Re: Basting Stitch

If you need a longer stitch than even the 'cheap' machines have, then
pin-baste the garment.  A 4 mm stitch is plenty long enough for machine
basting although the 6 or 7 mm that the 'fancy' machines have is even
better.  The main thing to do when machine basting is to loosen off one's
needle tension to make stitch removal much faster.  Even so, I find pulling
out the machine basting quick and easy (even if I haven't loosened the
tension!).  I always baste in zippers, etc. first - saves a lot of time in
the long run!
Cynthia

Dear Jack,

I taught fashion design for 25 years at three different universities.
We always used the largest stitch on the machine for basting.  There is
little or no need for 1/2 or 1 -inch long basting stitches; this can be
done by hand for pleats or other holding methods.  But for basting
together a garment, applying a zipper, and other areas where firm hold
is required untile the finishing stitching is completed, even cheap
machines can be used.

Teri

<PrestonGuild@my.house>

the

It doesn't change the need for a basting stitch but if you "drive
slowly"
the stitches will be close together and nothing new is accomplished.  I
suppose you could say drive slowly and push fast. It is however, a very
interesting idea.

I tried using the spring action quilting foot and got the same effect
without having to lower the dog which can not be done on my machine.
It
uses a "darning plate" as a cheap alternative.  As a point of interest,
it
moved and the needle pierced it when futzing this morning.  No damage
done
but that is probably one reasons it is made of plastic.

The problem that remains is getting it to stitch slowly enough for good
control.  I presume this is one of the compromises with a low end
machine.
It growls and grunts when starting slowly and usually takes a few
stitches
before I can slow it down.  This is one feature of my wife's old touch
and
sew that is much nicer.  It also has a long basting stituch using the
programming disks but I never tried it.

I took the machine apart this yesterday and one of those bevel gears is
stripped again. Still can't come up with enough reasons to get it fixed
again.

js

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She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild   Mar 15,
5:28 am     show options

Newsgroups: rec.crafts.textiles.sewing
From: She who would like to be obeyed once every Preston Guild
<PrestonGu...@my.house> - Find messages by this author
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 13:28:18 GMT
Local: Tues, Mar 15 2005 5:28 am
Subject: Re: Basting Stitch
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If you can drop your feed-dog and drive slowly, then why do you need
the
basting stitch?
---
  One thing I've found the machine basting stitch good for: doing
almost-invisible side hems on curtains/drapes. (That was before I got a
lockstitch machine)
                                                     Cea

If you can drop your feed-dog and drive slowly, then why do you need the
basting stitch?

In article <1110887257.635736.248610@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com>, Deb
of http://groups.google.com uttered

My janome machine has basting stitch and it allows to to move the
fabric through the machine (feed dog down I think) making the stitch
any length you would like.  You determine the length of the stitch by
how you move the fabric.  it is excellent.

The sewing machine discussion got me browsing for a limitation I find
on my
"discount store machine".

All the patterns I have be looking at talk about machine basting but my
Brother is limited to 4mm stitch length which is useless for basting.

I browsed around the web looking at more (much) expensive machines and
find
the same limitiation.

How does one baste with a machine?

js

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