Accurate 1/4" seams - no costly tools!
03-28-2011, 10:52 PM
#41
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
Originally Posted by Jan in VA
Here's a trick I've used for years to create perfect 1/4" seams and I sew strips together at warp speed using it!
IF your machine's feed dogs are NOT wider than the regular presser foot you use ----
1. Measure 1/4" to the right of needle strike (Use a piece of graph paper to help determine whether your needle-to-edge-of-foot is 1/4" wide).
2. Line up the glued edge of a small Post-It note (I use the 1.5" x 2" size), sticky side down, parallel to the edge of your presser foot at that 1/4" seam mark. (Like the tape does in other ideas posted.)
3. Use a fat rubber band from celery or broccoli stalks to wrap around your free-arm of the machine to hold the Post-IT in place. (I've found that the metal of any machine's throat plate will NOT allow the Post-IT to stick more than a few seconds.) This rubber band can usually be easily moved out of the way for refilling bobbins or making other than 1/4" seams.
4. A long strip of Scotch tape will also hold down the Post-It if you don't have a rubber band.
5. Align the edges of your strips/blocks with the edge of the Post-It and keep your eye on the front edge of it while piecing, instead of eyeballing the edge of the presser foot or the needle.
It's like this.......When we "drive" our machines with our eyes on the needle or the edge of the presser foot, we are driving like a 90 year old lady who is looking just off the hood (front) of her car to steer...she's got to make lots of tiny adjustments to stay reasonably straight. Looking ahead down the highway (or forward of the needle) makes for much easier driving/sewing corrections.
Jan in VA
IF your machine's feed dogs are NOT wider than the regular presser foot you use ----
1. Measure 1/4" to the right of needle strike (Use a piece of graph paper to help determine whether your needle-to-edge-of-foot is 1/4" wide).
2. Line up the glued edge of a small Post-It note (I use the 1.5" x 2" size), sticky side down, parallel to the edge of your presser foot at that 1/4" seam mark. (Like the tape does in other ideas posted.)
3. Use a fat rubber band from celery or broccoli stalks to wrap around your free-arm of the machine to hold the Post-IT in place. (I've found that the metal of any machine's throat plate will NOT allow the Post-IT to stick more than a few seconds.) This rubber band can usually be easily moved out of the way for refilling bobbins or making other than 1/4" seams.
4. A long strip of Scotch tape will also hold down the Post-It if you don't have a rubber band.
5. Align the edges of your strips/blocks with the edge of the Post-It and keep your eye on the front edge of it while piecing, instead of eyeballing the edge of the presser foot or the needle.
It's like this.......When we "drive" our machines with our eyes on the needle or the edge of the presser foot, we are driving like a 90 year old lady who is looking just off the hood (front) of her car to steer...she's got to make lots of tiny adjustments to stay reasonably straight. Looking ahead down the highway (or forward of the needle) makes for much easier driving/sewing corrections.
Jan in VA
07-25-2011, 12:09 AM
#46
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
I have FINALLY drawn a graphic for this tutorial and hope that will find its way into circulation to help some others who have been struggling.
Jan in VA
Jan in VA
07-25-2011, 01:05 AM
#47
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Russellville AR
Posts: 1,942
You know that you can purchase an inexpensive and wonderful metal seam guide that will screw into the throat of your machine and works wonderfully?
I have one for all my sewing machines... couldn't piece without it!
I have one for all my sewing machines... couldn't piece without it!
07-25-2011, 02:32 AM
#48
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,665
Originally Posted by cjtinkle
You know that you can purchase an inexpensive and wonderful metal seam guide that will screw into the throat of your machine and works wonderfully?
I have one for all my sewing machines... couldn't piece without it!
I have one for all my sewing machines... couldn't piece without it!
07-25-2011, 02:37 AM
#49
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Russellville AR
Posts: 1,942
This particular one (it's my favorite as it's longer than the Singer and Bernina ones I have) is a generic one for industrial machines, I bought it from Ed Raicherts (google them and give them a call, Les will set you up). The guides are not machine specific, you simply need the screw that screws into the bed to be the right size. If you don't already have a screw for the bed of your machine for some other attachment, I'm sure any machine shop or possibly even Lowe's would have one.
Originally Posted by AlwaysQuilting
CJ--Where'd you get that? I wonder if it'll fit all machines?
07-25-2011, 08:32 AM
#50
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Trego, WI
Posts: 1,871
Originally Posted by Jan in VA
I have FINALLY drawn a graphic for this tutorial and hope that will find its way into circulation to help some others who have been struggling.
Jan in VA
Jan in VA
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