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Pinning and which machine will hate this the least?
So I have two items I'm trying to make. Yes, actual sewing projects for a change.
Both are portable ironing board style projects. Laying on the table prior to any stitching, they stand a full 1/2" tall. If I pin all of the layers (5 of them) they compress to about 1/4", but there's a "wow" where the pin is. Does this matter? Will it still look fairly flat once it's sewn? Does it sort of "shift" the layers a little, or no? Because there's a layer of heat resistant fabric that I think will show any "do overs", I'm hesitant to start to stitch it.... The layers go: Top fabric (quilting fabric thickness), 2 layers of warm tater, 1 layer Insul-brite, 1 layer heat resistant fabric (think old style ironing board fabric) Ideally, I'd like to stitch this upside down (the HRF at the bottom) for less movement and better piercing power, but I have to "draw" the design I'm following on the silver side, in order to get it somewhat straight. So my next question, to keep it on topic for the V.A.M.E. forum.... which of my machines do you all think is least likely to want to cause me bodily harm for forcing this on it? |
I use my 401A for heavy-duty sewing. I've done canvas, vinyl, denim (all several layers). Be sure to sew at a slow speed, and don't sew over the pins. And...
Don't forget to use your walking foot! |
I can't answer the question about which machine ... but can make a suggestion about pinning it. Don't :)
Consider using a glue stick instead of pinning. The pins through that much fabric will distort it a bit and the machine that is best for sewing through that bulk may not be the best machine for sewing over pins. |
Originally Posted by happyquiltmom
(Post 5744123)
I use my 401A for heavy-duty sewing. I've done canvas, vinyl, denim (all several layers). Be sure to sew at a slow speed, and don't sew over the pins. And...
Don't forget to use your walking foot! I guess I'll learn how to use my walking foot tonight. :)
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
(Post 5744127)
I can't answer the question about which machine ... but can make a suggestion about pinning it. Don't :)
Consider using a glue stick instead of pinning. The pins through that much fabric will distort it a bit and the machine that is best for sewing through that bulk may not be the best machine for sewing over pins. |
A featherweight with the proper needle will work well.
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Hey Francie, you might be right. I had thought it was a nasty job, but in the end, the HRF was a lot more pierce-able than I'd thought it would be.
That said, I think the 400 series machines have a bigger clearance between the needle plate and the presser foot than a featherweight has and it was a shoving contest to get all of the layers under the walking foot on the 411G. I didn't win, I think I tied! I had to raise the throat plate a little just to cover the feed dogs so that they wouldn't catch the fabric as much. ( I was concerned that they would tear it, it was that tight.) Then of course a few times I forgot to lower the plate, because I couldn't see it. :) I was half way through the one, and realized,.. hey! in essence... I'm machine quilting. LOL! I'm not the swiftest at 2am I guess. Now I just have to make and install a binding, handle and a couple of fasteners and the portable ironing mat is finished. Since you all helped me out, I'll post a pic of it too. The binding might take me a few days though, I have no idea what I'm doing, so I've been reading tutorials and stuff. |
Congratulations on getting through it!
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I would use my 15-91 or my 66 treadle. Either of those will sew through anything!!!
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Without a doubt I'd go for the 201. They can sew through sheet metal and still smile!!
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My Singer 401 would handle that without a walking foot, and would not shift the fabric. I vote for both the 401 and the glue stick.
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Hi Tammi,
The best method I've found to make binding and sew it on is by Kaye Wood. I've used her method for many years with great results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7Mm_mkbCc Sharon W. Singers:99K hand crank,treadles: 201,237,15-90,66-1 red eye decals,Pfaff 60 |
Originally Posted by happyquiltmom
(Post 5746435)
Congratulations on getting through it!
I settled on using Sharon Schamber's method for doing binding, and have been following her tutorial on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PE0Yq9iGlc I keep sending DH out for supplies. He thought I was a little weird when I started asking for glue sticks and school glue. :D
Originally Posted by MimiBug123
(Post 5747797)
I would use my 15-91 or my 66 treadle. Either of those will sew through anything!!!
Originally Posted by DanofNJ
(Post 5748849)
Without a doubt I'd go for the 201. They can sew through sheet metal and still smile!!
