar and I'd love to see a whole quilt done with it. She says it can be done on her Bernina and learned at a Bernina seminar. Since then, I got settings for my Viking from Sewing World.com and have yet to try it. You really need to get the proper settings for the machine you have. Not every machine will do this, I understand. Good Luck!
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