Is there a set technique for sewing seat inserts into cycle shorts?
The problem I'm having is the disparity between the stretchiness of the two materials combined with the complex curves. . The nylon lycra outer has 100% stretch, whereas the seat insert has about 3% stretch. Uniformly stretching the outer to fit the inner is nigh impossible. The end result is always uneven. I'm thinking that the factory made shorts must use some kind of automated process, perhaps using a form, or partially assembling the shorts, sewing the insert and then doing the rest of the seams. The factory made shorts look perfect, with a uniform 10 to 15% stretch from the central seams.
Mike, I've made at least a dozen pair of cycle shorts:
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let me ask you these questions...
What pattern ( six panel or just a inseam and center seam)
chamois... premanuctured pad, if so, which one. I make all my own chamois out of fleece an ultrasuede, the premanufactured foam pad I can order feels like the worst kind of diaper.
Do you have all your match points marked? I use a stretch and sew pattern that provides the chamois pattern, a six panel shorts pattern, and match points for setting in the chamois.
I put the chamois in last thing before the waist and thigh elastic to insure a custom fit.
here's how I do it. Make sure your CF an CB match points from the pattern are marked on the shorts. Make sure you have the two inseam area points marked on the shorts. If your pattern and chamois don't have match points you will to wing this part and try and follow the steps anyway.
line up cf/cb and insert pins. Pin the center line of the pad to the center line of the shorts. Now, match the side points and pin them. Working on a quarter of the pad at a time, smooth the lycra working from the center out to the edge and pin the edge of the pad down. Depending on the stretch of your particular lycra, it may be stretched a whole lot or it may not. You need to be very patient and work gently with the stretch and excess while you do this. If you have a 6 panel short you will have more seams crossing the shorts for reference points, to make sure that it's even.
Don't get frustrated as this is a big PITA to put these in. You will most likely have to redo the pins in one or more sections. Last but not least, when you thing you have it right, pins parallel to the edge of the pad, put them on inside out and **carefully** check the fit. You can even put them on inside out if you need to rework the pad placement - a good freind can help with this.
When you are ready to sew it, you can baste if you want. I don't, I have the pins parallel to the edge and just remove them carefully as I go. Depending on how the feed of your machines works, you may get a bubble or two underneath ( if you are sewing pad up, lycra down)... just be patient, tear it out, redo it. I am very experienced and it's pretty rare that I can get a pad in perfect the first time around. Joy, Kathleen or Gabrielle may have something to add also
Putting them on inside out, in any stage of pinning, pretty well defines PITA. I use fleece for a liner, two layers of it, stitched together before installing in shorts. This stretches a little bit. Helps to mark center sides as well as CF and CB. Keep in mind that the short fabric shouldn't be stretching too much through the crotch area. The rest of the short provides that painted-on fit. HTH
how is the fleece w/o ultrasuede for chafing? For reference, I make my chamois of polartec/ultrasuede, ride commando for reduced chafing and I never have any problems.
penny
fun shorts! have you ever checked out sock guy socks for fun cycle socks that just might match?
I got the idea from my buddies at Schnaubelt shorts (perhpas now exclusively called Aerotech?). The gal who founded the biz used to make everything herself (prior to a few private label contracts), and one bolt of short liner was blue polypro. Regrettably, that stuff wasn't real stable, and created a pilling problem. You can imagine what it was called. :) Anyway, seems like every couple of years I pick up another pair from them, and all their liners are polyfleece. This adheres well to skin when it needs to, is absorbent and washable, dries fast, and comes in a lot of skin-camouflaging shades. I've also experimented with fake chamois from the auto department. Commando-style is the only way to go. I had to persuade my little girl nieces of this, but then in the shower truck they got the idea. (That and no VPL on anyone else on the road.)
--Karen M. who had to lend the big kid a pair of socks last year...too much coordination just ain't pretty.
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