Stitches @ Slight Angle

[JustWakinUp]

Sewing with Artisan 618-1SC. The stitches don't appear to be straight they appear to have a slight 10 - 15 angle to them. Is there a way to fix this? Could it be as easy as my needle being crooked? Thanks

[tonyc1]

Sewing with Artisan 618-1SC. The stitches don't appear to be straight they appear to have a slight 10 - 15 angle to them. Is there a way to fix this? Could it be as easy as my needle being crooked? Thanks

Do you have a leather point needle in the machine. These are available with a left or right hand twist!

[JustWakinUp]

I'm no pro at this but I have a size 18 needle in my machine. It's a leather needle but as for twist, ummmm?

[steveh]

There are many needle types depending on the application. example: wedge, left twist, diamond,triangle ect. they all give a different stitch appearence. I use a triangle point (tri) and trench my work and get a straight stitch.

[steveh]

18 is the needle size, it determines hole size and thread size. 18 is fairly small and you would more than likely use a 69 thread size. On your needle box there should be the needle system and some abbreaviations of the needle type.

[Kevin]

Generally speaking, if the stitch is at an angle, you can safely use a smaller stitch length. A straight stitch if done too small, can weaken or even cut the leather. The advantage of a smaller stitch is that the machine can pull it tighter into the leather instead of it just laying on top to wear out. The angled stitch also looks more like properly done hand stitching which is what I'm trying to get. Kevin

[esantoro]

Generally speaking, if the stitch is at an angle, you can safely use a smaller stitch length. A straight stitch if done too small, can weaken or even cut the leather. The advantage of a smaller stitch is that the machine can pull it tighter into the leather instead of it just laying on top to wear out. The angled stitch also looks more like properly done hand stitching which is what I'm trying to get. Kevin

This is a very useful bit of knowledge, Kevin. Thanks.

Ed

[Hidemechanic]

JWU, Is that needle bar set at an angle or is it 90* to the table?

To check your needle for straitness lay it on a flat surface and roll it, if it wobbles, it's bent(pool que check). Sometimes when you use a thin or lighter weight needle the thread tension can be tight enough to bend the needle as it gets closer to the work just before penatration.

Often times when you change needles but more when you change thread sizes you need to do a test run on scrap to check your thread tension( you have different combinations that will effect tension-large hole small thread vise-versa-Large needle with small thread vise-versa)

. If you are the handy(mechanically minded) type you will figure this out quickly. Either way you will learn to adjust the top thread tensioner and the bobbin tensioner, so they pull together so as to leave the loop in the middle of your work and also leave a nice looking stitch.

Have fun stitchin, GH

[esantoro]

if you hold up a left twist needle oriented the way it fits into the needle bar, which direction is the angle of the needle point, roughly 5:00 (point closest toward you) to 11:00 (point farthest from you) or the other way, 7:00 and 1:00?

Thanks,

Ed

[Jordan]

Just started to mess with my neels5 here are a couple of photos for comment and advise. I am still trying different tensions etc. and learning what all the knobs and moving parts actually do. As you can see there is a slight angle to the stitches on top but appear straight on the bottom. Front looks ok for a beginer but the back sucks, looks as though the thread is actually tearing into the leather.

[tonyc1]

Just started to mess with my neels5 here are a couple of photos for comment and advise. I am still trying different tensions etc. and learning what all the knobs and moving parts actually do. As you can see there is a slight angle to the stitches on top but appear straight on the bottom. Front looks ok for a beginer but the back sucks, looks as though the thread is actually tearing into the leather.

Jordan, I'd say that you don't have enough tension on the top!