Quilting Basics: Video Part 12

Hi Everyone!!  I've gotten so many requests on my YouTube Channel, in emails and messages for a video specifically about quilting on the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960.  I don't claim to be an expert on the subject of quilting, however I admire it as an art form and have great appreciation for those that design and are able to execute a quilt.  I can show you the basics to get you started.

In this video I will be showing you how to install the 1/4" foot and shank, how to install and use your quilting bar and how to select the quilting stitch in your machine specifically designed for quilting.

The 1/4" foot seems to be the "go to" foot of choice for quilting.  From what I understand, the seam allowance for all quilt piecing is a 1/4" so it only makes sense to use a foot that measures a perfect 1/4".  This foot is one of the regular accessory feet that came along with the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960.  This foot works in combination with the regular shank/ankle that came with the machine.  The other nice thing about this foot is the center needle hole.  You can only use a straight stitch with this foot, however the small hole keeps the fabric nice and flat as you stitch these seams together.  Piecing a quilt is only straight stitching, so I can see why quilters love this foot.

The quilting bar is an added accessory that works with the shank in your machine.  It slides into a particular hole on the top of the shank and can adjusted to achieve many different stitching increments.  This bar allows you to stitch at perfectly spaced intervals to make your quilting lines look professional.

This machine offers 2 different sewing machine quilting stitch options:

1.  Stitch #1 is a center needle stitched basic straight stitch.  This stitch can be used for piecing or quilting and can be lengthened up to 5mm.  

2.  To achieve the "look" of hand quilting, this machine offers specialty stitch #8.  This stitch is used in combination with matching and invisible thread.  By placing the matching color thread in the your bobbin, invisible thread on the top and by tightening the upper tension to it's maximum, you can achieve this unique hand quilted running stitch.  Left to right in picture below ~ 2.0 mm, 4.0 mm and 3.0 default setting stitches.

There are several other features of this machine that are helpful for quilting:

1.  Extra high presser foot lifter:  The presser bar lifter has two levels to accommodate extra thickness when inserting your project into the machine.

2.  Large harp space:  The space between the needle and body of the machine is called the "harp space".  This area is about 7" and offers a nice amount of space to roll your project and sew comfortably.

3.  Extension table included:  The extension table is large and sturdy and is included with the purchase of this machine.  It also has 4 independently adjustable feet to level the surface area of the table.  Below are pictures of the removable extension table.  As you can see, it's gives ample work surface and has the ability to fold the legs down flat into the bottom of the table for storing away.

Thank you so much for watching my latest video featuring the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960. I hope that if you were interested in learning to quilt with this machine, this information will be helpful.  

Have a Happy Creative Day!!

Roxanne