foolproof slinky velvet sewing tip!
lady_fuchsia | Posted in General Sewing Info on
Have you been driven crazy trying to sew or serge slippery velvets? I have tried all of the special feet etc, and still was tearing my hair out ’till I discovered glue stick basting. I have been using this for a year now on the velvet separates and bias dresses I sew from my own printed fabrics. Simply use an ordinary glue stick to glue your pattern pieces together along the edge of the seam allowance before sewing. Since I started doing this.. no more problems! The little bit of glue is cut completely off when I serge the edge, but even if it was left on the fabric it will wash or dry clean out. TRY IT, you will love it!
Replies
Does the glue gum up the serger knife, or the needles?
Carol
Haven't had any gumming up of needles or knives. I'm using the cheap-o 3 pack glue sticks from the dollar store. So far so good!
Carol, I finished 8 very large roman shades for a sun porch for my brother & sister in law. I used ring tape & after MUCH angst tried glueing it to the shades before sewing. I used Dritz glue (expensive solution, oh well!) & it definitely did not gum up my sewing machine needle. After reading this, though, maybe I'll try cheap glue next time. Karin
Oh, now that's even better! I have 5 large roman shades to make for our sunporch (if I can talk myself into it), and have been trying to decide how to go about it. Glue and ring tape might do the trick.
Carol
You might want to talk to my husband about the tears of frustration and colorful language during the course of construction. Most of my problems were because I was using canvas which does not have a good straight grain, though! Karin
Ugh! I decided a couple of years ago simply to purchase blinds or shades, but these windows are 120 inches wide, and I haven't been able to find anything to fit. The motivating factor for me is that if I can come up with a way to block the sun from the porch, it can become my new sewing room. Or my husband's stained glass studio. But I guess if I made the shades, I should get the space, right?!
Carol
Carol, depending on what style of window covering you favor, sliding panel curtains might be fairly economical and versatile. Here's a website with some pictures:
http://www.silentgliss-usa.com/Web_2002/sgusa/HTML/products/panel/pa_main.html
Katrin Cargill's book, "Curtain Bible," has some instructions and material sources for DIY.
Elona, thanks for the tip. I like the look of many of those treatments. One thing that's stalling me is that I really need to try for quite a lot of light blockage, if this space (which has windows around three walls) is to be used as a sewing room--or for any other purpose, really, because it gets quite hot in the summer. But I kind of like all that sunlight streaming in! What I might need to do is watch the pattern of sunlight, and put heavy, light-blocking shades where the sun really shines in late in the day and in the a.m., and use light-filtering shades everywhere else. Kind of mish-mash, but this might be a way around it all.
Now, if I decide to make these shades/blinds/drapes, when will I get to sew the nice clothes I have planned?!
Carol
Regarding your sunroom, it is amazing how well an awning on the outside of a building can work. In addition to stopping the sun from shining into the room an awning will also stop the sun from hitting the outside of the window and heating it up there so much. Plus you keep the view and still have light coming in. You might still want some curtains but at least they could be pretty ones and not those two ton light blocking ones!
Oh, now there's a thought. Although actually my roof has very deeply overhanging eaves; I'd have to see if awning could work. I like them--they always look summery and nice.
Carol
Dear Carol,
Did you ever make your shades? Another solution is to plant deciduous trees to shade the room in the summer and it will cool your room off quite a bit as well even if you also use the shades. In the winter all the light will come in warm up the room. A grouping of trees to the South west about 20 feet away would really help provide cooling.
Nancy
No, no shades yet! I've been enjoying the effects of a very large maple tree in the front yard, which does provide shade for part of the afternoon. Unfortunately, where I really need to have tall trees is where the driveway is, so I can't plant anything there. But since I need to paint the paneling anyway, the shades/curtains are on hold for now. Yeah, that's a good excuse, right?!
Carol
I use glue stick for attaching silk organza underlining, fast and cheap and you can iron it dry if not on velvet. Just wait for it to dry before sewing and I have never had a problem.. I am going to remember to use this for velvet ! I have several pieces of stretch velvet in my stash. I also used it on jersey for holding a tricky binding in place. Remember the discussion on turning and sewing edges in knits? This would probably be a great solution. I didn't realize that I could use cheap ordinary glue stick on fabric, much cheaper I am never buying the sewing kind again!
Nancy
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