Quilting with the Husqvarna Viking Tribute 150C: How to get great results!

It’s the end of the week, and I’ve been having so much fun using the Husqvarna Viking Tribute 150C instead of my usual sewing machine. It’s amazing for piecing and two different styles of applique. Today I’m exploring quilting.

The piece I’m quilting is small, which is always a good place to practice and try new things. How large of a quilt can you comfortably fit in the throat space? How comfortable are you with maneuvering a large quilt around, and how much space do you have around the sewing machine? Are you going to free-motion quilt or do some straight lines? Quilting is a complex topic, and unfortunately, we don’t have time for all that today.

I started by placing a layer of clear cellophane over my quilt and used a marker to play with potential quilting motifs.

I wanted to start with stitch in the ditch around all the main pieces, partially because I wanted to try the Edge Joining Foot that comes in the bonus box. I can use the Interchangeable Dual Feed foot, but the wall hanging is so small that it won’t shift The. Edge Joining presser foot has a guide in the center so you can adjust the needle position to the left or right to get it exactly where you want it. With this foot, doing stitch in the ditch is a dream!

I found a busy fabric for the back, and I like to use the same color thread on the back as the backing. The first step is to wind a bobbin. Once you engage the bobbin winder, you get a pop-up message on the screen. I love the pop-up messages.

Here’s a tip. If you have a partially filled bobbin or an almost empty one, don’t wind more thread onto it. Use it for hand stitching, empty the bobbin with another sewing project (like practicing free-motion quilting) or toss the thread. If you wind more thread onto the existing thread, the sewing machine can pick up the thread when it reaches the end, making a mess on the bottom of your project. I learned that the hard way!

I used the second spool pin on the Tribute 150C to place the thread for the bobbin winding. You can use the spool pins to hold the thread, or if you’re using a metal foot, you can wind the bobbin from the needle thread. But you must be using a metal presser foot, and the thread has to go underneath the presser foot. There’s more on that in the User’s Guide.

We’ve got a full bobbin and the quilting designs; it’s time to pick the top thread.

I’m doing some stitch in the ditch, as I don’t want the quilting to show. I chose to use invisible thread and a size 60/8 needle. Be sure to use a good quality invisible thread as there are some that are not so good, such as ones that are too thick and wiry. You want the thin ones.

It’s essential to change the top tension when working with invisible thread. I have a regular 50-weight piecing thread in the bobbin. The invisible thread wants to stitch tight, which can cause puckering and unsightly stitches on the back. The typical tension setting is 5.

Here are the default settings for the straight stitch (1:01). Remember, we can override those recommendations, as they are only a guide. The recommended tension is between 4 and 6.

I loosened the top tension to 3, and I had zero issues.

As I mentioned above, ensure the needle is right behind the flange, which is usually in the center position of the Edge Joining Foot. Then guide the presser foot along the seam, so you’re stitching on the low side of the seam. The low side is where the seam allowance is not as it was pressed to the other side. Here’s another important note, you should not stitch in the ditch if you pressed the seams open, as you are only stitching the piecing threads to the batting, not the fabric.

Be sure to bring up the bobbin thread as it’s standard practice and prevents a mess on the wrong side of the project! Use the Needle Stop Up/Down.

The bar and the guide do not block the view, so it’s easy to see where the needle is so you can pivot on the corners.

The presser foot lever is right behind the needle, so giving it a quick lift to pivot is convenient.

Here, I’ve lifted the presser foot to verify the needle position in the corner and will put it back down after I’ve pivoted to continue stitching.

Sometimes, the needle doesn’t want to come down in the exact spot I want. It’s easy to manipulate the fabric – either by giving a gentle tug toward or away from me, to make the needle fall in the right spot. Who will know I did that?

Here’s what it looks like after I finished the stitch in the ditch. In some instances, I was right in the ditch of the seam allowance, and along the horizontal seam, my mind wandered because I could’ve stitched a bit closer. That’s why we use invisible thread (or an 80-weight bobbin thread), so the stitches don’t show. Don’t forget I’m showing you a magnification of the real thing; it doesn’t show so much in person.

Look at the back of the project, where the tension is perfect. I don’t see any invisible thread on the back, and the stitches are nice and even. It’s so amazing to work on a sewing machine like the Tribute 150C that doesn’t require any fussing to get it working properly. Imagine if I struggled with the invisible thread – I would likely never use it again. But I had zero issues!

Now it was time to start with the quilting that shows. I used the same bobbin thread and chose a light-colored thread to match the sky. I could’ve used the optional Interchangeable Dual Feed Foot, but my piece is so tiny that I used the Utility Foot A. I looked at my quilting pattern on the cellophane and drew in one reference mark with chalk.

Then I started stitching. I used the width of the foot as a guide, so I only had to mark the initial line of stitching. I traveled along the seam line at the roof and along the outer edge of the quilt.

I kept the cellophane quilt map by the sewing machine to help me choose which section to quilt next.

There was a lot of rotating when I quilted the sky, which would be very cumbersome with a larger quilt. So, as you choose your design, think about how you can stitch it with few or no rotations, or if you’re working on a small piece like this, it doesn’t matter. The excess was rolled up in the throat space, even on this small piece.

Here’s what the sky looks like when almost completed. I love it! It looks so whimsical, and I didn’t drop the feed teeth! Get out the cellophane, look at other quilts and try to find something you can do!!

When I got to the center line on the second part, I traveled along the line of stitches instead of starting a new row. That’s way faster, and if you’re accurate enough, you’ll be stitching right in the holes made by the first stitches.

Unfortunately, I ran out of time to complete the quilting on the project, but I have many different styles of free-motion quilting feet that I can also use on the Tribute 150C. If I get a chance to work on this fantastic sewing machine again, I’ll show you what I did.

But seriously — how can you go wrong with this impressive sewing machine? I used the Husqvarna Viking Tribute 150C instead of my larger machine, and I did it all! I will admit, there are a few more conveniences and more room on the larger machine, but if I were learning to sew, not sure how much I’ll do, or wanted a second machine for quilt retreats, this one requires some serious investigation.

It’s a super sewing machine. I’d be running to my Husqvarna Viking dealer. If you or someone you know is looking for a smaller sewing machine, check this one out!

That’s it for me this week. I hope you enjoyed all the tips, and fun I had with the Husqvarna Viking Tribute 150C.

Have a great day!

Ciao!

This is part 5 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 4: Raw edge and invisible machine applique – Tips for success!