Val: Thankyou Derek for getting back to us with this:

“Its not my fault its the computer – it made me do it !” (ROFL) that’s what I say about my sewing machine!

I have just finished watching the video on Free Motion Embroidery and wanted to say thank you to Jennie for the video I have tried Free Motion Quilting on my Janome with disastrous results – I could never get the needle to perform a nice smooth curve or a straight, straight line.

Now that I have watched your Free Motion Embroidery Video it explained very simply how to start – I had never thought of using ‘a hole in a piece of fabric” to make a flower and so learn to control the speed and the direction of the needle. I will be making a whole garden of flowers and a football field of grass! (LOL)

I also like with both of you, your “off-beat” senses of humour. I think having a bit of humour in the video is important and yes I use the time-honoured tradition of throwing waste fabric and thread on the floor!

I think the membership fee is “very reasonable” as I find reading books just does not have the same impact as watching a video and I have learnt some valuable tips, in particular the video on “Needle and Threads” – now I always start a new project with a new needle.

I had recently finished an 8 foot by 6 foot Rag Quilt made up of 8″ squares (made without a middle layer) of flannel and could not work out why it was so difficult to sew through 4 layers of fabric as the bobbin kept jumping and missing stitches?

At the time I changed the needle to a heavier one with no result and I didn’t think to take the bobbin out and remove sewing bed plate – doing that I solved the problem – dust and fluff tightly compacted under and around the bobbin case gave the bobbin no room to move.

A simple clean with a paint brush. a chop stick (to reach into the corners) and a lot of huffing and puffing and I know have a machine that runs as well as the day first day I bought it – something that is so easily over looked like replacing a blunt needle.

Thank you ladies again for your excellent web site

Best wishes

Derek (Adelaide, South Australia)