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  1. #1
    Marebear's Avatar Marebear is online now Senior Member
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    Default My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    I have been working on another rag baby quilt and my machine just loves to eat the corners when I am trying to chain piece each block About every 4th one gets sucked into the feed dogs and it chews up the point.

    Does anyone have any helpful hints for this?

    I have tried using my seam ripper to kind of push the corner along, but that doesn't seam to help much. I end up lifting up my foot and then starting in a little bit on the block.

    Thanks for any help!

  2. #2
    llm161's Avatar llm161 is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    Same thing happens to me. Maybe not every 4th . . . but it does happen. I just try to shove the fabric in about 1/8". If I hit it just right, it goes right through. If not, oops, I have to lift the foot. So, no answer, just comisserating with you.
    Linda L Maurer, Peach Bottom, PA

    http://gardenquilting.blogspot.com/

    Only a Quilter has a welcome mat at the door to her home and an
    "Enter at Your Own Risk" sign on the door of her sewing room (by Tom and Madge Powis)

  3. #3
    loulou's Avatar loulou is offline Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    Hi, Maybe the feed-Dogs are clogged up. Just a thought.

  4. #4
    dmt148 is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    Same thing happens to me with cotton or fleece. dmt

  5. #5
    UN-Biased

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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    Have the needle down and line your corner up to it without touching it. this seems to work for me most of the time.

  6. #6
    RFREE's Avatar RFREE is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    I use a square of paper under the edge/corner you are sewing on. That way the corners cant be pushed down in the feed dogs. I keep a stack of cut paper 2X2" right in the drawer next to my machine. The needle perforates the paper and it tears right off. Try this you will be shocked how good it works.
    Hugs from Ky

  7. #7
    Dragonfly's Avatar Dragonfly is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    Another idea that I use is to hold the threads at the back with a slight tension as the fabric feeds in, this usually stops the corner being pushed down as the thread is taut. But I really like the paper square idea as well.
    Lynn

    "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass....it's about learning to dance in the rain" Anonymous.

  8. #8
    rebeccas-sewing's Avatar rebeccas-sewing is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    I've watched a lot of Eleanor Burns quilt tutorials on her website and she uses Dragonfly's (Lynn's) method by holding the threads to the back as the fabric feeds through. I've also seen her and others start with a small piece of fabric that is sewn first (2x2 maybe). Don't cut the threads but immediately start feeding your fabric pieces through after it. After you've finished sewing you just cut off that starter fabric. You can use that same starter over and over. I would use two pieces of starter fabric layered together. I think these are two really good ways to solve the problem. Holding the threads seems like the easiest solution to me.

  9. #9
    mamaquilt's Avatar mamaquilt is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    I've had that too and I use the starter fabric method and that works for me. I use it over and over again. Have to try the paper method also.

  10. #10
    llm161's Avatar llm161 is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: My machine like to eat my fabric!!

    After reading about the paper method I started thinking. . .. . that sounds like a good idea but it just occured to me that I haven't changed my machine needle since I broke one a couple months ago. . . hmmmmmmmmmmmm................ I wonder if a new needle would help. I can't imagine why I didn't think about that before.
    Linda L Maurer, Peach Bottom, PA

    http://gardenquilting.blogspot.com/

    Only a Quilter has a welcome mat at the door to her home and an
    "Enter at Your Own Risk" sign on the door of her sewing room (by Tom and Madge Powis)

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