The Purpose of the Stitch Length Adjustment:
- The stitch length adjustment adjusts the length of the stitches your sewing machine makes. The adjustment takes place at the feed dog not the machine needle.
- Shortening the stitch length shortens the amount of fabric that is fed under the presser foot before the needle comes down.
- Lengthening the stitch length lengthens the amount of fabric that is fed under the presser foot before the needle comes down.
Create a Lockstitch using Stitch Length:
- A lock stitch is a way to end a seam without backstitching. You create a lockstitch by having the machine sew in the same spot without the fabric feeding under the presser foot.
- Shorten the stitch length to zero to have the machine stitch in one spot.
- Allow the machine to sew three to four stitches in one spot.
- Set the stitch length to normal sewing and continue sewing your seam.
- Reset the machine stitch length to zero to end the seam in the same way.
Using Stitch Length to Solve Puckered Seams:
- Before the advent of so many new fabrics, ten to twelve stitches per inch was the rule of thumb for sewing almost everything. That is a good starting point but never hesitate to try various stitch length adjustments on a scrap of fabric when puckers are a problem. Many times lengthening the stitch will eliminate a puckered seam.
