Sewing Guide This guide describes useful sewing tips as well as procedures for using the various utility stitches. Be sure to first read the "IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS" in the Operation Manual. Refer to the Operation Manual for detailed instruction.
CONTENTS CONTENTS USEFUL SEWING TIPS........................... 3 Sewing Tips........................................................ 3 Trial sewing ..................................................... 3 Changing the sewing direction ........................... 4 Sewing curves.................................................. 5 Sewing cylindrical pieces ................................ 6 Sewing an Even Seam Allowance....................... 7 Changing the needle position ..........................
USEFUL SEWING TIPS USEFUL SEWING TIPS Sewing Tips USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Trial sewing Before starting your sewing project, we recommend sewing trial stitches using thread and scrap fabric that are the same as those used for your project. While checking the sewing results, adjust the thread tension as well as the stitch length and width according to the number of fabric layers and stitch that is sewn. Note • Other factors, such as fabric thickness, stabilizer material, etc.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Changing the sewing direction a When the stitching reaches a corner, stop the machine. Leave the needle lowered (in the fabric). If the needle remains up when the machine stops sewing, lower the needle. b Raise the presser foot lever. c Turn the fabric. d Lower the presser foot lever and continue sewing. 4 Turn the fabric using the needle as a pivot.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing curves USEFUL SEWING TIPS Sew slowly while slightly changing the sewing direction to sew around the curve. For details on sewing with an even seam allowance, refer to “Sewing an Even Seam Allowance” on page 7. When sewing along a curve while using a zigzag stitch, select a shorter stitch length in order to obtain a finer stitch.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing cylindrical pieces Removing the flat bed attachment allows for free-arm sewing, making it easier to sew cylindrical pieces such as sleeve cuffs and pant legs. a Pull the flat bed attachment off to the left. b Slide the part that you wish to sew onto the free arm, and then sew from the top. 1 Free arm c 6 When you are finished with free arm sewing, install the flat bed attachment back in its original position.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS Sewing an Even Seam Allowance ■ Changing the needle position The needle position used as the baseline is different for the straight stitch (left needle position) and the straight stitch (middle (center) needle position). 1 . USEFUL SEWING TIPS To sew an even seam, start sewing so that the seam allowance is to the right of the presser foot, and the edge of the fabric is aligned with either the right edge of the presser foot or a marking on the needle plate.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Aligning the fabric with a needle plate marking The markings on the needle plate show the distance from the needle position of a seam sewn with the straight stitch (left needle position). Sew while keeping the edge of the fabric aligned with a marking on the needle plate. The distance between the markings in the upper scale is 1/8 inch (3 mm) and the distance between the markings in the grid is 5 mm (3/16 inch). For stitches with a left needle position (Stitch width: 0.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Aligning the fabric with zigzag foot “J” a USEFUL SEWING TIPS The marking on zigzag foot “J” can be used to sew about 5 mm (3/16 inch) from the edge of the fabric. When using this feature, select a straight stitch, and set the stitch width to 2.0 mm. b c 1 Stitch width 2.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS Sewing Various Fabrics ■ Sewing thick fabrics If the fabric does not fit under the presser foot The presser foot lever can be raised to two different positions. If the fabric does not fit under the presser foot, for example, when sewing together thick fabrics, raise the presser foot lever to its highest position so that the fabric can be placed under the presser foot. a Raise the presser foot lever. b Align the beginning of stitching, and then position the fabric.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing thin fabrics USEFUL SEWING TIPS When sewing thin fabrics, the stitching may become misaligned or the fabric may not feed correctly. If this occurs, place thin paper or stabilizer material under the fabric and sew it together with the fabric. When you have finished sewing, tear off any excess paper.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing stretch fabrics First, baste the pieces of fabric together, and then sew without stretching the fabric. If the stitching is misaligned, place non-woven water soluble stabilizer under the fabric and sew them together. 1 1 Basting For best results when sewing on knit fabrics use the stretch stitches. Also be sure to use a needle for knits (Ball Point needle (gold colored)). The recommended stitches and their stitches are shown below.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing leathers or vinyl fabrics When sewing fabrics that may stick to the presser foot, such as leather or vinyl fabrics, replace the presser foot with the walking foot* or non stick foot*. USEFUL SEWING TIPS * Items sold separately, please contact your authorized Brother dealer. 1 1 Leather If the leather or vinyl fabric sticks to the flat bed attachment, sew with copy paper or tracing paper placed on top of the flat bed attachment so the fabric moves smoothly.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS ■ Sewing hook-and-loop fastener tape CAUTION • Use only the adhesive-free hook-andloop fastener tape which is designed for sewing. When the glue adheres to the needle or the bobbin case, it may cause malfunction. • If the hook-and-loop fastener tape is sewn with the thin needle (65/9-75/ 11), the needle may bend or break. Note • Before sewing, baste together the fabric and the hook-and-loop fastener tape.
