You can make quilts with a regular sewing machine. With the machine you already own; as long as you have the tools and are eager to learn. Keep in mind that while high-end machines are fantastic, you can machine quilts with just about any sewing machine. Generic moving feet are available for most sewing machines, as are their free-moving counterparts.
Machine quilting can be a little tricky, especially when you're just starting out and all you have is your standard sewing machine to do the job. In summary, we can say that it is possible to make quilts with a normal sewing machine. The best part is that you can quilt any design similar to what a long-arm machine can do. With the two standard sewing machine techniques, free movement and straight line, all you need is more practice and a little extra time.
It is possible to quilt beautifully with a normal sewing machine. If all you'd seen were today's quilting magazines, you wouldn't think you could make quilts on your home sewing machine. While these are beautiful and attractive machines, the purpose of Beginning Quilting 101 is to teach you how to make quilts on your home sewing machine. Templates and other types of guides are available to help you sew machine quilted projects, even free-moving quilting stitches don't have to be random.
I started making quilts almost 50 years ago with the cheapest used machine I could find, and I have continued with several machines throughout that time. If free-motion quilting isn't for you yet, there are other options for quilting with a regular sewing machine. Even if you can't drop or cover your feeding dogs, you can make free-moving quilts with the stitch length set to 0 and a very light pressure foot adjustment. The quilt ends up so beautiful and my husband and I have his award-winning quilt, Butterflies, gave it to us as a wedding gift.
If you want even more work space on your machine, an extendable table will give you that space to move and maneuver while doing the quilting. You can think about it all you want or practice on smaller projects, but until you dive into the quilting of a full quilt you won't know how it feels. Moving the quilt evenly through the machine prevents the layers of a quilt sandwich from separating as the quilt is sewn, reducing distortion and creases that can occur if one layer of the quilt sandwich is not synchronized with the other layers. The foot for quarter-inch parts helps achieve quilting accuracy and is also used specifically for quilting projects that typically have a narrow seam allowance.
As with most things with quilting, it really comes down to practice, but having helpful resources can go a long way in providing guidance and inspiration. Machine quilting designs can be as intricate as the designs used for hand quilting, but it takes practice to create the stitches, even when using a sewing machine that includes specialized machine quilting equipment. When I run my quilt through my machine, I don't worry about the whole quilt, I just focus on the immediate area I'm sewing. Start by machine sewing a small project, perhaps a table runner, cup mat, or baby quilt, just to get an idea of the technique.
I would like to purchase a simple, easy to use, yet complete machine for making beautiful quilts and decorating projects for my home.
