Anne Louise, This Is Not Chain Piecing
 

I like to think that I go swiftly along, but I actually stop at each joining, and with the needle down, lift up the lever and gently place the next two that will be sewn under it. Then I hand advance by a few stitches before letting the machine take over.

Oh well, I am still going faster than if I stopped and cut thread after every one...right?

:) Yes! You're going way faster forward than backward. And you're using much less thread too.

Boston, I do the same thing when I chain piece with exception of using the hand crank to advance. I just go very slowly and keep a hand on the new unit so it goes under the pressure foot carefully. Why is this not considered chain piecing?

I always figured that when people were chain piecing, it was one after the other, kind of like breathing. It doesn't stop. I thought mine would not truly count. But if you say it is, then well, I am happy. I am getting it done. :)

It depends on the shape of the pieces. It you are stitching diamonds, you need a bit more room between pairs to accommodate the location of the seam. If you are sewing blocks, you can pretty much butt them up against each other.

What matters most is that you are happy with the results you are getting.

To me, chain piecing is not breaking the chain (i.e. not cutting the thread between units). Doesn't have anything to do with speed!

That's my definition too.

I agree with this. Its about keeping the chain intact, no about sewing speed

Yup, i’ve never considered speed a factor in chain piecing, only the non-stop action of sewing one long chain of whatever. That's certainly faster than cutting and restarting. I try to butt one up set up close to the next so that my needle has something to bite into. After a long chain is sewn, I use the cutter on the side to separate the threads in rapid succession.

I also never considered speed - it's about having a chain of pieces I can drag over to the ironing board. I normally cut them apart after I've pressed them open. I use my snips and don't need to pick them off the ironing board until after I've cut them apart.

Makes me love my knee lift presser foot. Just use my knee to lift the foot enough to get the next piece under the foot, and away I go. That way I can always keep my hands to easily line things up.

I do chain piecing as much as I can....I don't speed thru it cuz I found it harder to maintain seam allowance at beginning and ends...so basically, I do what you do and it works for me.

I have gotten to the point where I can accurately speed along at a nice speed. It is all about repetition.

I find they are easier to cut apart if I make at least one stitch off the old seam before I add the new one. If I push too hard to get the new one on, sometimes they overlap just a little and that is not fun.

This is exactly how it's done. The pieces don't have to butt up against each other nor do you have to keep the machine running. If I thought I had to do that I would never chain piece. Relax, sounds like you're doing great.

I do chain piecing as often as I can, but have never thought about using the knee lift. Thanks Macybaby for bringing that up. That sure would speed things up....Now where is it????

My machine has the needle down function, so when I stop sewing one piece the needle goes down and the presser foot raises enough to slide the next piece under. And I have one of those Gizmos to do the cutting of the threads after I have my long chain. I never considered it a speed thing, more of saving a little thread. And helps the brain with the "repetition" factor.

I don't like chain piecing. I prefer to make one block at a time. I get better results and can see problem before having a lot of problems. I've noticed at retreats my one a time method is as fast as those that chain piece then assemble. I use the auto thread cutter to save thread and it does save a lot of thread waste.

I have done tests to see if one way was faster, and didn't really find it was significant for me.

So it comes down to what one prefers doing. I like repetition, as I sew to relax and that way I only have to keep an eye/mind on one step at a time. It's probably why I like making quilts so much more than clothing. However sometimes it's also fun to do something totally different.

Yes, Macy I like sewing for relaxation. It puts a smile on my face to think that I am having fun and making something too. I am actually getting a start on next Christmas. The one I am working on is for my husband Jim.

I use the same method that you use. I'm always concerned that something will shift if I don't. Speed is not as important to me as accuracy.

I lift the presser foot for each piece when chain piecing, depending on the piece being sewn. My presser foot pressure can't be adjusted, and a thicker seam doesn't go under the presser foot smoothly. I'll get by without lifting the presser foot if I can.