USEFUL SEWING TIPS Sewing Decorative Stitch Patterns Fabric USEFUL SEWING TIPS When sewing on stretch fabrics, lightweight fabrics, or fabrics with coarse weaves, attach stabilizer on the wrong side of the fabric. An alternative would be to place the fabric on thin paper such as tracing paper.
UTILITY STITCHES UTILITY STITCHES You can see the “Stitch chart” from “ http:// s.brother/cmkag/ ”. CAUTION • Before replacing the presser foot, be sure to turn off the machine, otherwise injuries may occur if the foot controller or any button is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing. For details on changing the presser foot, refer to the Operation Manual.
UTILITY STITCHES Basic Stitching Straight stitches are used for sewing plain seams. Baste or pin together the fabric pieces. b Attach zigzag foot “J”. c Select a stitch. * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number. d Lower the needle into the fabric at the beginning of the stitching. e Start sewing. With the straight stitch and the triple stretch stitch, the needle position can be adjusted.
UTILITY STITCHES Overcasting Stitches Sew overcasting stitches along the edges of cut fabric to prevent them from fraying. d ■ Using overcasting foot “G” a Attach overcasting foot “G”. G b Rotate the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise). Check that the needle does not touch the presser foot. 1 The needle should not touch the presser foot center bar. e Select a stitch. Sew with the edge of the fabric against the presser foot guide. 1 * Stitches may differ depending on the model.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Using zigzag foot “J” a Attach zigzag foot “J”. b Select a stitch. c UTILITY STITCHES * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number. Sew along the edge of the fabric with the needle dropping off the edge at the right.
UTILITY STITCHES Blind Hem Stitching Secure the lower edge of skirts and pants with a blind hem. c Memo 3 • When the size of cylindrical pieces is too small to slide onto the arm or the length is too short, the fabric will not feed and desired results may not be achieved. a Turn the skirt or pants inside out. b a Fold the lower edge of fabric to the desired length to be hemmed and then press.
UTILITY STITCHES e Unfold the edge of fabric, and position the fabric with the wrong side facing up. j Position the fabric with the edge of the folded hem against the presser foot guide, and then lower the presser foot lever.
UTILITY STITCHES Memo • Blind hem stitches cannot be sewn if the left needle drop point does not catch the fold. If the needle catches too much of the fold, the fabric cannot be unfolded and the seam appearing on the right side of the fabric will be very large, leaving an unattractive finish. l Sew with the fold of the hem against the presser foot guide. m Stop sewing when you are finished, and raise the presser foot and needle to pull the fabric under the presser foot towards the back of the machine.
UTILITY STITCHES Buttonhole Sewing The maximum buttonhole length is about 28 mm (1-1/8 inches) (diameter + thickness of the button). a Use chalk to mark on the fabric the position and length of the buttonhole. Buttonholes are sewn from the front of the presser foot to the back, as shown below. b a b Pull out the button guide plate of buttonhole foot “A”, and then insert the button that will be put through the buttonhole. 1 Reinforcement stitching * Stitches may differ depending on the model.
UTILITY STITCHES Example: For a button with a diameter of 15 mm (9/16 inch) and a thickness of 10 mm (3/8 inch), the button guide plate should be set to 25 mm (1 inch) on the scale. 1 f 1 10 mm (3/8 inch) 2 15 mm (9/16 inch) 1 2 1 Buttonhole lever The size of the buttonhole is set. c Attach buttonhole foot “A”. d Select a stitch. The buttonhole lever is positioned behind the bracket on the buttonhole foot.
