OK Now what do I do with it??

You can do most lovely quilting with twin needles, Nightmist. Just using ordinary designs with the twin needles makes it look very special. You can only do very gentle curves, or straight lines - I think! I didn't try anything more ambitious! Have you got a 2mm gap, or 4mm ? or something else? Whatever you do have, just know there are others - in case you get hooked on it! . In message , NightMist writes

Is that the one with one toe a little higher than the other? If you want to do machine applique with a zigzag/ satin stitch, you could use this. Or for SITD, provided your ditch is amenable.

The double needle is fun and would be great for embellishing postcards and crazy blocks. Roberta in D

"NightMist" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@news.madbbs.com...

Aside from really quick and easy pintucks and nice top stitching (esp for hems) -

depending on the distance between the needles they can be used to sew 1/4" bias down with two rows of stitching perfectly spaced (eg. for stained glass work)

I used mine to sew overlapped seams on a floor rug made of demin patches

A different colour in each needle and a very small zig zag stitch makes a nice decorative stitch (test the ZZ width carefully)

Makes a nice finish on casings for elastic, esp for large frills like valances

I'm sure there are more but I can't remember right now

I use my blind hem foot to make sure I get a scant 1/4 seam line and to help me do curved seams without pins (and scant seams hehe) in fact it's my main foot in the machine - I only use my standard foot when I do PP

twin needle: use it for sewing down both sides of a "lead" at the same time for that stained glass window look .

You don't need a blind hem stitch to do a blind hem; a plain zigzag stitch will do.

I use my blind hem to sew on binding. I sew the binding to the front with the walking foot, just as I would for handstitching the back down. Then I put on the blind hem foot, fold the binding to the back, and stitch in the ditch with the little guide on the presser foot going right down the seam line. This does take a bit of practice to make sure you catch the binding underneath and it doesn't look as nice from the back, but it is strong and fast.

Julia > You can do most lovely quilting with twin needles, Nightmist.

have you ever seen the grid quilting that is 2 rows close together, then a space of 1 to 1.5 inches, then 2 close lines again, alternating? double needles work great for this. You can also meander with them or do calligraphy-like letters by free-motion.

Jane in NE Ohio

N/M: Is the blind hem foot equipped with a small 'rudder' underneath? This would be a little blade that runs parallel to the long edges of the foot. If so, it is dandy for stitch in the ditch. The 'rudder' would act to keep the stitching on an even keel. Pardon the pun! PAT

"Pat in Virginia" > N/M:

Other thoughts on twin needles - some testing may need to be done to see if you need the thread to one coming around from the back of the spool and one from the front. The two threads may want to play together and forget all about your hope of stitching. This one's not a big deal; just try it another way if things aren't going well. Also - of course, you just must not set a stitch very wide. Twin needles are right costly and hitting the side of the SM foot will pop one for sure. I enjoy playing with twin needles, have even taken on the triple one a few times but you do need to be in your right mind. Yeah. Right. Polly

"Jane Kay" have you ever seen the grid quilting that is 2 rows close together, then a

they have rudders? who knew. off to check out my blind hem foot, wait do i have one? i use the stitch but not sure i have a foot for it? oh dear. more stuff to figure out. jeanne

never come across a triple needle. whatever do you do with them? jeanne

Well, . . . . picture quilting a grid with three rows VERY close together to give a flattened trellis effect. Looks really nice behing floral applique.

Different coloured threads give some nice decorative effects to (red/white/blue, or light/med/dark, etc). L/M/D as an outline can give a shading effect.

Tucks, cording, hemming - the sort of stitching you might do for a christening gown or other very special event. Polly

I have always made great use of my narrow hem foot. It is nice to have a spare. It takes me a bit sometimes to convince myself that useing the machine for things like piping is not cheating, and comes out just as well or better as finishing it by hand. I was thinking that the roller foot looked Very Useful. I have occasion to sew leather and that looks like the very thing for it. I was thinking to get a teflon foot when I use my gift certificate, for velvet and silk if nothing else. Though a lot of the stuff I have read on the roller says it is good for those as well, by far people I have talked to about sewing them recommend the teflon.

I have two machines that zig zag. I am not sure about the age of the Imperial because I have had a devil of a time finding anything out about it. I can't even make a guess based on exterior design, because it may well be an industrial model. If I had to estimate I would place it somewhere from the mid fifties to mid sixties. It zig zags, tacks, buttonholes, and gives me no end of grief. The other one is the Pfaff, from around '53-'55. If they blind hem I know nothing of it. There is no clear setting, and I have no manual for either. Hurrah for Julia for telling me that a plain narrow zig zag will do. Now I can play with it and see what it does.

NightMist

Hey! I found a site where they use it for hemstitching. It gives what I call a lingerie stitch when I do it by hand. This is going to call for some serious messing around!

Oh! DD2 rang up on New Years Eve to tell me she is officially engaged. So I may end up sewing some pintucks after all, depending on what design we opt for for her wedding dress.

NightMist just f>Other thoughts on twin needles - some testing may need to be done to see if

NightMist

snip

So that is how many grains of sand there are on a beach!

Mary

I love that "rudder" foot! I mostly use mine when I have to sew two "scraps" of cotton batting together to make a larger piece (for WUHs/ doll blankets.) Now I'll have to try it for Stitching in the ditch!! Thanx for the suggestion. ME-Judy