other than glue and hand sewing--what is the best way to sew refector tape about 6 inches from wrist--i do not have a drop foot machine--can this be done with a serger? any advice eally appreciated--i can get to one of the edges of teh tape but not the other
tia peter
One of my pairs of custom-made bike shorts had a patch pocket sewn on with a serger, so applique' must be possible -- with *some* sergers. The tailor might have had a special-purpose pocket-applying machine for all I know.
You can open the sleeve seam, sew on the tape, then sew the seam up again. Odds are that would be easier to sew it on by hand. Or machine-stitch the side that you can reach, and tack down the other edge by hand.
If the tape is tough, pre-punching your hand-sewing holes with an awl or an un-threaded sewing machine will help. Using the sewing machine may tempt you to punch too many holes -- there is no strain on an applique', so teeny-tiny stitches are not required. (You do have to keep the threads on the inside very short, or they will wear away.)
Idle curiosity: where do you buy your retro-reflective tape, and what is a "drop foot" machine? I've answered as if you meant "free arm".
Joy Beeson
yes wrong word--it is a free arm machine
ebay was where i got the tape--sold by the yard and it is of excellant quality
i think the tailor i just went to has a machine that could do it ( i think--seems when i relooked at it it was a blindstitch machine)
tia peter
FWIW, Rose City Textiles has 3-M scotchlite piping and tapes... I think the tapes are half inch and one inch, but may be wrong. Also has wide black grosgrain with about an inch wide strip of Scotchlite down the middle that makes it very easy to sew.
The piping is made of approximately heavy butcher string cord with scotchlite applied to what appears to be a lightweight tricot. Inserts very nicely into seams.
Kay
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