Sorry for the newby question, but could someone please give me the details on doing bar tacks with my straight stitch singer 201? I finally got the straight stitching down (Mom standing behind me with a ruler in her hand), but am puzzled when looking at bar tacks for webbing. I'm a visual learner, so if someone could diagram it, I would be grateful.
Thanks in advance!
A standard bartack involves a short zigag + short stitch length.
Your straight stitch can't do zigs, so you gotta zag...
Basically do a repetitive straight stitch, forward and reverse, to accomplish a tack stitch of sorts. 3-4 passes will be sufficient for most things.
Or do a box stitch with an X inside. Practice on scraps first to get the technique down.
Ambulo tua ambulo.
Argh! Thanks for the info, gargoyle. My 201 can do reverse, so I'll see what I can do. I've plenty of scrap straps to practice with. I guess I'm getting to far ahead of my self for a beginner.
We were all there once brother.
Keep the faith.
Use a shorter than normal stitch but not real short. If you usually do a 3 or 7-8 depending on your calibration drop down to a 2 - 2.5 or to a 5-7. Going too short can compromise the fabric sandwiched between. Alternately it is suggested that you do straight stitches in line with the webbing rather than across. In that case the stitch lines should be 2-3 times the width of the webbing. Three or four in-line rows would be plenty. The X-Box is kind of a way of combining in-line rows with traditional bar tacks.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series
Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies
Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint
See if this helps
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Both body and soul revel in delight
As day surrenders to inky night
Hint...scroll down to page 11/12.Originally Posted by Busky2
The fact that your machine won't do bar tacks may not be a bad thing. Some bar tacks place stitches so close together in the very thin fabrics that we use, that it essentially cuts the fabric and causes catastrophic failure under load - I've seen it!
Mike
"Life is a Project!"
Thanks, Busky2 for the pdf.
Thanks, Ramblinrev -- I can picture that in my mind. I'm going to Joann's tomorrow for thread and to look at ripstop to play with. I have a brand new roll of 1 1/2 inch aircraft tie down webbing to practice with.
Thanks again, gargoyle, gmcttr and Mad777 -
I think you guy's have created a monster!
Ive played around making bar tacks, and the best I found was the medium zigzag stitch back and forth, 3-4times.
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