Florida Quilt Network - Newsletter #260
August 9, 2020
Quilting Friends,
Greetings from hot and steamy Central Florida. I’m trying to stay indoors and sew, but sometimes ya just gotta get some fresh air! You just can’t get out there early enough, can you!
If your guild is meeting via Zoom (and if you aren’t, you should consider it!), please consider me when you are scheduling programs. I am set up to do my Stashbuster Lecture via Zoom and have had great reviews thus far. Read all about it here.
A couple of tips I thought I’d share with you: if you use glue-sticks in the sewing room or office, a great time to stock up is NOW at Target, I think they were 5 for a buck the last time I looked at the seasonal school supply area.
Also, I recently discovered Tula Pink’s 3 EPP (English Paper Piecing) tutorials on Youtube which are REALLY excellent (and I know, I teach EPP!) This is the link for the first one, and from there youtube will show links for the other two.
A local reader wants to GIVE AWAY her Sew Steady Table to fit a Brother Innov-is VQ2400. This is an expensive accessory, so if you have this exact machine, consider connecting with Rose in Winter Park. [note from Editor: I do love my Sew Steady tables; I have one for every machine I own!!]
Here’s a picture:
Finally, you may not know that the Calendar page on the website is a quick way to view upcoming events all over the state. Give it a look-see.
Happy Quilting,
Mary-Jeanine
PS: I’d love to hear from you, so drop me a line sometime.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS: (Newsletter number follows)
2020
Aug 18-19 Summer Retreat in Deland www.JudyHansenDesigns.com #259
Sept 17-19 Quilt Show in Jacksonville www.quiltfestjax.com MOVED TO MAY 13-15, 2021
Oct 2-3 Quilts by the River 2020 in Palatka Missdsquilts.com (#260)
Oct 8-9 Ricky Tims Quilt Event in The Villages rickytims.com (#260) MOVED TO OCT 7-8, 2021
Oct 28-29 Shannon Brinkley Lecture & Workshops in Satellite Beach www.seasidepiecemakers.com (#244)
Nov 5-6 Quilt Show in Ocala www.CRQocala.com (#256) MOVED TO Nov 5-6, 2021
Nov 13-14 Quilt Show in Lake County www.lakequiltguild.com (#257) CANCELLED
Nov 15-22 Quilting Cruise with Judy Hansen www.quiltshopofdeland.com (#254)
2021
Jan 22-23 Quilt Show in The Villages
Feb 19-20 Quilt Show in Punta Gorda www.peaceriverquilters.org
(#260)
Mar 27 Quilt Show in Dade City Click here for website
(#260)
May 13-15 Quilt Show in Jacksonville www.quiltfestjax.com (#258)
Oct 7-8 Ricky Tims Quilt Event in The Villages rickytims.com (#260)
Nov 5-6 Quilt Show in Ocala www.crqocala.com
(#260)
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PALATKA QUILT SHOW DATE CHANGE
Quilts by the River 2020, Palatka, FL 32177
Oct 2-3, 2020
Sponsored by Miss D’s Quilts
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QUILT SHOW IN PUNTA GORDA
Our guild is currently scheduled to have its 16th Biennial Peace River Quilt
Festival “Quilts in the Limelight” event at the Charlotte Harbor Event Center
(75 Taylor, Punta Gorda, FL) on Friday, February 19, 2021, from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturday, February 20, 2021, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m. We are a large guild with about 340 members; I believe our show is
one of the largest in Florida for a single guild. I am the contact person
for advertising this show
Judy A Whittaker jude33@me.com
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OCALA QUILT SHOW – OPPORTUNITY QUILT STILL HAPPENING!!
Country Road Quilters 2020 quilt show has been postponed until November 5 - 6, 2021. But we are still giving away our 2020 opportunity quilt in November 2020. Tickets can now be purchased on our website through PayPal or by mail to our PO Box. Cost is 6 tickets for $5. Complete information can be found at
[note from Editor: I purchased my tickets and the process could not have been easier or more friendly!]
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QUILT SHOW IN DADE CITY
The Dade City FLORIDA Chamber decided to postpone the Kumquat Festival (January 30, 2021) tentatively until March 27,2021.
Therefore, the East Pasco Quilt Guild will also postpone their Kumquat Quilt Challenge tentatively until March 27, 2021.
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Ricky Tims Event at The Villages
NEW
DATES! THE VILLAGES QUILT LUMINARIUM
October 7-8, 2021 - Thursday & Friday
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I am passing along some valuable information provided by a professional sewing machine repairman:
SEWING ADVICE FOR PEOPLE MAKING MASKS
First off, THANK YOU to everyone who is making masks! The media is taking notice of how the at-home movement is filling the gap in the supply chain, and making a huge difference. But, many of the folks making masks are less experienced sewists who may not be familiar with proper sewing machine use.
My phone has been ringing off the hook with people needing machine repairs. 60% of these "malfunctions" are just user error. Normally, I would urge such a customer to take a single lesson to learn how to use their machine properly, but that is not currently possible. I have so many machines with legitimate repair needs piling up in my basement, that I cannot possibly field all of the calls and messages from people looking for remote trouble-shooting assistance.
