Do you need a walking foot to quilt? It helps.

The very first quilt I made was for my mother-in-law.  Don’t ask.  It was a small lap quilt using Debbie Mumm fabric so I don’t feel bad that I gave it to her, since I would not be caught dead with Debbie Mumm fabric in my house at this point my life.

My second quilt was the one below.  It was not a uniform size – somewhere between a twin and a double.  The pattern was “Trip Around the World”, using some fabric that had azaleas on it.  Not being a “flower person” I never would have known that the flowers on the fabric were azaleas but for the fact that the fabric line had the word “azaleas” in it.

I did NOT have a walking foot to make this quilt and the amount of frustration that came with the quilting part almost made me give up quilting.  I had no idea what a walking foot was at the time, but I am so glad I later found out.  If you do any quilting at all – even just art quilts – a walking foot is a life saver.  It moves the fabric through the machine evenly – both the top and bottom – preventing any puckering on the back of the quilt.  It is also helpful when you are sewing really thick fabric – it helps the fabric move through your machine faster.  Unfortunately the thing is expensive!

I have a Bernina – it is my third sewing machine.  My first one was a Babylock that I purchased when I was about 20 years old.  I had that machine for about 15 years. I then upgraded to a Husqvarna – which I never really liked, but had that for about 4 years.  I finally purchased a Bernina and I really do love it. I have a dealer about 45 minutes away from where I live and I have had to bring it in a few times for servicing, but the warranty is for five years and I still have about a year left on it.

Did you ever wonder why sewing machine repair places also repair vacuum cleaners?  I have – and I tried Googling it but never found the answer.