Do you use a stiletto?
 

I've seen posts about stilettos and there seems to be a lot of you that use them. I never have. Until today. I had a big stack of 45 degree triangles to sew together. They're easy enough to chain sew by starting at the square end but the seam seems to veer off ( that's tricky to say and to type :) at the end. I was getting frustrated until I picked up my seam ripper and used the tip to hold the ends together as it went under the presser foot. That worked a lot better but not perfectly. Any suggestions on how to keep a good scant 1/4" seam all the way down the side of the triangle?

I have used a stiletto for years. Not sure I could sew without it! LOL! I use a quarter inch foot and move my needle over two positions. The foot has a little flange that the material is up against. Works pretty well for keeping a scant quarter inch.

I have a guide on my machine to get a consistent quarter inch. My problem is with the tail end of the triangle veering off from the guide. Where the fabric is wider I can hold it against the guide but as it narrows down there's nothing for me to hold on to.

I use a wooden skewer that I broke off some so it isn't too long.

This is where the stiletto comes in handy.

I use the end of my seam ripper, since it works well I have not felt the need to purchase a stiletto.

I use my seam ripper, thread nips, pointed tweezers, hemostats, scissor point, whatever is handy when I need it! If I ever run across someone selling porcupine quills, I'm gonna get one just for the coolness factor!

I use my Great Grandmothers 8 inch Hat pin! Works great and is always sharp!

My favorite is an angled plastic cuticle pusher, but I use anything that is handy. I think the cuticle pusher would help with that end of the seam when sewing the HSTs. It has a little more surface that the tip of my seam ripper or my snips.

I use mine all the time!

I use my seam ripper. Don't have room for another tool on my sewing machine.
I think it would greatly help if you starch your fabric heavily before cutting.
When you're sewing triangles like that you are sewing on the bias and it tends
to get distorted.

there is danger off hitting the seam ripper and a piece of metal flying off as it is only thin--a true stilleto may be stong but a piece of broken needle may fly off--a shortened wooden skewer is more forgiving holds the fabric and may let the needle live on if they connect--my mate worked in E D loved telling me horror sewing stories

I use a double pointed bamboo knitting needle as a stilletto, I also use it a lot when I'm ironing if I want to press open my seams. I have a lovely metal stilletto that someone made me with beads, but I, too, have a fear of metal getting in the way of my needle and something bad happening.

I just use my seam ripper as well as a stiletto. As to hanging on to those triangles...I keep the index finger of my left hand up against the left edge of my foot with the fabric under that hand. Don't have an issue with it wiggling that way.

I use mine all the time also. I also use it when I do the machine side of my bindings. When I get to the corners to make the miter.

All the time

I bought one and seems I lost it right before I could use it. My cats may have had something to do with the disappearing also. It now be in a drawer, hard to keep up with it. I usually sew triangles out of a square and don't need it for that.

Yes. I'm learning to use one. I make them as gifts, but kept forgetting to keep one by the machine. They really come in handy for that last 1/2".

I have a Purple Thang. Had to buy it for a class one time and thought I'm never gonna use this. I seem to go in spurts. Guess it's whatever I'm working on but it will sit for a long time before I think I need it and have to search for it.

I can't sew without it. I have one made by an artisan, out of an acrylic pen blank and turned on a lathe. It fits well in my hand. The business end is not too pointy. I guide the patch thru to where it's going to disappear under the foot. The only time I don't use it is when I do curved piecing and I use a pair of bent tweezers for the last bit.

Many years ago I got a porcupine quill as a gift from a quilting friend. Love it! I don't always use a stiletto, but sure am glad when I remember to!

I use mine. Sometimes it is the real stiletto, sometimes "that purple thang", sometimes seam ripper, etc. Comes in handy to keep the fabric on path at the end of a block.

I use a chop stick that i put into a pencil sharpener and brought it to a point, its long enough that you dont have to fight and you can put pressure on it without it breaking

I use a Purple Thang. I have them stashed everywhere! I once ran over my finger, pad side up, and nicked my finger nail from the inside. I nearly passed out. After that, I never put my finger ANYWHERE near the needle. didn't know I put it near the needle before that, but guess I had to have done it to run over my own finger! Sheesh! (oh, and I had to have a tetanus shot too. )

I use a Purple Thang, works great.

I use the same as some others first thing at hand. Using an awl at present. Have bee known to use tweezers seam rippers especially a broken one. .It is far safer using anything other than your finger. I believe it is very pain ful sewing your finger.

Quilter's Rule has porcupine quills if you should be at a show where they have a booth. They are neat. I bought a hand full to have one in every location where I have a machine.

I used a seam ripper for a few things but like many of you I dreaded the possibility of hitting it with the needle. I found a set of bamboo knitting needles for less than $5 and now I use them. I don't use one all the time, but they are very handy for small pieces and for binding. Now that I have gotten used to using one I do find I use it more.

Darren

I've used really thin knitting needles and my seam ripper.

So many good replies. With so many HST's to make I find myself trying different things. I might pick up the seam ripper, or use the tip of the scissors. I've tried guiding the triangle with my left hand, not removing my hand/fingers too soon but letting them glide to the left of the presser foot. I like the idea of using a soft tipped cuticle pusher as it would "grip" the fabric. I just need to find one of them. - This Board is great. Sure appreciate all your suggestions.

On my last trip to USA a very kind lady gave me a porcupine quill, it is great I would hate to be with out it now.

EIGHT INCH!!!! OMG! That was a first-class weapon. Gale force winds would keep that in place! Awesome!

I didn't, but with a quilting table I have to. I purchased a new machine which has a small extended table. On my other machine I could get my hands in there with clearance, but that's not the case with the new machine. (I'm right handed so why does a left side table limit, I do not know.)
I saw a link on how to make them. I made a few using beads and turkey lacers. I actual glued 2 lacers together, stuck some beads on so I could grip the lacers better and it works like a charm. I don't feel like I'm crawling into machine anymore.

I love my stiletto - once you get used to using one it is like an extension of your hand and you don't know what you did without one. Very useful when doing curved piecing - you can coax those edges together as you sew and you don't have to use many pins.

I use a stilleto, or the seam ripper, or a cuticle stick, or.... I find I prefer a really pointy thing rather than something with a rounded point since if I need the stilleto I need something that really holds. I like something narrow that can get almost all the way to the needle -- and I sew the last stitches really slow. I also find that using a scrap of farbric at the end of the point and sewing onto the fabric scrap keeps me from having wobbly points (and I can angle the scrap to fit snugly against the triangle).

I use my stilleto a lot, but other things have come in handy for me such as the purple thang, bamboo stick, etc. It is far better than having a needle go through my finger, nail and all. That happened when I was a teenager...one of the best learned lessons, smile.

That goes for me too. I have "that purple thang" + one from Eleanor Burns. I have more than 1 machine so I keep
one at each machine. Comes in handy for so many things.

I use my seam ripper most of the time. I also have a pair of tweezers that I keep handy and they work, too.

I use a small flathead screw driver, it does a great job of holding the seam flat as it goes under the foot. It is easy to access in front tool chest on my machine.

I have several wooden "sticks" that have been sharpened in a pencil sharpener. An ordinary wooden dowel works also. I have them in different lengths and different thicknesses. Also, if you use the pencil sharpener, you can sharpen BOTH ENDS. That is very helpful.