UTILITY STITCHES k Use the seam ripper to cut towards the pin and open the buttonhole. 1 UTILITY STITCHES 1 Seam ripper For keyhole buttonholes, use the eyelet punch to make a hole in the rounded end of the buttonhole, and then use the seam ripper to cut open the buttonhole. 1 1 Eyelet punch • When using the eyelet punch, place thick paper or some other protective sheet under the fabric before punching the hole in the fabric.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Sewing buttonholes on stretch fabrics Available on models with the following stitches. When sewing buttonholes on stretch fabrics, use a gimp thread. a Hook the gimp thread onto the part of buttonhole foot “A” shown in the illustration. b It fits into the grooves, and then loosely tie it. c Attach buttonhole foot “A”. d Select a stitch. * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number.
UTILITY STITCHES Button Sewing (for models equipped with the button fitting foot “M”) Buttons can be sewn on with the machine. Buttons with two or with four holes can be attached. Measure the distance between the holes in the button to be attached. b Raise the presser foot lever, and then slide the feed dog position switch, located at the rear of the machine on the base, to (to the left as seen from the rear of the machine). The feed dogs are lowered. c Attach button fitting foot “M”.
UTILITY STITCHES h Sew about 10 stitches at a slow speed. i Use scissors to cut the upper thread and the bobbin thread at the beginning of the stitching. (For models equipped with the sewing speed controller on the machine) Set the sewing speed controller to the left so that the speed will be slow. Pull the upper thread at the end of the stitching to the wrong side of the fabric, and then tie it with the bobbin thread.
UTILITY STITCHES Zipper Insertion ■ Inserting a centered zipper Stitching is sewn on both pieces of fabric butted against each other. d Press open the seam allowance from the wrong side of the fabric. 1 1 Wrong side of fabric 3 1 Right side of fabric 2 Stitching 3 End of zipper opening a Attach zigzag foot “J”. b Sew straight stitches up to the zipper opening. e b a c With the right sides of the fabric facing each other, sew reverse stitches after reaching the zipper opening.
UTILITY STITCHES g Attach the presser foot holder to the right pin of zipper foot “I”. I i Topstitch around the zipper. 1 1 2 3 2 4 1 Pin on the right side 2 Needle drop point Select the straight stitch (middle (center) position). h needle 1 2 3 4 * Check the stitch number on the machine’s body, and set the machine for that stitch.
UTILITY STITCHES Appliqué, Patchwork and Quilt Stitching ■ Appliqué stitching a Baste or glue the appliqué piece to the base fabric to secure it. Note d Turn the handwheel toward you (counterclockwise), and then begin sewing around the edge of the appliqué, making sure that the needle drops just outside of the appliqué. b Attach the zigzag foot “J”. c Select a stitch.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Patchwork (crazy quilt) stitching a Fold the edge of the top piece of fabric and place it over the lower piece. b Attach zigzag foot “J”. c Select a stitch. • The stitches shown below are examples. Select the desired stitch. * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number. d Sew the two pieces of fabric together so the stitch pattern spans over both pieces. Use pins if necessary.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Piecing Sewing together two pieces of fabric is called “piecing”. The fabric pieces should be cut with a 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) seam allowance. Sew a piecing straight stitch 6.5 mm (1/4 inch) from either the right side or the left side of the presser foot. Baste or pin along the seam allowance of the fabric that you wish to piece together. b Attach zigzag foot “J”. c Select a stitch. * Check the stitch number on the machine’s body, and set the machine for that stitch. d 1.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Quilting Sandwiching batting between the top and bottom layers of fabric is called “quilting”. Quilts can easily be sewn using the walking foot* and the quilting guide*. d Lower the presser foot lever, and then tighten the presser foot holder screw with the screwdriver. * Items sold separately, please contact your authorized Brother dealer.
UTILITY STITCHES Using the quilting guide (sold separately) Use the quilting guide to sew parallel stitches that are equally spaced. a Insert the stem of the quilting guide into the hole at the rear of the walking foot or presser foot holder. Walking foot UTILITY STITCHES b Presser foot holder Adjust the stem of the quilting guide so that the guide aligns with the seam that has already been sewn.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Free motion quilting We recommend attaching the foot controller and sewing at a consistent speed. b (For models equipped with the sewing speed controller on the machine) You can adjust the sewing speed with the sewing speed controller on the machine. * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number.
