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help sewing silk to velveteen

nance | Posted in General Discussion on

i want to sew cotton velveteen to dupioni silk. its not seaming up very nicely. do i have to go out and buy a walking foot or is there a trick someone knows? its a scarf…one side silk and the other velveteen.
thanks for any help. i know everyone else ins in the same situation as me…sewing gifts for the holidays….
nance

Replies

  1. sueb | | #1

    In order to do this without a walking foot you must baste baste baste !   Whenever I sew with velvet or with velvet to silk I always hand baste first.  It's the only way to keep the fabrics from slipping.  Even with a walking foot you'd want to baste first. 

  2. Megh | | #2

    Yes, basting is the only way you'll get these two scrumptious fabrics sewn together.  I baste in two lines, almost as though you wanted to ease in a sleeve cap:  one line at 3/4" from the cut edge, and again at 1/2", if you are using a 5/8" seam allowance.

    1. nance | | #3

      meg and sueb
      thank you so much for answering this most beginner of questions. would you believe i've been sewing for a loooong time...just never ran into this combo before and i got flustered down here in my sewing room all alone...but wait! i'm not alll alone! i have this great forum with wonderful people answering questions so promptly!!! thank you again.
      happy holidays
      nance

      1. sueb | | #4

        You are very welcome !  Good luck with your project and happy holiday's to you too !

      2. Teaf5 | | #5

        Anything involving velveteen (or even worse, stretch velvet) is not a beginner question! The only sewing project I ever gave up on completely was trying to alter a bias seam in a commercially made velveteen dress. The earlier posts about basting are right on; I might add that you should try stitching a sample of the combination with the velveteen on the bottom and another with it on top and the silk on the bottom--they may act completely differently. You might also want to play with the pressure foot tension on each sample.If you find a solution, can you post it for us to learn from? I've always wondered if I gave up too soon on that dress!

        1. nance | | #6

          well the scarves are moving along slowly . i am pinning very close together as i can't manage thehandwork of easing very easily...(joint problems). its working pretty well. i have tried both the velvet on the top and bottom. works best on the bottom. i hold the fabric taught from behind and in front of the needle as i am sewing. and this is on the grain. your bias project strikes fear in my heart. bias is hard enough, but bias velvet? yikes!! thanks for taking time to respond in this busy season. best wishes. nance

          1. User avater
            Thimblefingers | | #7

            Like teaf5 suggested, I always lower the pressure on my presser foot to almost nothing.  That way the foot isn't squishing the pile and causing the silk to travel as the pile lays down.  I do this all the time and have very little trouble working with these difficult fabrics.  (Bemburg lining and velvet is another tricky combination.)  It's even more effective than a walking foot.  Unfortunately, a lot of sewing machines no longer come with adjustable presser foot pressure - I wouldn't buy one that didn't have it - also wonderful for sewing with super stretchy fabrics. 

          2. nance | | #8

            thanks but i don't think i have that feature. i have a bernina 1130. i love this machine and so far it does everything i need. i also have a newer pfaff serger coverlock 4872. i haven't mastered it yet but love using it.
            thanks for the suggestion.
            nance

            Edited 12/16/2005 5:46 pm ET by nance

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