Securing Seams
Most folks coming to people powered sewing from modern machines are used to
securing seam lines by using reverse. Actually, I consider this a very poor
method. Very few machines/people are good at consistently sewing back exactly
over the original stitches. A few old machines, primarily European ones and
the later Singers, have reverse, but most people powered machines don't. Remember
that in quilting or making blocks, most seams will be sewn across in subsequent
operations, and no securing is necessary. However, assuming you are sewing
something that does require the seam to be secured, here are the systems that
are most commonly used, including those for machines that don't have reverse:
1. Reverse the Material: This is a very awkward system, but
I can remember my mother sewing clothes and doing this and saying that this
is what she was taught in sewing class in school. I can also remember her
joy when she replaced her Singer Red Eye treadle with a White 77 that not
only had reverse, but had the system with separate stitch length controls
for forward and reverse, so that in using reverse for securing, you could
keep it set to tiny stitches. If you are going to have reverse, this is the
best system ever devised but it was never offered on a people powered machine.
2. Back Sewing: This was a very common and preferred system
for professional seamstresses in the old days, and was used by some even when
they had reverse. My grandmother "took in sewing", in the terms
of the 40's and 50's, and had a 201, but this was how she secured seams on
clothes. She was very confident that the seams wouldn't come undone because
she carefully placed the securing or locking stitches over the originals.
To back sew, begin seam by sewing three or four stitches, lift foot, slide
material back to beginning, lower foot and re-start seam, sewing over the
original stitches. To end seam, do the same, sew to end, lift foot, slide
material back three or four stitches, and sew over the end stitches again.
This becomes habit very quickly, and your eye generally does a much better
job of putting the "lock stitches" over the originals than a machine
with reverse does.
3. Change to Smaller Stitch: If your machine has a relatively
easy stitch length adjustment, you can start and end seams with a very short
stitch. Short stitches are less likely to come out than long ones. Really
short ones are very unlikely to work loose. However, many of our old machines
have very awkward stitch length adjustments, like the Singer 27's and 28's,
or have adjustments that are very touchy, with lock nuts to be dealt with.
This system works well, but only if you are comfortable using it with your
machine.
4. Drag Tacking: This is what I do now on all machines, including
any that have reverse, which I find I just don't use any more. Let me begin
by saying that many, even most, folks operate their machines with excessive
foot pressure. Aside from anything else, this tends to cause puckering and
skipped stitches or fabric stoppage on doubled seams. I operate with just
enough foot pressure for the machine to move the fabric easily. At the beginning
and end of a seam that will need to be secured, I simply increase the pressure
of my fingers or the heel of my hand on the fabric... just enough to stop
the feed. The machine makes several stitches in virtually the same place,
the same effect that you create by the "switch to a small stitch"
method, only more so. I release the pressure again before the machine can
deform the fabric. This technique is really easy and becomes habit to the
point that, as I said, I find myself not bothering with reverse even on machines
that have it. I find it a much more secure system, and easier to use, than
any of the others. It's drawback is that when you have to rip a seam out,
you will find out just how secure three stitches in the same spot really are.
Captain Dick