Feeding the Fabric
Wednesday June 11, 2008
No, the fabric isn't hungry but the way it is fed in to the sewing machine can create problems for the machine. Sewing machines have "feed dogs" for a reason. The machine must feed the the fabric... forcing the fabric will cause problems... Let the Feed Dog Do The Work --Prevent Damaging Your Sewing Machine
Comments
Oh dear, I’m afraid I have been guilty of doing this. Thank you for the warning. How often should sewing machine needles be replaced? I have read a recommendation to replace them after 10 hours of sewing, but that seems very frequent!
I’ve heard the rule of thumb that says every 10 hours… and I know some people track that 10 hours… I don’t but after re-threading the machine, changing the needle is always my first line of defense for imperfect stitching.
BUT I am always very careful about the feeding issue… I’ve seen people who have sewn for years pull, push and tug the fabric rather than jut guide it… that pushing, pulling and tugging will make it necessary to change the needle much more often.
Thank you! I just purchased a wonderful new sewing machine and thanks to your warning will be careful to guide the fabric rather than pushing or pulling it. By the way, I purchased your wonderful book ‘Teach Yourself Visually: Sewing’ and it has helped me tremendously! I refer to it very frequently!
For those who sew over layers of fabric at seam edges; the hems of jeans, joining to flat-feld seams, etc, get yourself a ****HUMPY JUMPER****.
A Humpy Jumper, is about $3.00 at your sewing machine store. It is like a little wedge that keeps your feed dogs going *UP* and through the bunch of fabric. You put in under the feed dogs as you approach the heavy seam and remove it when past the seam.
I’d never heard of it, until, after my machine’s yearly servicing, the repair/store owner told me about it.
***HUMPY JUMPER*** get one!! It is amazing how it will change your frustrations from, “*Drats!* (and snarls of bobbin thread)” to “*WOW*, How come I didn’t know about this a thousand garments earlier!”
Plus, whenever you go around looking for your
“Humpy Jumper,” you’ll learn an incredible amount of smart-aleck retorts you never thought your family would think up! (=^o^=)
Waif