QUILTsocial Issue 6 | Page 24

3 tips on piecing with the PFAFF Passport 3.0 I'm currently working on my charity quilts which gives me the opportunity to break in my new PFAFF Passport 3.0 sewing machine. I get to work on one of my favorite parts of quilting - piecing! I LOVE piecing! It’s quiet and takes me to my Zen place. Using the IDT (built-in walking foot) on my PFAFF Passport 3.0, piecing my quilt blocks just doesn’t get any easier! Since the IDT feeds both layers of fabric at the same time, I can achieve perfectly pieced blocks and I don’t have to spend time pinning! Did I mention I hate pinning? I did all my pressing and cutting ahead of time. I press and starch all of my fabric, then do all of my cutting (and repress the cut pieces if necessary). I then organize the cut pieces so when it’s time to sit down at my machine I can piece to my heart's content. The first thing I do is wind a couple of bobbins with the same thread I'm going to use in the top. Bobbin winding is super easy on the PFAFF Passport 3.0 and it gave me a perfectly wound bobbin the first time I used it. The perfect 1/4" foot by PFAFF allows you to adjust your needle position to achieve either a scant or generous 1/4" seam depending on your preference. A perfect ¼" seam achieved through moving the needle over and using a standard presser foot. Two of the five ¼" feet available from PFAFF QUILTsocial .com | issue 6 When I have enough bobbins wound for my project, I shorten my stitch length for piecing. While not everyone does this, I prefer a 2.0 or even a 1.8 stitch length when I’m piecing, especially if they're small pieces. I think it just gives me a more secure seam, especially for those baby quilts that are going to see lots of use and take frequent trips to the washing machine. Because the buttons on the front of the machine are easily accessible it’s really easy to shorten the stitch length on the PFAFF Passport 3.0. Simply press the “-“ button until you're desired stitch length is showing on the screen. The ¼" foot, with and without the guide Next I choose which of my ¼" feet I want to use. PFAFF has a really good selection of ¼" feet to choose from. Check all the cool tools and accessories at http://www.pfaff.com/accessories . 24 I'm going to use two feet on my quilt. I like the perfect ¼" foot with right guide when I start my piecing, it helps me achieve that perfect seam quickly and efficiently since I can move my needle to give me either a scant ¼” seam or a perfect ¼” seam allowance. Once I’ve accomplished some of the initial piecing, I switch to a ¼" foot without the guide, which I like to use when I'm piecing my blocks together and working with lots of seams. I have a great sight line and