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I've never had this happen before, can't understand it (Moderated by EleanorSews)
Posted on: 6/24/09 10:40 AM ET
I'm having a problem with my fabric puckering, and having tried everything I can think of to fix it, I'm turning to you all!
I guess you could call it puckering, it's more like the fabric forms into rolling hills at the stitching. The fabric is a knit polyester/lycra blend, it is fairly lightweight with a very nice drape. I sew with knits a lot and I've never had this weird puckering happen, not even on my former not-so-great machine, although I've only used cotton/lycra (and maybe also rayon/lycra) knits before. Maybe it has something to do with the polyester fabric? When I stretch the fabric out after stitching, it looks nice and flat. I wouldn't worry about it, except that there are some seams in my garment (I am making a drapey, empire waist dress) where the fabric won't be stretched - like the side seams below the waist - so the seams would look all loopy, and the hem would look terrible. It also makes pressing harder, and since the fabric is polyester/lycra, it doesn't press out well as it is. Luckily I have plenty of scraps to practice on until I sort this out.
I'm using the narrow zigzag (stretch) stitch on my machine. I've tried adjusting the stitch width and length (within reason - I didn't set the width or length below 1mm, or above 2.5mm). My ballpoint needle is new. I've tried different presser foot pressures by setting my machine to stretch light and stretch medium. I have tried stretching the fabric a bit and not stretching it as I sew. None of these methods have helped. I haven't fiddled with the tensions at all, since I really don't think it's a tension problem - the stitches themselves are perfectly fine (i.e. no looping or skipping, stitches are not pulling to the top or bottom, it's sewing in a straight line, etc.). So, having tried all these things, I figured what the heck and tried a regular old straight stitch. The puckering became practically non-existent. I am very tempted to just use the straight stitch instead of the zigzag. The only concern I have about that is that the straight stitch doesn't allow the fabric to stretch as much. I compared the stretch in two pieces of fabric, each 4" long. One was sewn with the narrow zigzag, and could be stretched out to just about 6" maximum. The other was sewn with the straight stitch and could be stretched out to just about 5" max. I'm not sure how much of a 'real-life' difference that will make when I'm actually wearing the garment. I'd prefer to have the most stretch possible, but the puckering I'm getting is just intolerable.
Any other ideas for how to fix the puckering? Or should I go nuts and use the straight stitch? I really like my fabric and don't want to ditch it just because of this. Also, I have several other polyester/lycra and similar fabrics in my project line-up (for more dresses, skirts, a bathing suit, and some sportswear) and I really don't want this to happen on those as well. And some of them may not allow for the loss of stretch with the straight stitch.
Thanks!
Emory
Edited b/c I clicked post by accident before I was done!
-- Edited on 6/24/09 10:44 AM --
I guess you could call it puckering, it's more like the fabric forms into rolling hills at the stitching. The fabric is a knit polyester/lycra blend, it is fairly lightweight with a very nice drape. I sew with knits a lot and I've never had this weird puckering happen, not even on my former not-so-great machine, although I've only used cotton/lycra (and maybe also rayon/lycra) knits before. Maybe it has something to do with the polyester fabric? When I stretch the fabric out after stitching, it looks nice and flat. I wouldn't worry about it, except that there are some seams in my garment (I am making a drapey, empire waist dress) where the fabric won't be stretched - like the side seams below the waist - so the seams would look all loopy, and the hem would look terrible. It also makes pressing harder, and since the fabric is polyester/lycra, it doesn't press out well as it is. Luckily I have plenty of scraps to practice on until I sort this out.
I'm using the narrow zigzag (stretch) stitch on my machine. I've tried adjusting the stitch width and length (within reason - I didn't set the width or length below 1mm, or above 2.5mm). My ballpoint needle is new. I've tried different presser foot pressures by setting my machine to stretch light and stretch medium. I have tried stretching the fabric a bit and not stretching it as I sew. None of these methods have helped. I haven't fiddled with the tensions at all, since I really don't think it's a tension problem - the stitches themselves are perfectly fine (i.e. no looping or skipping, stitches are not pulling to the top or bottom, it's sewing in a straight line, etc.). So, having tried all these things, I figured what the heck and tried a regular old straight stitch. The puckering became practically non-existent. I am very tempted to just use the straight stitch instead of the zigzag. The only concern I have about that is that the straight stitch doesn't allow the fabric to stretch as much. I compared the stretch in two pieces of fabric, each 4" long. One was sewn with the narrow zigzag, and could be stretched out to just about 6" maximum. The other was sewn with the straight stitch and could be stretched out to just about 5" max. I'm not sure how much of a 'real-life' difference that will make when I'm actually wearing the garment. I'd prefer to have the most stretch possible, but the puckering I'm getting is just intolerable.
