QuiltBlog

If handed a gizmo or gadget and asked for my opinion, my first question would be, “Well, what is it suppose to do?”. Knowing the way something is designed to work is the first step to understanding how to make it work well. This month I decided to give a brief overview of the elements that work together to create a good stitch. The beauty of the sewing machine is that the basics of getting a great stitch are the same for the smallest sewing machines, feature filled embroidery system and longarm quilting machine. This anatomy of a good stitch includes the bottom thread, top thread, stitch mechanism timing and the sewing foot.

Tension is probably the top concern for quilters, since we have to deal with it all the time.  There is no “prefect” setting for all cases.  However, there are guidelines to follow that will get you to a great result.  Here are the factors that effect your stitch quality: