Saturday, August 3, 2013

Inexpensive Way to Keep the Sewing Machine Pedal Foot From Sliding

As I sew, the foot pedals slowly slide farther and farther back until I'm forced to go crawling under the tables to retrieve them.  Consequently, I've been lusting after what the Keepsake Quilting catalog calls the "Pedal Betty" forever.  The catalog price on that sweet little device to solve my problem, however, is $27.99 to $37.99 depending on size. 

While staring at this remnant of Grip Stop fabric I bought at Joann's,


I decided to try a much less expensive solution that worked out really well!   I sewed two squares of the fabric of the size I wanted wrong sides together, flipped so that the grippy dots would be on the outside, and top stitched around the edges.

These are the serger and embroidery machine pedals


and these are for the two sewing machines
 Joann's charges way too much for the fabric IMHO, but coupons and/or remnants bring that down.  I paid about $4 for the piece I got and have quite a bit left over for other projects.

Also happening in the sewing room:  I'm trying a new configuration for the sewing machines.  The sewing tables are now back-to-back away from the wall rather than against the wall individually.  The thought is that I will be able to put the serger and the embroidery machine on the floor for extra space when machine quilting.  The back table should provide support for the heavy fabric as I'm sewing. Well, that's the plan. We shall see how that works out!
Yes, that is fabric stored under the table.  I really have to stop buying fabric.


This furniture moving does count as housework, right?




8 comments:

  1. Great thinking outside the square.Thankfully, my pedals are stopped by a basket, so they only have an inch or so of play. And yes, rearranging furniture DEFINITELY counts as housework!!!

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  2. Well that's pretty clever and a sewing tip I could use! (Anything to tame Damien a little is a good thing!) Moving furniture is totally housework...and exercise!

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  3. Furniture moving counts as house renovations - that entitles you to dinner out as well!! You could even figure out a way to incorporate a hotel stay - everybody knows you have to move out during renovations :D

    I guess one advantage to sewing in an ugly dungeon basement room is that my machine pedals don't slide on the cement floor, lol. My machines are positioned so I can face the television as I'm sewing - my favourite machine (surprisingly, now the Babylock) is dead centre with the tv :D

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  6. Love these tips, I love keeping my older sewing machines, bit of a sewing machine expert myself, and love the fact that I am not the only one lol.

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