You can quilt the seams and leave it at that point. The ditch foot has a center blade that acts as a guide when stitching. When stitching in the ditch, you use a walking foot. One way to do this is to buy a Bernina sewing machine. There are other options you can use. Yes, the walking foot is not a mandatory sewing tool. That allows you to be more flexible when it comes to using which foot. Yes, this is quite possible and it is one of the more highly recommended sewing tools to use. This is done to hold the fabric. I used to want to do everything with my basic sewing machine foot, until I realized how successful I am when using the correct foot for the correct application. If you try to use your hand for this, you will most probably create uneven lines even if you are an expert in this niche. It is a good method for beginners to use because the lines are usually nice and straight throughout the whole procedure. But if you are doing it by hand, the size of your stitches may not be that small and you may leave gaps in your seams allowing the batting to sneak through. The fabric is joined together better and you should end up with a nice seam. It is suggested using a walking foot to stitch in the ditch, which I would like to do just to stabilize the overall quilt (tho' the seams are mostly all curves, not straight lines), but I am not sure the walking foot would be appropriate in the areas where I have used PIPING in my quilt. The stitch in the ditch is your finished quilting pattern and once that operation is done, you are done that tough job. Your experience and preferences will be the determining factor here. There is a very good reason to remain with the walking foot and not replace it with a stitch in the ditch foot. Finish the process by binding the edge. During the process, the machine’s needle will pass through the right-side seam of the fabric. The first way to do this, and this will require more quilting after you are done, is to use the stitch in the ditch as a basting technique. Yes, you need not use the walking foot when sewing a ditch. By quilting very closely to the seam allowances, you can “simulate” stitching in the ditch when the quilt is viewed from a distance. The stitch in the ditch is your finished quilting pattern and once that operation is, » Stitch in the Ditch Foot vs Walking Foot (Helpful Guide), Can You Remove a Pocket From a Shirt? The choice you choose to use will depend on how you want your seam to look in the end. The other side claims that you start slightly to one side or the other. It is probably a better sewing experience when you do not switch the walking foot out and replace it with the stitch in the ditch foot. Ensure your needle is at the center of the blade. The photo illustrates stitching in the ditch with a regular pressure foot so that needle placement is more visible, but a walking foot makes the task much easier because it grips the bottom and top layers of the quilt, feeding them through the machine at the same speed. This could cause you more problems than you want to tackle. There seems to be a lot of agreement about where to use the stitch in the ditch foot. Can You Stitch in the Ditch When Quilting? This is a little extra work but in the long run, it may pay off for you. There are two ways to stitch in the ditch and quilt simultaneously. The stitches usually are neat, and you will only see them at the back of your fabric. (Spool Pin Felt Disc Tips). 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A beginner should be able to master the technique quickly and start building their confidence. The choice you choose to use will depend on how you want your seam to look in the end. It needs to be your first step in preparing the quilt. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You can stitch as close as 1/8 inch away from the edge and still come away with a nice looking stitch pattern. If I want the layers to feed evenly, and if they are on the same grain, then the walking foot works best. It has a dual feed stitch in ditch foot, that I don't use anymore since it's not as accurate as the open toe foot.