What are the most “difficult” materials to sew?

The other day I was “surfing the net” (does anyone still say that?) and I came across a question asking, “What are the most difficult fabrics to sew?” The answer did not surprise me, but I also did not agree with it.

The blogger gave a few tips to minimize the challenges of sewing these materials. I think I can simplify the answer for each one because if you compare what makes these fabrics easy to sew, you’ll find similar answers. To easily sew each one of the materials, you’ll need:

Leather

Some stitchers are intimidated by leather, but it can be just as easy as fabric if you keep a few things in mind. You can’t use pins – the holes will never close. You can’t re-sew for the same reason. There are a couple of needle options. If you are sewing  with garment weight leather, a Universal needle 80/12 will suffice. If you have a thicker, stiffer leather skin, you will need a leather needle that has a wedge tip to slice through this type of leather. You also have a choice of presser feet. Feet that are coated become non-stick and will slide over the surface of leather. BERNINA has several of these feet to suit the techniques. Roller feet are also options as they roll over the surface as you stitch. The simple straight stitch works well for sewing on leather. Use a longer stitch length (3 mm-4 mm) and a heavier thread (30-50 weight).Click here to watch my video  that shows another seam treatment that works for leather and vinyl.

Sheers

The challenge with sheer fabric is movement. It slides and sways as it goes under the needle but there is a way to manage the movement If you increase the pressure setting, the foot will sit closer on the fabric, keeping it in place for stitching. Fingertip guiding  (fingers lightly placed on each side of the needle) also helps to feed the fabric straight under the needle. A Microtex Sharp needle with a fine point (size 60-70) works well with delicate sheers without any damage. An all-purpose presser foot as well as many other feet work well when stitching but again, adjust the pressure setting until the fabric feeds smoothly under the needle. The straight stitch and zig zag stitch are both good choices with a shortened stitch length (1.5 mm-2 mm). Click here for a video with more information on adjusting the presser foot pressure on your machine.

Knits

Knit fabrics also have the reputation of being difficult to sew, mainly because of the stretch. This is a case where the pressure may need to be decreased. The pull of the fabric can cause stretching. To avoid this, adjust the pressure setting so that the fabric easily moves under the foot. Use a Ballpoint needle that has a rounded point so that it slips between the loops rather than cutting through them. Ballpoint needles come in two types: SES for lightweight fabrics & SUK for medium weight. An All-Purpose Presser foot is used if you are stitching seams that will be pressed open. If stitching a narrow seam that will be pressed to one side, a Vari-Overlock Foot works best. When using the All-Purpose foot, use a stretch stitch that is very narrow and lets you press the seam open. If your machine does not have a stretch stitch, use a narrow zigzag stitch. Another option is to select an overlock stitch. The seam shown below is sewn with BERNINA stitch #3 When stitched with a vari-overlock foot, the result is a narrow seam that wraps around the raw edges of the fabric. The foot is designed to hold the edge flat as you stitch.

No matter what the fabric or material, knowing the correct needle, the correct presser foot, and the correct stitch will go a long way to easily stitch any fabric.

As always,