Is quilting with a standard machine possible?

[Arloony]

Hello,

Has anyone managed to quilt with the standard machine Brother LS14?

If so, is there anything else extra I need to buy?
I have already bought a 1/4 presser foot for it but I hear I will also need a walking foot? and a plate as mine doesn't go down?
I tried to contact Brother customer service but I got an automated email saying they are currently closed.

Thanks
Arlene  xx

[Ploshkin]

You can quilt with any machine.  A walking foot is a great help.  The main issue is how big the harp space is because that may restrict the size of quilt you can stuff through the machine.

[Efemera]

Hello,

Has anyone managed to quilt with the standard machine Brother LS14?

If so, is there anything else extra I need to buy?
I have already bought a 1/4 presser foot for it but I hear I will also need a walking foot? and a plate as mine doesn't go down?
I tried to contact Brother customer service but I got an automated email saying they are currently closed.

Thanks
Arlene  xx

No... you’re good to go.

[wrenkins]

I just quilt willy nilly with whatever foot is on at the time.  I do have a walking foot that came with my machine and I will probably use it for my two bigger quilts which are on the wayas the I think the wadding is thicker than any that I have used for my small projects.
Your 1/4" foot is used to determine your seam allowance. Don't believe it when it says it is a 1/4". Sew a seam and measure it and you may find that you need to adjust slightly. I know I do as mine is a tiny bit over.

[Iminei]

The main issue is how big the harp space is because that may restrict the size of quilt you can stuff through the machine.

If harp space is an issue QAYG may be your best option, at least to start with, The Darkside is doing a series of BOMs that will be assembled using QAYG this Autumn ... you could do worse than signing up for that.

A walking foot tho' Pricey makes your life sooooooo much easier!

[Arloony]

Thank you for your feedback everyone!
I am so pleased that I can still quilt with what I have got.

@Iminei - I will look at the technic of QAYG


Thank you xx

[Sheilago]

My machine is just a standard Janome and I’ve made and quilted  several double bed sized quilts, with straight line and free motion quilting. It just takes patience, but is perfectly possible .

[Arloony]

Oh wow!!! Double bed sized?? I am impressed!!
What is your Janome model?

[Sheilago]

It is a TXL607. Quite modest by the standards of this forum, but I get on fine with it. I have a walking foot, a free motion foot and an extension table which help.

[Renegade Sewist]

@Arloony you can quilt with any machine. But not all types of quilting or sizes as mentioned.

My machine is a Brother se400 which is sort of a ¾ size machine. I can with effort and careful execution do about a twin bed size.

A walking foot is good for long straight lines, especially parallel ones. My WF has a little guide that adjusts to help with spacing.

A free motion or embroidery foot is needed for free motion. FM is basically everything that isn't straight lines.

The ¼ inch foot is for piecing the quilt blocks and a few other things. Maybe you want to quilt around the edge of blocks.

If your machine doesn't drop the feed dogs as you suggest it probably came with a plate to cover them. What does the manual say? I checked the manual. You  have to order a darning plate to cover the feed dogs. Page 4 in the manual. Should be able to order one from a dealer.

If you're new to quilting I can't suggest a small test piece to learn on strongly enough. Either a placemat or doll quilt size, or, Haha, a nice doggie quilt.

[BrendaP]

Yes you can quilt with just about any machine, the only limitation is how much you can stuff through the harp, the space to the right of the needle.  If the harp isn't very big, that's when quilt as you go comes in to its owm.  The machines sold as quilting machines (not to be confused with long arm machines which cost mega £££££ and need a normal size room to accommodate one) have a wider than average harp and an extension table to the left of the needle to give a large area to support the quilt.  Like most other machines thay can also be set into a table/cabinet.

There are several ways of quilting:
1, straight lines - that's when a walking foot is most useful but not essential.
2, curved lines - using card templates, drawn lines or specially designed Westlee rulers ££
3, free motion - takes a lot of practice and needs a darning foot and either drop the feed dogs or set stitch length to zero.

[rubywishes]

Don't forget...it's not only harp size but harp height and visibility too.