bearisgray

If I was a LAer - which I am not - I think I would look over what was brought to me very carefully before agreeing to anything -

It seems like many LAers can and do work miracles - but why should they have to?

An Arm Long

I find that SID is easier on my Bernina than on my Longarm. It is mostly because the LA goes fast and the ditches are rarely abolutely perfectly straight. Even with a ruler it is hard.

Jingle

I don't like SID, If I quilt straight lines I stitch about 1/4" from the seam. I usually do a large stipple. I only have a 9" throat machine.

GoBragh

When I use my LA to SID I always use a ruler. It takes longer to do for sure when using a ruler. When I first started LA, I would take the extra time to make sure I did my best to stay in the Ditch. I wouldn't charge extra for me taking longer, because I knew if I did well, I would have a return customer. I am better now and can go faster, but to me it's about doing it correct and making sure my customers are happy. If you aren't happy with your LA person, you might want to find someone else.

topstitch

Some of the finished results depends on how straight the seams were sewn. Bit most results for SID depend on the LA'ers skill level and the machine. When I had my Tin Lizzie I was rarely satisfied with the results and thought it was my lack of skill. When I got my Nolting I found that SID was not all that hard and with the use of a ruler, looks great. But straight and even seams are a bigggggg help.

Just Me...

SID is not hard and is not always free-handed. I use a ruler. I would caution you that our SID is only as good as your pressing. If your seams are pressed all crazy, it does make it a little more difficult. I SID around applique, in blocks, along the borders....it is all about the pressing, taking my time and using my fave ruler!

judi wess

When I purchased my Pfaff Quilt Expression machine ten years ago, I added some quilt friendly feet to the price tag. One of the best choices was the quilt in a ditch foot. There is a piece that moves the seam aside and lets the needle stitch in the ditch. Love it.

FroggyinTexas

The artist who does my long arming will not do SID. She says it is too physically demanding to try to hold that huge machine's needle in that tiny ditch. froggyintexas

margecam52

It's not super difficult...I have a TL18LS & do a lot of SID
Several things can affect the straightness of SID...one major one is the seams themselves, how they meet at the corners & if they are pressed in the same direction. If the four corners of blocks are not pressed properly, they can be real thick and that can throw the LA person off... so can seams that are pressed in more than one direction..usually done to make the corners match up. Makes lining up the seams easy, but not SID...which you are supposed to follow the low side of the seam... Paperpieced quilts cause issues also. If a LA quilter does ruler work, and the seams aren't straight to start with, then you will probably see some threads not staying in the ditch.
Marge

Silver Needle

We have computerized our machine with Intelliquilter and even that didn't improve SID until I took the private IQ training with Susanne Moreno. Now I can do quality SID but it is still physically demanding and time consuming. We are charging accordingly. I would not presume to do it on a client quilt without a great deal of practice on my own projects.