I have a quick tip post today, featuring a little tool you may already own and, if you're like I was, you have no idea what it is or what it's for! Allow me to introduce you to the hump jumper, also known as a seam jumper.
Did one come with your sewing machine? One was included with the various notions with my Janome 6700, but I had no idea what it was, so it sat in the box untouched for years. I can't remember where I finally discovered its use, but now it is one of my favourite things and I hope you'll find it useful, too. If you don't have one, you can buy one or just fold a piece of cardboard to achieve the same effect.A hump jumper is designed to help your sewing machine deal with thick seams by raising the back of the presser foot so the foot is level. I've been using it this week while sewing the blocks for a Burst quilt top, and I snapped a couple of pictures to show you how it works. First, here's the thick seam at the corner where I need to start sewing.
As you can see, there are quite a few layers there, and my sewing machine struggles to start pulling it through without a bit of help. To give it that help, I place the hump jumper behind the needle and lower the presser foot onto it, with my blocks right in front of the needle, ready to be sewn. The hump jumper has two ends, one thick and one thin, so choose whichever one matches the thickness of your seam best. I'm using the thinner end for these blocks.
Then I just start sewing. The feed dogs move the hump jumper back as they pull the fabric through; you don't have to move it out of the way. The front of the presser foot isn't pressing onto the blocks quite as hard as usual, so you'll want to pay extra attention to keeping the block straight, but other than that, just sew as normal.
After a few seconds, the hump jumper will be pushed out from under the presser foot and will likely fall off the back of your sewing machine. Try not to jump when that happens π I definitely jumped the first few times, startled by the sound of it hitting the table behind the machine.The hump jumper works just as well if the bulky part is in the middle of the seam. Just stop before you get to it, raise the presser foot to put the hump jumper behind the needle, and keep sewing the seam.