I had an interesting comment from someone who was concerned about free motion quilting on their sewing machine because they were afraid of damaging their wonderful vintage machine. This person did eventually do some quilting and was presently surprised at how well it worked. I was glad she took the chance because I know how sturdy these older machines are and I would have no qualms about using them to sew in really tough conditions.
Singer 201 has a large harp space, perfect for free motion quilting - and the feed dogs drop too!
This led me to question how many opportunities do we miss because we are uncertain about the outcome. This is where additional knowledge can be a big help. By reaching out to someone who has experience, or reading a blog or taking a course you can alleviate some of that uncertainty and take a chance on more opportunities....
I've always shied away from trying monofilament thread on my quilts. I know that lots of quilters like to use it in quilting, especially when quilting in the ditch where it just seems to blend into the quilt. I had tried to use a monofilament thread years ago and had nothing but problems with it - stretching, snapping - it wasn't a good scene.
Love Superior Thread's MonoPoly thread! Photo courtesy of www.superiorthreads.com
I was recently reading about using Superior MonoPoly thread and thought that I would pluck up the courage to give it a try with my Janome Horizon Memory Craft QCP8900. I wound a bobbin with some 50 weight cotton thread and tentatively placed the spool of MonoPoly into my machine and threaded it up. I took a deep breath and started to stitch. Surprise! I didn't have any problems with this thread at all! I couldn't believe how easily it ran through the machine and how well it worked for me. I loved this thread for stitching in the ditch and for doing the quilting on the rest of the wall hanging. What had I been missing out on all these years? Stitching with a monofilament thread, that's what! Taking a chance and trying something new can turn out really, really well.
Next time you're afraid to try something new with your sewing machine, just take a deep breath and give it a shot. Like trying a new thread - or quilting on your vintage sewing machine.
If you've ever been hesitant to try something you were afraid of, but went ahead anyway, I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. Leave me a comment in the area below.
Creatively,
