Centering items

[LawsonPoling]

I got tired of burning ball caps because the design was off center. It finally occurred to me that I can put down two or three stitches hidden somewhere under the design that are spot on centered and then make adjustmens as needed before committing to sewing. It's working out great so far! Anyone else do this?

[Rod or Sharon]

When necessary, I have always run a walk stitch up and down the center seam with the first stitch always being at the point I wanted something like the top of a church steeple or point of an arrowhead or botton point on a patch or shield, etc, to be exactly centered on the center seam of the cap. Then by lining up the centerseam and dropping the needle for an exact placement, it has worked very well. The extra run stitch up and down the center seam also works to fill the valley of the seam....

Rod Springer
Amaya Tech & Trainer

[Mama Kass]

This is also a great technique if you need to align more than one hooping for a very large design.

[LawsonPoling]

Yep, we're dancing the same dance! I like the idea of filling up the center seam, but not all of my designs utilize that whole area, so I opted for putting a few (hopefully) centered stitches down where I know they will get covered up. It might help, too, if I used a seamstress measuring tape instead of the 1/8" thick plastic one. I think it throws off the laser beam when I'm setting up but I'm still trying to find the seamstress tape to confirm my suspicion.

[LawsonPoling]

Mama Kass, that's what I'M screamin' - Am I making money? Yes. BUT, I've been losing profits on wasted caps. It's hurtful, man, it's hurtful.

[Rod or Sharon]

Don't rely on the laser light as "center." The purpose of the laser light is for tracing the design. The laser light comes in from the right at an angle and because of that, the thicker the fabric, the more off center the light will be. Place a dot on a piece of white paper and put it under the laser light then raise and lower the paper, you will see what I mean.
Sharon

[Mama Kass]

Lawson, I sew and have a plenty of measuring tapes which I have never used in connection with positioning my Amaya.
When I need to be sure that my needle is in just the right place, I get it as close as I can with the laser then I open Maintenance> Head timing and hit bottom center. Is there a quicker way to do this, Sharon?

[Juli in Kona]

And how do you make the needle come down in increments?

Juli in Kona

[Rod or Sharon]

Go to Maintenance (in OS) then use your Adjustment Key (the Hammer) and the Right Arrow together and that will drop the needle 20 degrees at a time. Using the Hoop Key and the Right Arrow Key will drop it 10 degrees if you want it to go slower.
Sharon

[Rod or Sharon]

Oops, Maintenance and then Head Timing for the above instructions.
Sharon

[Mama Kass]

Hammer? [img]smile.gif[/img] I always call it the windshield wiper. I guess it's supposed to illustrate an increasing amount, but it took me a while to figure that out.

[LawsonPoling]

Mama Kass, I love your idea. I'll try that tonight!

[LawsonPoling]

Rod or Sharon; I know that which ye speak about the laser light. I finally discovered it when I was doing some semi-structured caps. I can never get them completely flush and sure enough, when I press down on the cap the laser light hits a different spot. I've been lining up the machine after pressing down on the cap but it's still off a bit. I'm glad I posted this, your responses have been very helpful. Thanks!

[Rod or Sharon]

Again, do not use the laser light as a centering tool. It was designed to trace the design to make sure you are sewing in the sewing area. If stitching a very flat fabric, I do know that if I show the laser light just a needle width to the right, then I am very close but NEVER rely on the laser as a centering tool. Look at your needle and line that up with center. Glad to be of help.
Sharon

[Rod or Sharon]

In correct tech/training terms it is the Adjustment Key but in the field lingo it is referred to as "the hammer"
Sharon