practicing leaders and enders
#1
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I've been reading and learning from all your ideas. I want to improve the accuracy of my 1/4 in. seam. When I sew clothing, I "fudge" the seam allowance to get the fit I want. Eating too much? make the seams allowances smaller. So, I've starched some scraps (another new concept for me) and cut them into squares. I'm trying to get into the leader-ender habit. That will keep me remembering just where that 1/4 in. seam is. And in about 40 yrs, maybe I'll have an Irish chain quilt!
The blouse I'm making with ender squares
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#4
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Glenmoore, PA
Posts: 7,941
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I use a 1/4" piecing foot. It has a metal finger that rides along the edge of the fabric. Hence, always 1/4". A cheaper and easy way to achieve the 1/4" is to use a short stack of post-it notes. Just measure from the needle to 1/4" away and stick the post-its down. Doesn't leave any residue either. I use this method when teaching my young students to seam anything.
#10
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The leaders - sew one pair of scraps together, chain-piece the fabrics you're working on, and at the end of the pieces you're putting together, use another pair of scraps chain-pieced to finish up.
I leave the 'ender' in my sewing machine - becomes my 'leader' for the next seam/chain.
I find this stops the beginning seam getting eaten by the feed dogs, stops the 'birds-nest' effect when threads wander and get caught up. It also stops me from wandering at the beginning or ending of my seams (I used to have terrible seams as I was getting to the end - veering off into a narrow seam). And the thread trimming is almost non-existent!
So, here's what I'm doing ...
- have a little container of scraps handy - 2" squares? strings or strips
- pick a light and dark, start a chain and piece these scraps
- the next pieces in the chain-piecing are the current project you're working on
- finish up with another pair of scraps - the ender- leave these ones under your machine foot (I leave it down, but the needle up). This one becomes my 'leader' for the next pieces I'm sewing.
I leave the 'ender' in my sewing machine - becomes my 'leader' for the next seam/chain.
I find this stops the beginning seam getting eaten by the feed dogs, stops the 'birds-nest' effect when threads wander and get caught up. It also stops me from wandering at the beginning or ending of my seams (I used to have terrible seams as I was getting to the end - veering off into a narrow seam). And the thread trimming is almost non-existent!
So, here's what I'm doing ...
- have a little container of scraps handy - 2" squares? strings or strips
- pick a light and dark, start a chain and piece these scraps
- the next pieces in the chain-piecing are the current project you're working on
- finish up with another pair of scraps - the ender- leave these ones under your machine foot (I leave it down, but the needle up). This one becomes my 'leader' for the next pieces I'm sewing.
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10-07-2011 04:58 PM