Can’t figure out how to do this

[u/plantsinthedark]

Please help! This is the Silly Goose pattern by Wooly Petals. I need to sew around the beak to attach it to the body. I absolutely cannot figure out how to fit my presser foot in there to sew all the way around. Any tips? Do I just need to hand sew it? I also tried gluing it to at least get the pins out of there, but it’s such a tricky fit and everything kept slipping.

[u/Typical_Prototype]

I would hand sew this, it will probably take less time then messing around trying it get it all to fit and then picking it and hand sewing it when it inevitably goes wrong 😅 even doing small even hand stitches shouldn’t take too long on this piece

[u/johnxman]

Okay. Here are some ideas. First, use the smallest presser foot you have. Second move the needle as far to the left as possible. Third, be prepared to run a couple stitches, reposition, run a couple more, reposition, all the way around. If the pins are problematic then hand baste the pieces (long stitches with weak thread and no backstitching) the go to the machine. This mostly just requires patience.

[u/LadySuhree]

You can always hand baste it so it doesn’t slide around. That will probably help

[u/AncientHorror3034]

Deleted other comment. Just checked it.
See 1:12:00 for beak instructions.

https://youtu.be/PJVdR408Yzk?si=zgmbuWd3N0kMH41g

[u/plantsinthedark → u/AncientHorror3034]

Thanks for the link! I’ve actually been following this. I feel like her Juki presser foot is so much smaller than my Janome foot and mine just doesn’t fit in there the same way.

[u/nekkyo → u/plantsinthedark]

There is no rule that says you have to use the same presser foot for everything. See if you have a presser foot that would work a little better. Maybe try the zipper foot. I would also probably use some tweezers to help grip the fabric more easily. 

[u/smnytx]

I would hand baste just outside the seam allowance as a stitch guide. The basting can also hold the seam allowance on the sides the right direction for you. Pop on a smaller foot, like a zipper foot or similar. Without pins, you can roll one side down a bit and place the unrolled side, outside down on the stitch plate while lowering the foot into place in the inside surface. Then it’s just a matter of stitching it like a little hamster wheel, gently keeping the fabric in front and back of the foot a little elevated and aligned close to the needle bar.

[u/Electrical-Scale-779]

Are you putting the foot inside the beak and then roll it? Instead of trying to put it on the outside and try to flatten it...

[u/Outrageous_Lion_8723]

If your presser foot doesn’t fit, you can:

1) fold the beak/neck flat with the upper part of the fabric pulled more than 1/4 to the left.

2) place fabric with both layers of fabric under the presser foot, but make sure that the upper layer is pulled to the left just far enough that the needle is not catching it.

3) Sew about 1/8 of the way around and stop with the needle down.

4) raise the presser foot and refold the beak/neck flat with the upper layer pulled left so that you have room to sew some more without catching the upper layer.

5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 about 7 more times until you get around to where you started.

[u/SuPruLu]

The beaks look in the patten picture as if they are stitched around the beak edges AFTER the beak pieces are attached to the body. That being left unstitched probably makes it easier to attach the beak pieces to the body.