Natalie: Hi everybody, welcome to the
Final Stitch. Today we’re going to be talking about decorative stitches in quilting. Natalie: I’m really excited about today’s episode
so Liz, what is our first question? Liz: So we have a question about using
stitches on the machine. So Mandy says, “I always use my straight line stitching
but I have like 70 more stitches to use. How can I use decorative stitches in my quilting?” Natalie: Well that is absolutely a great question.
I have looked at those stitches many times and wondered if I would ever use any of them. But I
have this great story about this quilt so several, several years ago, I would say
maybe back in 2007 or 2008ish, blogging was big and the quilt
industry was new in the blogging world. And I followed a lot of really fantastic quilt
blogs. And one of the things that they loved to do was contests and give-a-ways. Those things
happened all the time. And so I was just super into it and I entered contests and
shared posts and likes posts and retagged and all those things. And magically, like I never
win anything but I won a quilt. I won this quilt. I was so excited about it. And it came in a
time in my life where I really needed it. And so, know you, over the last ten or 12 years this
has been my comfort quilt. My quilt that’s like, and I don’t know the woman who made
it personally, her name is Penny and she had a blog at the time. And actually she
labeled the quilt which is so smart. She blogged at Sew Take a Hike Type Pad dot com. And this
has just been so meaningful to me. She wrote a great story about it on her blog and I honestly
don’t know if we can still find that story. But that being said, she used a different
stitch in every seam. So the outside of each is one stitch. And then this is a different
stitch. This, every single one is different. Liz: It looks so cool. Natalie: And it was kind of about, she
titled the quilt Surrender which was cool because it was kind of like a way
to sort of give in and enjoy the journey. And so that’s kind of what this quilt is meant to
me and it has brought me a ton of comfort and a ton of peace in my life, which, you know, so Penny
I thank you wherever you are. It’s been super meaningful for me. But I want to share it mostly
because of the cool way that she used decorative stitches to quilt her entire quilt. This quilt
does not have any other quilting except for these stitches which you can see beautifully on the
back. Every single one is different. And it’s so inspirational because it’s something you don’t
often think of. So instead of stitching in the ditch or echo quilting you literally can use your
decorative stitches to machine quilt your quilt. Liz: It’s so pretty. Natalie: So if it’s ok with you I think
I’ll go ahead and show you some stitches. Liz: Ya I think it would be great to show like
how would you choose stitches and how do you set them up to get stitching using this method. Natalie: Right. So every quilt, sorry I mean
every sewing machine is different and so you’ll want to do a little bit of experimenting. So
let me put this away and pull my machine down. Natalie: Alright so I’m going to turn my machine
around and remember every machine is different so yours may not look exactly this way but I
wanted you to kind of see what I’m talking about. So here we have all of the different stitches.
And the number on top of the stitch correlates with the stitch underneath it. So if I flip it to
19 then I’m going to get this stitch right here. I’m going to go all the way to 52 I
think. So that’s going to be this stitch. It makes a little zig zaggy. And then these
buttons here, the plus and minus, this tells you, this one is how long, how far apart your
stitches are and the other one is how wide your stitches are. And that will also change
the way this stitch looks. So you’re going to want to experiment a little bit with width
and length and just see what looks good to you. Liz: So grab some scrap fabric? Natalie: So grab some scrap fabric. I’m
going to demo it on these little ones. You can also use decorative stitches for
applique by the way. But for that we’re just going to demo these real quick
so you can kind of see who they look. Liz: Awesome. Natalie: Alright so grab your practice fabric
and get ready to stitch. And what I’m going to do is stitch for, I don’t know, maybe
about an inch and see if I like it. If I don’t, I’ll widen it or make it
narrower by pushing the plus or minus buttons and once I get something that I like then I’m
going to go ahead and do my actual project. So let’s see, and I think I’ll demo several different
ones just so that you can see how they look. Normally what you want to do with these
stitches, some of ride on the edge and some of them you want to center over. So you
also have to experiment with that a little bit. Liz: So you can decide. Natalie: Figure out where you want to put it in.
You can bring your needle down and do a couple of really slow stitches to just kind of see where it
goes. It really depends on, this is another thing where it is quilter’s choice, it’s preference,
it’s where you want that stitch to land. And you may have to do a little bit of experimenting
to see exactly how you want it to look. Liz: OK. Natalie: So scrap fabric is your friend
today. Alright, they also go nice and slow. So one of the things to remember when you’re
doing decorative stitches is that the machine really is the one you want to be doing all work.
