Date: 12/18/08 8:55 PM

Ok, so I was REALLY putting my sewing machine through it's paces, and sewing through multiple layers of fleece with decorative stitches. I had made a reversible, two-layer fleece hat, and I wanted to flatten the seams. I had lined them up, and I know from experience that it's impossible to do stitch and a ditch and have both sides line up (especially since I'd used an overcasting stitch). So I butted the seams next to each other, and used a decorative stitch over the seams to reduce bulk, and prevent shifting of layers.

Well, the machine didn't want to feed that much through nice and evenly.

I used several different feet to correct the problem. An open-toed embroidery foot that would feed the bulk of both seams between the toes. I tried a regular zig-zag foot. I tried a creative feet foot (and destroyed the point of a needle on that one). So, the hat looks pretty crappy, though my 7-year-old likes it.

So would something like a roller foot have helped in this situation? I have a walking foot, but I've heard they don't do well with anything other than straight stitch.

------
My (mostly) green sewing blog: http://NapkinLady.blogspot.com/

Next page>>

Reply to CathyWeeks
Date: 12/18/08 9:44 PM

Cathy, I really like to use a walking foot when I am sewing fleece. Choose a design that will work with your walking foot and I think you will see that your fabric won't slip. Good Luck

Next page>>

Date: 12/18/08 11:52 PM

I've also been having lots of trouble with fleece (300 weight, the heavy-duty stuff) not feeding properly. I'm not flatlocking or anything, just trying to sew through several layers. For my project, at least, the walking foot didn't help. One thing that did help a bit was pressing the seam allowances. Ironing fleece is generally a no-no, since it compresses the fabric and you lose the loft. But in this circumstance, it squushed the fabric a little and made it easier to fit under the presser foot. I also "force fed" it, wearing those sticky gloves I had for quilting.

I still had a rather disappointing outcome, though, because the buttonholes didn't feed right. Thick fleece can really be a challenge, I have learned.

Next page>>

Reply to CathyWeeks
Date: 12/19/08 0:38 AM

What type of machine do you have? Can you adjust the pressure on the foot?

Which pattern did you use?

If I am picturing what you did, you had sewn together two hats and then sewed them together wrong sides together to make it reversible?

Did you finger press the seam allowances to opposite sides? That can help reduce bulk. How did you sew the original seams? Did you grade the seams?

I have only made fleece hats in a single layer, but dh has one that is lined and ds used to have a reversible one. With both those hats (rtw) the lining or inside was not sewn to the outer layer, except being tacked at the crown and sewn together at the lower edge.

------
Proud parent of a Dwight International School Honour Roll Student

Next page>>

Reply to Michelle T
Date: 12/19/08 7:48 AM

Quote:

What type of machine do you have? Can you adjust the pressure on the foot? Which pattern did you use?

Janome HT 2008, and no, you can't adjust the presser foot pressure. It's the ONE feature I didn't get, and I miss it from my old machine. (The machine is WAY better in EVERY other way, so I'm not complaining)

Quote:

hich pattern did you use?

Kwik Sew 2527

It's not a double-layer reversible hat. But it's cold up here in MN, and I wanted it to be warmer, so I just fudged my way through making it into one!

Quote:

If I am picturing what you did, you had sewn together two hats and then sewed them together wrong sides together to make it reversible?

Yes, that is correct.

Quote:

Did you finger press the seam allowances to opposite sides?

Not exactly. I did work the seams with my fingers, pinning as I went. Probably not good enough, though.

Quote:

How did you sew the original seams?

Overcast with a stretchy overcast stitch designed for knits. So I couldn't finger press them open, but finger pressing to opposite sides would likely have helped.

Quote:

Did you grade the seams?

What's that?

I can tell you that I figured out another method, that I'm pretty happy with. I used my Stitch-in-a-ditch/Edge joining foot, and I used it to join the edges with a zig-zag, which lies completely flat - no layers of fabric at all, and zero bulk. It's likely not as strong, as overcasting, or sewing a straight stitch seam, but it IS pretty strong. I then merely tacked the layers together at the crossed seam at the top of the hat, and in 4 other spots along seams.

This method has another advantage - I had cut the hats to the correct size for a single-layer hat with an extra 1/2" at the fold to accomodate the extra layer. That turned out not to be enough. But eliminating the seam allowance did the trick.

But I still want to know how to do decorative stitching on thick fleece. :-)


-- Edited on 12/21/08 9:31 AM --

------
My (mostly) green sewing blog: http://NapkinLady.blogspot.com/

Next page>>

Reply to CathyWeeks
Date: 12/20/08 0:43 AM

Cathy, I don't do decorative stitching on fleece or other fabrics. But I do know that Nancy Cornwell has written a series of books on fleece and covers all types of embellishments. You might want to check out some of her books at the library or order used copies from amazon. I think some of them are selling for as little as one cent.
-- Edited on 12/20/08 0:44 AM --

------
The essence of life is statistical improbability on a colossal scale.
Richard Dawkins

Next page>>

Reply to nancy2001
Date: 12/20/08 6:53 AM

I second those books ! I have all of her books and bought them when I was working on a lot of fleece projects a few years ago.

------
Big 4 Pattern size 12, RTW bottom: 6, RTW jacket 8, RTW top (no size fits me well!)
Measurements: 34 HB/36 FB (34C bra)/27.5/36 (and working hard to keep it that way.)
Machines: Sewing (Janome Memory Craft 3000 and Kenmore 158 Series machine), Serger (Babylock Imagine), Embroidery (Janome 300E)

If you think your sewing is better than everyone else's around here, get out of my way b****. I hate sewing snobs.

My blog: www.phatchickdesigns.blogspot.com

Next page>>

Reply to nancy2001
Date: 12/20/08 9:58 PM

Thanks, Nancy and Ryan's Mom, and everyone else!

I just bought two of her books used. GRRR. I bought them from the SAME seller, hoping to combine for a better price but am charged the $4 shipping per book, which is WAY more than it's going to cost. Sigh... Well, I got the two books for $11.24 ($3.26 for the books - rest was shipping) and that's still a great price. One book was $0.01 and the other was $3.25.

------
My (mostly) green sewing blog: http://NapkinLady.blogspot.com/

Next page>>

Date: 12/21/08 8:43 AM

I use my walking foot on fleece, and reduce the pressure on my presser foot considerably. I just did a bathrobe for my hubby and did decorative stitching from hem to hem around the collar, with no problem. On my machines, it doesn't work, sewing on fleece, without a walking foot. My sewing machine handles it better than my serger does.

------
Bernina 830 ✂ Bernina 630 ✂ Bernina 1300MDC ✂ Babylock BLCS ✂ APQS Millennium ✂ Juki TL2010Q ✂ Singer 201-2 ✂ Singer 301 ✂ Singer 401A ✂ Singer Featherweight 222K
www.createdbycj.com

Next page>>

Date: 12/21/08 10:09 AM

If you can't adjust the pressure on the presser foot, perhaps try the same stitches on some scraps while placing tissue paper or tear-away stabilizer over the feed dogs. It could be that the pile of the fleece is getting smooshed down into the feed dogs and catching there.

Next page>>