Farmland Quilter Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 What am I doing wrong? My SID does not look as good as I think it should. I haven't tried the monolon or whatever you would suggest. I've tried it with the IQ and without. Is there somewhere I can view some video or something so I might pick up on what I'm doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 What exactly isn't looking good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Hints for SID-- Use the thinnest and most matching thread you can. Make sure there is a "ditch". If seams are pressed open, it will be more difficult to stay on the seam. Seams pressed to one side will have a high side and a low side. You want to stitch as close to the ditch as you can--on the low side. Therefore, if there is high contrast in the fabrics, use a color thread to match the fabric on the low side. Monolon is fabulous for SID. Thinner than a hair, the ends don't poke you, and it is near-invisible on all colors except super-darks. On those darker fabrics it can show up shiny. Always use a ruler when you SID--even when outlining applique. The pressure against the ruler will give you the control you need to stay in the ditch. There are several SID-specific rulers with "ears" or tabs which are 1/4". Line the edge of the tab on the seam and because of the placement of the needle in the hopping foot, your needle will stitch accurately in the ditch. I hope these few hints help you forge ahead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie W. Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Practice, practice, practice. I do most of my SID freehand. Good luck--practice, practice,practice..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I found it helps me when using a ruler for SID, to focus on just having the ruler serve as a guide, rather than pressing the hopping foot hard against the ruler. Also, keep a light but firm touch on the ruler; if you press down too hard the machine can't move easily underneath the quilt sandwich. I've found that my machine moves more smoothly in a low-speed non-SR mode for SID. Also, it helps to position the start and stop point of the ruler ahead of time, and then just go for it, rather than stopping and starting a lot. I use a shorter stitch length (about 11.5) when doing SID, because the machine moves smoother and there are less tension problems. Let us know how it is going Cheryl, and we can try to help more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 About all I can recommend is practice (and Madeira Monolon). I was just thinking yesterday, as I was SIDing a feathered star -- I get better as I do it on every quilt. Everyone once in awhile, I hit the Zen of SID, where the thread is so fine and I'm really IN the ditch and I can't even tell if I've done it or not! I love that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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