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stitch in ditch problem


TinaC

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Can anyone advise me as to the proper way to stitch in the ditch(SID)? I'm in the process of ripping out a quilt for a customer because she didn't think my SID was good enough. Is there a special technique, or tool that will help with this. Also I'd like to do some cross hatching and more straight line work. Any advice in this area would be helpfull.

Thanx

Tina C

The Quilt Lady from Canada

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Tina:

It takes effort to get it right. Here are my tips:

(1) Use a thread that is least likely to show up. Probably the best would be monofilament but that isn't my preference. Next would be Bottom Line but if you want to use cotton, the Masterpiece is good for SID. If you have a seam to SID where one fabric is black and one fabric is white . . it's going to be very tedious to get it right in the ditch and have the thread not show on either fabric.

(2) Use a ruler that works for you. I like a little short ruler I can hold in the palm of my hand and scoot along as I go.

(3) Go very slowly. You may find yourself almost making one stitch at a time in some spots.

(4) Charge accordingly! Make it worth your time and take the time to do it perfectly.

Sorry you're having to rip. That is not fun!

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Take it slow. You probably need two straight edge rulers, one small one like Sherry Rogers Harrison sells and one about 10-12 inches long. One small oval works good on curves. I like to sew next to the seam line using thread that matches exactly to the fabric. Quilts do not have staight seams so you have to wave along the seam line with the quilt. It took me a while before I started doing it on customer quilts. The APQS machines are the easiest machines to tackle stitch in the ditch. Believe me! It just takes practice. If you can master it, you will find out that most longarmers in your area don't do stitch in the ditch. This will set you apart. You need to put a frog on your machine, it will prevent "rip its"

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I just finished an entire quilt that the customer requested in the ditch..it was a geometric design with lots of angles and no way to really do continuous line quilting so there were a lot of stops and starts. This of course means burying a lot of threads. I did charge my top price but it wasn't enough. I will never, read my lips, never do an entire quilt of stitch in the ditch again. I chalked it up to a learning experience. If there are small areas on the quilt that require it, okay. It wasn't worth the time and stress, pain and suffereing from having to bury about a million threads. I know there are some people that only want to do in the ditch quilting, but not me..all that time and you couldn't even see the work! :(

I will have no problem telling a customer to take it to someone else.

Hester:cool:

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Hi Tina,

I really enjoy SID. I know I'm strange. As JoAnn said APQS machines are the best for SID. My favorite ruler for it is " Gadget Girls Little Girl" It fits my hand really well . I like Sherry's also. I too use an oval or paisely for curves. I always use my base expander when using a ruler or template of anykind.

Some time I just use my hand as a guide and can maneuver the quilt that way. ( BUT DON"T DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE VERY COMFORTABLE ) If you get your fingers it hurts! It does take a lot of practice.

I find that I like to turn my stitch regulator off and turn my machine down really slow, almost to the point of walking along doing one stitch at a time. Depending on the way the air is flowing on any given day can turn it up a little faster. It is worth the time it takes to go very slow so you spend less time frogging. It really gives the quilt a finised look ( my opinion only)

Myrna

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