my 1/4 foot hates me ! Help please!
07-09-2011, 07:39 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Spokane, Wa
Posts: 1,196
I think its like riding a bike, if you go to slow then you cant go in a straight line. the 1/4 inch foot helps you get the right seam allowance and the edge is supposed to help make it consistent, but a little practice first will go a long way toward building your confidence and gaining speed! You can do it!
07-09-2011, 08:04 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 662
Originally Posted by SharBear
I was having the same problem - so what I did was to take a piece of paper and with no thread in the machine try sewing in under the guide - seam was too wide; then i went right up against the guide - it was still a smidge too wide. FINALLY I went to the spot where I could just see a sliver of daylight between the quide and the fabric - VIOLA!
The other thing that is really important (and I have to credit either the Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting or Harriet Hargraves - Freshman Year Quilt book) - watch the FABRIC. The feed dogs and the needle / thread will do their job - your job is to WATCH THAT FABRIC and make sure it goes where it is supposed to!
good luck!
The other thing that is really important (and I have to credit either the Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting or Harriet Hargraves - Freshman Year Quilt book) - watch the FABRIC. The feed dogs and the needle / thread will do their job - your job is to WATCH THAT FABRIC and make sure it goes where it is supposed to!
good luck!
07-09-2011, 08:14 AM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 2,189
Originally Posted by SharBear
The other thing that is really important (and I have to credit either the Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Quilting or Harriet Hargraves - Freshman Year Quilt book) - watch the FABRIC. The feed dogs and the needle / thread will do their job - your job is to WATCH THAT FABRIC and make sure it goes where it is supposed to!
good luck!
07-09-2011, 09:30 AM
#15
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I can't sew accurately with a 1/4 foot. It requires constant detailled attention to the foot's edge. What I do instead is cut strips of the thickest moleskin I can find (sold in foot section of pharmacy), cut it into strips, and place it on the bed of my machine to create a physical barrier for the fabric to butt up against.
Here's how I position the moleskin accurately. I get out my favorite ruler and lower the needle so it is just to the right of the 1/4" line on my ruler. Lower the presser foot to keep the ruler in place, then check to make sure ruler is straight from front to back. Unpeel the adhesive from the back of the moleskin and adhere the moleskin to the bed of the machine, using the ruler edge to keep it straight.
It's a good idea to sew some test strips to make sure the seam is accurate. (I sew three 2.5" strips together, press, and then measure to make sure I am getting an exact 6.5" of width.)
With this physical barrier, I am able to sew strips together very fast with excellent accuracy. There's no way I could get the same results by using a 1/4" foot!
Here's how I position the moleskin accurately. I get out my favorite ruler and lower the needle so it is just to the right of the 1/4" line on my ruler. Lower the presser foot to keep the ruler in place, then check to make sure ruler is straight from front to back. Unpeel the adhesive from the back of the moleskin and adhere the moleskin to the bed of the machine, using the ruler edge to keep it straight.
It's a good idea to sew some test strips to make sure the seam is accurate. (I sew three 2.5" strips together, press, and then measure to make sure I am getting an exact 6.5" of width.)
With this physical barrier, I am able to sew strips together very fast with excellent accuracy. There's no way I could get the same results by using a 1/4" foot!
07-09-2011, 06:41 PM
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,943
Originally Posted by seahorsesanna
Ok so I am such a newbie that I cant even sew a straight line but love to sew :lol: So I bought a 1/4 foot thinking that would help but I still cant get a straight line so I must be using it incorrectly. Does the fabric go under the edge guide or just up to the edge and how do I make the fabric not curve up against the edge? I know my mom keeps telling me to just practice and I have so much that I am just beginning to think I am the crooked one! :-P
Thanks for helping
Thanks for helping
ali
07-10-2011, 01:28 PM
#19
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I will add that there is an additional advantage to using a physical barrier such as the moleskin. If you are really careless or suffer an extreme lapse of attention, chances are the seam will simply be too small and all you have to do is re-sew that area (assuming you are pressing seams to the side, which is what I am mostly doing). If the seam is too big, you have to rip the previous stitching out; however, it's hard to make the seam too big when the moleskin is there as a stop.
07-10-2011, 01:48 PM
#20
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
I teach my beginners this...unthread your machine..
now draw lines on a piece of paper..sometimes notebook paper lines are a 1/4" apart, and then butt your paper against that foot and sew....just sew on the paper with NO thread so you can see the holes and see what you are doing...
now draw lines on a piece of paper..sometimes notebook paper lines are a 1/4" apart, and then butt your paper against that foot and sew....just sew on the paper with NO thread so you can see the holes and see what you are doing...
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