Originally Posted by
Barb2018
I was taught that when sewing, if one of the fabrics is just slightly longer, put it on the bottom and the feed dogs will ease it in. I've seen this work, so OK. But...if this is true, how can we sew together two fabrics that are exactly the same size and the top one doesm'e end up longer at the end of the seam? Either the feed dogs pull in more fabric or they don't. Thanks for any input...this is really bothering me.
It's not a wacky question!
The feed dogs feed the bottom layer of fabric faster when they are allowed to pull the fabric through. If you apply some kind of pressure to that bottom layer, the feed dogs are prevented from pulling the fabric as much as they would without pressure. This is why, when sewing two pieces of fabric together, I place a finger on the fabric as I am sewing (or hold the two ends together in my hand). It keeps the two layers matched as they are pulled under the presser foot. That little bit of pressure controls how much the feed dogs can move that bottom layer.
If I want the feed dogs to ease in that bottom layer, then I feed the two fabrics without any pressure. If there is excess fabric in the bottom fabric that I want to ease in, then the bottom layer is a little longer than the top layer. In that case, by holding the ends together I am holding back the top fabric slightly while the feed dogs work their little hearts out feeding that bottom fabric faster.
Don't think I am doing a great job explaining this. If you start with 2 equal lengths of fabric and hold the ends together while sewing, you are holding back that bottom layer so it doesn't feed faster than the top layer. If you start with the bottom layer slightly longer and want it to ease it, holding the 2 ends together holds back the top layer while the bottom layer is looser, allowing the feed dogs to gather that fabric lightly as you sew.