lrooth Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 I am looking for instructions on how to "Stitch in the Ditch". My machine has both hor. and vert. channel locks and from what I've read on this site, both are useful for SID, but I have no idea how to begin. I also have a Hartley fence (although it's still unassembled). Will that also be helpful for SID? or is it strictly used for circles, crosshatch, etc. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted May 27, 2007 Report Share Posted May 27, 2007 I hold a Gamguide in my left hand and move the machine with my right hand. This is an acrilic tool that has a handle on it and has a straight edge. Sometimes I will not use this especially around applique that is intricate. Then I go slow and brace my forearms on the frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 Or, if you have the Hartly Base Expander with 2 guides, you can put the base expander on the bed of the machine and use one of the guide to help guide the hopping foot. You can see a picture of this on the accessories page of the APQS web site....since I make things so clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 To answer you questions...I don't think the Hartley Fence would work for SID. It is like you said, circles, designs, cross hatch, etc. The channel locks would work - if you are good. I, personally, have never tried it. I think like sewingupastorm said, you need some kind of ruler to guide you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 I use a ruler that's about 1/4" thick so that the hopping foot does not slide over the top of the ruler. I do not use my channel locks so that I can quickly compensate for any waviness in the piecing. I then slide the hopping foot along with the ruler, holding ruler in my left hand, and guiding the machine with my right. I've found that coming towards myself is easiest, while going from left to right is more difficult. PPP! Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 Hi Linda. My machine doesn't have channel locks, but I will tell you when I do SID, I use the SID ruler by Megan Best. Like everything else, I think it's a practice-thing Gable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 Yes, get the best stitch in the ditch ruler from Megan. http://www.bestquilter.com It come in (I think) three different lengths. I also use Janet Lee's Favorite Ruler (from Gadget Girls) when my studio is too messy for me to find my Best Ruler. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belquilt Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 Mary Beth and Linda are right on. I use both and its easy to do SID with both of these tools are either one alone. In fact Linda mentioned this before on this site and I immedately went to another site and bought the ruler. SO you can't go wrong with either. As for a favorite tool... thats a tough one. I love my Angler when doing flying geese and Invisa grip (I think thats what its called) on the back of my Omnigrid rulers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrooth Posted May 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 Thanks for the tips on SID. I practiced last night with the channel locks on and did... OK ... for a first attempt. I will try using a ruler next and perhaps order one specific to the task. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted May 29, 2007 Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 Linda, Use your base and a ruler to aid in keeping your line straight. It takes a bit of practice, go slow and get the feel for it. I don't find I can use my channel locks for it but I know some do. I keep my pressure LIGHT and stitch where my fingers have complete control of the ruler. I don't slide my ruler as I go. I stop and take the pressure off, move it, then start again. I usually only stitch about 3 - 4 inches at a time. Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smorris Posted May 29, 2007 Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 Hi everyone I don't use the channel locks to do sid because the seams are never perfectly straight. I just move the machine slowly across the quilt using my fingers to push or pull the fabric a little when necessary if the piecing goes a little "off". I only use the rulers for diagonal lines. Sue in Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted May 29, 2007 Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 I don't have the Megan Best ruler but LOVE the Dainty Ditcher by Sherry Rogers. It is really small and since I tend to slide my ruler along to guide me it works great and is small and not bulky. My kids all know when I loose my ruler they have to look for the "pink" one. Unless I am doing really long straight lines I never use any of my other rulers (and I have at least 6 others!) Also, channel locks don't work for SID because piecing is never that straight, you want to get exactly in the "ditch". Moving sideways and up and down I sometimes don't use any ruler at all, just kinda press the fabric with my fingers because our machines are so awesome they sew a straight line anytime with little guiding. Just go ahead and dive right in, you'll get really good in no time. I also use Superior's monofilament when doing alot of my SID because it seems I am often doing SID on multiple colored borders and monofilament will hide little "off the track" things. Others I know use a thinner thread like Bottom line but I find that the mono works with everything, in fact, I built myself a holder (board and some nails with a tall hook) so I can keep about 6 or more threads on the top of my machine and can thread a new thread from the front of the machine; my mono just stays on my machine, I never put it away, both the smoke and the clear are on it now! Hope this helps and isn't tooooooo long to make sense of! Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted May 29, 2007 Report Share Posted May 29, 2007 Okay, I just read Myrna's post and I think I don't really "slide" my ruler along either, I stop and reposition etc. You get so smooth at it after awhile that it is almost like continuous stitching! I also very seldom put on my extended base for SID unless I am doing a quilt with alot of ditching or doing alot of ditching that has really long stretches. With a small ruler you can just ditch for a couple of inches and by then the base on your machine is already there so you just keep on going. I was told by my teacher (Darlene Epp) that you can get away without an extended base much easier on our machines because APQS put a good sized base already on our machines, apparently Gamills don't have this so I consider this a great asset on my machine. Some I know just keep their extended bases on all the time; I find it just gets in the way! You will soon find what works best for you! Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrooth Posted May 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2007 OK, so, do I SID from the front of the machine? and does the ruler go in front of or behind the hopping foot? What stitch speed should I use? I have a SR... will that work best for SID? and..... will I have enuf hands to hold the ruler, move the machine, etc? I'm an elementary teacher and have always thought being an octopus would be quite advantageous..... this is another case where I think multiple sets of hands would come in very handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrna Ficken Posted May 30, 2007 Report Share Posted May 30, 2007 Linda, Everyday is different. some day i use the SR some days I don't some days I can go fast some days I rip out every other inch:( I use the the ruler for SID on the left side of the foot and in front. Other rulers like a pinched square or hearts I go all around. Choose the speed and angle that works for you. No rules just do what feel best to you. And it WILL get easier and better all the time. For now relax and take your time. Oh yeah, did I say relax Myrna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted May 30, 2007 Report Share Posted May 30, 2007 Originally posted by smorris Hi everyone I don't use the channel locks to do sid because the seams are never perfectly straight. I just move the machine slowly across the quilt using my fingers to push or pull the fabric a little when necessary if the piecing goes a little "off". I only use the rulers for diagonal lines. Sue in Australia Ditto for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darlene Epp Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I was told by my teacher (Darlene Epp) that you can get away without an extended base much easier on our machines because APQS put a good sized base already on our machines, apparently Gamills don't have this so I consider this a great asset on my machine. Cher ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What I meant Cher, was that because the Millennium and some of the other APQS models have the thread cutter, we have a larger "base" space to begin with. It virtually doubles the width that other machines have and that makes it easier to do SID without a special "extended" base. We "old timers" didn't have extended bases when we started. Sherry Rogers was the first to design a base for the APQS machines, and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I first got one. Now, beginners think they simply can't do SID without one. Somehow there were many of us that DID. It just wasn't very easy or always very pretty. That was in the days before stitch regulators too! My goodness! How DID we do it??!! Practice, practice, practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annlittle1 Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 Linda, you have to work from the front of the machine because you have to see what you are doing. I'm usually right on top of my machine. I work with a small ruler to the left or in front of the machine. I really got the hang of SID using the smallest Megan's Best SID ruler. Now I grab whatever straight edge I have handy. Place the needle down in the ditch, then bring your straight edge up against it. Make sure you have the straight edge parallel to the ditch. Lightly holding your machine with the right hand let the foot run against the ruler. You may have to adjust the ruler at times to be parallel with the stitching since seams are seldom perfectly straight. Go three or four inches and then stop and move the ruler along. I try to watch the front of the foot rather than the needle so I know where I'm going. Use a fine thread such as Bottomline or use Mono-poly. When you finish the line stand back and see if there are any areas that look really bad. If so, fix those areas. Usually its the areas where you got up on the high side of the ditch. I hope this helps. Just remember that it takes PPP, but you'll get it. Phyllis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csmarnin Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Can these rulers be used on any sewing machine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 Hi csmarnin and welcome. I'm not sure what you mean by sewing machine. Most the rulers I use on my longarm are designed to stay on the quilt as the machine moves around it. On a domestic sewing machine (DSM), it is the opposite, the quilt moves and machine does not so I can't see how you would apply this ruler on a DSM. The feed dogs and presser foot really provide the stability to quilt a straight line. Although, if I were going to use my DSM to quilt, I think that I might use a ruler as a guide to draw lines on my quilt before quilting it. Does that make any sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonjaHammond Posted August 17, 2007 Report Share Posted August 17, 2007 I love this forum. Today I am doing SID on another double wedding ring. I do pretty good on SID on straight seams. But I am struggling on these curves. Any suggestions on how to handle the curves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katydids Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Sonja, Are you using some kind of ruler to stitch the curves? You can use a small one such as the "dainty ditcher" or I like to use one with curves such as Myrna's new pinched square template or one of Renae's arcs. They will give you a nice smooth curve to follow along with. Patty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonjaHammond Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Patty: I am using the "Dainty Ditcher". I use this for my straight line SID also. I just looked at Myrna's "Pinched Square". I think that would help on half on the curves. Now I just have to get one. Thank you for bringing this tool to my attention. It looks great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Sonja, I use the arc part of my plastic heart template, or the oval one. You just have to move them around quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryRogers Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Hi gang! My all time fave for curves is an apple core template. It is as handy as a pocket to have those concave and convex curves all in one. I have not produced one "yet" so I bought 2 meant for cutting templates at Joanne fabrics and super glued them together to make them the correct 1/4" thickness. They work like a champ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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