UTILITY STITCHES e Hold the quilting foot in place with your right hand, and tighten the presser foot holder screw using the screwdriver with your left hand. 1 UTILITY STITCHES 1 Presser foot holder screw CAUTION • Be sure to securely tighten the screws with the included screwdriver. Otherwise, the needle may touch the quilting foot, causing it to bend or break. f Use both hands to hold the fabric taut, and then move the fabric at a consistent pace in order to sew uniform stitches roughly 2.0 mm - 2.
UTILITY STITCHES Other Stitching Applications ■ Elastic attaching When elastic tape is attached to the cuff or waist of a piece of clothing, the finished dimensions will be that of the stretched elastic tape. Therefore, it is necessary that a suitable length of the elastic tape be used. a Pin the elastic tape to the wrong side of the fabric. d Sew the elastic tape to the fabric while stretching the tape so that it is the same length as the fabric.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Bar tack stitching Available on models with the following stitch. d Bar tacks are used to reinforce points subject to strain, such as pocket corners and openings. Position the fabric so that the opening of the pocket faces toward you, and then lower the presser foot lever so that the needle drops 2 mm (1/16 inch) in front of the pocket opening. As an example, the procedure for sewing bar tacks at pocket corners is described below.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Fagoting Available on models with the following stitches. f Stitching across an open seam is called “fagoting”. It is used on blouses and children's clothing. This stitch is more decorative when thicker thread is used. a Use an iron to fold the two pieces of fabric along their seams. b Baste the two pieces of fabric, separated by about 4 mm (3/16 inch), onto thin paper or a sheet of water soluble stabilizer.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Scallop stitching Available on models with the following stitch. The wave-shaped repeated stitch pattern that looks like shells is called “scalloping”. It is used on the collars of blouses and to decorate the edges of projects. Attach monogramming foot “N”. b Select a stitch. UTILITY STITCHES a * Check the stitch number on the machine’s body, and set the machine for that stitch. c Stitch along the edge of the fabric, making sure not to sew directly on the edge of the fabric.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Smocking Available on models with the following stitches. e Stitch between the straight stitches and pull out the threads for the straight stitches. The decorative stitch created by stitching or embroidering over gathers is called “smocking”. It is used to decorate the front of blouses or cuffs. The smocking stitch adds texture and elasticity to fabric. a Attach zigzag foot “J”. b Select the straight stitch, and then adjust the stitch length to 4.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Shell tuck stitching Available on models with the following stitch. The gathers that look like shells are called “shell tucks”. They are used to decorate trims, the front of blouses or cuffs made of thin fabrics. Draw equally spaced lines along the bias, and then fold the fabric along the lines. b Attach zigzag foot “J”. c Select a stitch, and then increase the thread tension. UTILITY STITCHES a * Check the stitch number on the machine’s body, and set the machine for that stitch.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Joining Available on models with the following stitches. Decorative bridging stitches can be sewn over the seam allowance of joined fabrics. This is used when making a crazy quilt. a Attach zigzag foot “J”. b Sew together the right sides of the two pieces of fabric, and then open up the seam allowances. c Select a stitch. * Stitches may differ depending on the model. Check stitch selections on the machine’s body, and then select the stitch number.
UTILITY STITCHES ■ Heirloom stitching (for models equipped with the monogramming foot “N”) When sewing with the wing needle, the needle holes are enlarged, creating a lace-like decorative stitch. This is used to decorate hems and tablecloths on thin or medium weight fabrics in addition to plain weave fabrics. Start sewing. Install the wing needle. UTILITY STITCHES a d • Use a 130/705H 100/16 wing needle. • For details on replacing a needle, refer to the Operation Manual.
MAKING ADJUSTMENT MAKING ADJUSTMENT If the stitch pattern is bunched: Press the “+” stitch length key several times. (Available on models with 25 or more stitches.) Your stitch pattern may sometimes turn out poorly, depending on the type or thickness of fabric, the stabilizer material used, sewing speed, etc. If your sewing does not turn out well, sew trial stitches using the same conditions as the real sewing, and adjust the stitch pattern as explained below.
INDEX INDEX A P Appliqué ..................................................................... 31 Patchwork ................................................................... 32 Piecing ........................................................................ 33 B Bar tack stitch ............................................................. 39 Basic stitching ............................................................ 17 Blind hem stitch .........................................................
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