Marie's triangles

Hi Pat. Thanks for doing those measurements. I will check and see if they match mine and use yours in any case. I'll try what you recommend. I ripped out both blocks last night to try and figure out what the problem is/was. Remember, this is the first quilt I'm making with this NH machine. We moved shortly after we bought it so it was only used for curtains and some pillow cases. It's virtually brand new. With this NH (now called Jenomes) it's very difficult to sew on a straight line *and* keep a seam even. I've always used a seam guide. Even the new foot with a 1/4" thing on it had the seams "off." Few were actually straight and 1/4" when I measured them with the ruler. The feet are too large and broad. I was to the only good sewing store we have here, and cannot find a nice narrow two pronged foot like my old singer had to fit this NH. You would have had to be blind to not sew a straight line on that old Singer machine. I may be expecting too much of this NH.

Drawing lines is another issue because the fabric wont stay in place as I push the pencil along hard enough to see a line, even being held down with the large ruler the fabric "creeps." So if I sew on a drawn line I'll have that problem to contend with. The line wont be totally straight on the fabric unless I use something like magic marker and not a pencil. What do you use? Pushing on the white pencil hard enough to see on dark fabric really moves (creeps) the fabric. I'm not working with the expensive cottons which tend to stay put (less creeping) as you mark them. These are old fabrics from my stash and may be poly cotton blends. I didn't give any the "flame" test. ;-)

I haven't given up yet. I'm going to redo the blocks and replace pieces that were ruined, or whatever, and try again. :^)

Ever hear of bad hair days? Yesterday was a bad sewing day....... LOL! :-D

The magic 'gadget' for drawing on fabric is a piece of fine grade sandpaper!! Place it under the fabric and that will hold the fabric pretty still. Also, what is helpful is a soft pencil - I use 2B (HB is the one usually sold in stationary stores, so it is two grades softer than that). I don't think I've ever seen a B (though I expect they exist). Keep sharpening your 2B, and you'll be fine, as you don't need to press so hard with a soft pencil.

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with your machine, just you need to get used to it.

Until you are used to it, and can make a scant quarter inch seam using the guide or foot, place a double thickness of masking tape, or a few post-it notes (still stuck together) onto the bed of the machine, so that you have something to run your raw edges up against. Turn your handwheel so that the point of the needle is down to the level of the feed dogs, take an accurate ruler and measure a hairsbreadth short of a quarter of an inch and make your line for the 'hand made seam guide' there.

When things start to go wrong, like they did for you yesterday, the trouble is you can't think straight. You are getting so frustrated, that no advice is sinking in, you can't believe anything will work and so it goes on. I do hope you will go back on the other long threads on your problem, because there is masses of good advice there.

I heard your 'pain' when you asked what the pieces should measure, so I decided to tackle the problem that way! The other things will work just fine - it was all just a bit much I expect. Chalk yesterday up to experience, and be glad of all the great information you have accumulated in the course of the problem. Be assured that, when you have got one to work, and you see what the problem is, you will understand all the other stuff.

Good luck with today's attempts - I was going to say trials, but that's ambiguous, so I thought better of it!! . In message , Marie Dodge writes

For lines on dark fabric, I often use the white or yellow Chaco liner, which uses a little wheel thingy to distribute chalk in just the right amount. They even make one with a very small wheel for finer marking. These work just fine next to a ruler. Roberta in D

"Marie Dodge" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:fovaf4$dgr$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

Assuming you've maintained it then this is likely the case. Sometimes it really does just take practice. When I started quilting my seams were horrendous, I ranted about my machine, mused about buying a new foot and in the end I found I figured out what to do, what to follow etc to get a good seam. I did get a new machine, but not because I couldn't do a

1/4 inch seam on my old one. I've had to go back to my old one recently and though it reminds me why I wanted a new one, I can still manage a neat seam.

Cheers Anne