I occasionally hand sew my top stitches on projects using decorative threads. Getting my stitches perfectly straight & even was virtually impossible until I started using my sewing machine to create "guide stitches". Here's how I do it:
- I set my machine's straight stitch length to the desired length of my hand stitches.
- Then, I machine sew a guide stitch right next to where I want to sew my line of hand stitches.
- After the machine stitching, I thread my hand sewing needle with decorative thread & run it through some Thread Heaven. (Thread Heaven is a solid, silicone, thread conditioner that prevents thread tangling & contributes to perfect hand-sewn stitches. It does not leave a residue or stain the fabric. Thread Heaven is available at Thread Play.)
- Now I stitch right next to my machine stitches. The machine stitched guideline helps me sew a straight line with very even stitch length.
- Finally, I remove the machine stitches, leaving only my perfectly placed hand stitches.
A few pointers:
- If you want to create hand stitches which are longer than the maximum stitch length on your machine, simply halve your desired hand stitch length for the machine guide stitch & take one hand stitch for every 2 machine stitches. For instance, if you want to create hand stitches which are 6mm long, (my usual hand stitch length), set your machine to sew a 3mm stitch length & hand sew 1 stitch for every 2 machine stitches, creating 6mm long hand stitches. Alternatively, if you own an artista model, set your stitch length to half of your desired length & engage the "Long Stitch" function. The Long Stitch function will eliminate every second needle penetration, creating the perfect length.
- Place your machine stitches next to, not on, your hand stitching line to make it easier to remove the machine stitches after you finish. Take your needle thread tension down by 1 or 2 numbers to make the machine stitches even easier to remove. Remember, BERNINA machines include a red default line on the tension dial to make it easy to reset your tension. If you own an artista model with computerized tension settings, simply touch the reset button on the screen to return to factory default tension.
- Use your #10 Edge Stitch Foot, or your #37 1/4" Patchwork Foot, or #57 Patchwork Foot with a guide to ensure perfectly straight guide stitching lines.
- Hand stitches should have a bit of dimension to them. Maintain this dimension by not pressing directly over the hand stitches.
Here are a couple of pictures of one of my recent, hand stitched projects. The decorative thread is made up of 5 coordinating colors of Metrosene threads which are twisted together with my husband's hand drill. The buttons are actually just sticks from my yard that my husband cut to length. He also quickly hand carved a groove in the center of each stick to hold the thread. I dyed the sticks to color the cut ends & thread grooves. Then I sewed the sticks to the garment using my decorative thread for a natural, & custom look for this linen top.
 
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