Walking foot Line markers
 

I have read where quilters on the board use the blue painter tape to sew a straight lines when quilting. My question is, I am wondering if any of you use the adapter you can insert into your walking foot to make lines? I have use this many times. There is one for each side of the foot. I also wonder how you decide how wide the stitch line should be apart so they come out even from one end to the other. Thanks for helping me with this. I don't know what the correct name of these attachments are for the walking foot so I am taking a picture.[ATTACH=CONFIG]505295[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]505296[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]505297[/ATTACH]

I have always called it a stitch guide, but I'm sure there's a real name. As far as calculating the size, I just start by sewing a big "X" and make sure that I center it and either hit the corners or have an even distance from each corner. then I just pick a measurement and just start measuring from the original stitching. I try and sew on both sides of the original stitch line from upper left to lower right, then do 2 in the other direction, and keep alternating. I have the best luck alternating direction and starting from the center & working out.

I have used the guide to make parallel lines when using the walking foot. Sometimes I use tape to lay down the first line and then use the guide for the rest.

I use this guide all the time , love it , like all things on sewing machine if you get it out and use it, it gets easier to use. Cathy

When I tried using it, I discovered that it doesn't have a locking device to keep it from moving. If you are not careful, you can be off a bit and the next line you will be off a bit more. When marking with painter's tape, I always refer back to my original center line to make sure my lines are consistently straight. HOPE that makes sense. You can also use what is called a HERA marker by Clover. It just makes a crease in your quilt top. JAF has them in the quilting section and Eleanor Burns has used it on her show. But again, you need to make that center line and always refer back to it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Clover-Hera-...item19f3d75be2

I love my walking foot and I love the guides that come with it. I use the foot with and without the guides. The last quilt I quilted with my walking foot I quilted diagonal lines and just aimed my machine for the next corner. It's not perfect but it turned out pretty good.

Thanks for all your advice. I will start in the middle next time and try the tape to see if it may be more exact. I noticed that the seam guide can move a little. I never heard anyone talk about this and I thought it was time to bring it up for myself.

My walking foot guide moves a little, too. I cut a piece of drinking straw to the correct size and put it on the guide bar so I can check it before I begin each row. Mine moves when I am moving the quilt to begin the next row, so this works for me.

I have used the seam guide both with my walking foot and with my regular foot. I love it. I also use painters tape on my quilts to mark lines sometimes...love that method too, but becomes a pain sometimes if I accidentally miss and stitch through the edge of the tape. As far as deciding how far apart my lines should be...I am a big fan of 2 inch quilting when doing straight lines, but I do vary from this depending on the size of the blocks. I have done straight line quilting anywhere from 1 to 3 inches so it falls out on the edges of the blocks and also down the middle (or if doing diagonal, stitching at each corner and through the diagonal middle of the block)