You’re not going to be pushing or moving your fabric around too much because what happens is
the machine is going to push it forward and back based on how the stitch is going. So it’s kind
of an embroidery type project but not really. Liz: But you’re definitely not
going to push or pull it through. Natalie: Yes, ya you’re just kind of watching and
guiding a little bit. I’m going to guide a little because I have a curve here that I’m trying to put
it on which will happen frequently in applique and may happen if you’re topstitching a drunkard’s
path or something with other pieced curves in it. Liz: Gotcha, ok. Natalie: So you just kind of have to go
slow, take your time. This is not a race. You’re not looking to win anything. So. Alright let me pull this out and see how it
looks. So that is pretty good actually. I kind of like it. But we could make it smaller
or narrower or shorter if we wanted to. Liz: Ok. And shorter is going
to be the stitch length? Natalie: Yes Liz: And wider or narrower is
going to be the stitch width? Natalie: Yep. So I can drop it down, I’ll go down to 1.0 and then take this down
to a 3 ½. And then we’ll see how that looks. Liz: Ok Natalie: Just to show the
difference in the sizing. This is actually quite a bit
smaller and closer together. The thing that I love about
this is something you could do just for creative play time. Figure out what
you like. Figure out what your machine can do. Alright, so see how different that looks just by bringing that closer and it
actually almost looks like a zig zag now. Liz: It does. Natalie: So it’s very cool, all the different
things you can do. Shall we try a different one? Liz: Ya. Natalie: Alright, I’m going to go to stitch 50, oh stitch 60. It’s a leaf. So anytime you change
your stitch it automatically sets the width and length back to default. So remember if you’ve
made something super big or super small, if you change your stitch, it resets that. So you’ll
have to adjust every time you switch stitches. But that’s nice because then you’re not going
to end up having, it will come out the way the default setting is the
recommended manufacturer’s setting. Liz: For that stitch? Natalie: Yep, for that specific stitch. Liz: Will you show us that on a different color? Natalie: Sure. Absolutely. Alright. Liz: Because it’s one thing we
get asked too from you guys is how do you choose the thread colors and what kind
of thread are you choosing for these projects so maybe you can tell us a little
about that when you stitch too. Natalie: Well thread color is another
quilter’s choice, absolute preference. If you’re wanting the quilting to show you would pick
something with high contrast so you could use, I would use the color wheel if you’re
wanting to use contrast so if you have a red you want to pick something that’s kind
of a green or you know, just opposite sides. Liz: And let it stand out. Natalie: Yes, blue can have orange or
whatever. But if you’re wanting it to blend in then you want to go with a shade
that is similar to what you’re stitching on. Liz: Gotcha. Natalie: I’m one of those people that like, I love
most of my quilting to be white, almost always. I want it to kind of blend into the background and
not overtake the pattern. And almost always if you go with the background color, even if you
had, say I had a quilt with a navy border, if most of the background is white it’s still going
to blend in better and I think it will enhance or make the quilt look better because you’re
showing off the blocks instead of the quilting. Liz: Ok. Natalie: And the same applies to the
opposite. If you want to show off the quilting you need to use a thread color
that will stand out against the colors. Liz: So if you want the decorative stitching to
stand out you’ll want something that contrasts. And if you want it to blend in and just
be a cool texture, you want it to blend. Natalie: Yep. Liz: Ok. Natalie: Absolutely. Alright so we’ve done a few
of these leaves in their default size which is super pretty. I really like that. But I can
change it. Shall we go bigger this time? Liz: Yes. Natalie: Alright, oop the biggest is four
long and seven wide which is actually about what it is so I don’t know that that
is going to make a huge difference. The default is pretty large on this one.
Oh, this is actually pretty fast which I appreciate. Sometimes I get
impatient when I’m quilting. Liz: Well and the other thing is that the decorative
stitches use more thread than a straight stitch. Natalie: They do, yes. Absolutely they do use
more thread. Alright so this is kind of large, I think maybe I will go smaller. So I’m going
to take it down to half this size. I’m going to do a two and a 3 ½. And see how that looks.
