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Just get in the zone and look at the overall area, the closer you stare at the needle the easier it is to OVERSTEER, just like driving. Focus on a spot in front of the needle where you feed the fabric in and let the fabric SLIDE under your fingers, and the presser foot do the work of pulling in the fabric. Try to not let the fabric pull your hands towards the back of the machine, you will then be in control and able to guide the fabric straight with very minute adjustments. Been sewing over 60 years and it just gets to be second nature.
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Originally Posted by ktbb
staring at the needle or even at a foot close to the needle tends to result in crooked lines.....try marking the base of the machine a couple of inches ahead of your needle and use that as your guide for the edge of your fabric and see if it helps...If us use that as your primary check, you can spot check periodically to see that the edge of the fabric hear the needle is where you want it to be.
Think of driving down the road and focusing on a spot just ahead of your hood...you end up (usually) over compensating and the car moves back and forth a lot, even tho it may be small moves. If you focus on the road several yards ahead of the car, your turns are less jerky, the ride is smoother, and the path of the car is a straighter line. |
Originally Posted by wishiwerequilting
I would like to add just a few suggestions to the advice given so far (all excellent suggestions!)
1. Before you cut, spray starch your fabrics. I like MaryEllen's Best Press, but you may use any spray starch you like, even if you make your own solution. Just use it. Try to make your fabrics feel like the weight of construction paper, and then cut them. That's how stiff they should be. I know it sounds like a lot, but I learned that suggestion from Debra Wagner, who is an award winning quilter, and she is right. So much easier to cut the fabrics, and to stack them together and piece. 2. If you feel like you need to draw a seam line (probably not necessary, but if you need "training wheels" until you get the feel of things, ok), place your fabric on a sandpaper covered mat, cardboard, whatever, and then draw lightly with a fine mechanical pencil so as not to stretch the fabrics out of shape. 3. I have used this technique when teaching kids to sew, and some adults can benefit from it as well.... when you are getting ready to place your fabric pieces Right Sides Together (RST), put a tiny drop of elmers school glue (or applique glue...whatever you have) in the seam allowance. When i say tiny, i mean tiny...like the size of a quilt pin head, or bead. Do it in a few places along the seam allowance of the right side of one of the fabrics. Then put your next piece of fabric on top to make your little fabric sandwich that needs to be sewn RST. Heat set the glue by pressing the fabrics with your iron. This eliminates the need for any pins. You can assembly line sew these pieces - just stand at your ironing mat for a bit and glue and heat set a whole bunch, then feed them into the machine and cut threads after they come out the other side of your needle - typical "chain piecing". You should have accurate 1/4" seams, and the pieces should be exactly one on top of the other with edges aligned. 4. Lastly, it's my opinion...(i'm not a machine tech, so i could be wrong, but i swear this is the case) that some machines "kick" the fabrics out of alignment. It's as if the feed dogs are mis-aligned. I can sew on some of my students machines and i can't sew straight either, then sit down at my machine and i am fine. sometimes it is not the sewer but the machine. if all else fails, get yours checked out, and/or try sewing on some other machines to see if there is a difference. Hope this helps. Love all the suggestions here!! |
Painter's tape set right up tight to the presser foot and slowing my speed helped me to keep on the straight and narrow. Hope it helps you too.
Andie |
I put a strip of double sided scotch mounting tape - t's about 1/2 wide and probably 1/8 inch or bit more high. I think it's the height that helps me keep that fabric in a straight line.
t's a great guide for the fabric BEFORE it hits the presser foot, and you can cut it however length you want it, and it removes with no residue on your machine. And it's cheap. Karen |
Hello winia, my friend of many years -- I knew for sure it was you when I saw the Sewline reference.
