I'm learning a new SM. I don't expect sympathy cards or casseroles - but it's tough. We're not friends yet but we're tolerating each other. Meanwhile . . . I've made a really nice appliqué discovery. To use the 'stitch regulator', the instructions say to set the pressure of the foot to very little pressure. That's not how I usually keep my SM. ( 'Default' if you must). (Mine's usually set down heavy so it won't bog on fine Swiss batiste.) So. I did. I set the SM where the foot is just barely pressing down on the fabric. Tonight I was doing butterflies. Put the butterfly pattern down on the quilt fabric faced with a scrap fabric so I could stitch, turn and have a sturdy appliqué. Aha. Because the pressure on the foot was reduced immensely, I was able to glide around the butterfly's curves without pivot, stitch, pivot, stitch etc. Wow. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. I was able to just hold the pattern steady with my hand and swoop around all the ins and outs without stopping. Wow. I don't think anybody's ever addressed the effect of foot pressure vs. pivot. A new (to me) technique. Butterflies, here I come. Polly
- posted
15 years ago