And I’ve noticed, I don’t know if you guys can tell but I’ve noticed that this wants to go right
up the middle so the leaves are on either side. So what I’m going to do is make sure that when
I put my needle down in the middle that it’s against the line that I want to follow. And
then the leaves will shoot out on either side. So these are littler and closer together. Alright, so there’s those ones. See all these
different sizes. It’s really interesting I think. And I enjoy this kind of playing
around and seeing what works and what doesn’t. Ok so I think, I mean, do you want to see
more stitches or shall we start quilting? Liz: Let’s start quilting. Natalie: Alright, let’s do that. Ok, so I have this cute little quilt top, we’re
just doing a little single block for a demo. And I think I’m going to start here in the
middle. Because typically when you’re quilting anything you kind of want to start in the middle
and work out. It’s easier that way because then you don’t end up having all the bulk of the quilt
in the throat of the machine at the same time. So I’m actually going to slide this under and
then kind of roll it up. That’s not too bad. And I think I’m going to stick with that leaf
but I am going to set it back to where it started because I really like that. Is that good? Liz: Then what’s great is because you have the
white background you have the white thread. And do you use the same thread
in the bobbin as in the top? Natalie: I usually do because when
you’re using a decorative stitch sometimes the bobbin shows through. And so
if you have different colors you might see pops of the opposite color either on the
front or on the back, just because it, like the tension is slightly different. Let
me just take a look here. Ya occasionally the tension will be looser or tighter than like
your normal straight stitch and so you’ll want to make sure that those colors are the same,
just so that it looks like a smoother stitch. Liz: Ok. Natalie: And if you have trouble
with tension you’ll just have to experiment with that a little bit.
It doesn’t typically cause an issue. Liz: Right so we can usually leave that be? Natalie: Right, normally you don’t have to adjust
it too much with a decorative stitch because your machine is built for that. So if
your tension is good it shouldn’t affect it. But using the same color thread
is going to give you a cleaner result. Liz: Ok. Natalie: Variegated thread is fun too by the way. Liz: That is true. Natalie: A whole different episode. Alright so I’m going to go ahead and start
stitching this down right on top of the seam and I think it’s actually going to be a really
fun quilting design. It’s always inspiring to see how other people’s minds work and what
creative and fun ideas they come up with. Liz: Ya we’d love to see what you guys make. If you
share with us using the hashtag #msqcshowandtell on social media then we can see your projects. We want to see which stitches
you choose and how you use them. And again, Natalie, you’re just holding that
gently and letting the machine do the work? Natalie: The machine is pulling it right
along and I’m just trying to keep it straight. Alright so I’m at the corner so I am going to
stop and turn but I’m going to. What I did there is I waited until the machine finished the last
stitch and was back on the stem. So you want to find a good place to start and make your turn.
And so then I’m going to leave my needle in and just turn it. And I think this is a fun way
for your quilting to feel really decorative and a little bit elevated from just stitching in the
ditch. And I also, whenever I stitch in the ditch I kind of feel like I don’t do a very good job
because my seam is never quite exactly even. Liz: It wobbles just a little. Natalie: Yes and it drives me crazy. So for
me this is a great way to stitch in the ditch without having that straight seam end up looking
a little bit crooked and me feeling like I did a terrible job even though it’s fine. It’s
safe and fun and looks really pretty. So I’m excited about this. So I’ve turned
my corner and just keep right on going. Alright, I’m just going to hit my little
locking stitch just to lock that in place and then we are all done. I think you’ll be able to see
this even better on the back. Ya, see, I think that is just such a fun way to
machine quilt your quilt. Alright one more idea that we have is that oftentimes you want to put
your binding on your quilt by machine. And you can use a decorative stitch to attach your
binding as well, which is also kind of fun. Liz: Ok. Natalie: So let me get this trimmed
up and I’ll show you how to do that. Liz: Ok Natalie: Alright so I have got
this little quilt top trimmed and I’ve added the binding and remember
if you’re going to do a machine stitch most often we add the binding to the back and
then flip it around to the front. That way that pretty decorative stitch shows and I can see it
right on the front. And that way also you have that nice line to follow and you’re not
stitching your front blindly. So that is what we’re going to do . It goes on in the same
way, same corners, same closing, same everything. But I’m going to start, I’m going to start in the
middle of one side that has to do with corners because I don’t want to start at my corner.
It’s easier to start and end in the middle. Liz: Ok. Natalie: So that is what we’re going to do.
And I’m going to just pick a stitch. I would highly recommend and we’ll just go ahead and do
this. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to choose a stitch. I’m going to go with I think
number 52. It’s kind of like a turkey stitch. I think it’s pretty cute, oop one more back.
And then I’m going to test the default. Typically the default is the best sizing but I
want to look at it and make sure I don’t need to make any adjustments. I’m pretty sure this one
is called turkey just because it looks like what a little turkey footprint might look like.
