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From: debsews
Date: 02-08-2006, 05:57 PM (1 of 13)
| I bought a piece of what I would call a microfiber fabric off the $1 table at WalMart intending to make a pair of shorts. Of course on most of that fabric there isn't a fiber content on the bolt. It doesn't wrinkle and feels like the microfiber shorts I own.. When I tried to sew on a piece of scrap to make sure the thread was a good match it wouldn't catch the thread and wouldn't sew anything at all. After I rethreaded everything I tried again and still nothing. I then used a piece of cotton to test and it sewed a fine seam. Tried the microfiber again and still nothing. What am I doing wrong? I have a Viking with the sewing advisor, brand new 80 Schmetz needle, and trying a stitch of 2.5 and 3.0 with no results. Any ideas? I even tried a stretch stitch and nothing. Help!!! |
User: debsews
Member since: 09-16-2005 Total posts: 254 |
From: Tom Land
Date: 02-08-2006, 07:27 PM (2 of 13)
|
Deb, Does the fabric have a lot of stretch? If so, try using a schmetz stretch needle or Singer yellowband. If it is not a knit try a smaller needle... like schemtz microtex 70. Good luck
Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: debsews
Date: 02-08-2006, 07:56 PM (3 of 13)
| It has no stretch and someone else suggested using a stabilizer under the fabric. That seems to be what was wrong because it's stitching ok now. Thanks for your help. I was totally stumped!! |
User: debsews
Member since: 09-16-2005 Total posts: 254 |
From: paroper
Date: 02-09-2006, 10:00 AM (4 of 13)
|
There was a real problem with machines sewing knits when they first came out. The machines would skip and not sew, it was a mess. To make the machines sew well on knits, a Q foot and needle was introduced and used. (There is a little blurb on this in a discussion on one of our other threads.) Your problem is in the needle. Try a Microtex Sharp small gauge needle and see if it helps. These needles a specifically made for this type of problem. I really think that will help. If it doesn't try a ball needle. These are the two extremes of sewing needles. My money is on the Microtex. Schmentz makes them (I'm sure others do too). 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: sewerzzzzzz
Date: 02-09-2006, 12:56 PM (5 of 13)
|
Why is it that my old Singer from the 1940's sews any fabric perfectly but the newer machines have issues with certain types of fabric? I'd like to get a new machine with more options but stories like this keep sending me right back to my beloved black Singer from the 1940's and confuse me more and more about what or if I should get a new machine. |
User: sewerzzzzzz
Member since: 02-27-2005 Total posts: 81 |
From: paroper
Date: 02-09-2006, 02:24 PM (6 of 13)
|
That was when every machine you picked up had all metal parts. Since that time, many machines have been made will plastic and nylon parts and various degrees of metal along with electronics. In the proper machine, electronics, by the way can enhance the machine, not hurt it. There is a wide range of machines available now. Along with the commercial machines, which are surprisingly low in cost compared to many machines, there are some very fine machines still made that will sew anything. You just have to look for them and they aren't necessarily the top of the line machines. I would like to add that there has been a whole new variety of fabrics added too that will not necessarily sew well on the older machines. 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: debsews
Date: 02-09-2006, 09:59 PM (7 of 13)
| Well I've tried two different kinds of stabilizer and a microtex 70/10 sharp needle and it still won't sew at all. I'm taking it to the sewing shop tomorrow and see what they say. Maybe it just doesn't want to become a pair of shorts. I'll let you know what I find out but I can't believe there's fabric out there that just won't stitch somehow! |
User: debsews
Member since: 09-16-2005 Total posts: 254 |
From: paroper
Date: 02-10-2006, 12:11 AM (8 of 13)
|
Well, it depends on how the hook system is made on your machine. It is possible that yours won't sew it or that it will need a special foot and needle to sew.
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: Chrysantha
Date: 02-10-2006, 01:27 AM (9 of 13)
|
Or it has that special WallyWorld curse...don't buy the dollar a yd bolts with out labels...(no telling where it was made or what it's made from.....). I stay away from that stuff....gives me cooties... 
