Date: 10/15/09 6:33 PM

I am trying to sew polar fleece to cotton - around the edges of a rectangle. I have tried a walking foot, rolling foot, to no avail. I have to baste, rip, everything stretches. Any help would be appreciated!

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Jane
www.maidenjane.com

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Reply to MaidenJane
Date: 10/15/09 7:10 PM

hmm, I never really have the expertise to answer these, but I have sewn polar fleece successfully, I think by lowering the tension, lengthening the stitch, and perhaps, if I recall correctly, lowering the pressure on the feed dogs. I have not, tho, sewn it to cotton. Which side do you have next to the feed dogs?

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Viking Lily 545
Viking Scandinavia 400
Bernina Activa 210
Brother 1034d

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Date: 10/15/09 7:26 PM

I have tried sewing both sides down. I don't think I can adjust the tension on my presser foot. I have a basic Singer.

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Jane
www.maidenjane.com

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Subject: Im struggling with polar fleece Date: 10/15/09 8:29 PM

When all else fails, Wonder Tape is a wonderful thing. It's double sided, you can sew through it, and it washes out.
JEF

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Reply to MaidenJane
Date: 10/15/09 9:02 PM

There are several excellent authors who specialize in sewing with fleece, and their works should be in the libraries of anyone who uses this stuff. Go to amazon.com (NAYY) and type in the names Rochelle Harper (the BEST and most stylish book) and Nancy Cornwell (more titles, less style).

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Subject: Im struggling with polar fleece Date: 10/15/09 9:34 PM

Yes, I'm with JEF! Wonder Tape to the rescue!! It keeps the stretchy fleece to a non-stretch fabric on a 1:1 ratio. It's a must-have notion for zipper insertions in fleece as well.

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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

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Subject: Im struggling with polar fleece Date: 10/16/09 4:10 PM

I also want to say that there's fleece, and then there's fleece. I've picked some up that is so flimsy, I can actually put a finger through it--nothing like you'd ever see in RTW. So it may be the fleece itself, not your technique, that's the culprit here.

edited for clarity
-- Edited on 10/26/09 4:55 PM --

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~Gem in the prairie

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Date: 10/16/09 6:39 PM

Thank you all! I'm not familiar with wonder tape, so that will be next on my list.

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Jane
www.maidenjane.com

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Reply to MaidenJane
Date: 10/25/09 5:22 AM

have you tried stay stitching the fleece before attempting to stitch it to ctton

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Reply to MaidenJane
Date: 10/25/09 11:22 AM

I'm with stirwatersblue -- it very well may be the fleece. Some fleece is just innately stretchy and sewing it to a woven is an opportunity to learn new words -- bad ones! May I ask what you are sewing? Clothing? I have used Wonder Tape for zipper insertion and it is wunderbar for that. I have also used a light spray of temporary adhesive (like KK 2000 or Sullivan's quilt basting spray) to keep layers together while sewn. It's easier than Wonder Tape if you're sewing more than one seam, IMHO. Be sure it's a light spray because sometimes 'temporary' is longer than you'd expect. Good luck.

Oh, I agree with Elona; Rachel Harper's books are great sources of info. They don't have the best indexes unfortunately but the info is in there.

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Patti

R-r-r-ripping my way to fitting success

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