? re: 1/4" seams and featherweights...
 

I'm using my featherweight today and I notice the 1/4" is hard to maintain because the marking for the 1/4" is very difficult to see. I wondered what others do to work-around this problem. Is there a seam-guide one could use of the type that screw into the bed of the machine? Or a special foot, perhaps?

My Featherweight came with the screw in seam guide. You can also buy a 1/4" foot for your machine. A generic one for a short shank machine will fit (5.99 in Canada) or you can buy one with the little metal edge (19.99 in Canada). Featherweights are short shank machines and it isn't hard to get a foot to fit.

Shelbie, thank you. I will look for screw-on short-shank foot OR scruff up one of the seam guides. This one didn't come with that but I've seen them before.

If you happen to have a Viking sewing machine, the "ankle" for this machine also fits the featherweight and then use the 1/4 foot for the viking also. Works great for m Featherweight. I tried the seam guide and didn't like it as well as the 1/4 foot.

I have a 1/4" piecing foot and a screw-down seam guide. I actually like the seam guide better. I think it helps to have something longer than the foot to actually put my material against, kind of "no brainer" sewing. :)

I use the guide that's attached to the bed with a screw and the 1/4" foot with the little guide. I've found they both work but I like the foot with the guide.
The 1/4" foot with the guide is wider, kind of like a zig-zag foot and seams to work better.

I got the 1/4" foot at Sew-Classic. The bed mount guide came in various and sundry accessory kits we've accumulated over the years.

Joe

I haven't tried using a seam guide on my FW, but I have on my 301, and I like it a lot better than trying to use the 1/4" foot. Easier.

I use the seam guide on both my FW and 301. It works well for me!

I have the sew-classic foot on my 15-91. It works great!! Maybe i should check my accessories for a screw down seammguide.

This is a very nice blog post on a few different ways to find a good 1/4" seam - when I started (before I had a 1/4" foot) I used the moleskin (Dr Scholl's).

http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com/?p=147

Well I found the bed-mount seam guide but the screw was too big for the hole. Now i guess that's called a thumb-screw? I definitely would like to find one of those. I like the fact that the seam-guide extends forward more and thing that would be helpful. Sally! I do indeed have a viking and after coffee I will try to put the foot on the FW !!

I just bought the best 1/4" foot for my featherweight. It is an "Alphasew 1/4" foot with built in guide". I love it!

I got it from http://theoldsewingmachineman.com/

You can purchase a 1/4" foot for the featherweights. Another option for a seam guide is a repositionable vinyl guide called The Sewing Edge. http://tinyurl.com/86cn7qx

I use the seam guide that comes with a screw, lock in a 1/4 and your set to go.

on my 99-K i took my ruler- placed the 1/4" mark even with the needle- then put a stack of small (1"x 1/2") post-its along the side of the ruler- then taped them down- now i have an edge to line up for a perfect 1/4" --- of course as soon as i did this i found i was making 1/2 square triangles & my squares could not line up with my (seam gauge) ... thought= geesh- should have done these first-then taped down my gauge---oh well- it works very well- been on there for a month or so now----when i bought the machine it did not come with any attachments and only has one narrow foot---so i do what i can...

aNice explanation of the scant 1/4". Thanks for sharing. Now if I could learn how to make the sound work on this little laptop that was given to me. Oh well, one problem at a time. hehehe Teresa