Hey Dan! What sort of needles do you use for sheet metal? :shock: I haven't had a chance to bond with the 201. This wouldn't be a bad project at all,... same with the 115 that Joe said I need to do a project on to validate all the hard work I did rehabbing and removing paint from it. |
Originally Posted by cricket_iscute
(Post 5748979)
My Singer 401 would handle that without a walking foot, and would not shift the fabric. I vote for both the 401 and the glue stick.
I must not have had a good technique for the glue stick. I found it stretched the batting,and stuck poorly to the heat resistant fabric. At the end of the day, my biggest hurdle was keeping the cat off the work while it was being fed. She's so weird! She sat on the work behind the machine and stuck her head through the harp and talked to me. The 411 didn't care a bit even when stuff wadded up against her!
Originally Posted by purplefiend
(Post 5749428)
Hi Tammi,
The best method I've found to make binding and sew it on is by Kaye Wood. I've used her method for many years with great results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7Mm_mkbCc Sharon W. Singers:99K hand crank,treadles: 201,237,15-90,66-1 red eye decals,Pfaff 60 Thanks for that link! I had seen somewhere that someone started on the back of the quilt so you could finish it by machine, and I couldn't remember where. (It's probably in one of my "beginning quilting" books that I made the mistake of trying to read before bed. I absorbed some, but ultimately, mostly got hit by a lot of hard cover books when I fell asleep.) That 5 min video is less daunting than the 3 parter I've been watching, that's for sure! Before I embarked on this project, I was cool with just "tucking the ends in",.. old school according to Kaye Wood. :) |
I have never heard of using a glue stick. I would think the glue stick would stretch the batting, fabric - everything. I also would be afraid the glue stick would cause problems with the needle getting gummy when sewing through the stuff?
There is a basting spray for quilting. It comes in a can and you have to go outside to use it, but it works well! JoAnnes and most quilt shops will carry a basting spray that is designed for quilting without pins. Most everyone pins. I pin heavily, but I remove the pins as I am sewing. I try not to go over pins! Even if your machine will handle hitting pins, it is not worth it to take the chance on a pin breaking and hitting you in the face! Glad you got through! Please post a photo! Nancy |
Hello Tammi,
Use clothes pegs. Pins are a waste of time. If you visit my blog you will see I put it in a post on 18th December. |
Originally Posted by Muv
(Post 5753899)
Hello Tammi,
Use clothes pegs. Pins are a waste of time. If you visit my blog you will see I put it in a post on 18th December. Nancy |
5 Attachment(s)
Originally Posted by BoJangles
(Post 5752093)
I have never heard of using a glue stick. I would think the glue stick would stretch the batting, fabric - everything. I also would be afraid the glue stick would cause problems with the needle getting gummy when sewing through the stuff?
There is a basting spray for quilting. It comes in a can and you have to go outside to use it, but it works well! JoAnnes and most quilt shops will carry a basting spray that is designed for quilting without pins. Most everyone pins. I pin heavily, but I remove the pins as I am sewing. I try not to go over pins! Even if your machine will handle hitting pins, it is not worth it to take the chance on a pin breaking and hitting you in the face! Glad you got through! Please post a photo! Nancy When I first started sewing 28 years ago, I did it very poorly with no guidance. I'm moderately better now (took lessons 2 years ago, still belong to a sewing circle), but having had some pins and needles throw bits at me early on made me start wearing glasses to sew (even though I don't need them prescriptively), it made me that nervous. I still "yip" if I get too close to one before I pull it out. Here are the photos of the projects. The first started out as cover for my little "tabletop" ironing board. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385468[/ATTACH] It's a Ikea board, and the batting was just too thin. I started out with the plan of just making another cover and adding batting. Then I decided to make it a stand alone, and thus more portable. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385469[/ATTACH] When I went to "quilt" it, I found the layers shifted too much, so I changed the pattern, and did it a different way. All of the work that stayed in the final project was done on the 411G. Gee, I'm liking that machine, just like Miriam predicted. The second is an Iron Caddy that folds out into an ironing mat. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385475[/ATTACH] It's not "news", it's been done all over the internet. I found a free pattern that was reasonably close to what I liked and modified. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385471[/ATTACH] I also added the ties on the side, so that I could corral the cord without putting it in with a potentially hot iron. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385472[/ATTACH] Things I learned:
