Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ONE OR TWO ?

This is a technique I learned a long time ago and deiced to try again. If you have a zig zag throat plate on your machine, you can use a twin needle  to sew. We use to use them to sew the decorative double hem on knit clothing. Wow I am really dating myself. I also learned to use it in FMQ. They come in different widths and size combinations as well as needle type. I happened to have a 2.0/80 universal and a 4.0/100 denim. There are smaller...1.5 and larger..6.0 which is the widest distance between the two needles. The first number refers to the distance between needles and the second number refers to the needle size. In terms of threading, I have two spindles, but the spools were too big so I used a bobbin for one thread. I threaded the machine as though I had one thread until I reached the needle. Be careful not to get threads twisted. You might want to consult your manual. I did slow down until I felt things were going well. These needles are not strong and I could see them flex as I sewed.Tension was an issue and I just adjusted my upper tension until I was happy. Below is the result of my experiment. I really like the more open stitches as they have a ribbon like appearance without having to repeat stitching. I think using a twin needle to FMQ has a place. Try it and let me know what you think.
 
looks like regular FMQ

 
until you get closer.....2.5mm needle

 
4.0 mm needle

 
use bobbin if spools too big to fit

 
size difference.

2 comments:

Marjorie said...

I've sewed quite a bit with twin needles and my immediate reaction was "but what about the zig-zag on the back?". My recollection is that the shared bobbin creates a zig pattern. Are you as happy with the back as the front?

Carol said...

Interesting. I can see that working for a wall hanging.