Janome machines
 

For those of you who sew with a Janome (mine is 4120) - wondering what needle position setting you use for the 1/4'" seam. I seem to struggle getting it right - if I put my needle position to 4.5 it seems to be a correct quarter inch, but when I press the seems - everthing is a little short. If I go to the 5 setting I'm concerned it is too narrow - but when I do the pressing it strips come out right. When I bought the machine and took the training class the instructor told me the 4.5 was the perfect 1/4" setting. Drives me nuts. Thanks for any advice.

If the seam comes out right at the 5 setting, then that's what you should use. What matters is how the seam comes out.

Was your instructor a quilter? Non-quilters do not understand that sewing a perfect 1/4" seam does not work for quilters; we need a scant 1/4" seam to allow for turn-of-the-cloth. Our patterns are based on size after seaming *and* pressing, not just the theoretical size after seaming.

i couldn't have said it better myself. :thumbup:

I have a 6600 and with my quarter-inch foot, I set my needle to 4.2 and get a really good quarter-inch seam. It depends on the foot, too - I have a second quarter-inch foot that is from another machine and I can't mix the two up or I won't get a good seam.

And then if I switch to my Accu-feed 1/4-inch foot it's a whole 'nother setting that I can't remember off the top of my head!

Whatever works...works. :)

oh my I need to look at my machine! I bought a Janome 6600 this spring and I have never touched a "needle setting" and I was never told of such a thing during my lessons..... something to investigate

I have a 6600 and use the accufeed 1/4" foot with the needle setting at 5.4.

What is the accu feed? Don't think my machine offers that. Re. my settings - I only have the choice of 4.5 or 5 - wish I could have afforded the 6600.

Oh yes indeed ... learn about that needle left/right ability.
Just look it up in your manual and you're away to the races!
It is a great asset, and I use it for more than the 1/4" seam foot.

Just be careful to not put it too far to the left/right that it comes down on top of the foot, or else you can break a needle and might throw off the timing.



Marsh ... just move the setting til you get the precise 1/4" results. You might even find that you set it slightly different with different threads (coarse/fine) as they can take up room in the seams. Not sure about your 4120 model, but some of the Janome machines you can override the auto-preset with your desired setting, so that when your machine comes on, it is at your settings already. If you can, do that .... my old machine, I could not do that, and I don't know how many times I turned on the machine, started stitching and of course, did not have a 1/4" seam! From then on, I made sure any new machine has that ability.

Love this board! The Janome 1/4 inch foot with guide makes a really wide 1/4 on my machine. I have a DC3050 and found out that I can adjust the needle setting by putting it on stitch width. The needle will move then left or right. Thanks! :)

There is no fixed setting on any machine. It varies every time you change fabric and thread.
Different fabrics and threads have different thicknesses. Make a test with three piece
of fabric every time you start a project and it will save you a lot of grief. Here's how.
http://quilting.about.com/od/machine...llowance_2.htm

The 5 is what you need to use .. the important thing is what the measurement is once your press your pieces open. Evertything from the width of the thread used in the machine, to the weight of the fabric used will make a difference on your overall size... so the 1/4" seam isn't the first step. It's what the block measures after it is pressed open ;)

Shayla

You really need to put a ruler under your 1/4 foot & see. I have to move the needle all the way over to 6 to get a scant 1/4 but the packaging with the foot said 5 I think.

My magnolia only moves the needle center or to the left. It took forever to figure out a scant 1/4 seam since I can't move the needle to the right. Green painters tape and a lot of grrr don't touch my stuff orders given.

I have a 6500 and older computer Janome and use 5.5

with the Janome 6600 or any machine make sure that you have the wide throat plate in before moving the needle over as it would damage machine and needle. Hope that I explained this alright