A few snags on the first quilt

bkay2000

10 years ago

I'm making a 9 patch for my first endeavor. I'm having a couple of problems.

One is that I have too much tension on my presser foot. (I have an old touch and sew.) I've changed to another foot. I ran it over waxed paper. I turned the adjustment as far as I can. It doesn't seem like turning the adjustment does anything. I still can start out with two 5" pieces of fabric and the bottom one will come out short after I sew it. I just replaced the feed dogs with a set that looks like the originals (smooth plastic). They had some serrated (for lack of a better word) replacements available in plastic on Amazon and in metal on another site. Might that be a solution? (This is not a new problem - I had just forgotten it over the years of this machine being in the closet.) I'm going to buy a different 1/4" presser foot today to see if that solves the problem.

Second problem is that I can't get my seams to line up consistently. About half the time they are about 1/16" off. I rip them out and re-do them, but they are still off. I know that it's somewhat related to the problem above, but I think there must be something else. Half of them come out right. I may not be pinning them correctly. Are there some tricks I need to learn or will it just get better as I learn?

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bkay2000
Original Author

10 years ago

Oh, I'm forging on. I've made 5 blocks. I've continued to make mistakes and gotten reacquainted with my old friend, Mr. Seamripper. I've left some small errors.

I'm continuing to figure out some things as I go. Like:

I read somewhere to use 15 stitches per inch. NOT!!!!!! Did you ever try to rip out 15 stitches per inch?

I'll be a lot more careful when cutting out the next quilt.

This is a terrible 1/4 presser inch foot. I need an alternative.

Taking the presser foot tension all the way to darn doesn't work.

Watch that last 1/2 inch as you sew a block, that's one of the places it gets off.

I'm learning all kinds of things. By the time this quilt is done, I may be ready for something bigger and better. Or, I may just mark it off my bucket list and be happy I did it.

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Comments (9)

toolgranny
10 years ago
sounds like your machine needs a good servicing. Your presser foot tension might need cleaning and oiling. When is the last time things got oiled up? I used that same machine for years and it's a real gem. So, don't give up on it.
grammyp
10 years ago
Each quilt I have made has taught me something. Every machine I have used has also. You will get better as you go along, but it does sound like your machine could use service. Here are some things I have learned along the way.

Check bobbin area and feed dogs for dust bunnies.

Check take up arm area and tension plates for dust bunnies and/or thread pieces.

Make sure needle is centered (some can be moved to the sides) and measure seam markings for accuracy.

Don't use compressed air to clean your machine.
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bkay2000
Original Author
10 years ago
I cleaned and oiled the machine in the last couple of weeks. I don't know if I mentioned it, but I've had a TNS 778 (portable) since it was new. It's always done that. I bought the TNS 758 recently to get one in a cabinet. It does it, too. I sent the 778 to the repair shop, and that problem wasn't solved ($125.00 later - still the same). I didn't know what the problem was, only that it didn't sew evenly. (Someone on the sewing forum told me it was the presser foot tension).

Maybe I should call the repairman and be specific about the problem and see if they say they can fix it as I hate to pay and not get a fix.

bk
ghostlyvision
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Getting a 1/4" foot will help in keeping your seams the same width, you can get one with a guide that will help even more, or measure 1/4" from the needle and tape an index card or just a line of painter's tape to the plate to run the fabric edge along.

The feed dogs usually do take up just a bit more fabric than the fabric next to the presser foot, if any of your squares are just slightly bigger, put those on the bottom so the feed dogs can take up that extra tiny bit.

You'll need to trim and square up the 9 patches once they're sewn together so that should take care of any small differences when sewing each square together.
love2sew
10 years ago
Bk, I hope your sewing machine starts running smoothly soon so you can get to sewing your blocks. So anxious to see your progress.
geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
10 years ago
Glad you didn't give up and are forging forward. Do what works for you to get the proper measurements......we each have various ways of 'making' it work. When I first started out and was working on that scant 1/4" seam, I would measure, measure, measure after each adjustment. Hang in there, you can MAKE it work. :-)
grammyp
10 years ago
Yes, BK, we all have ways to make things work. That is one reason you get so many opinions on things. Remember, there is no wrong or right, your quilt, your rules.

I strip piece (feed one piece right after the other) and use "leaders and enders" (usually 2 1/2 inch squares sewn together). That seems to help with the first and lasts 1/2 inch.
bkay2000
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks. I got another foot, too. I've been working a lot the last few days, plus it's time to start tearing out the bathroom. I don't know if I'll get the top finished in February or not. If I didn't keep ripping it out, I would have it done in no time.

bk