Quilt in a Day Forums

Are there any charts out there that convert the numbers on the sewing machine to stitches per inch?

My old Singer has markings from 6 to 30 stitches per inch. I love the long basting stitch and have not yet figured out what anyone could sew that needs 30 stitches per inch!

My newer machine has the number system and I have to guess what each number means in stitches per inch. The manual just says med stitch length, shorter, or longer. I've thought about counting the stitches for each number on the dial but never did it. A chart would be nice.

that is an excellent question I know my manual has it for my machine

Are the numbers on your machine like 2, 2.5 etc? Maybe they would be the same. I looked in my manual and could not find it.

2.5 is approximately 12 inches per inch - which is what the "12" on the older machines was

At QIAD, we use "2" on the computer sewing machines. I believe that is 20 stitches to the inch.

Does anyone know if there is a conversion chart somewhere? It is a little confusing.

just a chart listing what the number coresponds to would be fantastic
I have been looking and can't find it in any of my books or magazines

Thanks everyone for the comments. I am glad I am not the only one confused by this. You would think the sewing machine manufacturers would put charts in their manuals.

The sewing machine manufacturers don't even think about the fact that there are still machines out there with the US measures. All machines are made in Europe and Asia where metric is the thing. Rather than trying to convert, just remember the right number for the stitching you do....

2 - for piecing
2.5 - for clothing construction
3-3.5 - working with fleece
5-6 - basting

Those are the pretty standard settings. Of course, you need to tweak according to your preferences and your machine.