AboutPatricia Fountain Expertise I can answer questions about sewing machine for quilting, supplies, equipment, fabrics, and methods of piecing including applique, foundation piecing, machine quilting and hand quilting.
Experience 40 years of sewing expertise over 10 years quilting. I have experience making quilts for beds, garments, table items (placemats, runners, etc.) wall hangings, etc. I teach quilting and sewing at my home studio.
Organizations American Quilting Society
Education/Credentials NYS Certified Home Economics Teacher (FACS)
Home Serwing Association Trained Sewing Educator
Question I have a 99$ brother sewing machine (for very light sewing). My question is can I quilt on it or do I need a special quilting machine? If I can use mine can I just stitch down the seams (trying to conceal the stitches) as a quilting method? Should I remove my pressure foot for this method? I guess it depends on the quilt thickness huh?
Answer See if you can get a walking foot it would help. Any straight lines are nicely managed using your walking foot as it helps keep the layers moving evenly.
If you do "free motion" stitching then you might find that you don't get the best from your inexpensive machine. In "free motion" you would drop the feed dogs, or have a plate over the feed dogs so that they do not move the fabric from the bottom. In free motion quilting you use the darning foot and move the "quilt sandwich' around with your hands (hence free motion).
You can never really remove your presser foot since it keeps the fabric below the needle to allow the motion of pulling up a stitch.
You might consider taking a basic quilting class or even looking for videos or on-line tutorials to help you see these items in use.
All the best. Don't give up on quilting. If you're like the rest of us eventually you will own more than one machine!!