Chrys
|
User: Chrysantha
Member since: 09-06-2002 Total posts: 2414 
|
From: Kylnne2
Date: 02-10-2006, 01:32 AM (10 of 13)
| I have good luck with Schmetz Universal needles. I have used them on Microfiber fabric. |
User: Kylnne2
Member since: 07-10-2004 Total posts: 629 |
From: sewerzzzzzz
Date: 02-20-2006, 11:48 AM (11 of 13)
|
That was when every machine you picked up had all metal parts. Since that time, many machines have been made will plastic and nylon parts and various degrees of metal along with electronics. In the proper machine, electronics, by the way can enhance the machine, not hurt it. There is a wide range of machines available now. Along with the commercial machines, which are surprisingly low in cost compared to many machines, there are some very fine machines still made that will sew anything. You just have to look for them and they aren't necessarily the top of the line machines. I would like to add that there has been a whole new variety of fabrics added too that will not necessarily sew well on the older machines. Any brand names/models you could suggest? Ideally I'd like a machine that has blindstitch, zig zag, does a little serging, and embroidery. Do I have to get a zillion different machines? |
User: sewerzzzzzz
Member since: 02-27-2005 Total posts: 81 |
From: paroper
Date: 02-20-2006, 07:51 PM (12 of 13)
|
I like the Bernina machines starting with the 230 model and going up. That is a pretty wide range of machines/prices. There are many members here who are just as loyal to their machines with good reason. The machine that fits my needs may just not be the machine you like. You'll find lots of posts on how to purchase and choose machines and dealers. The dealers are a big part of the equation. There are materials that you may sew every day that may not sew as well on all machines. Specialty materials like lycra have their own personalities and some machines handle them better than others (price doesn't necessarily have much to do with it, it is the way the machines are made). As for stitches. Well, you ask some interesting questions. Blind stitches, zig zag stitches, overcast stitches, basting stitches, darning capactiy are things that are available on many machines starting at the lowest levels and moving all the way up. To do a REAL serge, you need a serger. However, there are serging feet that will trim and there are stitches that will bind on some machine models. The serger offers many more things than just one stitch though. It is a matter of how you plan to use it as to what you might want to do there. There are embroidery machines and there are sewing machines and then there are combination machines. The most expensive way to purchase an embroidery machine is in the combination machine. The reason is because the combination machines really are two machines packed into one package...for real. There is little of the sewing machine that is used when doing embroidery and vice versa. One advantage of purchasing a free-standing embroidery machine is that you can move up to a larger stitch field for a min. investment. However, the larger stitch fields for the most part seem to be in the combination machines (except when you move to the higher dollar embroidery machines). The sewing (only) machines are much cheaper too without the embroidery capacity. If this is a confusing post, I'm sorry. Your question is complicated and there are many answers. Techinically, it is possible to have one machine that will do all you ask as long as you are happy with a "psudo-serge". To have a real serge with all the bells and whistles and multiple uses, you need at least two machines. 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: 02-21-2006, 11:19 PM (13 of 13)
|
Why is it that my old Singer from the 1940's sews any fabric perfectly but the newer machines have issues with certain types of fabric? I'd like to get a new machine with more options but stories like this keep sending me right back to my beloved black Singer from the 1940's and confuse me more and more about what or if I should get a new machine. Straight stitch machines generally handle some fabrics better for a few reasons. 1.The throat plate has a single round hole which supports the fabric better when the needle trys to push if down as it goes through it. (This type of plate is availabe for most machines today). With a zig-zag machine the hole has to be much larger. 2. The hook timing had be adjusted to allow the hook to catch the thread on the extreme ends of the zig-zag. So it may not really be the optimal timing point for straight stitching. 3. The hook needs to be set to pass as closely to the needle as it can without deflecting it. A machine with a top-drop-in-bobbin cannot be set this way. If the hook is set as close to the needle as it can be on the zig-zag extremes the distance between the two is not good in center position(For this reason it is ussually recomended that you sew with the needle in the left-most position. Which helps, but then you run into the posibility of skipping because you are at the extreme end of hook timing.) This is one of the reasons your best brands insist on keeping the vertical hook design. A new machine with a vertical hook using a straight stitch throat plate will handle fabrics just as well as the old black ones. The straight stitch throat plate will also improve stitch quality on other fabrics. When the needle penetrates the fabric it pulls the fabric down with it a little because of the large zig-zag plate hole. On light weight fabrics this can distort the stitch so it might not look like a perfectly straight stitch. The straight stitch plate will support the fabric eliminating the distortion. Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
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