Wednesday 19 March 2014

Testing a 1/4 inch foot & March Global Scrap Bee update

So, I got a new machine for Christmas.  It's a Pfaff Passport 2.0 lightweight and perfect for taking to sewing nights and classes.  Tell you the truth, with the hard plastic Pfaff cover on it and the extension table attached it's not that light, but it does have a handy spot for the pedal and attachment for an accessory bag!  And it is far lighter than my Husqvarna Viking, which has taken up a permanent residence on one end of the kitchen table (that is at least until visitors come to dinner!). 

It came with a free quilting kit which included a 1/4" foot.  I have a 1/4" foot on my Husqvarna and it is pretty accurate.  The foot on the Pfaff looked like it aligned with the 1/4" marking on the machine plate so I paid it no heed and started sewing on my charm pack cherry quilt.  I noticed then that the seams looked a little big and when I measured my block it was short by 1/8" inch, quite a bit off especially when multiplied over the whole quilt.

So I took out the manual, and discovered the default setting for the needle position is 3.5.  To get a smaller seam I moved the needle to the right and tested 4.0 and 4.3 and 4.5.

I took some scraps and trimmed them to 2" wide.  Using the default, and then the other settings I sewed 2 pieces together and measured the results. 


From the top you can see the shortfall on the default.  The middle 4.0 looks good and the bottom 4.3 is almost identical.  The proof is in the pudding so I decided to try to make a block and see what happened.  Jan at Sew and Sow Farm picked a really nice block for March Global Scrap Bee.  The block is called Scrap Jar Stars from A Little Bit Biased.  It involves a centre section of 16 squares perfect for testing seams.  And all from scraps! 


So off I went piecing away, I even trimmed the centre square noticing it was a bit big, not small (this really should have given me a hint!).  I added in the scrappy HST and corners and thought to myself this is a really fun pretty block. 

That is until it came time to trim it.  I had an oversized block.

Which when trimmed meant I was too close to the points in the triangles.  When joined to the next block these points would we eaten up!  Scratching my head trying to figure out what I had done in all my cleverness testing my seams I had a lightbulb moment. 


I checked my machine setting and in all my playing with the needle position I had forgotten to move it back.  I had made the whole block on 4.5.  Doh!


So for the second time this week, I made a second block, this time with 4.0 as the magic number.  


And like magic, ta dah!  Perfect size, very little to trim to make it square.


And points with seam allowance!


So now, I've cracked it I just have to remember to change it from the default every time I turn the machine on!  There is a handy pull out panel and I'm writing a note 4.0 for 1/4" foot and 4.3 for scant - don't use 3.5 or 4.5!


The second good block will be on the way to Jan for her quilt.  Looking at them together on the wall shows how this quilt is going to look - I love it.  This is a great block choice for a scrappy Bee and a brilliant way to use up scraps.

So I hope my everything going wrong on the first block run is over! I've got borders to put together for my medallion quilt and they need to be right to fit my centre panel.  Wish me luck!

Linking up to
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced
Sew Fresh Quilts

14 comments:

  1. Very cute blocks.

    Wow that's going to be hard to remember. Have you contacted Pfaff and told them their foot isn't a quarter inch foot? Maybe they have another for you to try that IS a quarter inch?

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  2. HI Ruth,
    We both have the same name! Don't find many people wth this name. Yes, I have played around with the setting for the needles too. Glad that you figured it out so quickly.

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    1. Hi Ruth,
      When I was a child I was the only Ruth I knew and could never find door plates or keychains with my name on it. In school you had to have a Saint's name or an Irish name. My mother's name is Marjorie (French) and they called her Maeve in school. (any Irish name beginnning with an M) but Ruth was ok as it was from the Bible. It has become more popular here but still not a lot us around!

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  3. Love the blocks! I test with almost (I say almost because I am not always that diligent) every project. It can change depending on the thickness of the fabric and the thread. I also press open (I know GASP) and I found out that this makes a HUGE difference - it takes less away from the seam allowance than pressing to the side. Amazing how just a couple threads adds up over the course of a top!

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  4. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with testing 1/4" seams. It is amazing how much difference an accurate seam can make. Your scrappy block looks great!

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  5. Love this testing tutorial! Your blocks are lovely! Great fabrics!

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    1. Thanks Lorette, all scraps from earlier quilts. There's a lot of Me and My Sister fabrics in there - love their bright, happy colours!

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  6. Arrgghh! Can't seam allowances just make you crazy sometimes? Especially when the block is destined for someone else! I made my Global Scrap Bee block this week too (but it didn't make it into my WIP Wednesday post!) I'm envious of a lighter machine to take to classes - I love my Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0, but she's no light weight!

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  7. I have to move my needle slightly too on my Husqvarna, but I think it was worse when I had a Pfaff. I find on the Vikings it is one move (0.3 I think?) to the right otherwise the seam allowance is a tiny bit too big!

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  8. Wow...you did a great job! The 1/4 foot that came with my Singer is NOT 1/4 from needle to right side of foot so I have to use the screw on gage line thingy. It works pretty good but wish I could find one that is exact. My older (1985) Singer has one and it is perfect 1/4 from needle to side of foot...so I use it for sewing seams like in this kind of block. Sure beats messing with that stupid gage! I like the block too..great for scraps!

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  9. Hi Ruth!
    First, I absolutely love my block. I can't wait to get it in my little greedy hands! lol.. I am so sorry you had trouble with this block. You are not the only one, but since there were a couple of people that had already completed their block I didn't want to change it. I struggle with 1/4" seams everyday. I have an older machine and have bought 2 different 1/4" feet for it. I think I am going to try pressing my seams open and see if it helps me! Thank you for this 1/4' testing post and for my lovely block!
    xo jan

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  10. And I meant to tell you that you take great photographs!
    xo jan

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  11. That is a lovely scrappy block (will have to lock that one away in my memory bank). Getting to know a new machine and settings can get a bit confusing! Glad you sorted it :)

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  12. Oversized but what a wonderful looking block, and generous fabrics.

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