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

wrote in message
oups.com...
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

I got to preaching about basting, and forgot to tell you how great
your
pictures are. Your owls seem to be quite content in their house.
How
many chicks do they normally lay?

Thanks for the kind words but they actually lay eggs

The most hatchlings we have seen was 3. Unless you see them lined up on
a
branch, it's hard to tell by counting heads that pop out of the hole.
A few
years ago, we did see the 3 on a branch just at dusk.

Back to basting... I just got a pattern for a coat which seems to
require
more basting than stitching. I am way over my head but going to charge
ahead as soon as the boys are sheared.

My trophies to date are the wool shirt described on my Fiber page and 4
variations on this theme made from cheapo fabrics to get the patern
right.

js


--
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: http://schmidling.com/pow.htm
Astronomy, Beer, Cheese, Fiber,Gems, Sausage,Silver
http://schmidling.com

My Wife's broken Touch and Sew has a slant needle and I am curious to
know what the point of it is.

js

Cynthia Spilsted wrote:
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

I recent did some machine basting for the first time on a PJ top I'm
making for DS, had to rip out about half of it as the fabric was out of
place and a little pleated/puckered. I re-did the bit I took out by
hand. These days I find that I don't need to baste as much as the
pattern instructions say, when I first started making clothes for myself
I used to pin then hand baste before sewing on the machine - every seam!

--
Melinda
http://cust.idl.com.au/athol

wrote:
My Wife's broken Touch and Sew has a slant needle and I am curious to
know what the point of it is.

js


The idea was to get the actual sewing area out in front so that the
operator had a clearer view. Early on, it was also believed that you
could leave the pins in the fabric and the slant of the needle would
cause it to slide off the pin. That proved to be too optimistic.
--

Joanne @ stitches @ singerlady.reno.nv.us
http://bernardschopen.tripod.com/
Life is about the journey, not about the destination.

Jack Schmidling wrote:

"Pogonip"

" Early on, it was also believed that you

could leave the pins in the fabric and the slant of the needle would
cause it to slide off the pin. That proved to be too optimistic.


Perhaps ignorance is bliss but I have been routinely sewing over pins as my
wife said there is no problem. Only once have I hit one and it broke the
pin and not the needle. This was with my $150 Brother.

js


I sew over pins all the time, with everything but my lotus decal 66,
which has a fixed ankle.

--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

"Kate Dicey" wrote in message
...

I sew over pins all the time, with everything but my lotus decal 66,
which has a fixed ankle.

I have always sewn over pins. My singer 401A likes it that way. ;-)

--
Beverly
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That is one of the many reasons I like my old slant needle, Irene, and I sew
over pins all the time, too, as long as they are placed in the fabric
correctly. I definitely would not want to hit the head of some of them.
Emily