What Settings Would I Use on a Destiny Sewing Machine to Make a Quilted Piece of Fabric
Welcome dorsum to the Love of Sewing Challenge, hosted past Baby Lock and featuring the brand new Destiny 2 sewing and embroidery machine. In this post we're going to talk most piecing quilts and using foot options to go an authentic ¼″ seam assart equally well as finishing the mini patchwork quilt from part 1.
Let'due south talk about using sewing machine feet to go an accurate ¼″ seam assart (which, as you know, is the gold standard for quilt-piecing). Even if you don't own this specific automobile, many of these tips are universal for machine piecing.
First of all, let's talk ¼″ seam assart, the universal seam allowance for piecing quilts. If you're coming over from a garment-sewing background, a ¼″ seam assart tin feel really narrow, but in the quilt world, it's standard for patchwork piecing. Another divergence from garment sewing is that near seam allowances are pressed to one side, rather than pressed open up. This is to help with wear and tear on the quilt, keeping seams from splitting over time. There are times when pressing the seam open is more practical, depending on the piecing techniques, simply this volition commonly be addressed in the quilt pattern or instructions. Most patterns will too have pressing instructions, telling yous which direction to press your seams, just if non, when in doubt, press toward the darker fabric.
Accuracy in your seam allowances is important when piecing quilts – especially when at that place are a lot of trivial pieces and seams coming together. It'due south very of import to keep that seam allowance a consistent ¼″.
Ascant ¼″ helps a lot with accurateness – specially when piecing small blocks, or blocks with multiple pieces. A scant ¼″ is just what it sounds like, a seam allowance that is just slightly narrower than an exact ¼″. Use a ruler to notice out if your seam allowances is a scant ¼″. The seam for an accurate ¼″ seam allowance should run right nether the ¼″ line on a ruler. (Yous can see the seam on the right is slightly wider than an exact ¼″). This will affect your piecing and the finished size of your block if y'all are putting multiple parts together. The seam for a scant ¼″ seam assart is a couple of threads over and should run but inside the ¼″ line on a ruler when lined up side by side to the edge of your fabric (see seam on the left). The majority of the time when I am piecing quilt blocks, I stitch with a scant ¼″.
If you are merely piecing patchwork squares where all of the blocks are the same size, a ¼″ vs a scant ¼″ doesn't make a difference.
Acquire most your sewing machine and what human foot and setting options yous have to help y'all get that consistent ¼″ seam allowance. The Destiny II comes with two feet that I use most – the J foot is the basic all-around human foot attachment. The foot on the correct is the ¼″ Human foot with Seam Guide.
Using a ¼″ foot with a seam guide will help with the accuracy of your seams considering equally you run the edges of your pieces through, the metal flange will serve as a guide to keep your seams from getting as well wide. Even though this foot is a "straight-sew together foot" (meaning there is a single narrow pigsty for the needle to pass through – not a broad opening for decorative stitches) at that place is enough room to move the needle 1 or ii notches to the right to give you a scant ¼″ seam. This will bring the needle just a thread or two closer to the edge of the fabric. (E'er examination past manually rotating the needle through the foot before using the pedal, just to make sure the needle isn't over too far and volition hit the metal foot.) This human foot is likewise available (to purchase separately) without the flange where you can use the side of the foot as your guide. One thing I love nigh Baby Lock machines is that the foot attachments are reasonably priced, making information technology easier to add to your foot capabilities and selection.
I like to use the ¼″ foot with seam guide when I'one thousand piecing blocks – particularly for small or circuitous patchwork where the accuracy of the seam allowance can make a big difference in how the corners and pieces match up.
The J foot is the utilitarian foot that comes with the motorcar. It is a wide foot with a wide opening for the needle to cross back and forth for decorative or zigzag stitches. Because the foot is wide, the altitude from the needle to the right edge of the foot is larger than a ¼″ inch. That makes it actually helpful for seeing the infinite surrounding your needle. However, using settings within the car, you still use the edge of the pes equally an authentic guide. First of all, you can conform the needle closer to the right border of the foot to get a ¼″ seam allowance. (Use a ruler to double-cheque the accurateness of your seam.)
There are also settings within the Q-stitch menu where the automobile will automatically arrange your needle position to set information technology ¼″ away from the right side OR left side of the J foot. Circled is Q-02 – this will automatically move your needle ¼″ abroad from the right side of the foot. This is super handy for times you don't want a foot with a flange or guide, such equally when you're sewing over lots of seams that could get caught on the guide or sewing over bulkier fabrics.
Another feature I love for concatenation-piecing is the foursquare on the bottom left that is highlighted in orange. When this setting is on, the needle drops and the pes lifts automatically when y'all pull your foot off the pedal. This makes it super easy to slide the side by side pieces, ready to run up, upward confronting the needle. When you press the sewing machine pedal, the foot drops and you lot can continue to run up.
Another time I prefer the J foot is when I'thou sewing beyond my pieces, rather than using the border equally a guide, such as when I'm making Half Square Triangles (HST's). Also, see that fancy laser beam projecting out in forepart of the presser foot? That comes in super handy for piecing HST'southward and I'll exist talking virtually it below.
