Friday 26 June 2015

Nifty Sewing Machine Tool

I don't actually know what this nifty little tool is called, but it is a great help to many sewers so I thought I would share it here. Whenever its spotted at workshops, everyone always wants one! Well, it's cheap at about $6 when I purchased mine and I found it in Spotlight.
It has a magnet on the back and you use it alongside your sewing foot to jut the fabric along evenly at the spacing you desire. This is especially helpful for new sewers.
So you just pop it into position and as you sew, you know that you fabric is allocated the same margin as you feed it under the foot.
Nifty, isn't it? I have many sewing machines and not one came with a tool like this, which really makes me wonder why not?

11 comments:

  1. How cool! You will have us all running to spotlight . Thanks for the info.

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    1. Bayswater. Someone just emailed me that it doesn't exist at the Box Hill store and no one there knew what she was talking about.

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  2. Why didn't I think of that.

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  3. Another way to mark the seam allowance and not have it damage your machine is with a small pack of post it notes same height as what your magnet is. They are repositionable as when you take them off and want to use them again just remove the bottom note, and there is lots of post it's left. Put the gummed side on the quarter inch line and sew away.

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    1. Do you really think it damages machines? I've never heard of that, I'll have to look into it. Great tip with the post it note pad, I'll have to remember that!

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  4. By the way these were always referred to as ' magnetic seam guides ' and in past years were not to be used with electronic machines due to the magnets. I have used mine on my older machine that is not electronic. I also have an older machine that has one that is slotted ( non - magnetic ) and you regulate to width by a screw and using the slide section. It came with my mom's machine which I inherited and used to sew all of my quilts with in the past.

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    1. How interesting, thanks for the info Linda. I use it with an old straight stitcher and have never had an issue with it. No one I know has had any issues with it either, I wonder how powerful the magnet is? I'd love to hear more experiences with it, I do wonder if new machines would be bothered by it.

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  5. I've had one of those for year but I'm reluctant to use it on my computerised sewing machine as apparently magnet can mess up the computer. Just something to be aware of.

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  6. I was always told not to use anything with magnets around my computerized Bernina. I had a magnetic bobbin holder and the Bernina guy had a fit. I'm always up for new tools though. Thanks for sharing though. Keep those sewing hints coming! XO

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  7. I use these all the time in my children and adult learn to sew classes..on computerized machines and never a problem on a Baby Lock machine. Great tool.

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  8. I have a screw-down version of this seam guide, a vintage accessory for my Singer Featherweight sewing machines. I love it for piecing (especially since my 1935 Featherweight predates the innovation of seam allowance markings on the stitch plate!). Bernina also makes a version almost identical to the Featherweight cloth guide that is adjustable to any seam width and screws onto the bed of the Berninas. I had never seen the magnetic ones, though!

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