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No.7 - SEWING BY MACHINE Start each sewing project with a new needle - 80/12 universal needle is the most popular and works well with 100% cotton fabric and thread. It's a good idea to clean your machine too - refer to the Manufacturers Handbook - only oil if it says you can. If you do use oil always run a scrap piece of fabric through the machine with no thread in the needle to take off the excess - you don't want oil on your project! Having set the quarter inch and tested it we can start to assemble the pieces. STARTING SEWING Like most people I sometimes have trouble starting stitching because the thread jams up underneath or the fabric disappears down the feed dogs! To help alleviate this try starting your sewing line with your needle DOWN in the work and hold the 2 threads (top and bobbin) at the back. You could also use a "starter" scrap of fabric, that's a bit of fabric folded about 2" x 2" - put fabric under machine needle, put presser foot down and needle in the work, hold threads at the back and sew butting up the project piece you want to sew next to it and sew off the starter scrap onto the project piece. (This saves thread, the starter scrap can be used again and again). A starter scrap at the end is useful too, after sewing the project pieces sew onto another starter scrap, leave the needle in place and the presser foot down and your ready for the next session.
CHAIN PIECING – Note: its always a good idea to do a test block first Most blocks are made up
of units which are exactly the same and to speed up the
process of piecing these can be chain pieced. Chain piecing
is really good for a quilt made of repeat blocks. Stack
the units you want to sew into pairs - take a little time
to make sure you have the colours in the correct place -
after sewing off the starter scrap feed in the units and
sew, you will have a lot of little "flags" come
out of the back of the sewing line, the stitches between
each one will be cut later and the seams finger pressed.
After sewing the units always put back in situ within the block set-up to keep the pieces correct. You will notice that unlike hand sewing the stitching goes across into the seam allowance unless the seam needs to be "set in" as in the 8 point star where you only sew the sewing line (more on this later). CROSSING SEAMS Where seam allowances cross it is always best to have the top seam allowance toward the needle if possible, this means that the underneath seam is going the correct way and shouldn't get turned
Where there is an intersection an "X" piece to sew to another piece, pin exactly on the intersection and check that the pin has come through to the correct place on the other fabric. If after sewing it is not quite right then unpick the stitching for about ½" on each side of the intersection, re-pin and re-sew.
EASING IN? No matter how accurate you’ve been sometimes its necessary to "ease" in pieces that are supposed to match. To help with this pin exactly through the seams that should match and stitch with the shortest piece on top, the feed dogs will help ease the fullness of the bottom piece in. I always think it's a bit like "easing" a sleeve into a garment.
Some people like to use a lot of pins other don't. Use what you are comfortable with, I think it's a good idea to put pins in at right angles to the sewing line then as I machine they are easy to pull out just before my work gets to the machine needle. Also a lot of people find an unpicker or large pin helps to guide and keep the fabrics together whilst sewing. Use the method that works for you.
"Set in" seams These are seams where a "V" meets. The seam should be sewn on the sewing line only and not into the seam allowance or it will not lie flat. The 8 point star is typical and as with hand stitching you leave the quarter inch seam allowance at the beginning and the end of the unit unsewn. It is useful in this instance to always transfer the sewing line onto the reverse of the fabric with a marker before sewing.
Happy sewing. © Templates 2005 …
Note: these instructions are copyrighted. |
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