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Posted on: 12/2/12 7:02 PM ET
I'm in the process of making some swimsuits. I want the suits lined, and I've found that as I'm sewing one layer on top of the other, the top layer wants to slip to the left. This seems to happen mostly when I'm basting the fashion fabric to the lining.

Any ideas? I've tried my walking foot and it had the same problems. More pins? A teflon foot?
  
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Posted on: 12/2/12 7:08 PM ET
In reply to Immelu
Can you adjust the pressure of your presser foot?

Also check your tension.

What stitch are you using? When I baste my lining to the spandex swimsuit fabric I use a narrow zigzag stitch.

I usually use a regular zigzag foot but there have been times I've had to pull out the teflon foot.

Do you know what the blend of your fabrics is? Do they have a similar degree of stretch?


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Sheila
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Posted on: 12/2/12 7:37 PM ET
In reply to SheBear0320
Quote: SheBear0320
Can you adjust the pressure of your presser foot?



Also check your tension.



What stitch are you using? When I baste my lining to the spandex swimsuit fabric I use a narrow zigzag stitch.



I usually use a regular zigzag foot but there have been times I've had to pull out the teflon foot.



Do you know what the blend of your fabrics is? Do they have a similar degree of stretch?




Hmm, I don't think I can adjust the pressure, but I'll check. It seems like the problem is the presser foot, combined with using 1/4 inch seam allowances. With 1/4 inch seam allowances, the fabric doesn't quite catch the right feed dog on my machine.

I'll adjust the tension and see if that helps.

I am using a narrow zigzag and am using two 4-way stretch swimsuitings with similar stretches. I'm perfecting the fit of a bikini bottom (ugh) so I've made three samples in the last day or so. I think I've got the fit...now if I could just work out that pesky construction issue. It's not bad enough to screw it up majorly...just bad enough to annoy me.







-- Edited on 12/2/12 7:38 PM --
  
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Posted on: 12/2/12 7:45 PM ET
I narrowly zig zag the lining and fashion fabric together just on the very edge of the two fabrics before I begin construction then handle the piece as one. A bit like underlining a woven garment.
I personally prefer to work with 10mm sa's rather than 6mm. Just gives a more even feed through the dogs esp with 4 way stretch.

I loathe fitting bikini bottoms too...
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Posted on: 12/2/12 9:29 PM ET
In reply to Sarsez
Edited due to my inattention.
-- Edited on 12/3/12 11:09 AM --
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Posted on: 12/2/12 10:30 PM ET
In reply to Sarsez
Sarsez, That's exactly what I'm doing...maybe on the next pair I cut, I'll increase the seam allowances.

I finalized the winning pair...after 4 samples. I can now make a pair, start to finish, in 1 hr and 15 minutes. Not bad... I plan to stick that bottom on whatever one piece suit or bikini I decide to make, so I figure it was well worth the time. My hubby and I are planning a vacation over Christmas, so I want to have several suits made by then.

My winning pair was a basic kwik sew, with the back traced on the next size up, a narrowed crotch, and the elastic shortened by two inches. I read in someone's review on another kwik sew that they typically had to shorten the elastic and that was the trick that turned these from "ok" to "fantastic!"
  
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Posted on: 12/3/12 7:53 AM ET
What about a light basting spray, like for embroidery, or quilting? It temporarily sticks the two fabrics together.
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Dawn T.
  
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Posted on: 12/3/12 9:04 AM ET
I have 2 possible solutions. 1st, there is a product called Wonder Tape by W.H. Collins, Inc. It is a 2 sided sticky, 1/4 wide tape that washes away and leaves no trace. I first bought it on line, and then found it locally. It has save me in doing narrow hems, cover stitch hems, and joining 2 difficult fabrics.
2nd, maybe try a 1/4" foot or a quilt foot, to help the fabric grab under the presser foot.
Good luck.
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Posted on: 12/4/12 0:16 AM ET
When I line a front, I sew the back and front together at the side seams. Then I sew the front lining on with the right side facing the wrong side of the back. I sew the lining on at the side seams, then flip it to the front and the side seams are incased.
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Posted on: 12/4/12 3:17 AM ET
In reply to Immelu
Quote Hmm, I don't think I can adjust the pressure, but I'll check.

Just in case you didn't solve this yet, most every machine has a pressure adjustment. All the machines I'm familiar with, it will be something that looks like a post on top of the machine directly above where the needle is. It presses down and pops up. The instruction manual will describe the appropriate positions for various operations, but it's not hard to tell which direction reduces or increases the pressure.
  
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