How to Sew Accurate Seam Allowances Part 2

In continuation of the previous post, I will be sharing my method of making a seam guide on the popular " black-head" sewing machines.

What you need:

1.       A pair of divider (from your maths set)

2.       Removable ink marker

3.       Steel/plastic ruler

 

STEPS

1.       Determine the sewing allowance distances you normally sew. Mine rangeS from 1/4" to 1". (1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4" & 1"

2.       To mark a distance of say 3/4", take your steel ruler, place it perpendicularly to your throat plate, bring your needle down on a point on the ruler and measure a distance of 3/4" to the right (or left, if you use that side too)

3.Take your marker, and mark the throat plate to either sides of the ruler at 3/4" from the needle

4. Turn your ruler the other way, aligning it to the marks you made in the step above.

5. Take your divider, while holding the ruler steady, "rule" or etch a line that is the length of the throat plate. You might need to go forth and back a couple of times to make the line really visible.  Just make sure to keep the ruler steady so you don’t end up with wobbly lines. Viola!

** Sorry, no picture of me using the divider as I needed my hand to take pictures, but surely youget the point?

You can see I have marked severally on my own throat plate, with a couple of lines inaccurate and that I have already etched at 3/4" before taking pictures. That’s because I had been using a tape measure only to mark off my distances before scratching and it didn’t occur to me to use my steel ruler in this way till I started taking pictures for this post. The steel ruler method makes it more accurate.

If you do not want to deface your sewing machine like I have mine, a commentator on the previous post, Adedoyin, suggested that you stick a masking tape to the throat plate and mark off your distances on it. that makes sense.