Am I the only person in the world that can't sew a straight line???
05-10-2011, 04:15 AM
#72
Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Lakeveiw OH
Posts: 90
My husband is Don Beckman who is related to all Beckmans' in Shelby and surrounding area. I just love that area of MI and cant' wait to get back there this summer. Happy quilting! I love this new hobby of mine and know that I have a zillion friends who are quilters! YaHoo!
05-10-2011, 04:19 AM
#73
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Spring Green,WI
Posts: 14,637
Welcome to my world. But do I have the solution. You should see my now very straight seams.
I put my ruler under my needle to measure a scant 1/4 inch and put a piece of tape next to my ruler. That was fine. It worked. But then I couldn't see that line well while putting on a binding so I put a build up of painter's tape, that blue tape. I left it on and started to do regular patchwork. Oh my heavens, it forces you to put your strips or patches in straight when you put them next to the tape. It helps guide. I can stitch the first inch and let it go and it guides itself through.
I have been sewing with ladies in a nursing home. A couple are legally blind, yet they have straight wonderful seams because they can feel the ridge of the tape and guide the fabric. I also have ladies who have little use of their hands. The tape helps guide the fabric once you get it started.
I can sew a seam and then put it through again and both seams are in the same place.
My first piece of advice,even before the tape would be to sew in a cabinet. I made my own table for around my machine. They even have legs that adjust height in my local hardware store and I am in a small town.
My piece of tape is 8 inches long. But even a two to three inch piece of tape helps.
When I put my ruler under my needle, a scant 1/4 inch is one needle width less than that quarter inch line.
I hope you will try it, it has just made a world of difference for me.
I put my ruler under my needle to measure a scant 1/4 inch and put a piece of tape next to my ruler. That was fine. It worked. But then I couldn't see that line well while putting on a binding so I put a build up of painter's tape, that blue tape. I left it on and started to do regular patchwork. Oh my heavens, it forces you to put your strips or patches in straight when you put them next to the tape. It helps guide. I can stitch the first inch and let it go and it guides itself through.
I have been sewing with ladies in a nursing home. A couple are legally blind, yet they have straight wonderful seams because they can feel the ridge of the tape and guide the fabric. I also have ladies who have little use of their hands. The tape helps guide the fabric once you get it started.
I can sew a seam and then put it through again and both seams are in the same place.
My first piece of advice,even before the tape would be to sew in a cabinet. I made my own table for around my machine. They even have legs that adjust height in my local hardware store and I am in a small town.
My piece of tape is 8 inches long. But even a two to three inch piece of tape helps.
When I put my ruler under my needle, a scant 1/4 inch is one needle width less than that quarter inch line.
I hope you will try it, it has just made a world of difference for me.
05-10-2011, 04:29 AM
#76
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 741
My 101 year old Arlington treadle, my 93 year old Singer treadle and my 51 year old Challenge all sew wonderfully straight lines (none of them have the zig-zag feature) but my Singer 774 (who DOES have the zig-zag feature) can't sew a straight seam to save her life .... which tells me one thing: it's NOT me, it's the machine!!!
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