 As I was preparing for a serger event at the store, I watched several videos from the BabyLock Love of Knowledge library.  Some of my favorites are with Sara Gallegos.  In one of the videos she was demonstrating the cover stitch and was using a serger Open Toe foot. There is a foot called "Cover Chain Stitch," but the Open Toe foot I find much more useful. So, I bought myself the serger Open Toe foot.  The next time I was finishing a knit top for myself, I happily remembered I had it! The Open Toe foot not only has a large "window" to see your stitches, but also has wonderful bright red lines at the back and front of the foot.  With those red lines, you can easily line up your cover stitches as you come around the neckline binding or the circle of the hem to finish off. ~ Sylvia
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 Here's a helpful hint from a Ragtime customer, Donna Lane: "I was tired of my stylus "running away and hiding" from me. Solution: Self-stick hook-and-loop dots! I just stuck one half on the front of my machine and the other half on the stylus. No more searching for a runaway stylus!" "Now if I could just find all the other things that hide from me."  From www.schmetzneedles.com Having a couple days off this week gave me an opportunity to work on several projects that I’ve wanted to complete. Last night I finished one project and started another. That’s when it happened . . . Strange stitching coming from my beloved Baby Lock machine! What could it be? Do I need to have it serviced? (Yes, I do sew almost every day.) Calm down and evaluate the situation. What am I sewing? What thread am I using? Is something wrong? Then I remembered. What needle am I using? I had just finished sewing a knit fabric and forgot to change my needle to sew on a woven fabric. As soon as I changed my needle, my stitching was beautiful.
Is the proper needle that important? ABSOLUTELY!! I use Schmetz needles. Schmetz manufactures needles for every sewing need. (Click here for a chart showing the different needles and the type of sewing each is designed for.)
If you need help picking the perfect needle for your sewing machine, just let us Ragtime Gals help you. I’m confident you will be as happy as I am. ~ Lisa When you're hand sewing a button or a hem, it's so aggravating to find your thread looping over itself and forming slip knots. Sometimes multiple slip knots. And even the mildest jerk tightens them so that they're impossible to undo, and you have to start over. Grrrrrrr! You may already know the beeswax tip.  Just run your thread over the beeswax to strengthen and stiffen it. This will reduce those pesky slip knots.  But not eliminate them entirely. To do that, run the thread over the wax in BOTH directions, then iron it to melt the wax into the thread.  Now your thread will behave itself!
~ Ragtime Staff Button-sewing isn't at the top of most people's lists of sewing tasks they enjoy. So take the time to make sure those little beasts stay put when they are attached the first time.  A dot of Fray Check on the threads will keep that button from popping off prematurely. People used to use clear nail polish, but this stuff is invisible when dry. It's also a good idea to use it on the buttons of store-bought clothes. Those buttons are sometimes not sewn on very securely, but a dot of Fray Check on each one will make them stay attached a lot longer!  Another button hint? When you buy buttons for a garment, buy an extra one and sew it to the inside seam allowance of one side seam. If you ever lose a button, you won't have to go searching through your button stash for a replacement or, worse yet, have to replace all the buttons because you don't have one that matches. ~ Ragtime Staff
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