Thread: Needle Plate?

Do you have a straight stitch needle plate for your (zig-zag) sewing machine? Do you use it? What's been your experience if you do not?

The back story:

Stitching fringe onto that "Old Skool Turkish" skirt I've been blathering about for a couple of years - yes I actually finished it tonite. My beloved White 690 has an annoying tendency to suck things like this in through the needle hole in the needle plate - as I do not have a straight stitch (S.S.) needle plate for it and have slim to no chance of acquiring one.

So it decided it wanted to suck this thing in. I'm not the most experienced seamster (is that a word? ) in the world, but I'm learning. I unfarkled the mess and tried again. Same result. One more time. Same result.

Fine - in absence of a S.S. needle plate, I decide to try sewing it with my '57 Singer S.S. machine. Oh, but its still in the car - I've been lugging it back and forth to Stitch and ***** sessions, making a costume with my dance sisters of one of the troupes I'm in - and I don't want to go out in the rain/cold to get it. A recently acquired '54 National "Reversew Rex" (also a S.S. machine) stared up at me accusingly from its case. I just got this thing going, and had zero experience with it and didn't particularly want to trust it with this project as untried as it was...

But in the end I did, and it sewed the fringe on no problem - pretty remarkable for a machine that has its roots in a mid 1800s design. Its an ancient type that is no longer made, not even in third world countries!

So, getting back to the real questions - is a S.S. needle plate a cherished friend on your machine, or is my White a fringe eating monster?

On my vintage '50's Singer, I do have a straight stitch plate, but I never use it. Never really had an issue before, although now that you mention it, it might be a better fit for my rolled hem foot. Something to think about.

But, personally, I prefer my ancient Singer from the '30's which is straight stitch only. Fewer things to get screwed up. I am currently looking for an old fashioned treadle machine which hasn't been converted to power. Same thing, straight stitch only.

Hmmm.....

Now I have things to think about. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

Hi Zorba
I hope you are doing well!
(((Hugs)))

My new machine doesn't have a S.S. plate.
(I did use it a lot an my vintage Kenmore)

I place 1" strips of inexpensive tissue paper between the feeddogs (needle plate), and the material.
Gently tear it away from the stitching.
The tissue keeps the fringe from being pushed down into the hole.

Tissue paper is also great for slippery fabrics to feed through the pressure foot and feeddogs more evenly.
(Use on top, and bottom of fabric)

I've also used scotch tape to fill in the space on the needle plate, but it's hard to get the residue off.

Yeah, I use tissue paper too. That pink/purple/blue/etc stuff they use to wrap gifts? Yup, that. I save all my gifts-received-tissue and tear into strips that I hold against the bottom of whatever I'm sewing, and then allow to feed through with the fabric.

After stitching, I gently tear it off along the stitch line. Sometimes more gently than others, depending on the fabric!

I have the small holed needle plate for straight stitch only and really like it. I have only used it for quilting thus far not BD projects. The downside is that if you forget it's on and zig zag at all the needle breaks in a really dramatic way. It has been awesome with my quilting cottons.