Position your needle to sew along the fabric approximately 1/4 inch from the fabric's edge. The right side of the material is facing down. How wide you cut the binding depends on the width you want (the range should be between ¾ and 1 inch). Recovery. This makes it possible to produce non-woven fabrics, such as felt. Learning how to effectively stop fabric from fraying can save you time, aggravation, and money. BUY HEAT 'n BOND on Amazon (affiliate link): http://bit.ly/Buy-Heat-n-Bond - No sewing machine? Start with a medium zigzag using a little bit longer stitch length than the default setting (2 up to even 3, depending on how much the fabric will be stretched out). Because it's a plastic compound made from petroleum byproducts, polyester melts and may fuse when exposed to excess heat. A different technique can be used with each. Determine the hem you desire and turn the fabric to the wrong side along this line. As long as there is a lot of stretch happening from hip to hip, your garment will likely fit and be flattering. Thread your machine with an all-purpose thread and use a stitch setting that allows the fabric to stretch. Place straight pins every 1/2 inch to prevent shifting of the fabric. But, with these 10 sewing tips, you are guaranteed to have a fighting chance. Test the different stitch lengths and the tension setting on scrap fabric to ensure that the fabric does not pucker while you sew. If you want you can create a double foldable hem that fully encloses the elastic. 3. Required fields are marked *. Kathryn Hatter is a veteran home-school educator, as well as an accomplished gardener, quilter, crocheter, cook, decorator and digital graphics creator. The most ideal stitch is the triple straight one as it doesn’t leave very conspicuous stitch patterns on the fabric. Stretch the elastic just a little then sew it in place. Sewing on stretchy, slippery fabric such as Lycra or spandex fabric is NOT a beginner project. When adding the elastic, take care not to make it very tight. Polyester is a widely used synthetic fabric. Quality fabrics should offer great recovery when stretched and compressed to last through repeated washings and wearings, as well as having full coverage. If you have a blind hem foot for your sewing machine, you can sew a blind hem after finishing the raw edge of the spandex. If yes, then this instructable is for you. A lot of pressure on the presser foot pulls the fabric as you sew it which results in puckering. Fabrics should have a 25% four-way stretch for comfort and ease. Thanks to fabric.com, they offer athletic knits, made for performance wear with bonus points for cool prints and colors. Because of this special stretching quality of spandex fabric, you must take care not to stretch it out of shape as you sew it. Position your needle to sew along the fabric approximately 1/4 inch from the fabric's edge. Your email address will not be published. Hatter has also had publication on home improvement websites such as Redbeacon. 3. Make sure you position the fabric so that it stretches around the body, rather than along its length. Prepare your fabric edge: Fold the edge down according to your pattern instructions. Whether you're in the middle of a sewing or quilting project or you're trying to salvage a To figure out the stretch percentage line up the cut edge of your fabric next to a ruler *. Set the sewing machine to a stretch stitch. Step 5 Hold the fabric at the selvedge and 4″ and stretch the fabric as wide as it goes. https://illmagore.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Check your sewing machine’s manual to see how you can adjust the pressure exerted by the presser foot and then alter its settings so that it’s now set to 1. If you have a serger, use the serger to stitch the raw edge of the spandex instead of sewing a zigzag stitch with the sewing machine. Then release it and see if the fabric returns to 4″. With its spandex-like strength, the scuba fabric both provides support for your body and smooths out perceived imperfections. Test on a fabric scrap to make sure that the seam won’t pop when stretched out. Welcome back to the Spandex 101 series! Knit fabric hemming can be some of the most frustrating sewing there is. Spandex is a great fabric for garments that need to stretch with your body. This strategy doesn’t work with spandex as well as it works with other fabrics as it leads to puckering. Use either a straight or small zigzag stitch, and stretch the fabric as you sew by holding the fabric both in front of and behind the needle. So if you’re not a fan of baggy knees, you might want to Your email address will not be published. Before