patricej

shame on you, yvonne! of course she is! it's just that her dog is facing in the wrong direction when she sews. :lol:

seriously, though, marmar ... i don't know whether this would help or not but try changing to a smaller needle size and changing needles more often. and look for a foot with a nice wide bottom that will hold onto the fabric for as long as possible.

2 more questions: (1) do you sew with pins? (2) do you starch your fabrics? everything is so much easier for me if my fabric is well starched. (ok ... less difficult; fewer disasters; wouldn't go so far as to imply that everything is easy for me. soooooooooo not the case. LOL)

lin

Gosh, if you're doing all that to try to keep them straight, then I don't know what to tell you. It sounds like you're doing everything right. I like Patrice's idea of a different, wider presser foot. Something's gotta work!

jumperfamily

Marmar,
You have the right idea using a toothpick, but that puts your fingers really close to the needle. Try a small bamboo skewer instead. They are about $1 for a pkg of 20 at the grocery store.
It helps when I slow down a little towards the end, too.

Steve

Yvonne, I notice this happening even when I don't chain piece. Also I think the idea of stitching onto another piece of fabric would work, but what then? And please don't you dare tell me the seam ripper is my best buddy, we're already on a first name basis. :roll:

Steve

Patrice, I feel so foolish, I never even gave a thought to simply using starch. If you were here, I'd give you a big hug and kiss. Thanks from the bottom of my heart, you're truly a God send! :thumbup:

Gale in SF

I have unpicked more seams that have veered off to the left. My two solutions were to draw a 1/4" seam and sew on the drawn line. The other was to put two 1/4" strips of tape side by side and watch the fabric at the tape instead of the needle. Your eye on the inside of the tape's right edge. Somehow having the second piece of tape in place allowed me to sew a good 1/4". Oh, I have also been known to mark the last 1/2" of the seam line with a marker and ruler when I chain stitch. It's a drag but anything is better than unpicking seams that I have rushed thru.

Suz

Try using "sizing" rather than the spray starch - very similar results. I find the sizing does not leave the white residue that often happens with the starch. Guess you could always starch on the wrong side of the fabric if you get the residue.

Suzanne

marmar

Lots of suggestions and all of them seem to have merit. I'm thinking the idea of the fabric not on the feed dogs completely is a big part of my problem - my needle position doesn't move to the right- if I could do that I think the fabric would be on the feed dogs and under the foot well so that when the needle was moved right I would still get the 1.4 in seam. My struggles over the weekend to do good seams left me with wrinkles between my eyes, face tomato soup red and urge to pick up machine and throw! Am game to try try again - like I told a friend the other day, these mistakes are too much fun to do only once! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :?:

Yvonne

Marmar, I love your attitude! "these mistakes are too much fun to do only once!" You are absolutely right on!

One more suggestion that I haven't seen unless I've overlooked it which could ceratinly be, is to slow way down at the end of the seam. Hey, it couldn't hurt. I'm usually in a hurry and want it done, like, yesterday! I think I'm my own worst stitching troll! I'm sure there must be a troll living under my machine that's playing havock with my seams. Couldn't be me!

marmar

I agree on those trolls under the machine - how could we be doing this all by ourselves? No way - we've gotta have help from somewhere! :wink: