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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 17, 2015 17:52:28 GMT
I may have mentioned awhile ago (or not) that I had decided to stop buying clothing from China (nothing against the Chinese!) As a result, I have started home sewing again. I find cotton knit jersey very comfortable, and I can find this fabric in the USA and made from organic cotton to boot!
So I invested in a couple of patterns (see Alabama Chanin) and some of her lovely fabric but cannot get my Janome machine (yes, this is a lower level model compared to Pfaff and Viking) to sew it correctly. Even with careful tension adjustment, the seams simply fall apart! I tried nylon thread, which was recommended on one sewing blog. I changed the “foot” and I used a ball point needle. When that didn’t help, I tried a twin needle, which looked like it was working; but once again, the seams fell apart.
Janome’s website has not responded to me, and I inquired over 2 weeks ago. I have reviewed the Janome sewing manual. I am at a loss.
Any ideas from those of you who machine stitch?
P.S. I am also using 100% quilting cotton from my stash to make new blouses, and that has worked. So it does not appear the machine is broken.
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Post by MTRuth on Jun 17, 2015 20:01:41 GMT
I have never made clothing or stitched on cotton knit jersey. I have heard some comments online on how hard it is to get it to work properly. I think a lot of people might use sergers for this. I thought that Alabama Chanin usually hand stitched all her stuff? I follow a blog that does a lot of her type of work but she hand stitches everything.
Hopefully, someone who has more knowledge of sewing clothing can help you.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 17, 2015 22:07:46 GMT
Yes, you are correct, Ruth. Alabama Chanin recommends hand-stitching everything. I did hand-stitch the first two pieces I made, but it is very time-consuming. I even added the hand-cut, hand-stitched appliqués! I don’t own a serger, but I have heard they are quite effective for zipping up and finishing seams.
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Post by Shepherdess on Jun 17, 2015 22:19:13 GMT
Not sure how much help this will be but when my mom used to make us t-shirts as kids they did stretch and sew. She took a class. Maybe try googling stretch and sew.
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Post by jwugg on Jun 18, 2015 4:28:30 GMT
I can remember people using tissue paper under every seam, to stop the stretching. Haven't done it myself, & of course you need to rip it all off after sewing. Could be worth a test piece. & a tighter top tension possibly. or a very slight zig-zag. Good luck.
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Post by zed on Jun 18, 2015 10:02:16 GMT
Cotton Knit Jersey is tee-shirt material isn't it?
I haven't sewn it for years, but I used to make kids' pants out of long-sleeved tee-shirt sleeves, and don't remember too much of a problem. I did use a hand cranked Singer at the time. I know I tried to take a tee-shirt up once and that didn't go well, but another time, I shortened it before washing, and it probably had that starch on it that new tee-shirts seem to have. Maybe that could help?
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 18, 2015 15:20:56 GMT
Cotton knit jersey is more or less T-shirt type material, but there are different grades. I have purchased medium grade cotton knit jersey. I would expect the “tissue” jersey to have more problems. I pre-washed the jersey.
I guess I just have to try a few more test pieces, using different variations of tension, stitches, stretch stitch, etc. Zed, are you suggesting I use starch to firm up the fabric before sewing? Thanks Ann, Jill, Ruth and Zed for ideas. I will let you know if I have success!
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Post by MTRuth on Jun 18, 2015 18:31:58 GMT
I think the idea of the tissue paper is a good one. Gives it some strength and not too hard to get off afterwards. And I forgot to say, Cathy, I thought you were looking for "slow" stitching projects?? Ha. I have wondered how people can do all the hand stitched seams on clothing - way over the top for me.
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Post by zed on Jun 19, 2015 10:04:04 GMT
I used to hand stitch clothes too, using back stitch. It probably looked awful inside, but no one would know!
I honestly don't know if starch would work, Cathy, it could gunk up the machine if there's too much? Maybe it isn't starch that clothes come coated with.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 20, 2015 13:32:47 GMT
Yesterday, I took scraps of 100% cotton jersey knit and tried different combinations of stitching, tension, tissue paper, etc. For medium weight cotton jersey, the tissue paper did not seem to make a difference. There is no slippage of the fabric, as it is fairly hefty (9 oz. as opposed to tissue weight 4-5 oz.) I discarded the twin needle and the nylon bobbin thread and started fresh with a ball pt. needle and regular cotton thread. I do not have the fancy “stretch & stitch” choice on my low-end machine, so I tried a zigzag stitch instead. Regular presser foot, as I could not find the walking foot, which I probably threw across the room a few weeks ago. So far so good on the samples. Will put it to the test this weekend when I actually sew the garment. But first, I need to finish the hand-sewn appliqués. Zed, I read that people sometimes use starch on the edges of knit jersey, since they tend to roll. The starch allows the edges to lay flat, and I intend to do that when I am ready to sew seams! Ruth, Yes, I really was looking for “slow” stitch projects, but I exhausted myself by hand-sewing entirely the first two garments. I will leave the slow stitch for appliqué and fancy embroidery. But not construction of garments!!
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Post by penguin on Jun 20, 2015 13:42:04 GMT
You can get special 'ballpoint' needles to stitch jersey, which slip between the knit stitches, where an ordinary needle will bounce off the fabric. That might do the trick.
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 20, 2015 16:19:41 GMT
Quite possibly, Penguin. I may not have the right size ballpoint needle for knit jersey…perhaps something finer. In the meantime, here’s the “slow-stitching” appliqué part of my project. Very slow stitching. And I may not have the right needles for that either. Need #9 sharps apparently. Slow Stitching June 2015 by catwycliff, on Flickr
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Post by MTRuth on Jun 20, 2015 16:31:19 GMT
Having the right needle does make a big difference.
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Post by penguin on Jun 21, 2015 2:39:15 GMT
Oops, sorry, I somehow missed that u were already using a ballpoint needle.! Yes, maybe needs a finer one. When u say seams fall apart, do you mean the cloth unravels? If so then try zigzagging close to the edge of the fabric before u sew any seams. (Not as good as a surger but might work at a pinch!)
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Post by luvswool and dyestuff on Jun 21, 2015 18:18:03 GMT
I think the problem was the nylon thread recommended by one sewing blog. The seams literally fell apart--the stitching simply unraveled. I have never had that happen before, so it was a bit astonishing to me. But, I had never sewn with 100% cotton knit jersey before. Not easy without a serger. So I took all of the advice above and some from the sewing blogs and I think I’ve got is straightened out. I re-sewed the seams in a long skirt I made--very plain (slate gray) and so comfortable--just like a T-shirt without spandex. This was the piece where the seams totally unraveled. My solution was ballpoint needle, regular cotton thread, high number tension, zigzag stitch. I wore the skirt today and the seams are still intact! I appreciated all of the suggestions. Just goes to show 2 or 6 or 7 heads are better than one!
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