Originally Posted by
SteveH
CD, is there a reason why a patcher would not be good for that?
My patcher with flatbed attachment would work nearly as well, and would have been my second choice of machines for this back patch. I have used a patcher for feather-tip embroidered patches on sleeves and over pockets in the past. There are two things that the roller foot does better than the patcher on a back patch. The foot of the patcher can sometimes block vision of the edge satin stitch that needs to be followed, and the feed becomes a challenge for precise needle placement too. Manipulation of the omni-directional feed is critical, and while I’m getting better at it, there are still times when I have to stop, raise the presser bar (hand lever), and re-position to get the needle where it’s needed.
The roller foot and knee lever of the 31-15 gives me better control of needle placement, since it’s much easier to vary the stitch length to fit the path of the stitch line. Uniform stitch length works against you when following a stitch line like this. The patcher will feed the same stitch length every stitch, and many times, that makes the stitch cut across a sharp turn instead of following the turn, both inside and outside turns. By setting the rolling presser foot of the 31-15 to a fairly loose pressure, it’s easier to move the jacket by hand (against the normal feed) to adjust the stitch length to bend around the turn. Think of it as nearly darning instead of sewing. Over-riding the feed when needed is important.
The small roller foot is a Simanco #12264.
CD in Oklahoma