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Posted by Knit Chic on September 21, 2007, 4:04 am
My daughters love super comfy PJ's. I'm considering sewing them fleece PJ's
for Christmas. However, I need advise on buying good fleece.
My store choices are: JoAnns or Walmart. Does anyone know who (if anyone)
has fleece that does not pill and will stay super soft?
Also, I do not have a surger ... Will my zig zag be enough to make the seams
look finished?
I do sew, I just have never used fleece in a garment. The only thing I have
made w/ fleece are bean bags and no-sew blankets.
Any tips on sewing w/ fleece would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
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Posted by Kate XXXXXX on September 21, 2007, 1:05 pm
Knit Chic wrote:
> My daughters love super comfy PJ's. I'm considering sewing them fleece PJ's
> for Christmas. However, I need advise on buying good fleece.
> My store choices are: JoAnns or Walmart. Does anyone know who (if anyone)
> has fleece that does not pill and will stay super soft?
> Also, I do not have a surger ... Will my zig zag be enough to make the seams
> look finished?
> I do sew, I just have never used fleece in a garment. The only thing I have
> made w/ fleece are bean bags and no-sew blankets.
> Any tips on sewing w/ fleece would be greatly appreciated.
> Thanks,
So long as you don't mind spending the money, buy the best from Malden
Mills! There are many on-line outlets that sell it, or you can go
direct to the source. There are many types of fleece, so be sure to buy
the type you need for the job in hand. Penny has an excellent list of
suppliers on her page here:
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/tips/sources.asp
Personally, I've used all three of the European suppliers, and they are
all excellent.
As for actually sewing it... Well, OK, a serger would be my first
choice for seams, but there's no reason to think that's the ONLY way to
sew it. And anyway, plenty of processes NEED to be done on the ordinary
machine! :) Just use a knit/jersey needle and a small narrow zigzag
stitch (and be prepared for any stitch ripping to involve unpicking each
stitch individually!). You'll find a walking foot a distinct advantage,
and a roller foot useful. Fleece doesn't ravel or ladder, so there's no
real need to clean finish, though a serged seam *is* neater and less
bulky than an unfinished seam.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!
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Posted by Kay Lancaster on September 21, 2007, 10:42 pm
> and a roller foot useful. Fleece doesn't ravel or ladder, so there's no
> real need to clean finish, though a serged seam *is* neater and less
> bulky than an unfinished seam.
Two more flat seams for fleece: butted and zigzagged (or some other variant),
and overlapped and stitched through...
DON'T do facings and pockets and such in fleece... use a thinner fabric or
eliminate them. Last time I looked at Big 4 patterns that said they were
intended for fleece, they had the construction of a woven, complete with
turning under the edge of a facing and stitching it so it wouldn't ravel...
except polarfleece doesn't ravel anyhow.
Easy stuff to work with... the pile can hide all manner of sewing sins.
However, I would suggest that you might want to use something like
Collins Wash-A=Way WonderTape to baste in zippers instead of pins. No
ripples!
Kay
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Posted by Beth In Alaska on September 22, 2007, 3:13 am
>> and a roller foot useful. Fleece doesn't ravel or ladder, so there's no
>> real need to clean finish, though a serged seam *is* neater and less
>> bulky than an unfinished seam.
>
> Two more flat seams for fleece: butted and zigzagged (or some other
> variant),
> and overlapped and stitched through...
>
> DON'T do facings and pockets and such in fleece... use a thinner fabric or
> eliminate them. Last time I looked at Big 4 patterns that said they were
> intended for fleece, they had the construction of a woven, complete with
> turning under the edge of a facing and stitching it so it wouldn't
> ravel...
> except polarfleece doesn't ravel anyhow.
>
> Easy stuff to work with... the pile can hide all manner of sewing sins.
> However, I would suggest that you might want to use something like
> Collins Wash-A=Way WonderTape to baste in zippers instead of pins. No
> ripples!
oh my, my last real sewing of clothing attempt caused me to quit sewing for
years (and now I don't do clothes,just silly applique stuff) and it was the
ZIPPER. I think I should buy some WONDERTAPE. That sounds like great magic
stuff.
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Posted by Kay Lancaster on September 22, 2007, 5:42 pm
On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 23:13:19 -0800, Beth In Alaska
> oh my, my last real sewing of clothing attempt caused me to quit sewing for
> years (and now I don't do clothes,just silly applique stuff) and it was the
> ZIPPER. I think I should buy some WONDERTAPE. That sounds like great magic
> stuff.
Two other trips for you:
1) Cut the zipper area seam allowance 1" wide instead of the usual 5/8"
(yes, even on non-fleece fabric)
2) Use a strip of very light fusible interfacing (I mostly use a fusible
knit intended for sheers) on the zipper seam allowance*.
*(don't interface fleece)
There is a zipper insertion technique in RTW where all the sewing is
done down one side and up the other... fast, efficient, and works well.
LMK if you're interested, or check out the zipper section of Crawford's
Guide to Fashion Sewing. (That book is intended to teach basic sewing
to fashion students who will need to have an inkling of how it's done in
the real factory... so it uses RTW techniques adapted for regular sewing
machines. Very step by step, a major improvement on the home sewing
instructions. Wish I'd learned that way. My productivity and sewing
quality improved after that book. <g>
Kay
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