Shaky hands

Sunny, I wish I had some words of wisdom for you but I don't. The only time I get shaky is when I'm attempting to lift and pour a Dutch oven or something else really heavy - and all I do is holler 'help'. Just a thought - if you are stitching something that's hard to make perfect - do remember that basting is not the enemy. It is possible to take up hand needle and thread and baste that sucker so it doesn't shift or slide. Hang on until real help arrives here. Polly

Polly, if I could hold onto a needle I would. I have loss of sensation in my finger tips and can't really feel a needle most of the time. I have to grip really, really hard, and then ...... nevermind.

Sunny LOL

Well then. One of my own favorite tools is a corsage pin. Since my days of being a bridesmaid are pretty much over, I had to buy a pack over in the bridal section of WalMart. You can rest your wrist on the 'table' of the machine to steady and lead the fabric with the pin just stitch-by-stitch. Piecing is not a race. Go slowly thread by thread. A neighbor of ours has shaky hands as a result of thyroid problems. She stitches over pins. That makes me cringe. If you must do that, wear goggles and a padded bra. Polly

I also stitch over pins all the time! Not only when piecing quilts, but also when garment making. Set the pins at right angles to the seam, take it easy on the speed, and try using thise Clover pins as they are extremely fine and less prone to being hit by the needle in a drive-by crash!

I've been sewing over pins for round about 50+ years and usually at full speed ahead. So far no problems here. I know it's a big no-no but I'd already been doing this for about 20 years when I found out I wasn't s'posed to. I always found it fascinating to watch the looks of horror on teachers in any sewing class I've taken.

Scoffs at danger! Val

Same here. I generally don't use pins for straight piecing, but for anything curved and in dressmaking, it's either pins or basting and I only baste for the really slippery stuff. With the new machines I try to pull out the pins just before the presser foot so I don't throw the darn temperamental machines out of kilter, but with my old Kenmore (circa 1940) workhorse, I regularly drove full speed ahead. You're right about the teachers. The looks are worth doing it deliberately.

Diana from Gulph Mills, PA

It's never been a no-no for me, and in fact is a recommended technique in my sewing machine's instructions! I do go full speed as well, but have had some spectaculat pin crashes, and my specs have the scars to prove it! ;)

Me too!

I use a wooden popsicle stick to help guide the fabric. 'Course that means you must eat at least 10 popsicles and then determine which is the best stick for doing this. Barbara in SC

I only had that for a couple of weeks due to some meds (I resisted the temptation to assassinate my doctor, I deserve a medal for that!). A wrist brace, something to brace my elbow on, and pressure on my back seemed to help a little. I found some creative ways to use an artist's mahl stick as a steady bridge, and that also helped somewhat. Whether you could make use of one would depend on your set-up, the thing is nothing more than a long straight stick with a little bag of sand attached to one end pillowing it.

Glue sticks are also your friend, as is masking tape. You can tape your seams remember.

NightMist

I've been sewing over pins for a long time. I think that it was a selling point when they came out with the hinged/rocking foot as opposed to the solid, non-hinged, foot. 'course, I don't pin a lot when I'm piecing straight pieces, only pin curves or when easing slightly different sized pieces. Bonnie, in Middletown, VA

I was like you, a scoffer, until the day the needle actually hit one at full speed. And found out why it's a good thing the tip of the needle has thread running through it. I do hate replacing needles before their time, and this one was nearly new! Roberta in D

"Val" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@bubbleator.drizzle.com...

Braces.

Do you have HAND braces..they're flexible but give you lots of hand support. I have 3 diff kinds of braces: Night that go from base of finners to 2" beyond the wrist Day lightweight--have HARD palm support and lightweight--a bit stronger than the ones LQS's sell. Also have soft and hard(leather with steel in them) for my wrists Hard for when the carpal kicks up or I overdo. Soft that just go on the wrist with supports palm side for when I crochet/knit and sometimes sew (Bad hand days). I can NOT hand sew whatsoever.....so that's the way of the Dodo bird for me. Even with using needle nose pliers to pull the needle.

Got us ANOTHER quilter IN THE MAKING!!!!!!!!!!! Young lady just started sewing lessons and can't WAIT until she can start quilting ones. Told her the door was open when she was ready. She is going to come over and help me lay out the Knit Afghan Blocks the end of July or so.....before college starts (Freshmen in college) I'm excited for her and so is she.

Butterfly (She knows how to knit)

I use bamboo/chop sticks.just enuf 'roughness' to then to help cling to the fabric and so far have had no 'splinters or leftover slivers on the cotton fabrics.

HTH Butterfly (Do NOT use them on FINE DELICATE fabric tho.)

Thanks for all the good suggestions. I'm going to work my way through the list and see what helps. I just bought myself a better (longer) pair of tweezers and those seem to be helpful. The thing I find hardest is lining up two edges on small pieces of fabric so that I can pin or stitch. Or both. I am am a patience-challenged individual. When I get frustrated, the fingers shake just that much more, I drop one or both pieces, glasses fall off, scissors hit the floor, thread gets snagged and comes out of the needle......... I pray for patience every day. I meditate on patience. I work on mindful breathing. But when the cookie hits the coffee, I just lose it. LOL. I suspect that the "slings and arrows" I deal with are intended to be teaching me something. I better get busy, I guess and learn fast. I'd had to reach my "final reward" one day and find out I have to go back for remedial patience. ;-)

Sunny

Sunny: Maybe you need to make a few adjustments to your work station. I would suggest getting your SM bed level with the table top, so you do not have to lift your forearms. Then check and test the height of your sewing chair. You might need to change that. These solutions may make you more comfortable, possibly minimizing the issues. HTH,

I have a few of the bamboo kabob skewers always in my sewing drawer. They are great for a tuck and hold to keep the beginning or end of the line corners where you want them. I like the pointy end of the skewer, you can hold down that teeny pesky corner all the way under the presser foot until the last stitch. Saw that years ago on a Martha Pullen show. I notice she seldom sews without using one.

Val

I did it for 20 yrs, then I hit one. I heard the bit of needle wizz past my head. Still sew over pins, just more careful and with much less speed. Debra in VA See my quilts at:

Elmer's glue stick, place it along the seam and glue the fabric pieces together, then sew as slowly as you need to. It will wash out when you wash the quilt the first time. Debra in VA See my quilts at: