Friday 7th June, 2024
… COSY PJs AND WARM HUGS …
Winter has well and truly arrived here in South East Queensland, and I’m up here in The Sewing Gypsy Studio madly writing this to get it finished and scheduled for tomorrow at 7am! It’s been quite a busy week here at home, so it is ‘last minute stuff again’ … so this week’s a bit shorter than usual. It is now 11.30pm, 10 degrees outside, however it is a warm and a very comfortable 21 degrees inside (with the reverse cycle airconditioning on!). We have had a few mornings in the single figures … apparently … I think I was snuggled down and still asleep for those few chilly times. Such different temperatures to what I’d become used to up in Townsville for those 5 weeks I was away, as I slept with the airconditioning on set to 22 degrees – and a whole different selection of clothes than what’s being worn now! Since arriving back home, I’ve even had to make myself some new flannelette pyjama bottoms!
I’m not a huge fan of flannelette sheets or pyjama sets … but those warm, fluffy long pants are one of my favourite winter things – just add in a long sleeve comfy stretch t-shirt. I’m 6’ tall (or 180cm) so buying them long enough is not possible! Even when I bought my last pair, I thought they would be ok … until I washed them! Oh how they shrink. Can’t wait to finish these two pair off tomorrow … and then settle in for a quiet weekend here at home. (and, that includes some sewing of course!)
Oh how I love being home, again! Thought I’d share my welcome home sign that Leo made for me! First thing I saw when I walked in after driving all those kilometres …
Ahhh … the love of Grandchildren and their wonderful hugs again!
… Did You Know? …
Presser Foot Pressure
Why would we want to change this setting on our machines, and how exactly do we do it on different Bernina Models? This is something I’ve often been asked over the years, and I must say having the correct setting really does make a difference to your sewing if you are working with lots of different materials, for example super tough or bulky fabrics (like one of this week’s samples) … and slinky, finicky or tricky ones!
Certainly having the correct presser foot to start with helps, and perhaps you will understand as we go along, ‘which foot’ does ‘what best’ … however, once we have the foot selected for a particular technique, there are times when the fabric just won’t ‘behave’ itself correctly, and shifts and slips around, or worse … bogs down and just won’t move. These are my basic guidelines …
Slightly increasing the presser foot pressure can help feed through fine, slinky type fabrics a bit more securely. I’d also opt here for a Straight Stitch Plate, if straight stitching of course.
When sewing particularly thick fabrics, you may benefit from adjusting the presser foot pressure, if you find your fabric isn’t moving smoothly under your presser foot. In this case you will decrease the presser foot pressure. I find also when sewing/appliquéing around deep curves and circles, this adjustment helps keep my stitches nice and consistent, without any sharp changes or points.
How to do it via the machine’s screen … e.g. on my Bernina B90PRO machine … when you select the icon on the left hand side of the screen – another screen will open where you can adjust accordingly.
How to do it manually … e.g. on my Bernina B435 machine … when you select the icon on the left hand side of the screen – another a screen will open which shows where the manual adjustment can be made (left hand end of the machine)
Just another great function on your machine that will make your sewing experience easier, and the finished garment/article more professional looking.
… Another ‘Groovy’ Foot …
Bulky Overlock Foot #12/#12C
Last week we looked at Cordonnet Foot #11 which had a narrow 2mm groove underneath to guide thread, yarn or wire. This week’s foot has a much larger groove, extending from the very front of the foot through to the back, and like the name of this foot suggests, it’s great for sewing bulky seams in knit fabrics. However this foot is mostly used for creating custom piping for trims. The tunnel underneath the foot, along with one of the sides being higher than the other, helps to guide uneven layers of fabric and prevent stretching as they are seamed.
I’ve also used this foot to couch down threads/yarns/trims … and to make jumbo sized pintucks. A 4mm twin needle with a narrow 1/8” filler cord underneath the fabric, gives lovely defined tucks.
