FMQ do you the foot pedal or not?
 

I have always used my foot pedal when I FMQ (I say "always" but I have only been doing FMQ for 9 months or so). I heard somewhere that some people do not use the foot pedal that they use the On/Off button and adjust speed with the speed control. Last night I tried that for the first time, and wow it was different. I only did a little bit, but I am thinking I will finish my quilt without the foot control. I am wondering if anyone else does the FMQ without the foot pedal and if there are things I should look out for. Any tips or warnings?

I don't believe I have that option on my older Bernina.

I prefer to have my hands free so I use my foot pedal.

I've tried the on/off method but haven't used it enough to get comfortable with it. It's a little bit like cruise-control on the car... you really need to keep alert on those curves! Have fun playing with it, and hopefully you'll have more perseverance than me :D

Oh my gosh, I would never use the on/off button (just me!). I pushed it once accidentally and it made me panicky. I like to be in control with my foot pedal.

I like my foot pedal and my knee controller on my 401.

no tips huh? sounds like I tried something really different! :) Well I like having my hands free too, but I can hit my stop button with my thumb and keep my hand on the fabric. Whether that means I have big hands or just a different machine I don't know. I don't change the speed once I start, I just continue at the same speed so what that seems to do is keep my stitches the same length (or at least much better than when I use my foot pedal)... something that some of you can do with your foot pedal no doubt, but my stitches are all crazy and different. I will do some more tonight and then after that I may decide that I hate it :)

I use vintage machines and I have a cabinet with a knee controller that I love. I much prefer it to a foot controller. I have better control over my speed and stitches whatever kind of sewing or quilting I'm doing.

Cari

I have used on/off when fmq. I am a relative newbie to quilting having only taken an interest in quilting since 2009 and my "proper" machine being a janome 6600p last year for christmas after using a modern featherweight machine in case it was a passing whim. I like using the on off button because for me, it takes care of keeping the speed of the machine constant. I don't know if I would do it different if I had learnt with a machine without the off/on button ?