Hi everyone! I have a couple of things that have me "thoroughly" confused! I was told by an employee at a LQS that I could NOT reverse stitch with my walking foot or it would cause serious damage to my machine, so I haven't been securing any of my stitches..., my very first quilt is almost finished, and now will probably fall apart in the wash! LOL! And my second issue is, I've been watching several You Tube videos on binding, and some bind from the front and some from the back...I want to machine bind mine on both sides....which do you think is best? Thanks to all who can offer a little expertise! Chris

some say theirs can. there are different feet for different brand machines. to be safe, i don't do it with mine.
if you want binding to be binding on both sides, use binding sewn to the front and turned to the back.

If you can't reverse stitch you can do what I do with my vintage 66 Singer that doesn't have a reverse. Stitch about 1/2 inch down, lift the presser foot, slide the fabric back up to where you started, and sew back over it again. This works really well for me.

Thanks SO MUCH!

Thank you, that's a GREAT idea!

Sorry, didn't quote your reply...thank you SO MUCH!

I didn't quote your reply, either! Thanks so much for the information! That's a GREAT idea!

What kind of machine do you have? I backsitch on mt 14 yr old New Home Memory Craft 9000 while using the walking foot all the time and never had a problem with my machine. Maybe it's the newer machines, I had not ever heard this before. Worth checking with your local dealer for his advice on your machine. JMHO

Regarding the walking foot, why not check with the insert that came with yours? Mine says if my stitch length is at 3 or below, I can reverse stitch. I think it all depends on the brand you are using. I personally won't take anyone's other than the manufatcurer's words for what I can or can't do with my sewing machine and accessories, lol.

A friend was telling me about doing the binding completely by machine, and I tried it on a small quilt for the first time and it worked nicely. Attach the binding in the back of the quilt, turn your quilt over and use a washable glue to glue down the binding on the front, then use your favorite stitch to secure it down.


Good luck.

ooh, I also meant to say that I don't reverse stitch when quilting, rather, I take a few very small stitches at the beginning and end.

I cannot reverse with my walking foot because of the gears inside of it. Instead, you can use locking stitches. If your machine doesn't have a locking stitch setting, just set the stitch length to zero and sew several stitches in the same place. This creates a knot that holds the thread in place. When you are ready to move forward, just reset the stitch length. When you get to the end, repeat the locking stitches in the same way.

Thank you, I have a newer Singer that I purchased as a Today's Special Value on HSN....it came with a ton of feet, but not a Walking foot, so I purchased it separately from a LQS. It didn't come with any information other than attachment. But I think I will check with Singer. Thanks again...

Thanks so much!

This sounds great, thank you so much!

The walking foot is not designed to work backwards. That is correct. However, you can decrease the stitch length at the beginning of your seam to 4 or 6 mm and sew about 5 tiny stitches. Then change to the regular length (or actually a little larger for quilting) and sew to the end of the line where you secure the end with tiny stitches again. Works like a charm!

As for the binding - that is personal preference. I still like to sew mine down by hand in the back.

Thank you! This is my first quilt, and I may discover I prefer hand stitching to machine to finish my binding as well!

Even though I can backstitch with the accufeed (Janome) I don't because it
adds bulk. I prefer to use smaller stitches. Never had a problem.

I don't use a seperate walking foot, mine is built in so it works either way.

on the binding, if I am machining both sides I sew it to the back fold it to the front and sew it down, if I am hand sewing one, I sew it to the front and fold it to the back and hand sew it down, depends on the quilt and what it is being used for to what I do.

I have a Babylock and I backstitch with the walking foot. Knock on wood, I haven't had any problems so far. If I have time, I like to sew my binding on the front, fold to the back and handstitch it down. However, most of the time I am trying to finish by a 'date' (wedding, shower, birth, etc.) so I sew to the back, and then stitch to the front also. Sometimes I straight stitch and sometimes I try out the decorative stitches. This method works for me, but I think it is a personal preference..

I sew my bindings all by machine. I sew it to the back first, then bring it over to the front and top stitch close to the edge. Works great for me, and saves bunches of time!

Yikes! For real?

I go backwards all the time with mine (Bernina) because I'm too lazy to turn the quilt. My entire bee does it - Pfaffs, Janomes, Vikings.

I'm going to hope (fingers crossed ) that if it were a problem for a particular machine, it would make some horrible noise in warning.

Maybe it's just the generic feet?

Yikes!

My Bernina walking foot says you can do reverse when the stitch length is up to 3, not when longer. I too do it all time, well not reverse stitch per se, but decorative stitching that goes reverse and forward.