But I’m not sure what the names are of all the other stitches. If anybody has a stitch
name encyclopedia that would be kind of fun. Liz: That would be fun. Natalie: It would be interesting
to know what they’re called. Liz: So we all know the zig zag but there
are some that look like little stars and look like little snowflakes and you may
call it an asterisk or something else so Natalie: Ya or you have the blanket stitch
or the, what do they call that again? Liz: There’s all different
names for that one I remember. Natalie: Ya the binding stitch or the perfect
fold stitch or something. I don’t know. Anyways. Liz: So you can choose just based on how
they look to you and make them yours. Natalie: So I think I’m actually going to make
this a little bit wider. Oop I can’t make it wider. I’m going to make it a little farther apart
I think, and just see how that looks real quick. Ya that spreads it out just a tiny bit more
and I like that better. Ok so that is what I’m going to do. I’ve found the size that I want and
the size length and everything. I’m going to use a white thread because I want it to show up. If
I’m going to do this fun stitch I want to see it. You can, so let me just tell you a little secret
Mom likes to press her binding when she’s doing a decorative stitch and it actually does
make it much easier. So real quick what I’m going to do is put it face down
so you’re pressing the side where the seam is and that makes it kind of lay super flat
and it gives you just a little bit more pull. Liz: Easier to pull over. Natalie: Ya so I’m going to do that real
quick. This is a small quilt so it won’t take long at all. And it just presses
it, it just makes it have, it’s like it’s already going the way you want it to go
so when you try to pull it around it’s there. And it can be pretty quick. And she just does the seams, the corners
are a separate deal. They’re not that difficult once you’ve got this part
done. Ok so starting in the middle pulling it around. And that does, that
makes a lot of difference actually. Now I want to make sure that my
stitch is going to be in the middle of the seam because I want it to hit the quilt
and the binding so it will go back and forth. The nice thing about this is again even
though you’re doing almost a stitch in the ditch it doesn’t have to be perfectly
straight to look good. Such a comfort to me. Liz: It’s forgiving, right? Natalie: Yes. You still want to go slow. You
still may want to use binding clips if you’re worried about keeping that binding
all secure and not letting it get warped or I’m using a bias binding because I have
this really cool diagonal stripe so I’m going to continue to stop and check and make sure it is
flat and straight. But ya just take your time. Stop and start as needed. It’s definitely a
thing to be patient with. Just going to take a little more time than a straight stitch
but a lot less time than a hand binding. And we can already see this coming together here.
It’s pretty cute. Ok so I am, I mean I’m within a couple of inches of my corner. So what I’m going
to do is go ahead and make that mitered corner. And I’m going to add a binding clip or two to
hold all of it in place so that as I get closer I don’t have to worry too much about things
coming apart. So I’m going to hold that down. It’s just the same way that you would do your
mitered corner if you were hand stitching. And I’m going to stick that in. I’m going to put
another one right down here to keep that going. And that way all I have to worry
about is this little bit right here. And you can stop and start as
you’re decorative stitching. So you get back where you belong. Alright I’m going
to slide this little guy out of the way and get all the way up into the corner, putting
this right underneath the presser foot so that it grabs it like it’s supposed to. It’s still
going super slow. This is also where you might, you might actually use one of those
little, what are those things called? Liz: Stiletto? Natalie: Yes a stiletto. Alright I
have hit the corner and I’m going to keep my needle down and just pivot and put my
presser foot back down and keep right on going. I’m going to stop and take out my
binding clip so that I don’t hit that. Liz: And just in case you don’t know
what the stiletto is we’re not talking about the high heel, we’re talking about a
little pointy, kind of almost tweezer-like tool that lets you push a piece without
getting your finger too close to the needle. Natalie: Yes, it’s kind of a, kind
of looks like a sharp, like a skewer. Liz: Yes it does. Natalie: They make them really cute
though. And sometimes you can get a seam ripper that has a stiletto on the
other end. You have a double ended tool. We can talk about those another time. But
typically you would use that if you need to hold a little piece of fabric down
either when you’re doing a curve but I think also here at the corner to keep that flap
or that miter just in exactly the right place. Liz: So ya if there are other tools you’d like
to know about ask us about those in the comments. Natalie: I had a tool for years, I had
no idea what it was for. I was like why is this in the sewing kit, I don’t
know what to do with it. But anyways. Liz: So if you have some of
those, share them with us. Natalie: Ya So that is it. I mean essentially you
just go all the way around the entire binding. And keep your corners tucked in.
Decorative stitches are great for just so many purposes and I love them in quilting. Natalie: Thanks so much for joining
me and for asking about decorative stitches. I had a lot of fun. Join
me next time on the Final Stitch.