So, here's some very common "malfunctions", and how to avoid and/or correct them. Hope this helps:
"My machine just stopped working"
-Machines are designed to disengage the drive shaft when winding a bobbin. Some machines do this automatically when you engage the bobbin winder, others have a disc inside of the hand wheel that you either turn or pop in or out to disengage the drive shaft. Double- check your bobbin winder or clutch disc to see if it is still in the bobbin-winding position.
"My tension is all messed up"
-It is very important to make sure that your top thread is fully seated between the tension discs. On many newer machines, the tension discs are hidden inside of the housing, making it difficult to know if the thread is seated properly. ALWAYS THREAD YOUR MACHINE WITH YOUR PRESSER FOOT RAISED. Raising the presser foot spreads the tension discs apart, which helps the thread to seat properly between the discs. Alway think of "flosssing your teeth" when running your thread through the tension assembly, to make sure the thread is properly seated.
-Your bobbin thread may not be going through the tension plate on the bobbin case. Double-check your manual or look for a video for your make and model on YouTube.
"It was working fine until I broke a needle"
-Make sure you're pushing the needle all the way up in the shaft when tightening the needle clamp screw. A tiny shift in needle placement will prevent the stitch from forming.
-Needles have a front and a back. The machine will not stitch if the needle is in backwards. On the shank at the top of the needle, the flat side is the back (on domestic needles, not industrial). On some older machines, the needle goes in sideways. Double-check your manual or try to find a YouTube video for your specific model if you're not sure.
-Make sure you're using the correct needle type for your project. The wrong needle will cause skipped stitches. This is a helpful needle guide chart: https://www.schmetzneedles.com/…/p…/schmetz-needle-chart.pdf
"My timing is off"
-Oh, Dear Lord, everyone loves to tell me that their timing is off. Please, leave the diagnostic work to your mechanic. 60% of the time, it's a problem with the needle. Needles get worn out, causing skipped stitches. Change your needle, and see my needle trouble-shooting tips, above.
-Also, if your presser bar is not tight enough (for those of you with machines with an adjustable presser bar), or you're using a satin stitch presser foot instead of a standard one, your fabric may be flexing too much, which will cause skipped stitches. (A satin stitch foot looks similar to a standard foot, but has a raised area in the center on the underside.)
"There's something wrong in the bobbin area"
-Make sure your bobbin is inserted correctly. (Again, check the manual, or look on Youtube for your model)
-Bobbins are not universal. There are over 12 different kinds of bobbin systems. Many look very similar, but using the wrong type for your machine will cause problems. Also, some of the cheaper bobbins are flawed. The outside of the bobbin must be completely smooth. If there are any burrs or ridges on the outside of the bobbin, the machine could malfunction. On plastic bobbins, you can use a nail file to smooth the edges of the bobbin. If you're not sure what kind of bobbin your machine uses, or where to get the correct bobbins, I love Sewing Parts Online. You can look up machine parts by your model #, and be assured that they are correct for your machine: https://www.sewingpartsonline.com/
"My thread keeps breaking"
-Thread has a life span. If the thread is old, it may be "dead". If the thread breaks easily with a gentle tug, it's dead. All thread will break if you tug it hard enough, but if the thread is good, it should require a little force to snap it.
-If your machine has a sideways thread spool pin, double-check your thread as it comes off the spool. If it's a spool type with a notch in the end cap to hold the thread end (like Coats / Dual Duty brand), make sure that notch is to the right end of the spool when you put it on the machine. The thread can catch in the notch as it comes off the spool, and cause all kinds of problems.
- Also on machines with a sideways spool pin: Make sure your thread cap is larger than your plastic spool. The thread cap should be wide enough to draw the thread away from the outside of the spool edge. Most machines come with a large and small thread cap.
"The fabric isn't feeding through properly"
-Many machines allow you to drop the feed dogs for free-hand sewing. You may have accidentally engaged this feature. On older machines, it's done with a knob on the right of the machine bed. On newer machines, it's usually a little lever or switch near the bobbin housing, or on the back of the machine, close to the bobbin area.
-Does your machine have an adjustable presser bar? Make sure your pressure is adjusted properly for your fabric thickness.
-If your needle plate is badly nicked by needle strikes, your fabric may be getting caught on it. You can try filing down any bad nicks (remove the needle plate first, so you don't get metal filings in your hook area), or buy a new needle plate from Sewing Parts Online.
Hopefully, this will help you troubleshoot many common machine problems, and solve them yourself. Please double-check these tips and your manual before calling a machine repair tech, and please understand that most of us are not able to offer free trouble-shooting at this time. If you do, indeed, require machine service, please be patient and understand that every machine mechanic is swamped right now. Some mechanics are so backed up that they've stopped taking in machines. I am getting close to that point myself.
Those of you who belong to sewing groups, please feel free to share in your group. The more informed everyone is, the less problems people will have with their machines, and the more masks will get made.
These are extraordinary times. We will get through this together, but patience, understanding, some degree of self-reliance are more important than ever. Thank you, and sew on!
EDIT: Thank you to everyone who has shared this post around the world! While I am happy to offer these tips to help everyone figure out their machine problems, please understand that my primary focus at this time is fixing the large amount of machines that have been brought to me for repair. I am not able to monitor and respond to all of the comments on this post. I cannot confirm the accuracy of any advice given in the comments on this post by anyone other than KM Sewing.
I am not able to offer remote trouble shooting at this time. Please do not message me unless you would like to schedule an appointment to drop off your machine for service. Thank you.