I did a decorative stitch with my babylock and it was horrid. I think it might be a little different whether it's a built-in or an attached foot too. But in general, backwards won't work well.

when I come to the end of my stitching, I hold the fabric and do a few stitches in one place to "lock" the stitching.
As for the binding, it can be done from either front or back, all a matter of choice. I do both ways, using the zig zag stitch so it catches both sides nicely and looks good too. :)

I like your idea! I've been putting the stitch length to almost 0 and sew a few stitches, then I put the stitch width back up.....your way is a lot quicker :-)

you can make tiny stitches like stich in place to secure

Wow!! Thank you for asking this question. Just got a new machine and walking foot. Never even thought to check. You may have saved me a lot of grief.

I found this so interesting. I can reverse stitch on both my Elna's and my New Home with my walking foot regardless of the stitch length and it never occured to me that you couldn't on some machines. Hmmm . . . learn something new every single day! :D

Someone on the board shared this link for a boarder that you can sew completely on the machine. I'm going to try it. It takes a little more fabric, but I think it will make a nice finish!

http://tlcstitches.blogspot.com/2010...-tutorial.html

I am confused. You need confusion or you are confused? If you require confusion, I have plenty to spare!! Seriously, on your question, I would reduce the stitch length at the beginning and end of each seam if my walking foot did not permit back stitching. AS for the binding technique, you can probably find a demo online. Try several methods and see which one you like best. I have tried them all and still like sewing double fold binding to the front, folding it to the back and hand stitching to finish.

This sure is interesting as I can backstitch with my IDT on my Pfaff and also on the walking foot for my Juki and vintage machines.....never had a problem whatsoever. I wonder if it is just certain walking feet that don't have the capablility to backstitch? Strange but interesting and I've never had to change the stitch length either. :roll:

I have also machine stitched on both sides of my quilt first to the back and then fold over to the front without any problems either....probably more of a personal preference as we quilters seem to have a lot of them. :-D

Ditto. I love to use my leaf pattern when machine binding the front. Admittedly, I do a large basting stitch first to ensure everything matches up for both sides to look good. This type of method makes for a very secure binding that wears well and looks good. I think it would be even more attractive if a varigated green were used as the top and/or bottom thread.

Don't worry if the stitches are secured by a row of stitches going over the top or perpendicular to it as they will be secure within the seam. I never back stitch on any of my quilts and they are fine.Anything exposed can be secured by either starting with smaller stitches or hand threading them through the layers of the quilt just as you do for hand quilting.

I have found this to be the best way to lock stitch with a walking foot. Work really well

It has never occurred to me not to backstitch with my walking foot - do it all the time. Decor stitches too and it just performs beautifully.

Sometimes when straight stitching, instead of doing a backstitch, I ever so gently hold back on the fabric as it enters the stitch area, causing two or three stitches to be made in the same or nearly the same place. Has the same effect as a locking stitch without the normal "buildup" from the programmed six-stitch lock. I've never had a seam let go that has been secured like this, nor has my fabric ever stretched from the very gentle "hold-back."

BTW I use a Kenmore machine and the walking foot available through Sears. I've had it for years and never had a problem with it. I do keep it cleaned and occasionally oiled on its moving parts.

When you start put your stitch on 0 or 1 take 3 stitch and put it back where you sew, it works.

I would not use a walking foot to piece blocks, use a regular foot & a 2 or 2.5 stitch length then seams do not come apart.
There are web sites that show you howo to sew binding on with a machine & it works fine.

I have a husqvarna viking machine. I use the interchangeable dual feed foot walking foot. There is no problem going backwards with this foot and it works like a charm! ~ Like many have posted, it depends on the type of machine you have on what your foot attachment allows you to do.

Your quilt will not fall apart because you didn't back stitch at the end of a seam. With quilting, almost all the time, you stitch over that part again. I have been quilting for about 17 years and have never backstitched and haven't had one quilt fall apart because of it.
You must be someone who has always stitched clothing, and then have moved on to quilts. Backstitching is what you do with clothing consturction, not quilts. You can, but if it's not necessary, why spend the extra time.
That's just my opinion.
Think of us in the northern part of Wisconsin today - we are expecting anywhere from 6 to 14 inches of snow in the next 24 hours.........I thought it was spring???

Machine binding? Doesn't matter whether you sew to the front or back first. The object is to have it applied smooth and even. The problem with machine binding the folded over edge is having the machine stitching even and not catching the binding in an uneven line. That's why I machine stitch the binding to the back (my choice) and fold it to the front and hand stitch.

Sandy

I have the same machine and think nothing of back stitching on it. Haven't had a problem yet. I didn't even know you couldn't back stitch on some machines, so I was glad to read about this.

As for binding, I sew mine onto the front, then pin it around to the back and use a decorative stitch on top, which catches the binding on the bottom. Using a decorative stitch will give a strong stitching finish to the binding.