How Do You Choose The Right Stitch And Properly Adjust It? How To Adjust Sewing Machine Stitches?
If you include all the hand stitches, sewing machine utility stitches, sewing machine decorative stitches, serger
stitches, and industrial manufacturing stitches, you have a bunch of stitches. On a moderately priced home sewing
machine you will find twenty to two hundred different stitches plus variations in stitch length and stitch width as
well as stretch factors. A top quality home sewing machine will have eight hundred to a thousand different
stitches.
There are several distinctly different types of sewing machines and each type uses slightly different systems to
select and form stitches.
Mechanical sewing machines are the least expensive sewing machines and use the most primitive technologies. An AC
electric motor turns a belt which turns the upper sewing machine shaft. The upper shaft transfers the mechanical
energy along the shaft past the cam system to the needle system. A lever on a parabola connection transfers the
mechanical movement down to the lower sewing machine shaft which may be split into a dual lower shaft one to drive
the hook and a second to drive the feed dogs. Stitches are formed in a mechanical machine by aligning cam trackers
(levers that rub against a cam gear with bumps and shallows) with the cam gear so that when the cam gear moved the
tracker lever will bounce back and forth. This movement is then transferred by lever to the needle assembly moving
the needle bar back and forth and up and down to form the desired stitches. The alignment of the cam trackers is
achieved by use of levers, buttons, or dials protruding on the top or face of the sewing machine. The user moves
the stitch selector to the proper position, and the trackers line up to form that stitch. Additional dials or levers
are used to adjust the stitch length and stitch width.
Electronic sewing machines use electronics to control the power drive system and the stitch selection system. Note
many machines are blends of mechanicals and electronic technologies, and others are blends of electronics and
computer technologies. Fully electronic sewing machines use electronic circuits to manage motor output giving the
sewing machine greater torque, increased consistency, and smoother sewing. Stitches are selected with electronic
buttons that control the production of stitches. Electronic sewing machines usually offer more different stitches
and more dependable sewing.
Computerized sewing machines use the most advanced technologies to produce the greatest number of different
stitches, smoothest sewing, and most dependable operations. Computer input is made either by touching buttons on
the computer keypad or a touch screen. The computer takes the signal and manages a set of DC pulse motors to create
and manage stitches. It is common for computerized sewing machines to offer hundreds of different stitches.
To choose a stitch on a mechanical sewing machine turn a dial, move a lever, or press a button. On an electronic
sewing machine, press a button attached to an electronic switch. On a computerized sewing machine, press a button on
the computer keypad or touch the selection on a computerize touch screen.
Three basic types of stitches are used: Utility Stitches, Decorative Stitches, and Button Holes.
Utility Stitches include the straight stitch, the zig zag stitch, the blind hem stitch, stretch stitches, the
overcast stitch, the blanket stitch, and other useful stitches for practical purposes.
Decorative Stitches include many varieties of satin stitches, outline stitches, and specialty stitches.
Button Holes include four step button holes, one step button holes, darning stitches, and eyelet stitches.
What stitches does your sewing machine have?
Take an inventory of your sewing machine. Cut a long piece of test fabric and begin sewing a short row of each
stitch your sewing machine offers. One by one make your way through every stitch your machine offers sew out each
one and adjust the length and width of the stitches to see all the variations you have available. You may be
surprised by what your find. If your sewing machine is a cheap mechanical machine, it may only have straight and
zig zag stitches of various stitch function settings (varied stitch length and/or width). If you have a more
expensive machine you may have twenty, fifty, a hundred, or even hundreds of different stitches.
Make your own stitch set book. Cut your stitch selections into pieces about four inches long. Stack all your
pieces one on top of each other. Sew a seam along one side and keep this stitch set for later reference.
Now you know how to select the various stitches on your sewing machine. You also have a visual example of each
stitch.
To learn more about which stitch is used for what; get all your sewing answers at sewing answers. Com. Read more
about stitches at http://www.sewinganswers.com/SewingHobby.php
