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Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinda (Post 6754063)

Try using a straight stitch throat plate for your machine.

I can't do that because I have to move my needle to get a scant 1/4 seam, and I can't use the straight stitch plate then. I do have one but rarely use it

Maybe a straight stitch throat plate would help. Don't forget to switch it back when you're done!

I started to get the "chewed up" pieces too, then I found out the feed dogs needed cleaning. Oops!

I bought straight stitching plates for my machines to eleminate this problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RipStitcher (Post 6754209)

Bonnie was just on a recent episode of The Quilt Show (online) talking about this.

I call mine "jumpers"... because mine are just a little 1" scrap (call me a tightwad on thread! lol) ... and the scrap turns from being an "ender" into a "starter" for the next piece of my project. I have a little stash of these next to my machine in a tiny, cute coiled bowls made from clothesline.

I use jumpers as much as possible - it totally prevents the micro-thread nests that start from the short threads that are left from the previous "cut" if I use the thread cutter on my machine for the previous piece.

Sure cuts down on thread messes, dangly threads, etc... and saves loads of thread compared to using the cutters on the sides of machines.

That said, I don't have the brain cells to have another gazillion squares cut out and organized to use as the jumpers between the pieces of the work that I'm focusing on.

Also, I think that is why she loves to collect scraps. I have been using her method with my scraps and have had less problems with rat tails or corners eaten. Her books have some great patterns as well as the free ones on her blog. Now I just need to have enough made to make something. It's getting there. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by feffertim (Post 6754249)

I can't do that because I have to move my needle to get a scant 1/4 seam, and I can't use the straight stitch plate then. I do have one but rarely use it

Well, you could your ss plate and still get the scant seam....mark with painters tape or mole skin on bed of machine so you can center your needle....just a thought

I guess I am one of the lucky ones in that I just "eyeball it" and watch where that is on my presser foot and sew, sew, sew. And leaders/enders really threw me for a loop; I never did get the hang of it. But I just piece with my SS machines only. One of my quilting classes had a special session on it; and that day was wasted on me. And just for a clarification here, I failed knitting two years in a row at camp. Most wasted $40 of my life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaperPrincess (Post 6753501)

yep, you use 2, a leader and an ender. The ender stays in the machine. You can sew all the way thru the ender & just leave the thread attached, or you can sew half way thru then finish when you start your next group of chain pieced blocks.

I only use one. There should always be one under the needle when I start anything. Then when I have the first seam started, I snip off the starter, lay it aside, and continue chain stitching. When I'm finished with that section of chain stitching, sometimes I can find the next group to chain stitch. If not, the starter now becomes an ender, and stays under the needle until the next group of chain stitching.

Quote:

Originally Posted by feffertim (Post 6753008)

I read a tip here about sewing two small squares together when using a starter piece instead of using a scrap piece, and eventually you have a whole lot of 2 1/2" squares already sewn together. I spent some time cutting some of my stash into 2 1/2 inches and started using them as starter pieces, but I discovered that I needed a starter to use the starters. Hope that makes sense. LOL

One word - Juki - I have a 2010 Juki and it does not need a starter/ender. Bonnie Hunter does use l/e and she does several l/e projects. One was a bow tie block, this year it was a split nine patch - which I made my main project I like it so much. But I do a lot of chain piecing, but I don't need to leave a l/e in. My other Juki a F-600 is the same.

I put a straight stitch plate on my machine and it really helps! Just have to remember to change it when I change to a different stitch, or bye bye needle!