You've gotten some good tips here which we'll be using too. ("wishiwerequilting" is right; sometimes the machine will slightly move the fabric as you start sewing) I know I don't sit straight at my machine but I will from now on. And don't be too hard on yourself!!! See you soon!!! |
I use that thick magnetic tape beside my presser foot
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my dear grandmother was a seamstress, and my first lesson from her was on dish towels.... right? we always sewed our own ... now the gals love to get hold of a feedsack towel.....but anyway, never watch your neeedle. set you sights on the proper width for your scant 1/4 inch seam, and dont' drive fast like you hate the job....LOL
Jacie |
At our quilt guild, they taught us to use the blue painters masking tape as it stands out better. Also to use several layers on top of each other so the material cannot go past the 1/4" measurement. It has really helped me.
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I use to work at a garment factory and to keep the seams straight we used a guide next to the pressure foot or 1/4' away for seam, this was usally a piece of cardboard or tape, some machines even have a metal guide that you can screw in to use.
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I don't know if this makes sense, but my husband is right handed (forced by his father) and is left eye dominant. This made great problems when he hunted and lined up his cross hairs. Aiming a little to the right corrected his problem. Just a suggestion.
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Most machine have a 1/4" foot with a flange on the side to run your fabric up to. You still have to be careful because you can push to fabric up and by the time it get to the needle it is larger than your 1/4". Slowing down help especially in the beginning. On my machine, I am able to move the needle over to make any size seam I need.
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My MIL was complaining about not being able to sew a straight seam anymore just yesterday...she sews like a bat out of hell, so she probably just needs to slow it down! :lol:
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I sew slower and put the foot on edge of fabric, for 1/4 " seam. The needle is ok now since I put a yellow post note in back of needle to thread. Works great.
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Originally Posted by Dee
I sew slower and put the foot on edge of fabric, for 1/4 " seam. The needle is ok now since I put a yellow post note in back of needle to thread. Works great.
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The two things that I do to help with seams, use the dual feed feature[even feed foot will work] and watch the edge or marked line. If I worry about what the needle is doing I wander all over the place.
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There are 1/4 inch feet that have a guide blade that works wonderfully. I think most manufacturers make them. I wouldn't be without it now. Sure makes sewing a straight line easier.
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Originally Posted by mhansen6
There are 1/4 inch feet that have a guide blade that works wonderfully. I think most manufacturers make them. I wouldn't be without it now. Sure makes sewing a straight line easier.
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keep your head straight and in the same position when
sewing a straight line. Don't look at the needle, use the side of the foot to guide you. |
Originally Posted by winia
Why is it when I have everything lined up, a foot that has markings on it that I follow rather than the needle I still can't sew in a straight line? What is wrong with me? It's extremely annoying.
1. Did you check to see if there is enough pressure on your fabric. There is an adjustment you can make by tightening a screw at the top (well, that's where mine is -- check your manual) that will cause the presser foot of lean harder on your fabric. 2. If you don't have a quarter-inch foot, do this. Take a pad of small post-its and split the pad so that you have about 1/3 or 1/2 of the pad. Adhere that to the plate of your machine at the place where the edge of you fabric will touch -- 1/4 inch away from the needle for a quarter inch seam, 1/2 inch away from the needle for a half inch seam, etc. 3. When you sew -- DO NOT watch the needle go up and down. Keep your eye on the edge of the fabric to be sure that it is against the foot (in the case of a quarter-inch foot) or against the post-it pad. 4. Slow down. Going too slow is almost as bad, but there's no rush. Sew at a medium speed so you can have control of the fabric. 5. Dont worry about crooked seams. As long as they are in the "general area" most of the time, once pressed -- it'll be OK. No q. police here. |
I am so sorry you are having problems. I have a Pfaff Creative 4.0 and with the 1/4 foot it sews beautifully. I know having a machine that doesn't cooperate is frustrating.