Originally Posted by Muv
(Post 5753899)
Hello Tammi,
Use clothes pegs. Pins are a waste of time. If you visit my blog you will see I put it in a post on 18th December. How do you find so much time to blog? I always want to, but it just doesn't happen a lot of the time, and I'm an insomniac, I get more hours to the day than most. ;) It looks like you get one in virtually everyday! |
Hello Tammi,
Interesting projects. Thanks for the pictures. I couldn't imagine what you were talking about until I saw them. Glad you liked the tip. Pegs worked a treat when I was putting that quilt together. It weighed a ton and nearly swallowed me. Daily blog posts ... haven't a clue what I'm putting on there tomorrow. Trouble is, I've got too much to burble on about. I worry I'm boring people. |
Originally Posted by ArchaicArcane
(Post 5758004)
I'm sure that's why I didn't really find any actual tutorials online about the gluestick, just references to using it. I didn't like it at all. You're right, it did stretch my fabric and the batting especially. I'm sure at least part of it was technique, but it just seemed like a technique that wasn't for me. I watched a great series of youtube videos this weekend about how to FMQ (guess what my next project is going revolve around :)) and she demoed the 505 basting spray, and I saw several people on the QB that liked it. I picked some up at Fabricland (our version of Joanne's) when I went there for buttons to finish the project I started this post about. I figured it was a good time to get the spray when some fabric magically jumped into my basket too. It's a good thing I liked it. :D
When I first started sewing 28 years ago, I did it very poorly with no guidance. I'm moderately better now (took lessons 2 years ago, still belong to a sewing circle), but having had some pins and needles throw bits at me early on made me start wearing glasses to sew (even though I don't need them prescriptively), it made me that nervous. I still "yip" if I get too close to one before I pull it out. Here are the photos of the projects. The first started out as cover for my little "tabletop" ironing board. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385468[/ATTACH] It's a Ikea board, and the batting was just too thin. I started out with the plan of just making another cover and adding batting. Then I decided to make it a stand alone, and thus more portable. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385469[/ATTACH] When I went to "quilt" it, I found the layers shifted too much, so I changed the pattern, and did it a different way. All of the work that stayed in the final project was done on the 411G. Gee, I'm liking that machine, just like Miriam predicted. The second is an Iron Caddy that folds out into an ironing mat. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385475[/ATTACH] It's not "news", it's been done all over the internet. I found a free pattern that was reasonably close to what I liked and modified. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385471[/ATTACH] I also added the ties on the side, so that I could corral the cord without putting it in with a potentially hot iron. [ATTACH=CONFIG]385472[/ATTACH] Things I learned:
Hey Muv,.. that's a fantastic tip, thanks! I was looking at my binder clips thinking the same thing. How do you find so much time to blog? I always want to, but it just doesn't happen a lot of the time, and I'm an insomniac, I get more hours to the day than most. ;) It looks like you get one in virtually everyday! Nancy |
Originally Posted by Muv
(Post 5759975)
Hello Tammi,
Interesting projects. Thanks for the pictures. I couldn't imagine what you were talking about until I saw them. Glad you liked the tip. Pegs worked a treat when I was putting that quilt together. It weighed a ton and nearly swallowed me. Daily blog posts ... haven't a clue what I'm putting on there tomorrow. Trouble is, I've got too much to burble on about. I worry I'm boring people. DH informed me that we have a bucket of clothes pegs downstairs, so my binder clips won't get repurposed after all. I can imagine it was quite a job with that quilt. I have pieced a top, but haven't quilted yet. I keep eyeballing the harp and thinking well, other people have done it, it must be possible. :) You're definitely not boring me. I pop up from time to time and learn bits and pieces. :)
Originally Posted by BoJangles
(Post 5763556)
Tammi, what a great project! Now I want to make one! I always have a problem of what to do with my little - still hot - crafting iron when I leave a Social or Class! I need one of those caddy's! You inspired me to make one too!
Nancy I started out with this pattern: http://api.ning.com/files/aJybRxMwi2...nCaddyTote.pdf For some reason I can't find the page that originally linked to it. This pattern isn't strictly right. The lines for the front and back panels should be angled not straight, and the dimensions are wrongish (out by 1/2" in total length and Width) so I fiddled a little and what you see above is what I worked out. It ended up looking closer to the Sister's Common Thread caddy by the time I was finished altering the pattern though. |
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