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From: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 04-28-2006, 07:54 PM (1 of 5)
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Hello everyone, this is my first thread. I am going to be starting (maybe this weekend depending on time) my first project with stretch fabric. Any pointers? I do have the needle needed for stretch fabric and have received the advice to not use pins when cutting out the fabric but to use weights. I do not have a serger, so my seams will be finished with zig zag. I am an intermediate level sewer. Thanks in advance.
Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49 
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From: paroper
Date: 04-28-2006, 08:14 PM (2 of 5)
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The need for stretch needles is dependant upon your machine. It has to do with the way the mechanism is made. You may well be able to get by with ball needles which do not have the special cut of the stretch needle but have a blunted tip so that they seperate the fibers instead of penetrating them. I always use pins but I guess that is personal preference. If the knit is very fine and may pick, I keep extra fine long pins on hand for that. There is certainly no problem with using weights or even a rotary cutter for that matter. Just be sure that you don't stretch your fabric as you lay it and that you don't pick it up (same as always) when you cut it. It needs to lay on the table. A fine, stretchy knit is much hard to handle than a medium weight. Your machine may have a stretch stitch. This can be helpful in sewing knits. If you have a picture of it it will look like 3 lines of stitching but what it does is sew two forward and one back, giving extra strenght and stretch to the seams. In absence of that you might try just a slight zig zag in your seams. This will put a little more thread in the stitches and allow them to stretch with the fabric. The use of either stitch is dependant on your machine and the way it reacts to the knit. When cutting knit, the primary stretch should be across the body, not lengthwise. If you have a two-way stretch knit, and there is a difference in the way it stretches, the bigger stretch should go across the body. 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: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 04-28-2006, 08:19 PM (3 of 5)
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I always use pins but I guess that is personal preference. If the knit is very fine and may pick, I keep extra fine long pins on hand for that. There is certainly no problem with using weights or even a rotary cutter for that matter. Just be sure that you don't stretch your fabric as you lay it and that you don't pick it up (same as always) when you cut it. It needs to lay on the table. A fine, stretchy knit is much hard to handle than a medium weight. I was thinking of using my rotary cutter, I think that might be easier. It is a medium weight stretch fabric. Your machine may have a stretch stitch. I think it might, I will have to check the manual. It is a mid-priced machine - Riccar. Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49
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From: MaryW
Date: 05-01-2006, 05:24 PM (4 of 5)
Let us know your progress. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
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From: Dee Dee Warren
Date: 05-01-2006, 09:26 PM (5 of 5)
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Hi Mary - I didn't get to get started this weekend, but I did get started tonight. So far so good though I didn't get far because I didn't see I needed elastic (I always forget to check the required notions on the back of the pattern). So I will do some more hopefully this weekend. I did have the stretch stitch and it worked beautifully.
Xena the Sewing Princess ~ I have many skills
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User: Dee Dee Warren
Member since: 04-25-2006 Total posts: 49
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