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gaigai
Check to see if there are dust bunnies amongst your feed dogs. sometimes the least little bit of lint can cause that problem. I would also check the bobbin case for lint because it makes a big difference. Some fabrics such as flannel, and certain threads can create problems for the feed dogs and for the bobbin area. That could make the feed dogs act up. I have brothers and other brand machines that I use, and some are touchier than others. good Luck Suzy |
Originally Posted by Suzy
gaigai
Check to see if there are dust bunnies amongst your feed dogs. sometimes the least little bit of lint can cause that problem. I would also check the bobbin case for lint because it makes a big difference. Some fabrics such as flannel, and certain threads can create problems for the feed dogs and for the bobbin area. That could make the feed dogs act up. I have brothers and other brand machines that I use, and some are touchier than others.Suzy Thanks, Suzy, I'll do that, but since the machine is BRAND new, and has been doing it from the beginning, I'm not hopeful. I now know just how spoiled I've been by Janome and Elna. |
Originally Posted by gaigai
Originally Posted by Suzy
gaigai
Check to see if there are dust bunnies amongst your feed dogs. sometimes the least little bit of lint can cause that problem. I would also check the bobbin case for lint because it makes a big difference. Some fabrics such as flannel, and certain threads can create problems for the feed dogs and for the bobbin area. That could make the feed dogs act up. I have brothers and other brand machines that I use, and some are touchier than others.Suzy Thanks, Suzy, I'll do that, but since the machine is BRAND new, and has been doing it from the beginning, I'm not hopeful. I now know just how spoiled I've been by Janome and Elna. |
i don't know why you think there's anything wrong with you.
yours is a stubbornly free spirit, light years ahead of its time. straight-shmaight. it's all art, baybeeeee. ;-) |
Originally Posted by gaigai
Originally Posted by mhansen6
There are 1/4 inch feet that have a guide blade that works wonderfully. I think most manufacturers make them. I wouldn't be without it now. Sure makes sewing a straight line easier.
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Originally Posted by patdesign
Yes you really do have to look out for some of those quilting feet with the flanges which are thin, they flare at the bottom and then lo and behold it is not 1/4 inch as planned. I use a vintage gauge presser foot, hard to find but sometimes on ebay, the flange can be set exactly where you want it and is rigid enough to do the job. I paid about $40.00 for mine, but it is worth it. I would contact Brother customer service about the weird crooked line, it shouldn't happen and they may have a fix for it.
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Originally Posted by ktbb
staring at the needle or even at a foot close to the needle tends to result in crooked lines.....try marking the base of the machine a couple of inches ahead of your needle and use that as your guide for the edge of your fabric and see if it helps...If us use that as your primary check, you can spot check periodically to see that the edge of the fabric hear the needle is where you want it to be.
Think of driving down the road and focusing on a spot just ahead of your hood...you end up (usually) over compensating and the car moves back and forth a lot, even tho it may be small moves. If you focus on the road several yards ahead of the car, your turns are less jerky, the ride is smoother, and the path of the car is a straighter line. |
Originally Posted by gaigai
Originally Posted by patdesign
Yes you really do have to look out for some of those quilting feet with the flanges which are thin, they flare at the bottom and then lo and behold it is not 1/4 inch as planned. I use a vintage gauge presser foot, hard to find but sometimes on ebay, the flange can be set exactly where you want it and is rigid enough to do the job. I paid about $40.00 for mine, but it is worth it. I would contact Brother customer service about the weird crooked line, it shouldn't happen and they may have a fix for it.
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I have a brother innovis 1250 which is a combo sewing and embroidery machine, it works great and I have been back to the dealer a couple of times with questions, and the back up on Brother on line is also VERY helpful. I use an old Singer 201 for piecing and quilting which is what I use my Gauge presser foot on, but my brother feet and the Singer ones are mostly interchangeable except that my Singer 201 is not a zig zag. I grew up sewing on a 201 and in my book, there is no more powerful machine until you go to industrial.
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Do NOT look at the needle! It only goes up and down.
