Straight and Even Quilting Stitches - Tips from Paula Reid

Are your stitches not as straight and even as you would like them to be — even when you are using a walking foot?

Two things help make your stitches straight: a single whole throat plate for your machine and using the right needle.

Most machines have a single hole throat-plate available. This plate will have a small single hole for the needle to go in instead of an oval or rectangular slit that is normally used for zig-zag stitching.

 (In the photo below, the straight stitch plate is on the left, a zig-zag plate on the right.

The single hole prevents flagging of the fabric and thread down into the wider hole, giving you a cleaner stitch. Do make a note if you change out your plate though - if you try to zig-zag with it in place, you will break a needle!

Speaking of needles, it's been my experience that a universal needle is too rounded to stitch perfectly straight; it merely finds the point of least resistance and stitches there.

I find that a denim/ jeans needle (I use a Schmetz Denim/Jeans, size 80/12) will punch right through needle-punched cotton batting so that my stitches are straight and even. Try it!

For more tips from Paula, visit her website at http://www.battsintheattic.com/