Permit's talk nearly basic piecing. For the project I introduced in role 1 we'll be piecing three sets of 2″ 10 2″ patchwork squares – first into 3 sets of 2 rows each for the side and bottom borders. And so we'll be piecing 8 pinwheel blocks made upwardly of half-foursquare triangles. I'll be showing another feature on the Destiny 2 that make half-square triangles a snap.
For this projection you demand:
- center embroidery portion squared up to 9 ½″ x eleven″
- 46 ii″ x ii″ patchwork squares
- 32 2 ½″ x 2 ½″ squares (16 light and 16 colored) to create pinwheel blocks
- 20″ x 23″ piece of batting
- 22″ x 25″ bankroll
- 2 strips 2 ¼″ x 42″ for binding
(more info virtually the fabric I used in Function 1)
From 2″ x two″ squares make ii sets of 8 squares ten 2 rows and one set of vii squares x 2 rows.
In each row, press all seams to one side. For each row, alternating which management the seams get. This will help y'all match-up all the points of the patchwork squares when y'all stitch the two rows together considering the seams volition butt-up against each other. This also helps reduce majority.
Pinwheel blocks – Brand 8 blocks using this method:
Lucifer-upward two sets of matching impress ii ½″ x 2 ½″ squares with two white two ½″ x 2 ½″ squares. I traditionally make two half-square triangle (HST) blocks at once matching 2 different squares right-sides together.
Typically, to make two Half-Square Triangle blocks at once, I would depict a diagonal line on the back of my half my squares and sew a seam a ¼″ abroad from both sides of the drawn line. Using the built in laser-guide axle, I can projection that beam onto my material and employ information technology as a guide, running the bottom corner of the squares up along the guide. The laser beam is centered when you first turn it on. Only similar the needle, information technology has the chapters to shift left or right.
If I was sewing one, centered diagonal line downwardly the middle of my matched-up squares, I would get out the laser guide in place. Since I am sewing 2 seams ¼″ away on either side of a heart line, I will motility the guide over to the right ¼″. (See orangish circumvolve on diagram higher up.)
After both seams are sewn, cut the half-foursquare triangle on the centre diagonal. Open upwards and printing seams toward the darker print fabric. Now you will have 2 identical Half-Square Triangle blocks. At this bespeak information technology is important to trim the triangle tags and square up the blocks to ii″ x 2″ – gather into sets of iv HST blocks to create the pinwheel. It seems tedious, merely it's so important for accurate piecing. Hither'southward my favorite short-cutting for squaring-up One-half-Foursquare Triangles.
In one case you have four 2″ x 2″ HST blocks, rotate them in a pinwheel design. Sew into 2 rows and press seams in opposite directions. And then sew ii rows together to finish the pinwheel block. This should measure iii ½″ x iii ½″ unfinished (3″ x 3″ finished, once they're all sewn into the quilt.)
Run up 6 pinwheel blocks to create i row. Stitch remaining pinwheel blocks to either side of 2 10 7 patchwork strip.
Final Assembly
Square-up middle embroidered panel to ix ½″ x xi″. (More on creating embroidered panel in Part 1.)
Sew 2 gold-stripe 1 ½″ x 11″ strips to left and right sides. Press seams away from center panel. Sew i ½″ ten 11 ½″ gold-stripe strips to peak and bottom. Press seams away from center console.
Sew two patchwork ii x 8 units to either side of the center console. Press seams toward gold-stripe.
Sew patchwork sides to center portion – press toward center.
Sew height and bottom rows – pinwheels and pinwheels + patchwork. Printing seams toward centre console.
Layer pieced quilt pinnacle, batting, and bankroll. (Here are some tips for prepping a quilt sandwich.) Quilt however you lot prefer. I used the Dual-Feed human foot zipper and quilted int wide, wavy lines. (Encounter Pat Sloan's post for more data on preparing and quilting.)
Once you're finished quilting, trim and square-off the edges. Info on finishing and bounden a quilt here.
For more helpful tips on maximizing your stitching equally well equally visuals of some of the processes mentioned higher up, check out this video:
It has been so dreamy to get to work with this machine and learn more about it's features along with the other posts that are function of the Love of Sewing challenge. That said, I know it's a "bucket-list" automobile (it was for me!). If you're just getting started in the world of sewing or looking for your first upgrade, bank check out the range of other Infant Lock machines. My honest review is that I can't say enough good things nigh my feel using Baby Lock machines. And they run the full gamut from entry level machines right up to the palatial Destiny. If you lot're just getting started, bank check out the Rachel. For mid-level upgrades, I recommend checking out the Jazz and Lyric. This post by Dana is really helpful talking well-nigh how to pick a sewing automobile. Definitely visit a local dealer to discover out which car is fits your needs and budget all-time. The best function about buying from a dealer is that non just are they super helpful with maintenance and helping yous learn how to get the virtually out of your automobile, simply they're also willing to exchange your electric current machine when you are ready to upgrade!
Cheers so much for playing forth. Hopefully you've learned some new piecing tips today and other helpful tips and techniques forth the way. Thank you for letting me be part of the claiming Infant Lock!
Source: https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/for-the-love-of-sewing-machine-feet-options/