Hi , 

To free motion quilt successfully, you will need to use a darning foot. This foot floats over your quilt, unlike all other presser feet for home sewing machines. This single foot can make your break your quilting experience so let's learn how to make it the very best it can be!

I carry this darning foot here in my quilt shop. It’s inexpensive and will fit most home sewing machines, but it has a few problems right out of the box.

One of the biggest issues that affect our visibility while quilting is the solid oval base. Yes, it’s clear plastic, but it’s nearly impossible to see through when free motion quilting.

I want to see my needle clearly. This makes a really big difference when travel stitching. To quilt lines exactly on top of another, I need to be able to see every stitch. With an open toe free motion quilting foot, I can see my needle and stitch more accurately.

To fix this part, use jewelry clippers and clip open the base. To smooth out any rough edges, I use a nail file. A bit of sanding and Viola! We’ve made ourselves an Open Toe Darning Foot.

Learn how to modify the top of this darning foot to stop it from hopping and adjust the height so it perfectly skims over my quilt surface.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Affordable Computerized Quilting - QCT 6 - Questions Answered

Last week I shared a few details about our new version of Quilter's Creative Touch - QCT 6. We received a lot of questions about this over the week and I figured I'd share the most frequently asked questions here:

Can I Import Designs into QCT 6?

No, you'll need QCT 6 Plus to import designs - the next level up on the software.

The new base level of our computerized quilting software - QCT 6 - is very basic. It allows you to stitch any of the 100 included designs as edge-to-edge pantographs across your quilt.

If you want to import designs or be able to place and stitch designs into blocks like I stitched this block into the border corner below, you will need QCT 6 Plus.

The great news is this system is currently on sale for the very best price of the year! Click Here to find QCT 6 Plus on sale for $3849.96.

Can I use QCT 6 with a Sewing Machine?

QCT 6 is only compatible with Qnique longarms and the Little Rebel Sewing Machine.

If you have an older Qnique 15R or Qnique 21 - yes, these longarms are compatible with QCT 6!

But the long list of home sewing machines that QCT used to be compatible with will no longer work. If you are using a home machine with QCT 5, make sure not to update your software in November when it updates to QCT 6.

If you're thinking it's time to upgrade from using your home machine on your frame, please get in touch! All Qnique longarms are currently on sale and QCT can work with older Grace Company quilting frames as well. Click Here to ask if your quilting system is compatible.

Can You Organize Your Quilting Space with a Sewing Chair?

This sewing chair can! The bottom cushion on this chair opens up to reveal a storage compartment perfect for holding quilting rulers, books, or as one video commenter mentioned - candy!

This hydraulic chair will lift you to the perfect height for sewing and quilting. Whether you love sewing clothes or enjoy machine quilting your quilts, this is the very best sewing chair available today.

Click Here to read more about these wonderful sewing chairs.

That's it for this week, . I am off to Hart Square Festival this Saturday, wearing a new 19th century work dress I've been working on for months. 

I've learned a lot of sewing techniques while making this dress, including Cartridge Pleats. This form of pleating created the full skirts to drape over corded petticoats or a cage crinoline. Be looking forward to many pictures next week of my favorite day of the year!

Let's go quilt,

Leah Day