Stitches per inch...
10-21-2013, 02:05 PM
#21
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Johnson City, Tn.
Posts: 153
Thanks Barb in Louisana for you chart. I have it printed out and ready to put in my References Book, it will come in handy when I try to figure out my settings. I have a wonderful old Janome and a newer light weight Baby Lock and I don't know if the settings are the same but this will be helpful.
10-21-2013, 06:03 PM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Fox Valley Wisconsin
Posts: 1,920
Love this technical explanation of stitch length! Thank-you!
QUOTE=Barb in Louisiana;6357481]Recently, I finally decided to find out what the 2.5 translated to. The following website explained it all.
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quil...stitch-length/
For my own clarity, I wrote up the following:
Stitch number is based on millimeters per inch which is 25.4
Divide 25.4 by the machine setting to get stitches per inch.
25.4 / 3 = 8.47 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2.5 = 10.16 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2.1 = 12.1 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2 = 12.7 stitch per inch
25.4 / 1.5 = 16.93 stitch per inch
If you know the stitches per inch you want, the formula is:
25.4 mm / stitches =
25.4 / 10 = 2.5 setting
25.4 / 12 = 2.1
25.4 / 16 = 1.6
The feed dogs control the stitch length. Shorter stitch length equals less fabric pulled thru machine.[/QUOTE]
QUOTE=Barb in Louisiana;6357481]Recently, I finally decided to find out what the 2.5 translated to. The following website explained it all.
http://www.quiltmaker.com/blogs/quil...stitch-length/
For my own clarity, I wrote up the following:
Stitch number is based on millimeters per inch which is 25.4
Divide 25.4 by the machine setting to get stitches per inch.
25.4 / 3 = 8.47 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2.5 = 10.16 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2.1 = 12.1 stitch per inch
25.4 / 2 = 12.7 stitch per inch
25.4 / 1.5 = 16.93 stitch per inch
If you know the stitches per inch you want, the formula is:
25.4 mm / stitches =
25.4 / 10 = 2.5 setting
25.4 / 12 = 2.1
25.4 / 16 = 1.6
The feed dogs control the stitch length. Shorter stitch length equals less fabric pulled thru machine.[/QUOTE]
10-21-2013, 08:47 PM
#25
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: The Deep South near Cajun Country, USA
Posts: 5,412
I'm glad everyone has enjoyed the translation of the machine settings to the old time stitch per inch. In the past when I was sewing wearing apparel, I always used 12 stitches per inch. That was on older machines. When I started quilting, my 2 Brother machines defaulted to 2.5. I always wondered what the 2.5 actually meant in relation to the stitch per inch. It was fun finding out the info & how to apply it. I have enjoyed everyone's postings on what they are comfortable with when they are sewing.
I find that the 2.5 is good most of the time. Paper piecing is a whole different story. I use 1.5 for PP. Batiks are so tightly woven that I can use a 3 and they won't come undone, but the edges of the seam will. So, for me, 2.5 works most of the time.
I find that the 2.5 is good most of the time. Paper piecing is a whole different story. I use 1.5 for PP. Batiks are so tightly woven that I can use a 3 and they won't come undone, but the edges of the seam will. So, for me, 2.5 works most of the time.
10-23-2013, 11:36 AM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 903
On my machine, the default for quilting is 2, if it is not on the quilt settings, it's 2.5. This is on both my giant Babylock and my small Brother machines. So 2 it is for me, unless I'm doing paper piecing or bias, then I set it back to 1.8 or even 1.6
11-26-2013, 06:49 AM
#29
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 26
Just did some testing. I believe 10 stitches per inch would be the norm, you would have to measure over 1" and count, and the number shown on the machine is the stitch length in millimetres. The default value may be different with brands, but you may be able to reset that if you go into the machines' control panel. I have 2 Brothers and both are set to 2.5, this gives me 11 stitches per inch [spi]. For paper piecing I reduce to 1 or 1.5. Can you buy tape measures with both inches and mm's and test on a firm [starched?] piece of plain coloured homespun, it's really worth the experiment. I can flip from inches to metric easily, as I went through school with inches, and we - Australia - changed to metric when I was 20. Hope this explains all. Enjoy testing.
11-26-2013, 07:29 AM
#30
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: The Colony, TX
Posts: 3,364
I use 2.0, my machine comes up automatically at 2.5. I honestly believe that 2.5 is a little large for piecing, do you have issues where your seams start opening up when you are matching blocks together if so you might consider adding more stitches per inch or lowering your stitch length from 2.5. One of the things I think that we all forget about is that sewing machines are set in the factory for dress making/clothing apparel.
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