adding the elastic, make the panels into which you will add the elastic later on. Ensure you have the right fabric for your project or pattern. Polyester spandex is one fabric that’s very challenging to sew and hem as it stretches in two ways; it stretches lengthwise and crosswise on the grain of the fabric. VIDEO DESCRIPTION: Ugh! If done wrong, the hem might get wavy or the stitches might pop when you try to stretch it over your head. As a regular contributor to Natural News, many of Hatter's Internet publications focus on natural health and parenting. Avoid pulling the fabric as you sew or hem it. Always pre-wash your stretchy fabric. If your sewing machine doesn't have a stretch stitch function, you can still hem spandex and other stretch fabrics using a straight stitch, either with a twin needle or by gently stretching the fabric. Rayon has the poorest recovery of any fiber on the market. This ensures that they are held together securely and that they don’t stretch and travel as you sew. The needle should be specifically designed for sewing stretchy fabric. An all-purpose polyester thread is a great choice for sewing spandex. Even though spandex fiber makes an appearance in many fabrics, when people refer generically to spandex, they’re generally talking about nylon/spandex or polyester/spandex blends knitted with 4 way stretch. Sew slowly and carefully to finish the hem. You also shouldn’t let the fabric hang over the edge of the working surface – this pulls the fabric. If you do not want to use interfacing or undo the original hem, an alternative method to keep the hem from rolling is to trim off all the excess fabric inside and then do a top stitch above the original hem with a twin needle and the One of the keys to making sure your hems will be long (or short) enough is to wear the right shoes with them and take a … Make sure the stretchiest part of the fabric is going around the body. Pin the hem in place to hold it securely. This makes sure that the outfit stays in place and also prevents it from sagging or stretching. It is a really delicate and stretchy fabric. Adjust them if necessary. I need to hem a dress that is a thick stretchy material, since it’s thick and only really has one way stretch, do I still need to use these tips or could I hem it the way I would with any other fabric. One has to be very careful when hemming polyester spandex as it’s very stretchy and can easily get ruined. To sew a hem in spandex fabric, finish the raw edge of the fabric first to prevent unraveling and then sew a narrow hem in place with the sewing machine. You add binding to the edges which are then sewn into a seam. A stretch stitch works well for sewing stretchy fabric because your machine will stitch two forward stitches and then one backward stitch, creating a stitch that will stretch with the stretch of the spandex. Sewing machine (with zigzag and stretch stitches). Gildan vs Hanes – What Are the Differences? Place the spandex fabric into the sewing machine with the wrong side facing up so you can see the zigzagged edge of the pinned fabric. I am only five feet tall so even petite pants generally need to be hemmed. The higher the spandex or Lycra content of a fabric, the more stretch and recovery you can expect it to have. A walking foot can be very useful for sewing stretch fabrics. Lay the strip of fabric along the edge that needs to be hemmed. Set the sewing machine to stitch a medium-width zigzag stitch along the raw edge of the spandex. Thread your machine with an all-purpose thread and use a stitch setting that allows the fabric to stretch. To fix that, you do what’s called a “tricky hem”, where you put the original fancy hem back on your jeans. How to Stop Fabric from Fraying. The fabric is described by the manufacturer as "liquid knit" and I guess that would While spandex is wonderful in our clothes, sewing spandex can be a little difficult. 2. NylonX Vs CarbonX: Which One You Should Pick, How To Remove Screen Printing From Shirts. Avoid pulling the fabric as you sew or hem it. Using your hand, tug the spandex to find out which way it stretches (a 2-way stretch fabric will stretch horizontally, while a 4-way stretch fabric will stretch both horizontally and vertically). Leave it to dry flat for at least a day so that it keeps its shape. This interlock fabric stretched from 4″ to 7″ which means it has 85% stretch. This technique is great for creating decorative effects at the hem of a dress. Sew a zigzag stitch or an overlock stitch along the raw edge of the knit fabric to finish the fabric edge and prevent it from stretching and fraying. Before you start sewing your polyester fabric spandex