Barb2018

You also may want to make sure that your needle is sharp and the smallest size for the thread and fabric.

Ruth 1952

Use the eight sq triangles at a time method!! It is fantastic!! Lots of you tube video on it!!

wesing

My ideas have already been suggested but I wanted to say hello and welcome! It’s always an extra treat to see another man join our ranks. Looking forward to pics of your work.

Iceblossom

Hello and welcome! Some machines seem to have more issues with that than others, a single punch needle plate can help, but some I think it's the way the feed dogs are designed/engaged.

ASome fabrics are just worse for that issue as well continue to have problems with chain piecing. I use the starter/spider method, and sometimes deliberately start in the center of the piece when going down the hole seems like the problem of the day. My problem with intending to use blocks to start chains with means I'd have to protect that block somehow too, so I just use a scrap piece of fabric until it is positively hairy (the spider legs).

I second Barb2018's suggestion of checking your needle. Most people don't change them often enough but I figure they are one of the cheapest and easiest ways I have to improve my quilting and I change every project at least once. If you ever hear a pooka pooka pooka sound as you are stitching it means your needle is beyond dull and should have been replaced awhile ago.

Not quite your issue here, but I'm a big fan of using a quilter's foot that has 1/4" markings left, right, front and back. It allows me to do a bunch of stuff easily. It's hard to explain but a picture is worth a thousand words so have included one. Typically we sew with the bulk of the fabric to the left/outside and our seam allowance is to the right. My main problem with fabric getting sucked down is with little triangles so there isn't all that much fabric to handle and I've found using my quilting foot to be awesome, fast, and exact. You simply flip the pieces so that the points interconnect and it helps the feed dogs keep the puppies moving!

Edit/PS: I'm also in the cut large and trim down camp, another way to avoid those problem starts.

joe'smom

I had this problem until I switched to a straight stitch plate. However, be sure to put some kind of reminder (I use a piece of tape) right near where you switch your stitches, so that you don't switch to a non-straight stitch with that plate on!

Jordan

You might want to try a small piece of fabric to stitch on then feed your HST thru. I always have small scraps of fabric to use for this purpose. Hopefully you can work this problem out. Good luck

juliasb

I usually spider mine but I have also found if I start a few stitches down from the corner and go backwards to the beginning of the piece I can grab the starting thread and go back down from the start and have locked in my stitches at the same time. Most of the time it works for me.

rryder

same here. Welcome to QB

Rob

sewingsuz

I have also found if there is fuzz under the needle plate that will make the happen more. clean and oil machine as needed.

oldmanquilts

Not sure which method you'r using for making HST's, but if you're attempting to get there by sewing two small triangles together, there's better ways. The 2 at a time method would help. Someone mentioned the 8 at a time technique. I use the strip tube technique and it produces perfect HST's every time. No squaring up after the fact either.

Also, there's no need to start your stitching right on the raw edge. As long as you start your stitching somewhere within what will be a seam allowance, you'll be good.

Hope we see more of you other than your first/only post.