I am thinking of making a single layer cover/blanket type of thing from some of the Fleece Mountain I own. What is the best way to sew with fleece? The times I have worked with strips of it, it has come out rather wavy. How do other get round this? I have tear-out stabiliser... is the answer dissolving stabiliser? Or is it all a matter of tension and the sort of stitch you use? Satin stitch or a sort of zig-zag? Help!
-- Jo in Scotland
What's the plan -joining smaller pieces? Very accurate cutting is the key to avoiding waves. I used the machine feather stitch to join and simply butted the edges together, no seam allowance. Also, even though it's hard to tell sometimes, fleece seems to stretch a little more in one direction than the other, so if you really want nitpicky perfection, keep the directions consistent. Roberta in D
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Hi,
Do you have a serger? If so, you might want to consider flatlock seams using interesting threads.
Rita L.
Johanna Gibs> I am thinking of making a single layer cover/blanket type of thing
In Nancy Cornwell's books about making fleece whatever - she repeats over and over again to lenghten the stitch. Makes no difference whether you're sewing on a regular sewing machine or a serger - you must lengthen the stitch. There's a lot of thickness and the stitching piles up on itself if the stitches are too short.
I love all of the Nancy Cornwell Fleece Books. Lots of really, really good info in all of them.
Donna in SW Idaho
Jo, when I made a large "blanket" of the fleece I was very careful to really lighten up on the pressure foot pressure so that it wouldn't stretch. I also did a sort of mock felled seam. Sewed the two layers with one seam allowance a bit wider than the other. Then "topstitched" the seam allowances down with the wider one covering the narrower one. (If that makes sense???) You could stitch this part with a zig zag or other "open" decorative stitch, like serpentine or scallop or such. I really wouldn't recommend satin stitch for fleece. While the cross of the fleece really does stretch, the lengthwise is a bit more stable. If you still have problems with stretching/wavy seams, any tearaway stabilizer should work. I tend to use plain wrapping tissue and such for something like this. (Because it works and is cheap/free.)
Good luck with it.
Pati, > I am thinking of making a single layer cover/blanket type of thing
Lengthen stitches, lighten pressure foot pressure. Remember it's a knit, and has cross-grain stretch. Also it doesn't ravel, so there's no need to do anything fancy, including hemming. Seams can be as simple as two pieces butted and zig-zagged together, or overlapped and stitched through.
If I have my druthers, I serge it rather than use a sewing machine.
Kay
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