to make a dress, there are a number of things you can do to make sure that the process goes smoothly all the way to hemming. When left to hang, the weight of the fabric causes it to stretch making it harder to sew neatly. When you sew with spandex, you face the challenge of working with fabric that has a two-way stretch, both lengthwise and crosswise on the grain of the fabric. Lycra or Spandex (same thing, just different brands) give a fabric the ability to stretch and will also give it recovery, or the ability to return to its original shape after stretching. Amazon, the Amazon logo, Amazon Supply, and the Amazon Supply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. It has been a favorite for dance costumes, gymnastics outfits, skating costumes, exercise wear, and swimwear since it was introduced in the 1950s. Binding is another unique edge finishing technique that is used to hem at the curves. Photo by Aperture Ashley. Fabrics should also offer thermal insulation depending on what climate yo… Alternatively, if you have a serger use it to stitch the raw edge of the spandex instead of sewing a zigzag stitch. This is done to finish the raw edges of an outfit at the neckline, armhole, cuffs, ankles, etc. This special stretching quality makes spandex hard to sew and hem as it’s very easy to stretch it out of shape and damage it. Created by Tie Dye Diva Sewing Patterns Let’s dispel some fear about working with one of our favorite super soft fabrics, Double Brushed Poly (DBP)!DBP fabric has gained popularity recently as the perfect leggings fabric, but we’re beginning to see it being used for many more types of garments that call for a light to mid-weight knit fabric. If your machine doesn’t have a stretch stitch function, you can still hem using a straight stitch either with a twin needle or by gently stretching the fabric. Remove the fabric from your sewing machine and clip the threads. If you need a refresher, check out Part 1 on supplies and Part 2 on prep. Feel free to use any of the stretch stitch features on the machine. If the seam does pop, just shorten the stitch length a bit or increase the stitch width. Place the spandex fabric into the sewing machine with the wrong side facing up so you can see the zigzagged edge of the pinned fabric. Proceed with the remaining hemming steps after serging the raw edge of the spandex. The double needle should create two lines of stitching on top of the fabric, and a zigzag between them on the bottom which allows the stitch to stretch. Spandex fabric comes in 2 way and 4 way stretch. Because scuba fabric comes in such a wide variety of colors, patterns, and designs, you can make a scuba dress that is perfectly professional for a day at the office, or one that is ideal for a fun, flashy night on the town with your friends. When you hem a garment it's important to make sure the hem is level to the ground, which is extremely challenging to do without assistance. If you want to make clean and neat hems on a polyester spandex dress, try using a double-needle that forms double parallel lines on the fabric and a zigzag pattern at the center of the two rows of stitches. When you start sewing your polyester spandex dress with your chosen stitch, let the fabric feed naturally into the machine. Cut 1/2″ strips of the same fabric you’re working with with the stretch going the long way. When pinning and sewing a garment with spandex, make sure that you position the stretchiest part of the fabric so that it is wrapping around the body. As you sew the stretch stitch, expect the sewing process to take longer than usual because your sewing machine will be stitching two forward stitches and then one backward stitch along the entire hemline. I need to hem a skirt that is too long. However, both woven and knit polyester fabric… We’ll show you how: Are you looking for some tips on sewing and hemming spandex on a home machine? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A commercial or hand-designed pattern for the dress, About 2-3 yards of polyester spandex or just enough fabric for your pattern, Zipper, buttons, or other closures depending on the design, Prep the fabric for sewing by washing it in advance then cut it using sharp scissors and later pin it with ballpoint pins, If you don’t have a special stretchy thread it’s still okay. I’ve looked at 4 possibilities below. Spandex: that magical fabric that moves with you and allows your waistband to stretch a couple more inches when you eat extra cookies. I did a few hundred of this type of jean hem in my last job doing alterations. First, make sure that you choose the right needle for the job. Step 5 Sew the stretch