Help zig zag on minky
 

Hi ladies, I think I am really in trouble on this one and hoping you all can help me. My husband is going to have his first great grandson in about 6 weeks. He ask me to make him a giraffe quilt with minky on both sides. The giraffe will be appliqued. In the process it started out okay. Now I am having trouble getting the stitches to zigzag close for the separation of the legs. The first two legs was great. The last two have been ripped out 4 times. Using same procedure, same thread, changed needles twice, changed tension. Tried everything I know to do. Thank you so much ladies.
Karenboutquiltin

Oh my, I am afraid I am no help with applique, but I am sure someone on this board can offer help. I just feel you pain and am sending on good thoughts....

Dina

Did you stabilize underneath the minky before appliqueing? If not, try stabilizing. A good quality tear-away or cut-away stabilizer would probably help. JoAnn Fabrics carries that kind of thing, and probably also Walmart. It could also help to add a single layer of tissue paper to the top, between the applique and the minky. You would have to carefully tear the tissue paper away afterwards, and might need tweezers to get little pieces out. The small amount left inside the applique will just disintegrate in the wash.

It would help to see a photo of the problem.

One other thing. Do you mean you can't get the stitches close enough to each other? A solution to this is to sew over the edge twice. If you can get a longer zigzag to hold the pieces down, then you can just go over it again with the slightly shorter zigzag as many times as necessary to get the build-up of thread you want. I can't tell from your description whether you are using a long zigzag or a short zigzag (which would be a satin stitch), and whether by "close" you mean you can't get close enough to the edge of the applique to catch it in the stitching, or that you mean you can't get the zigzag stitches close enough to each other to create a satin stitch.

I don't understand what the problem is, can you clarify or possibly post a picture?

minky is the devil..... i agree with stablizing it and the paper on top...

I would use a tear away under foundation sprayed with 505.
then a stright stitch for apky, will hold better.
I would also use fleese not minky.

Sulky sells a product called Solvey for use as a machine embroidery aid. I've used it for embroidering on fleece. You place it on top of the fabric and embroider (or applique) over it. You can spritz it away with water or just let it dissolve in the wash. Easier than picking out tissue paper.

If you are skipping stitches, thus the poor zig-zag quality, make sure you clean the bobbin area and the feed dogs. It may be that it is full of Minky fuzz.

There is also a gay stableizer that washed away I am a hand quilter and use it all the time as a stencil. When done just throw it in the wash and the stableizer completely washed out. I have used it on all size quilts and never a trace.

I have used this for redwork and love it.