Bob and Charmayne's hints and tricks

 #3:  zig zag stitches

    
The appearance of your zig zag stitches can look nice or can look poor and sloppy. Look at the pictures and see!

Stitch slowly and smoothly around curves.  The goal is to keep the line you are following in the center of your presser foot. Gradually turn the fabric as you sew.  When the line you are following gets too far off center, stop the machine with your needle down in the fabric on the outside of the curve.  If the line is curving to the left, move the fabric counterclockwise. If the line is curving to the right, turn the fabric slightly clockwise. You want to realign the line to the center of your presser foot. This may take several realignments. Make the adjustment gradually. Don’t make drastic adjustments because your line will look jerky. If the curve is sharp, you may need to realign the fabric every 2-3 stitches.  You want the zigzags to all be even, not tapering.

Make your corners sharp and defined by taking a stitch out and back, using the flywheel, not your foot.
 
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