Any other ideas for how to fix the puckering? Or should I go nuts and use the straight stitch? I really like my fabric and don't want to ditch it just because of this. Also, I have several other polyester/lycra and similar fabrics in my project line-up (for more dresses, skirts, a bathing suit, and some sportswear) and I really don't want this to happen on those as well. And some of them may not allow for the loss of stretch with the straight stitch.
Thanks!
Emory
Edited b/c I clicked post by accident before I was done!
-- Edited on 6/24/09 10:44 AM --
Posted on: 6/24/09 11:05 AM ET
In reply to chicaem29
Have you tried a 'stretch' needle? Every now and then I run into a strange knit that simply will not behave under my trusty Bernina unless I make that particular needle switch.
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Elona
Posted on: 6/24/09 11:07 AM ET
In reply to Elona
I'm using a ballpoint/jersey needle, I also have 'stretch' needles but haven't tried them yet.
Posted on: 6/24/09 7:54 PM ET
In reply to chicaem29
Try the stretch on a scrap. These needles can be magic. Personally, having sewn since dinosaurs walked the earth, I do not---do not--believe that the theory underlying ballpoints (the business about spreading the fibers rather than piercing them) works, whereas the stretch needle truly has a different structure, a differently shaped 'scarf,' from other needles.
You might find it interesting to do a side-by-side comparison on the same fabric of a selection of needles. It doesn't take much time.
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You might find it interesting to do a side-by-side comparison on the same fabric of a selection of needles. It doesn't take much time.
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Elona
Posted on: 6/24/09 10:00 PM ET
In reply to chicaem29
1 I sew with 1 inch wide strips of tissue paper on top of seam and this has elimated the problem.
I use an overlock to serge the seam line and then pull off the tissue. Has worked on almost every difficult fabric.
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I use an overlock to serge the seam line and then pull off the tissue. Has worked on almost every difficult fabric.
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"I am still learning" ~ Michelangelo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finally have a blog!
You can visit it at
www.zigzagthesewingrag.blogspot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I finally have a blog!
You can visit it at
www.zigzagthesewingrag.blogspot.com
Posted on: 6/24/09 11:43 PM ET
I'll try the stretch needle tonight. I've heard of the tissue paper thing before, will try that, too. I'll report back later!
Posted on: 6/25/09 1:55 AM ET
I haven't sewed with a ton of knits, so take my advice for what it's worth:
When sewing knits with a straight stitch (which I pretty much always do) and puckering occurs, I don't stretch the fabric, but I do apply a bit of pressure to the presser foot with my index finger. That is, I sort of push the foot toward me a bit from the back of the foot while I sew. Not much, just a little. I wonder if this would help stop the puckering with your zig-zag stitch as well?
When sewing knits with a straight stitch (which I pretty much always do) and puckering occurs, I don't stretch the fabric, but I do apply a bit of pressure to the presser foot with my index finger. That is, I sort of push the foot toward me a bit from the back of the foot while I sew. Not much, just a little. I wonder if this would help stop the puckering with your zig-zag stitch as well?
Posted on: 6/25/09 6:23 PM ET
Something I had to do when I got puckering on a twin needle hem on some poly/lycra knits was to put 1/2" wide strips of badgemaster under the fabric and it gave the fabric enough stability that my stitches then came out beautifully. It washes out nicely too so you don't have to worry about pulling stitches in order to remove it. I cannot speak to the seams or anything because I use a serger.
Posted on: 6/25/09 8:15 PM ET
Okay, success!
Only switching to the stretch needle, without any other methods, didn't help. Then I used some tissue paper and voila! The puckering was gone! It comes back a bit after I stretch the fabric out, but it's nowhere near as bad as before (the seams aren't distorted when opened), and can be pressed out with the iron. So yay! Thank you everyone. Now I just have to round up enough spare tissue paper. Oh, and sew my dress!!
Only switching to the stretch needle, without any other methods, didn't help. Then I used some tissue paper and voila! The puckering was gone! It comes back a bit after I stretch the fabric out, but it's nowhere near as bad as before (the seams aren't distorted when opened), and can be pressed out with the iron. So yay! Thank you everyone. Now I just have to round up enough spare tissue paper. Oh, and sew my dress!!
Posted on: 6/25/09 8:30 PM ET
In reply to chicaem29
Congratulations on finding the solution. Sometimes it takes quite a few approaches, doesn't it?
Maybe we can have a pic when the dress is done?
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Maybe we can have a pic when the dress is done?
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Elona
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