Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: sewingdiva
Date: 11-10-2005, 11:10 AM (1 of 11)
|
Hello everyone, I have a couple of questions on how to avoid these 'rookie' mistakes: 1) I was using a stretch stitch on a double knit for my mock turtleneck project - the stitch looks like alternating triangles....the problem is that everytime i began to start a seam, the fabric wasn't feeding so that it would stitch in place and cause a big knot! I'm not sure if it was the foot - i was using a roller foot on the suggestion of the pattern. Should i be using a walking foot or is there another trick to this? Also, when i tried pressing the seam, since the stitch is a little wide, i struggled to get it to lay flat/evenly flat. 2) On another project - a pair of pants from a Vogue pattern for my beginner garment class - i was cutting out some Ambiance lining. Well, the fabric is really slippery and it would shift when i cut, so that the cuts were 'curvy' in places and 'inside the lines'. I just used pins and a few cans to weight it - should i be pinning/weighing every inch of the lining down ? 
|
User: sewingdiva
Member since: 10-23-2005 Total posts: 22 |
From: paroper
Date: 11-10-2005, 09:57 PM (2 of 11)
|
About problem with the fabric feeding, are your feed dogs down or up? There may be a button or lever on your machine to lower the feed dogs. This WAS a feature used to darn clothing years ago, but now it is almost always used in conjunction with machine embroidery. It is also used in some freehand stitching as in quilting. If the feed dogs do not come up to the presser foot and move toward the back when the presser foot is down and you turn the hand wheel, they are either down or not working correctly. This is what feeds your fabric through. If the feed dogs are working but it is not feeding under the presser foot the fabric will gather under the foot as the feed dogs push. When cutting slippery fabric. You do use more pins. You may want to even pin into the pattern piece several places just to help. All pins should be near the edge, pinning from the inside of the pattern toward the edge. This keeps the pattern and fabric flat when you are pinning and helps keep the pattern pieces even in size. Because the fabric is slippery, you will need to be sure and keep enough of it on the table to keep the weight of the fabric that is off the table from pulling is away as you cut. The fabric should be carefully folded so that you have a nice straight edge on both sides with no buckle at the center fold line. That being said, my guess is that most of your problem has to do with what your are using to cut or how you are using it. Once ANY fabric is folded and you start laying the pattern, you need to keep movement of the fabric to a minimum. The reason that dressmaker sheers are bent is so that you can cut while they ride on the table. You need to use bent dressmaker sheers and you need to buy the one that is correct for the hand you are using...it is VITAL to an accurate cut. The points of the scissors slope so that you can cut into tight areas and pick up the fabric as you cut, the flat allows you to rest your scissors on the table and cut without disturbing the pattern and fabric. You should hold the scissors with the cutting blades at a 90 degree angle to the table as you cut. Tipping them in at the top or bottom will make one piece larger than the other. Cutting in the air really messes things up and causes a variety of problems. If you choose to use a rotary blade and feel that you can control it, you shouldn't have any problems in cutting as far as the fabric walking is concerned. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Tom Land
Date: 11-10-2005, 11:40 PM (3 of 11)
|
Never use use a walking foot attachement with a stretch stitch. The walking foot attachment will actually fight the machine as it only works on foward stitches. The only walking foot that will allow the back and forth movent is the true walking foot on Pfaff machines which is integrated rather than an attachment. Since a stretch stitch takes two stiches forward and one back you have to be carefull not to start too close to the edge of the fabric or it can get pulled down into the needleplate hole. Some other helpfull techniques are to put your needle in left needle position instead of center if your machine has that option. That way the fabric is supported on 3 sides by the presser foot and needleplate (throatplate) rather than just front and back. If you must start close to the edge try putting a piece of paper under the fabric to help support the fabric until it gets away from the edge. When you're finished tear the paper away and the rest will wash away. Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 11-11-2005, 07:10 AM (4 of 11)
|
I always had that problem with fabric moving around when I cut it until (You knew this was coming Pam!) I started cutting with a rotary cutter. Pin your pattern and weigh your fabric and cut slowly along the cutting lines. You never pick it up so it never slides around. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: paroper
Date: 11-11-2005, 08:26 AM (5 of 11)
|
Love ya DorothyL! (Notice I included that idea in my list.)
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Teri
Date: 11-11-2005, 08:56 AM (6 of 11)
|
Dear Sewing Diva, A tip I picked up from quilting is to start sewing on a scrap of fabric, preferable cotton folded in half, that gets the beginning of the seam going, which for me is the most likely to get caught, then just feed the fashion fabric right in behind the scrap. Also, instead of going forward and then reverse to lock the stitch I start with a tiny tiny stitch fot the first 1/4 inch. With my older Kenmores I have to hold the upper and lower threads before I start sewing or I get a big knot on occasion. 
Teri
"Where are we going, and why am I in this basket?" |
User: Teri
Member since: 09-14-2005 Total posts: 66 
|
From: DorothyL
Date: 11-11-2005, 10:09 AM (7 of 11)
|
With my tiny seams for doll clothes I start out with a longer stitch so the machine doesn't eat the edges. It works -- most of the time. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: sewingdiva
Date: 11-13-2005, 12:45 AM (8 of 11)
|
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions - i'm glad i asked. With regards to the stretch stitch, the feed dogs were up so that wasn't a problem. I'll try some of the suggestions - paper/fabric scrap and/or left needle position. One of these must do the trick! The tiny beginning stitches i learned to use in quilting - that's a good one too. Tom - Good to know that the walking foot can only be used for straight stitches - didn't occur to me. As far as the slippery fabric cutting, i think maybe i was not pinning enough. I just have to work on my patience  . And i think i also have to change my scissors - i bought a pair of shears that i don't think are bent-handled. I'm always struggling with them; i think they aren't long enough, the cutting action seems 'sticky' and not smooth with some fabrics and i'm often having to lift the fabric because of the handle.Dorothy - i have a 45 mm rotary cutter and self-healing mat i bought for quilting. I thought about using it for pattern cutting but i'm afraid it will be too difficult to control for free-form cutting (without a ruler) and especially on the curves. Do you handle the cutter differently - and what size of blade/cutter do you use? Also, what about marking the notches? Hopefully i can get it right this time around - i bought some polyester Charmeuse satin for a Burda blouse.... |
User: sewingdiva
Member since: 10-23-2005 Total posts: 22 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 11-13-2005, 07:49 AM (9 of 11)
|
Sewingdiva -- I use a regular 45mm rotary cutter. I hold it firmly and cut slowly and press hard. I have a tiny one for the tight spaces, but I mostly use it for doll clothes. I just cut the notches with one stroke out then another back in. I cut big notches and to the outside, not in (that's the way my Home Ec teacher taught us a hundred years ago). I don't have any trouble with it and I am a klutz so it can't be too hard. I do have a good large cutting table that is a comfortable height. My mats don't quite cover the table so I have to shift them around under the fabric. I'd like to get one great big one but I'm doing ok with what I have so it isn't a priority. My cutting table has an ironing cover so I iron my fabric then slip the mats under. I also just lay out what fits on the table, cut it, then lay out the rest. (I check to make sure it all fits first). Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Hogmami
Date: 11-13-2005, 03:09 PM (10 of 11)
|
Dorothy explained cutting patterns with the rotary cutter very well. That is how I do it. I have hand problems and have found that I can cut with the rotary cutter for longer periods of time. I also use the spring loaded scissors. But even with these, I can't cut for long periods of time.
Carolyn
Michigan |
User: Hogmami
Member since: 09-30-2004 Total posts: 800 
|
From: sewingdiva
Date: 11-13-2005, 09:02 PM (11 of 11)
| Thanks Ladies - i'll give it a try. I only have a 'medium' sized cutting mat, so i'll probably have to shift it around too. |
User: sewingdiva
Member since: 10-23-2005 Total posts: 22 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-17314.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft