I bought this machine yesterday and my first stitch test on a light weight rayon knit looked fabulous but I am wondering about pulling the fabric/threads out at the end of the stitch.  It feels very tight.  I don't know if that's normal. I would think not. I followed all directions from the manual but it doesn't discuss how this should feel.  Any suggestions on how to make it looser when ending the stitch?

This is what I like about having the ability to sew.  If you think of something you'd find useful but it either doesn't exist in the marketplace or is ridiculously expensive you can make it instead.

I will be using mostly fat quarters but also some strips from 1/4 yard pieces and random scraps.  I am making a flannel backed lap quilt for Mr MC.  His niece gave me the flannel for Christmas a couple of years ago.  I didn't even know she knew that I sewed so it was kind of a surprise.    I want to make it fairly quickly since I don't enjoy quilting very much.

I also thought it could be a quicker way to use up my rather large cotton stash since I don't want to quilt any more and I can make only so many napkins and pillowcases.  Most of the future quilts I make will be for charity.

Has anyone ever made a strip type quilt where you sew strips one end to the other until you have a very very long continuous strip.  Then you fold it in half (lengthwise) and sew it up.  Then take that and fold it in half again and sew up on side.  Repeat as many times as it takes until you have run out of length at which point you should have a top.

I was thinking about doing this in a lap size using red, black and perhaps a small amount of gold but I'm a little worried about how it would actually look. It would be random.  I would probably use 3 or 4 inch strips.

Edit: I was looking for this a few days ago and couldn't find anything but tonight I added "continuous" to my search and found this link. She does the corners like you would for binding. I probably wouldn't since it seems like more work than I want to do.
Continous strip quilt

Nothing for me here either.  I don't use Simplicity though. Last time I tried it was a disaster.  Ridiculously over sized and illogical instructions.

Are the types of things you sew not conducive to using a machine stitch?

I don't sew by hand at all** as it causes me a great deal of pain.  I just make a machine hem with closely matching threat so it doesn't show.  I don't follow pattern directions either.

**  I might sew a button on by hand but in reality I haven't made anything requiring buttons in 15 years or more.

I think it really depends how much you sew.  I originally bought one when I was making  nearly all of my clothes in the early/mid 2000s.  I had to take my Viking in for service and because the work was done at a different place than where I took it the turnaround was three weeks and that was too long for me at the time.  Now that I am sewing less these days it's not really something i need so much anymore but it was relatively inexpensive so I see no reason to get rid of it since I have the space.  At the point we decide to make our move to another state I may reconsider.

I have four:

Viking #1 which is now 22 years old and I hope it lasts as long as I do because I don't ever want to replace it
Memory Craft 4800 which was purchased as a backup machine
Janome Gem Gold 660 (very light weight) purchased for traveling
Babylock Imagine (serger/overlock)

In reality I use the Viking 99.99999% of the time.  I never took to the serger though i will keep it because I'm thinking about revisiting it after I retire next year.  I would like to buy a coverstitch since I sew primarily knits and will probably do so in the next six months once I figure out what I want.  I should probably get rid of the Memory Craft since I've only used it a hand full of times and if I had to be without the Viking for an extended time I could use the Gem.