Foot #12 has a thread slot on the side – Foot #12C does not, however it has a bevelled opening for cord or ribbon. Both feet have an engraved line on the top of the foot indicating the right edge of the groove.
Foot #12C is actually a ‘hybrid’ of Foot #12 which has no bevelled opening and Braiding Foot #21, which has no defined groove underneath.
Options available for the foot – It’s available in a regular version suitable for all models and a ‘C’ version designed for models equipped with 9mm Stitch width capacity.
… This Week’s Foot Highlights or Challenges …
‘Seaming Bulky Knits’ – for my finished sample, I used the ‘Creative Consultant’ feature on my machine and it suggested Stitch #19 (Reinforced Overlock) and I found a very bulky ‘furry’ knit in my scrap pile … Sally had made a jacket out of it and I still remember how much fluff there was all around the Studio! I used SW 6 and SL 4 … Tension 4.5 … and changed the Foot Pressure to 25. This meant the seam just flowed smoothly through, rather than baulking under the presser foot. Yes, I test sew a lot when I am seaming with fabrics not regularly sewn.
‘Piping’ – I had a bit of fun with this sample. I make a LOT of piping … either on my sewing machines or on my overlockers … and I used Foot #12C to firstly make the piping (hot pink bias strips encasing a heavy cotton cord I had) and then stitching over the edge with Black thread, Stitch #1311, SW 5.5 and SL 4.0 to give it a striped look.
‘Corded Edge’ – I stitched some fluro Paracord onto the edge of some denim in this sample – and tried out both suggested stitches. Remember to engage Mirror Image on Stitch #9!
‘Attaching Strands of Beads’ and again this is a technique I use on my overlocker as well! Loved it on the sewing machine, and did both samples – and stitch settings will of course depend on the diameter of your beads. Mine were 3mm.
Centre application – Stitch #2 SW 5 and SL 3
Edge Application – Stitch #2 SW 5 and SL 3
No real challenges with any of the techniques, however just a reminder to test sew any technique you try, especially when using two different sizes of cords or beads.
… A Little Something Extra …
A Bit of Weekend Reading
Another great eBook for your collection, and of course featuring this week’s foot … is the Piping Fundamentals eBook. It’s a good reference for quite a few feet actually, including #12/#12C, #23, #38 and #55 – all fun feet yet to come!
Here’s a link to Bernina’s ‘Just SEW It!’ Piping Fundamentals eBook …
… and a Tool Tip …
I have a fabulous ‘tool’ called the Groovin’ Piping Trimming Tool. I have both the regular size one (for piping cord up to 1/8” in diameter) which came with the book called Piping Hot Binding by Susan K. Cleveland, and the Grande size one (for piping cord up to 3/16” in diameter) –
… and I love that you can trim up your self-made piping with a rotary cutter quickly and easily, leaving an accurate seam allowance of either ¼” or ½” to then stitch it into a seam.
… A Little Reminder …
Bernina Academy 2024
Class bookings are open for all the wonderful Tutors that will be appearing at Bernina Academy in September. I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at one of my classes I’ll be doing. It’s the ABC’s of Overlocking … everything’s supplied and included in the class costs … and you will go home with a sample booklet inside this fun little clutch bag. There’s an advanced class as well, and I’ll share a photo of that in another blog post.
Head online to secure your place … lots of fun learning !
Here’s the link to Bernina Academy 2024 Class Details and Bookings
Bernina’s Foot/Accessory of the Month June 2024 *
is the Right and Left Seam Guides in Shaft for the L8 Series Overlocker and Overlocker/Coverstitch machines – 20% off – contact your preferred Bernina Dealer for this fabulous offer. … I’ve got mine attached and busy doing some fun coverstitching and chain ‘fabric creating’! My fabulous L890 is working hard getting some things ready for Bernina Academy 2024 in September!
*Australia and New Zealand Promotion Only – ends … 30th June 2024 …
Chat again next Friday,
