I've never used the buttonhole or blanket stitch on my sewing machine. I was playing with it last night, and I was wondering how it is stitched on your machines. Mine takes two stitches on the edge of the fabric, then two stitches into the fabric. Just wondering if anyones does one long stitch into the fabric. I think I would like that better.

My buttonhole stitch is completely different from my buttonhole stitch. On some machines the buttonhole stitch can be used like a satin stitch that goes over like your talking about wanting. Where as the blanket stitch creates a nice edge with one line of stitches going down the line you're sewing and then the stitch that cuts over. It's nice to use when doing applique.

I have a Bernina 160. I just love my blanket stitch. In fact, that was one of the deciding factors why I bought that particular model. That and the knee pedal for lifting the presser foot were what I wanted. My buttonhole only puts one stitch into the applique piece. I do have to use the mirror image button so the buttonhole stitch stitches to the left the way I want it.

I love my Viking Rose. The blanket stitch is indispensable in all sorts of appliqué, but little more so than when working with 30's fabrics. My machine takes two stitches along the line I'm sewing, then swings out once to the left, and back to my stitching line. Its default length and width make for a very tiny stitch, so depending on the project, I like to adjust it so it looks more like a hand-done blanket stitch.

Hmmm... time for me to track down a Sunbonnet Sue block for a prime example of how it can look when adjusted....

I have a Viking that I got fairly recently. I think it has the option to do the blanket stitch either way. I used the one with two steps along the edge and two steps in on a project I just did cause I thought it might make it more secure. But then I'm still experimenting with all my stitches. I plan to use the other one on another project for comparison.

Which Viking model did you get? My DF swears blue he's going to get me a Diamond one of these days, and I don't doubt him for one second. It's just a matter of when!

I think mine's a Sapphire. Not sure. It's made for quilters and I'm loving it. No in-hoop fancy embroidery but it has a 10 inch throat that I'm hoping will make my machine quilting easier. Just getting ready to try that on a couple of baby quilts.

pagan-

I have a Rose. Just started to get comfy with the sewing stitches. Haven't even used the embriodery unit. Have you? Is it worth diving in- throwing caution to the wind and actually using it? any tips?

Barb

I use my blanket stitch all the time. If I'm doing something real thin like a vine, I use the reqular setting. If it's a flower for instance, I sometimes will lengthen the stitch.

I use a piece of tear away stabilizer behind where I'm going to do a decorative stitch on the underside of it (under the back of the fabric). It helps the fabric not bunch up.

Yes, i used to sell vikings and most all the computerized have the buttonhole stitch and using the mirror image button can reverse it. I love it for lots of applique and quilting.