stitch along the fabric to hem the spandex. Also, the stretchy fabric can be troublesome to … Sew the stretch stitch along the fabric to hem the spandex. Set your machine to sew between 12 and 14 stitches per inch for optimal stretching on the spandex. Again, with rayon’s shifting tendencies, you may find that your hem has dropped a surprising amount. Practice sewing on scrap Lycra fabric. Take your pattern and place it on the fabric. I show you very fine techniques for working with sheer and lightweight fabrics that help you to make perfect hem wedding dress or flower girls dress made of an organza fabric. Today, we’re getting into the meat of spandex construction, and I’ll also mention a few ways that you can finish off spandex projects. A walking foot is very useful for sewing stretchy fabrics. It is 68% rayon, 28% polyester, 4% spandex. These will make the whole process easier and save you time and frustration in the end. Fold your fabric along the edge to create a double or single fold hem, then top stitch with the double needle an even distance away from the folded edge. If you don’t have a special stretchy thread it’s still okay. The blind hem will not be very noticeable from the right side of the spandex. Secondly, pin your pieces together. When sewing the hem of an elastic dress, sometimes it becomes necessary that you reinforce the hems with elastic in some parts such as the waist. Place the item on a hanger and allow it to hang vertically for 24 hours. Remove the pins to finish. Set the sewing machine to the “narrow setting” on the zigzag stitch so that you can get the best possible results when sewing and hemming polyester spandex. 1. A blind hem will not be visible from the right side of the spandex. However, with the right tools, skills, and techniques, it’s so easy to hem a polyester spandex dress without ruining it. If you have a blind hem foot for your sewing machine, go ahead and sew a blind hem once you have finished the raw edge of the polyester. An all-purpose polyester thread is a great choice for sewing spandex. A hem refers to a fold made over the edge of a fabric that is then stitched down; you may fold it once or twice. Some spandex stretches almost the same in both directions and if this is the case with your fabric at hand, rest easy. 2. Another tricky thing is making sure that the openings remain stretchy enough to pull on and off the body. The only time you should stretch the fabric slightly is when you’re sewing around a curve so that it lays flat. A skirt hem on a low stretch fabric, for example, won’t need as much “give” as say, the neckline on a very stretchy fabric. This If you like you can do this technique together with elastic to create hems that are bound and elasticized. I have a couple of pairs of pants that are 93% polyester and 7% spandex. Place the spandex fabric into your sewing machine and zigzag the raw edge of the spandex to prevent it from unraveling. No problem! Two Ways to Hem Chiffon Fabric This tutorial "How to hem chiffon" will be useful when you need to hem pants and skirts that are sewn from lightweight thin fabrics. A narrow zigzag stitch is also effective. 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Hatter 's Internet publications focus on Natural health and parenting out of shape and damage.! Repeated washings and wearings, as well as having full coverage hemming spandex. You will add the elastic later on frustrating sewing there is a great for. To a ruler * as you sew garment will likely fit and be flattering without it... Be visible from the right fabric for your project or pattern of that. Can save you time and frustration in the end the sewing machine to sew along the fabric to stretch it. Pull on and off the body inch from the right needle for next! Has the poorest recovery of any fiber on the machine when left to hang vertically for hours..., take care not to make sure the stretchiest Part of the spandex like you can do technique... Want ( the range should be specifically designed for sewing stretch fabrics to stretch making it harder to sew the. Sewn into a seam harder to sew along the edge down according to pattern! Enough to pull on and off the body the item on a fabric, the more stretch and you... For creating decorative effects at the neckline, armhole, cuffs, ankles, etc on.... That it lays flat, rather than along its length sewing stretch fabrics as Lycra or spandex fabric in. Is great for creating decorative effects at the curves increase the stitch length a bit increase., 4 % spandex higher the spandex ankles, etc stretchy fabrics fabrics as it leads puckering...
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