lgrande
 
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Date: 2/8/13 1:50 PM I'm piecing my blocks of soft woven cotton for my quilt.
Using sz. 12 needle, 57D foot, single needle plate and dual feed engaged.
When I begin sewing frequently the fabric won't move, just sits in place sewing. I'm starting inside the fabric, not on the very edge.
What can I do?
BTW. I'm using the Bernina 830.
-- Edited on 2/8/13 1:51 PM -- ------
Linda
Bernina 830LE
Bernina B530
Janome 6600P
Pfaff 1209
Babylock Evolution
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SouthernStitch
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Date: 2/8/13 2:50 PM I'll assume you've checked (or the machine has checked) that the feed dogs are up? Do the feed dogs move when there is no fabric under the foot? Can you see that the dogs come up far enough to grab the fabric? What is your pressure set on? ------
Bernina 730E, 530, and 350PE
Singer 221 FW, 403a
When life gives you green velvet curtains, make a green velvet dress. |
SewBusy63
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Date: 2/8/13 3:30 PM Other than what Mary suggested, I can't think of a reason why the feed dogs aren't pulling the fabric. Did you tell the 830 which foot you are using? Are you sure the feed dogs are engaged?
------
~Diana~
♥ Bernina 830E ♥ Bernina 1150MDA serger
✝The Lord is my Light and my Salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1✝
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CM_Sews
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Date: 2/8/13 3:49 PM Are you using a starter scrap when you start piecing? I have a Pfaff 2140, and I sometimes have this problem when I don't use a starter scrap - it's as if the machine is just sort of "spinning it's wheels" and not grabbing the block. Sewing off the starter and onto the actual block keeps stitches and stitch tension even and it seems to give the feed dogs something to "grab" along the entire length of the feed dogs so that everything feeds along perfectly.
You can watch a starter being used in this chain piecing vedeo.
I use a scrap at the beginning and end of each line of chain piecing, or even a single block. The "ender" 'becomes the "leader" for the next thing I sew. I've even started doing this in garment sewing. Starting a seam right at the edge of the fabric can be tricky, no matter which sewing machine you are using, in quilting and in garment sewing.
Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville) decided to turn her "leaders and enders" (as she calls them) into something useful. Rather than sewing onto and off of the same scraps over and over, she stitches scrap squares together at the beginning and ending of a line of chain piecing, thus piecing blocks for yet another quilt at the same time. I've tried this; it isn't difficult, it just requires a bit of preparation. The "bonus blocks" add up very quickly.
Bonnie explains is all here:
Leaders and Enders (Quiltville).
CMC |
PattiAnnJ
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 1 member likes this. Hang onto the tails of the upper and lower threads and make sure the fabric is a bit under the back opening of the presser foot.
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ilesliemy
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Date: 2/8/13 5:38 PM I always starch my fabric before I cut it and it seems to make a difference both in accuracy of cutting and ease of sewing.
Leslie ------
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lgrande
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Date: 2/8/13 5:42 PM Thankyou everyone.
Yes, the feed dogs are up, the problem only occurs at the beginning (sometimes).
Yes, the 830 knows which foot and which needle plate is on.
I have tried different D-feet and increased and decreased the pressure.
It seems to work better with the 34D foot, but then I lose the advantage of the edge guide on the 57.
That's why I wondered if my feed dogs need adjustment, could they be set too low to grab the fabric?
I think this might be the problem. I will talk to my tech the next time I take my machine in for service. (Goodness knows I never want to move it if I don't have to.)
Until I can have it checked out I will try using a scrap to start on. ------
Linda
Bernina 830LE
Bernina B530
Janome 6600P
Pfaff 1209
Babylock Evolution
Janome 644D |
SewBusy63
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Date: 2/8/13 6:06 PM I don't have to use a leader on my 830 nor do I have to hold the thread tails but may that would work? I'm sure it's probably a quick adjustment to the feed dogs. ------
~Diana~
♥ Bernina 830E ♥ Bernina 1150MDA serger
✝The Lord is my Light and my Salvation: whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1✝
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lgrande
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Date: 2/10/13 10:16 AM Well, I stil don't have a definitive answer as to what's causing the problem but what I'm doing to work around it is to use a square of tear-away stabilizer under the edge of the square. Solved the problem.
I'm beginning to think that a big part of the trouble is the fabrics I'm using; it's a brushed woven cotton that has quite a bit of loft to it...its appearance is very much like a woolen. Maybe the squishiness of it is working against me?
Still, I would think that the 830 is more than cabable of handiing this and that I just haven't found the right combination. I won't give up. ------
Linda
Bernina 830LE
Bernina B530
Janome 6600P
Pfaff 1209
Babylock Evolution
Janome 644D |
PattiAnnJ
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Date: 2/10/13 12:16 PM It is obvious that you do not have the fabric under the presser foot. You do not have to have the first stitch on the very edge of the fabric.. |
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