Best Sewing Machine for Quilting and Embroidery

Best sewing machine for quilting and embroidery stitching a colorful quilt block design

A combo sewing and embroidery machine lets you piece, quilt, and stitch out embroidery designs on one machine instead of owning two separate ones. The best sewing machine for quilting and embroidery balances a hoop big enough for real designs with enough quilting features, drop feed, walking-foot compatibility, and a reasonable working area to finish ... Read more

How to Fix Skipped Stitches When Free-Motion Quilting

Changing to a fresh needle to fix skipped stitches when free motion quilting

Nothing derails a good free-motion quilting session like a needle that stops catching thread. One second you are moving smoothly across the quilt top, and the next you are staring at a row of loose, unlooped stitches that pull apart the moment you touch them. Learning how to fix skipped stitches when free motion quilting ... Read more

How to Clean and Oil a Longarm Quilting Machine

Brushing lint out of the bobbin area, the first step in how to clean longarm quilting machine parts

Quilting is a dirty business. Every stitch drives thread and needle through three layers of fabric and batting, and that friction constantly throws off lint, much of it settling in the bobbin area where you can not see it building up. Left alone, that lint causes tension problems, skipped stitches, and eventually a jammed hook ... Read more

Best Batting for Baby Quilts

Finished baby quilt folded back at the corner showing the best batting for baby quilts underneath

The best batting for baby quilts is not the same as what works for a queen-size bed quilt. A baby quilt only needs to survive spit-up, a few hundred washes, and a lot of dragging around the house. It doesn't need the same heavy batting you would use in a bed quilt meant to hold ... Read more

Best Large Throat Quilting Machine for Home Quilters

Best large throat quilting machine stitching a rolled quilt on a Juki TL-2000Qi

Throat space is the spec that decides whether quilting on a home machine feels like fighting the fabric or enjoyable, and the best large throat quilting machine gives you real working room without tipping into longarm territory. This guide covers what throat space buys you, the two machines worth considering first, and what you give ... Read more