I need a little help and I just know someone has my answer. The other day I purchased some wonderful Micro Suede to trim the sleeves and bottom a jacket I am making. This stuff feels like butter and will look super on my jacket if I can only figure out how to sew it. I am using a Mircotex needle but do I need to legthn my stitchs or just use the standard 2.5? Then there is the question can you press this stuff? If so I bet a press cloth will be needed. Do you use the same method as one would with Ultra Suede and if so I need a refresher couse?
Nancy Mc in TN
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This much I know, if it is in the microfiber class...any top stitching even if done with the special needle, will pucker it up. It doesn't matter if the stitch is long or short. It is just something to do with the fabric.
If you are sewing strips around the garment edges, the best way would be to wrong sides together, stitch, then fold over the edge and blind hand stitch on the backside or a stitch in the ditch with a clear thread.
If this is the same stuff I just made a top from, the hand stitching is not going to work. The fabric is too densely woven for hand-stitching. I used steam-a-seam to hold the hems in place (all the hems were interfaced with a fusible) and then topstitched from the right side with a twin needle. I had to use a sharp twin needle, rather than a stretch, even though the fabric is a knit. You could hear the "ping, ping" of the needle entering the fabric.....
I found that by sewing slowly and maintaining even tension on the fabric front and back of the needle helped considerably. Oddly enough, there were no problems with the serger on this fabric.
Pressing.....I used my velvet board, then decided it was unnecessary after a couple of tests. I did put a scrap of the microsuede face up on the ironing board as a pressing surface.....worked beautifully.
I love my top (really a swing jacket)....comfy, doesn't wrinkle, and drapes amazingly well.
Shannon
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