I make a mark well in front of the needle to use as a guide for the edge of the fabric. Keep your eyes on that mark. This also works when making half square triangles... Good luck. By the way, I'm teaching my 9 yr. old neighbor how to sew and this tip helped her immensely! |
Just read some of the other posts, and someone used almost the same words...."guide for the edge of the fabric". She looks like me too....lol!
Didn't mean to plagiarize...just coincidence. |
thanks everyone for all of the tips
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I had this problem and was very frustrated with myself. THEN I bought a Brother sewing machine at Wal Mart for a travel machine and I was able to sew a straight line right away. I realized the feed dogs on my old machine were causing the problem by skewing the fabric to the left. The cost to repair was more than my machine was worth. I now have a new machine and all my seams are straight.
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when we were working on a group quilt at our Guild, one of our more "senior" members (one who has won numerous awards by the way!!!) Worked with me to perfect my 1/4" --- turns out, a big part of the problem is a wobbly machine foot!!! I love that particular machine, but the bottom of the foot has too much "play" in it... changed to a "Litte Foot" and my problem was solved! I still use the painters tape trick, but my 1/4" is so much more accurate (Not perfect yet, but at least straight lol)
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I paper pieced dark fabric flying geese yesterday. Followed those straight lines on the paper as if laser beamed. Then Iwhen I removed the paper to attach to border on the dark fabric. eek! My poor eyes just wouldn't do the trick and I waved all over the place. Need more light and painter's tape, and a post-it note and anything else anyone knows about. Don't think it is just you!
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Reading glasses at2.5 helped me.
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thank you, thank you, thank you. i didnt even go any further. that is me exactly. i even draw in pencil the lines and still can't get it straight.
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Originally Posted by wishiwerequilting
(Post 1751800)
I would like to add just a few suggestions to the advice given so far (all excellent suggestions!)
1. Before you cut, spray starch your fabrics. I like MaryEllen's Best Press, but you may use any spray starch you like, even if you make your own solution. Just use it. Try to make your fabrics feel like the weight of construction paper, and then cut them. That's how stiff they should be. I know it sounds like a lot, but I learned that suggestion from Debra Wagner, who is an award winning quilter, and she is right. So much easier to cut the fabrics, and to stack them together and piece. 2. If you feel like you need to draw a seam line (probably not necessary, but if you need "training wheels" until you get the feel of things, ok), place your fabric on a sandpaper covered mat, cardboard, whatever, and then draw lightly with a fine mechanical pencil so as not to stretch the fabrics out of shape. 3. I have used this technique when teaching kids to sew, and some adults can benefit from it as well.... when you are getting ready to place your fabric pieces Right Sides Together (RST), put a tiny drop of elmers school glue (or applique glue...whatever you have) in the seam allowance. When i say tiny, i mean tiny...like the size of a quilt pin head, or bead. Do it in a few places along the seam allowance of the right side of one of the fabrics. Then put your next piece of fabric on top to make your little fabric sandwich that needs to be sewn RST. Heat set the glue by pressing the fabrics with your iron. This eliminates the need for any pins. You can assembly line sew these pieces - just stand at your ironing mat for a bit and glue and heat set a whole bunch, then feed them into the machine and cut threads after they come out the other side of your needle - typical "chain piecing". You should have accurate 1/4" seams, and the pieces should be exactly one on top of the other with edges aligned. 4. Lastly, it's my opinion...(i'm not a machine tech, so i could be wrong, but i swear this is the case) that some machines "kick" the fabrics out of alignment. It's as if the feed dogs are mis-aligned. I can sew on some of my students machines and i can't sew straight either, then sit down at my machine and i am fine. sometimes it is not the sewer but the machine. if all else fails, get yours checked out, and/or try sewing on some other machines to see if there is a difference. Hope this helps. Love all the suggestions here!! |
why don't you bring it back to where you bought it. or to a certified brother dealer. they should be able to look at it and tell you what's wrong with it.
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