:thumbup:

I like the zig zag or wavy stitch over the seam. I think it is more forgiving.

I think that last part might be called stagger in the ditch. LOL your comment made me laugh.

SITH isn't hard, you just need to take it slowly!

I have a SID foot for my machine and that really helps me stay in the ditch.

This is what I do! It's a lot easier to control, and if there were some oops moments in your piecing, you have them covered. Sometimes I get really fancy and pick one of the decorative stitches that are built into my machine. However, this can take up a lot of time and thread if you pick a dense stitch.

OR you could do
MAD = Meander Around the Ditch like MadQuilter (with or without the wine!!) :lol: :lol: :lol:
That's what I do!

Wooops!!!! CAS beat me to it!!!

Lots of idea's here bookmarking to read again

I have found SID to be quite easy and evenly stitched when I use the #10 foot on my new Bernina machine. You can get the stitches sooooo close with the metal guide in the middle of the foot. Was quite a revelation to me!

I think SITD is the easiest way to quilt. You just follow the line that's already there.

I thought meandering was part of the technique!

:lol:
I just bought a SID foot for my machine. It's helped to eliminate a lot of the meandering technique I perfected :lol:

I use fancy stitches because I can't sew straight either, the decorations looks just neat, and the walking foot works just fine.

I usually SITD. I use a walking foot and just guide the quilt through the needle. It misses sometime, but that's okay. The secret is starting in the middle and going both directions. You have to get the back taut no matter what you do. Otherwise you have puckers. Thre are lots of ways to quilt your quilt. You should try several methods and decide what you like to do best. Be sure to get the walking foot for your machine. It is a gift to be able to get the quilt to feed evenly.

I don't need the wine to miss the ditch! LOL!
I think stitching in the ditch is difficult and slow because it takes so much care to do it right, I prefer to echo stitch. starting with at least 1/4" away from the seam.

U r so funny, I laughed on this......u made my day for sure and thanks for the info. I have been wanting to buy a pressure foot for this to put on my Singer, but have not yet. Do u really need to buy one or can u just stitch like u say??????

Just read an echo stitch is good 1/4" from the seam, never heard of that before....interesting, thanks for the info

U all are so funny.....I am laughing again, just loved your statement here..... :lol:

My machine has a serpentine stitch that I especially like to use instead of quilting in the ditch. It goes from one side to the other and looks very nice even if it is off a hair or so.

I have done the sitd , I sew for my own pleasure,sometimes it is pretty straight and sometimes not .You can't learn if you don't try, I am making a PIG, for our next quilt show, What is a PIG? It is a project in a GROCERY SACK. actually it is something some one started and never finished for what ever reason, You agree to finish it and then it is sold at our quilt show, I am doing my first shadow quilting it is si fun, The project looked so dull but with the quilting around it it is quite nice, so we need to venture out of our safe area and do it any way :roll:

I didn't realize how late it is, but I'll respond to this without reading all of the posts. When I did my first D9P, I didn't know how I would SID. The only other thing I can do on the domestic machine is cross-hatch. So someone advised me to take a long straight object (I used a narrow slat of wood bought at Lowe's.), place it corner to corner diagonally and mark it. I did that and then stitched along the marking. Then I proceeded to do the same for the other direction....place the slat of wood corner to corner and mark, then stitch along the marking. Next I started with one of the diagonally lines and used my 5" x 24" ruler and marked with that all the way parallel with the stitched diagonal line. I continued to do the same going all the way across. Then I did the same with the other diagonal line. This probably sounds so lame, but it came out very nice. I suppose you could use any width of ruler, depending on how far apart you want your stitching to be.

I'm still stalled on SID for my donation quilts (others I quilt by cheque book). I found SID much easier since I started using a walking foot -- my cheap little Brother Star just chugs along with the walking foot feeding perfectly, even if the ditch wanders. I also use quilting gloves now and find it takes a lot of strain off my hands while I am trying to hold the seams open to stitch in, so I would recommend you try the gloves. Mine are not fancy ones -- I bought them from a $2 shop somewhere sometime and would love to remember where it was!

Its hard to stay in the ditch but its ok if you cant make a straight line .It makes it an original.No one but you will notice!!

An old quilter gave me a hint about quilting lines on a quilt even if it is cross hatching or straight, can be used on the machine or by hand , Buy a roll of painters tape, it is blue and comes in two dfferent widths, I crosshatched a small quilt , you can do a row and then take the tape off and move it over another row, it stays soft on the quilt , does not leave marks and can be used over and over, it works real good. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

There is a stitch in the dutch foot fot most machines. It has a piece in the center of the foot thst follows the seam. The problem with that is I use a walking foor when quilting.
Vicky

After reading most of the responses from other quilters, I am relieved. Stich in the Ditch is not an exact science. I fretted over this when I first started quilting and no matter that dh said, "It is a quilt! Don't be hard on yourself!" But he is right and so is everyone who replied to be good to yourself.
:lol:

When I had a little too much wine, I have meandered around the ditch (not sure they make an acronym for that - lol)[/quote]

Drunkard's Path???

I just finished a baby quilt made of pinwheels. I had read a tip on here to use a very small zigzag for SITD. That's what I did, but I've decided I'm simply not able to do this and have it look the way I want. The next time, I'll stitch next to the seam.

Thanks again everyone for all the help and for the laughs!!

OMG Another quilter with too much wine! LOL I love it!

When hand quilting, on the low side next to the seam otherwise you will wear yourself out! The less layers you quilt through the neater your work will be.

So do I.

On my first quilt; knowing that it was going on my own bed, I started out SITD around the seam, later as I improved and my confidence rose, I switched to SITD on the seam. It is harder, but more challenging. Give it a try. Don't let it scare you off.

Here's my trick to SID...I use my zipper foot. Enables me to stitch on the low side, with my needle in the ditch & right along the high side, and have a clear view of what I am doing. Picture it this way: Adjust the zipper foot so that from left to right you will have: the high side, the needle in the ditch on the low side, and the preser foot on the fabric.

I haven't read all the posts, but had to come back to the 'puter and tell you the trick to SITD. I don't do anyting but machine stitching so this is what I started out doing. I couldn't keep in in the ditch. It was a tight meander and I hated it. Then I picked up some "invisible" thread at Hancocks. That works! Put it on the top side with regular thread on the bobbin/bottom. Buy good quality thread and you may have to adjust your tension a little. You don't want it to stretch going to the needle or kink up below the spool. This can happen. Play with it. Make a quilt for the cat/dog. You can not see the incorrect stitches especially after your quilt is washed. You'll get the hang of it. And after several quilts you'll be so good you can stitch IN the ditch with real thread.

You can also purchase a stitch in the ditch foot. They are about $30. I find it is a little easier to stay in the ditch.

[quote
When I had a little too much wine, I have meandered around the ditch (not sure they make an acronym for that - lol)[/quote]

It's called a stitch around the ditch!!! :)[/quote]

Oh, like the wine-line? or, maybe
the whine-line, if it bothers you the next day? tee hee
:lol:

Aha, so you achieve the same wine-line without the wine! :-D

MarthaT: is that "Buggy Wheels" in your avatar? Nice work!