How do I use twin needles?

Tips for Using Twin Needles


Go slow.


Don't start on bumps, instead I go and inch or two before or after and I go slower over seams.


Don't back stitch unless you must. Going in reverse sometimes breaks the needles. You have two needles that need to hit the fabric at the same time at the same angle that are only anchored in one spot so you just need to be a bit more careful. Again I go a little slower or use the handwheel when going in reverse (which is rare since most things are in a circle and you can go over the first stitches in a forward fashion).


Tension does not have to be cranked down or up but each machine is different.
To make sure I don’t forget a setting I always take the first stitch or two with the hand wheel, just to be sure I’m not set on something that might break the needles, like satin stitch.


Make sure you have enough thread on hand for the process.


Matching your bobbin thread to your serger thread is a very forgiving way to do this.


Matching your thread to the predominant color in the fabric is more forgiving for the learning curve than a contrasting color.
I thought that the zig zag on the back 'needed' to straddle the raw edge.


However since you are sewing from the front you can't see the edge. I used to pin about every inch and measure perfectly so that when I was following a seam guide on the top I'd be right on, worked most of the time (knits get slightly smaller when pulled and so if I wasn't perfect inevitably I'd miss spots). Then I started pinning less often and sewing with a lesser seam allowance by 1/8" (example pin up one inch but use the 7/8" guide), with the small variable in pinning and the slight pull of the knit it was always close enough----to perfect.


Allison's fold over and go by feel method takes practice but it is leaps and bounds better than anything I can think of. To do this, you put your right index finger under the hem along the edge of the fabric with your thumb on top of the garment hem, so you can feel exactly where your hem ends underneath. You can adjust the fold so that it lays right as you feed the fabric. You put your right index finger on top of the garment, again, feeling the hem end. I aim this line at the left needle.