Machine Minute: Perfect Points and Curves

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, I'm Jennifer Keltner with American Patchwork & Quilting, here with today's Machine Minute brought to you by Baby Lock and the Symphony machine. Today we're going to discuss machine applique and how to get practically perfect points and curves every time. I hear from a lot of readers that they think machine applique is difficult, but there's one tip I can share with you today that will make sure your points and curves are almost perfect every time. Whether you're doing inside points or outside points, outside curves or inside curves, the rule applies to both. And that is always stop with your needle in the fabric and be careful how to pivot gradually when you're turning things. This diagram shows you on an outside curve where you should be stopping and pivoting. So if you're appliqueing with a zigzag stitch, your needle will swing from left to right and go back and forth. On this diagram you'll see a red dot and at that dot you should stop with your needle in the fabric on the left-hand swing of the needle. Lift up the presser foot and very gradually pivot your fabric, put the presser foot back down and continue stitching. You'll pivot again at each point and it's important to remember that you're pivoting gradually and you're pivoting often. You don't want to sew halfway around your curve and just pivot once and go back down. You want to keep pivoting at regular intervals to keep smooth stitching. Now, if you're doing an inside curve your pivot point is on the inside swing of the needle here. Or in this case if you're sewing from here to here on the right-hand swing. Again, you start stitching, when you get here keep your needle in the fabric, lift the presser foot, pivot gradually, put your presser foot back down and continue stitching to the next point. Whether it's curves or points you're doing, you can find all of these diagrams at allpeoplequilt.com/applique. Keep them handy near your machine and I promise with a little bit of practice you and your machine will be doing perfect points and curves every time you applique. Have fun.