My Brother and Singer.

I love my Janome Quilters Companion for piecing and my Innova 18" for quilting. I'm clueless on how anyone can quilt on a DMS...anyone who does is amazing! Makes my shoulders hurt just thinking about it!

I haven't had too much trouble getting a accurate quarter-inch seam...do you have the patchwork foot with the guide (foot #57) and the straight-stitch needle plate? They make a world of difference!

Just wait until hubby needs some jeans or a shirt patched or a ripped seam sewn and then your machine will be a must have! Hope he changes his mind soon. Maybe you can go to Craigslist and find something that will work for you.

I love piecing with my featherweights and a Bernina for embroidery or fancy stitches.

With a 9mm throat plate what you want to do is purchase a single-hole throat plate (aka straight stitch throat plate), and switch them out for piecing. This is really important both for accuracy in seam allowances and to prevent fabric (especially points and corners) from getting caught down in the feed dogs. I also recommend either the #37 or #57 foot. They are the same but the 57 has a blade edge which allows you to butt the fabric to it and get a perfect 1/4" seam. The other thing I'd recommend is moving the needle 1 tick to the right or left to get an accurate seam. I find using a thinner thread like Superior's Bottom Line quite helpful, too, as it lessens bulk in the seam.

I recently took a 2-day class with Harriet Hargrave, the queen mother of accurate piecing. She gave some interesting advice: The goal is not necessarily to have perfect 1/4" seam allowances; after all, no one will ever see them but you! What IS important is getting your BLOCK to the correct size. In other words, you could have perfect 1/4" seams, but use a too-heavy thread, resulting in slightly too-small blocks. So aim for the perfect block, not necessrily the perfect seam allowance. This changed my way of thinking about accuracy in piecing. Harriet also stresses that you MUST starch, press and square-up after every seam, not just at the end of each block. This helps greatly, too.

Thank you, thank you.

I own a Viking Designer I, however, for embroidery I have a problem with nesting from my bobbin. I keep reseating the bobbin, but while I am in the middle of a project, it keeps happening. I can even hear the sound that lets me know that my thread is going to nest. Have cleaned the bobbin area. Any other suggestions?

There is a little thin disc spring that you can put in the bobbin case before putting the bobbin in the case that prevents that on my Inova. I don't know if they are made for other machines.

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!!! I posted this in a new topic but thought I should post here also. My husband finally gave me the rest of the money I needed for a new machine. I am getting the Janome Magnolia 7330 today. I am so excited! Thanks to all of you for your support. I loved reading all your suggestions!!! I was really depressed not being able to sew!