How to Sew a Straight Seam

by erika on July 09, 2011

The consistently straight line can be hard to achieve, and in sewing it is often critically important. How do you relive the stress, the pressure, the shoulder ache of worrying over straight lines? The short answer: Guides.

There are presser feet with built in flanges to help you guide your fabric and maintain a consistent seam allowance. Not all manufacturer's have them, but it's always worth a check for the following with flanges; the 1/4" piecing foot, the 5/8" seam foot, the stitch in the ditch foot, the edge/joining foot, the edge stitching foot, etc. Husqvarna Viking has 9 different feet with a built-in guide.

For deeper seam allowances, or channel quilting, use the edge guide pictured above. This Husqvarna Viking accessory comes with the dual feed foot and can also be purchased separately. It is very easy to use; simply slide the guide into the clip or the hole on the back of your ankle, then adjust it left and right to the correct seam allowance.

If you have a metal machine or a large metal stitch plate, a Seam Width Guide can be adhered to the bed of your machine. This is more of a visual guide than a physical guide, but it is certainly handy for helping you measure as you sew. The one we sell has markings in inches. If you would like markings in metric, or would like to customize your seam allowance, you can make your own seam guide by marking Hugo Tape with a fine sharpie pen and sticking that to the bed of your machine.

Be sure to stop in to see any of these great solutions or find out if they are available for your machine!

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