QUILTsocial Issue 4 | Page 39

Using the manual cutter on the side of the sewing machine When you finish the seam, pull the work to the side and use the manual thread cutter on the side of the sewing machine to cut off the bobbin and top threads. Doing this will leave a healthy length for the start of the next seam. A quick downward motion works best. This is great when you’re in a hurry and need to get to the next step quickly! I’ve been known to be already standing and ready to walk to the ironing board and yank the threads through the cutter! Chain piecing Nothing to trim once the pieces are snipped apart Chain piecing Another way to keep your work tidy is to chain piece. Because you can get those pieces very close together when you’re sewing them, there are no threads to trim once you clip the pieces apart. Manual thread cutter Clip the threads by hand using snips When I complete the seam, I pull my work to the back of the sewing machine. Then using a pair of snips, I clip the threads close to the work. I find that pulling to the back rather than the front or the side gets my threads more or less organized for the start of the next seam. Pull the work to the back so the threads are more or less organized for the start of the next seam. QUILTsocial .com ● issue 4 39