I used to be more tech savvy than I am now Iminei! Mind you, I only changed to an android phone when I lost my beloved fliptop pink Motorola on a beach in Cornwall  - about 10 years after everyone else. Though now I love it as I look up things on the internet all the time when out and about (identifiying plants in gardens or checking growth rate of shrubs before I buy etc)!


To load the images for my posts I logged onto the forum on my Samsung mobile and uploaded the images from my phone rather than my computer.

Thanks for the link...
Here's a photo of the type of cord I've got for the cushion. The cord is shiny and slippy! And when I tried to weave the two ends together (as demonstrated on a YouTube video) the individual cords started fraying. I might just cut it straight and hand stitch the two ends together binding them to stop them fraying 

Hooorah...    what a brilliant foot! It's perfect for the piping cord and has stitched so close you can't see the flange. Turning up the tension, rethreading and actually lowering the foot..   seems to have resolved that. I will now go around the cushion cover again to restitch what I've already done so the flange doesn't show.

I'm so pleased I joined this lovely forum!  :thumbsup:

While I'm here... I watched an online video about how to join the two ends of the cord together. I tried to copy it and it's a dreadful mess... 
The video showed the seamstress unwinding an inch or so of overlapping cord then rewinding the pieces into one. When I tried it the individual cords started fraying and it looks like a 5 year old's handiwork. So, any top tips on joining the cord... I'm tempted to glue the ends to stop them fraying and join the two ends together flat.

Happy Friday evening to everyone who has offered help.. 

p.s still struggling to load images.. 

Thank you all ... much appreciated.

Thanks for the link Helen, yes - that's very similar just a slightly different foot shape but in every other way it's the same. There's no lever to push it up and down so not sure if that's causing a problem? Does your foot go up and down Helen?

 Though you can slide the foot so the needle is closer to the piping cord which is good as you can't move the needle on my machine.

Also thanks Greybird for explaining the feed dogs - I never knew that!!! (I can feel my mother looking down and shaking her head in disbelief!!  )

I'm trying to load images and have just subscribed so will post some photos of the adjustable zipper foot as soon as I'm allowed to. I'm steeling myself to go back and start rethreading.. I have got the instructions and follow them each time.
I must admit tension mystifies me and I do trial and error. I simply can't find clear instructions on which way to turn the wheel!!! Is it 1 for thin fabrics or 9?? If anyone knows a good website which explains this concisely (and how to choose stitch length) I'd really appreciate the link.

Right.. will go and rethread ... and will post photos as soon as I can.

 

Hello All,

I've never joined a forum before and I may not post correctly so apologise in advance, but I need advice.

My mother passed away in October 2019. We were incredibly close and over a year later I feel her loss every day. She was a talented seamstress and upholsterer. I on the other hand preferred cross stitch and a few years ago took up knitting. I didn't need to sew as she made things for me! 

After many years renting I now have a home of my own and in between renovating a large, very overgrown garden, I am making curtains and cushions. I've managed to muddle through so far but am now completely stuck.

I inherited my mother's Janome 3-18 sewing machine. I want to make cushion covers with 8mm flanged cord but, with the feet I have available the machine simply won't sew close enough to the cord for the stitches not to show. My mother used the machine  to make cushions with piping and somehow managed to use the feet that came with the machine. But, of course, now I can't ask her how she did it! 

After hours of research I've invested in an adjustable zipper/piping foot for the machine which has now arrived. I eagerly fitted it but am stuck again...    The foot is screwed into position so doesn't lift up and down like the other feet..  :thinking:    I've tested it on a scrap piece of fabric/piping and initially the cotton was bunching up underneath. I've increased the tension to 7 and that's cured the bunching but now the stitches aren't catching - just long loops underneath. I've rethreaded both the bobbin and the cotton on top! What am i doing wrong? The fabric is a medium weight so not very thick.

I remember when I was a child I used to try to make a few things with my mother's constant guidance (I managed a couple of skirts and a top) but hated the old Singer sewing machine which seemed to go wrong every two minutes. and I think that put me off sewing. The fact that my mother made all sorts of things with it ( including a beautiful satin ballgown for me) proved it was probably my stupidity or impatience...

I would appreciate any advice /wisdom bearing in mind I'm about to look up what a 'feed dog' is!!! 

Thank you for reading...