The hand look quilt stitch, stitch number 38, is a unique stitch.
It is going to make it look like you've stitched by hand using your sewing machine.
This does take some setup.
I'm sure somewhere along the line, there was a gal that was stitching with some clear thread
and had something so messed up in her machine and it stitched and it said, oh my gosh, that
looks like hand stitching.
Now, the sewing machine companies put this stitch pre-programmed in, but you've got to
know how to set it up.
First off, clear thread needs to go in the needle of the sewing machine.
I use a thread stand when using clear thread because, as you can see ... well, you may
not be able to see, but right now, as it's coming off the spool, it's kind of got some
kinks to it as it's going.
By having it a little further away than right on the top of your machine, that's going to
give it time to relax.
It just has a mind of its own and if we give it a little time, it works much better.
A thread stand is going all the way up to the top little guide and then over to the
top guide of the sewing machine and thread like normal.
Next, you take your top tension here and actually increase it to 9 or 10 ... 8, 9 or 10 depending
on how things are set up.
You need to increase this, otherwise, it doesn't work.
Next, the color thread you have in your bobbin is the color of the hand stitching that it's
going to look like.
I know, weird, but layer up your fabric with some batting and we'll zoom in here and see
what it's going to look like.
With the stitch selected, we're going to find that it has a unique sequence.
As it stitches, we're going to find that it has a forward and back sequence to it.
It goes forward a couple times, it comes back and locks and then goes forward again.
But, because the tension is so tight on top, it drags the bobbin thread, which is the color
that we have selected, and puts it as a stitch on top.
Because the clear thread is going to be stitched in between, it looks like there's a gap or
makes it look like you've stitched by hand where the thread has gone down and underneath
the fabric.
I'll just do a little stitching here.
You've got to wait to see this.
Okay, we'll stop with the needle down.
I do sew a little slower just because, as I'm making sure everything's good, you can
kind of tell the machine is very, very tight because of the tighter tension.
Look how pretty that is.
It looks like it's stitched by hand, especially from your viewpoint.
Once we actually take this out, you're going to notice, and we turn it over, it is not
going to look like it's stitched by hand back here.
It's going to be one solid stitch.
Actually, we've got some heavier stitches in between.
It really is going to show that you didn't do it by hand, but if you want the look of
hand stitching and you don't have the time to do it or maybe your hands aren't giving
you that privilege anymore, this is a great way to do it.
If you are going to start this stitch, sometimes when you start off, it doesn't always pull
that bobbin thread up the very first time you stitch, so give yourself a little place
where you can come back and overlap or start a little further back in your seams.
That is normal.
When you want to turn a corner, you do need to get the rhythm of the stitch and know when
to change.
There is a time and place to change and a time to not change.
I'm going to set this down with the needle in the down position.
It's pretty much after it goes back and takes the locking stitches and jumps forward, that's
when you can turn, or after it takes one more stitch forward.
Depending on what works for you and where you are within your sequence.
There is a couple places within this stitching that you don't want to actually turn a corner
because it will kind of spread it all out.
Definitely get an idea, a rhythm, for this stitch.
At any given time, you can turn a corner or work around some curves there.
It is kind of neat.
I know we don't use it as much these days, but it is a stitch that you have on your machine.