# Which Stitch For Fleece/Liners/Bags?



## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I just got my sewing machine yesterday- made a pillow case and a snuggle bag  However I'm not sure which stitch I should be using on fleece.

I've read that I should use a stretch stitch (which my machine has like 20 of) - but when I tried one the fleece got stuck in the feed dogs and I had to pull it back up with a lot of force (felt like I was going to break the machine!)

I don't know what went wrong. I think it might have been the stitch I was using.

It was this stitch (this isn't my sewing machine- just a reference)








So it's like a straight stitch- just three really close together (takes forever)


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## Mel_W (Apr 26, 2013)

Fleece doesn't fray so 1 or 2 will work just fine. You can use 3 but that stitch is mainly for fabrics that do fray (e.g. Flannel).


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

You can use just a regular straight stitch for fleece or flannel. The stitch you have circled is for stretchy material like t-shirts are made of.


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

I'd use #1 on a sample, with a moderately long stitch length, and pulling the fabric tight between your fingers fore and aft of the feed dog and presser foot. this means you'll be stretching the fabric as you go, so any stretch that is needed should already be accounted for. the stretch you're creating should shrink back up when you release the pressure (that's helped by using a longer stitch length). if it *doesn't* shrink back up, you'll be able to see that on the sample.

if that doesn't give you the right smooth seam, it will be because your fleece is very stretchy (fleece isn't usually as stretchy as say a light knit or t-shirt fabric) and you could use the #5 zigzag with a wide width and a short stitch length (more stitches per inch). that will give you a stretchier seam, and because fleece is fairly bulky, won't show too much of the zipper-gap that a zigzag can leave in the seam-line of a light weight fabric.

fabric gets stuck in the feed dog for one of a couple of reasons:
1) not enough pressure on the pressure foot, so it doesn't grip the fabric while the needle goes through - allowing the needle to push the fabric down in the mechanism
2) wrong needle for the fabric - needle is grabbing the fabric and pushing it through, instead of slipping between the threads of the fabric and piercing it
3) too many stitches in too tight a bunch, making the needle bind and not be able to pierce through.
4) thread building up on the underside of the fabric instead of being drawn back up, making a wad that pulls the fabric down into the mechanism. this can be because the tension is too loose on the upper thread, too tight on the lower thread, or the thread is binding in the fabric instead of slipping through (see #3)

my guess, since you're using the tripple stitch, is #3 - too many stitches in too small a space, causing the needle or thread to bind.

for fabric you're concerned may ravel out, try a straight stitch on the seamline, then zigzag over the loose edge where the cut is - that will minimize the unraveling, catching up all the loose threads together. You can also use a blanket stitch to do this.
blanket stitch looks like:

_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_

run the line of stitches to the inside of the fabric, letting the out-rigger stitches go off the end of the fabric to draw it back in toward the seam.

hard to describe without pictures.

might also be called an overlock or binding stitch... or several other things.

BTW, difference between #1 and #2 on your machine is needle positioned to the left or in the center, I think. if you're having trouble with one being well behaved, try the other. some fabric may do better on one or the other, depending on your machine.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Zee, that's an excellent rundown of "Eh, I'm a not a serious sewer..." issues! <3

Tom: if you get bound like that and things feel like they're going to break, carefully hand-crank the needle back out of the fabric, and snip the threads loose. If you can't even get the needle to back out without lots of resistance, try snipping all the threads loose. Forcing it can pull things out of alignment, or break a needle.

...when I had a machine that refused to keep tension (I got it when I was 6, and abused it for a decade before I learned how to treat things nicely), I'd find it would tangle the main thread around inside the bobbin casing, and the only way to get free was to open up the bobbin area and snip every thread I could reach! Not elegant, not the way you want to sew, but can help you get out of mistakes without breaking anything.


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> Zee, that's an excellent rundown of "Eh, I'm a not a serious sewer..." issues! <3
> 
> Tom: if you get bound like that and things feel like they're going to break, carefully hand-crank the needle back out of the fabric, and snip the threads loose. If you can't even get the needle to back out without lots of resistance, try snipping all the threads loose. Forcing it can pull things out of alignment, or break a needle.
> 
> ...when I had a machine that refused to keep tension (I got it when I was 6, and abused it for a decade before I learned how to treat things nicely), I'd find it would tangle the main thread around inside the bobbin casing, and the only way to get free was to open up the bobbin area and snip every thread I could reach! Not elegant, not the way you want to sew, but can help you get out of mistakes without breaking anything.


nice to meet another serious sewer 
yes, pulling a jam out can break stuff, good description on what to do. another option, if it's really really jammed - as you snip the threads, use a pair of tweesers and pull out the threads and bits you're cutting off to clear up some room. especially if you've got a thread-ball built up on the bottom of the fabric. removing the bobbin can give you room to work. once it's out, you can also hand-roll the feed back and forth to see what's hung up and needs clipping out. the little pointy good quality scissors are needed for that task.

and that brings up another occasionally helpful tool... for sewing machine repair... a headlamp  I use the one out of my beekeeping kit.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

When it was stuck I got the threads cut and the needle out of the fabric. What was stuck is the fleece- it was IN the feed dogs. The only way I could think of getting it out without feeling like I was breaking it would be to unscrew stuff - but then I wouldn't know how to put it all back together.


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

there is usually a plate around the feed dogs that can pop up, or is removed with a single screw. that is a normal user procedure since there are some accessories that take the place of the feed plate (like the one that covers the feed dogs for embroidery). sometimes removing that can help unjam things.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Well the more I know! Hopefully I didn't break anything by pulling it.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Practice taking apart the feed plate and bobbin area before you need to again and you will again. It's part of sewing and learning. Take a picture each step of the way just in case you get stuck on how it went together. 

Another stitch you can use on fleece is a narrow zig zag. It allows for some stretch but still looks like a normal seam when turned right side out.


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

Hey, can I piggy-back on this thread? What's my problem if my machine keeps skipping stitches? A friend of mine who sews a lot said it was probably my needle, so she recommended I get a ballpoint and try a different size. So I did that, and it got better, but it's still skipping. And that's not really helpful when I'm trying to avoid places to catch tiny toes.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I'll do that  And I should wash the all my fleece fabric before cutting and sewing- right? If yes- Can I wash corduroy, flannel and fleece in one load? Hot, warm cold? With or without detergent (The perfume/dye free one)


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Yes, wash everything before sewing. I use warm wash, hot dryer. Detergent will help get any of the sizing out of it. What colour is your corduroy? It will bleed the colour so if it's dark, or bright colours, you might want to wash with like colours. Otherwise, all can go in together.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Nancy said:


> Yes, wash everything before sewing. I use warm wash, hot dryer. Detergent will help get any of the sizing out of it. What colour is your corduroy? It will bleed the colour so if it's dark, or bright colours, you might want to wash with like colours. Otherwise, all can go in together.


Oops... I put everything in cold. I put corduroy with the crappy fleece from walmart so I won't be that mad if it bleeds. If I dry on hot- will I need to still rewash things on hot before cutting/sewing (four loads of laundry- pricey here!) or will it be fine?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Hot dryer is fine.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Another question: Washing and drying one or two liners a week is going to be pretty expensive. I've heard that you could hand wash them. What would be best to hand wash them with? Vinegar, shampoo, etc? 

Trying to figure the best possible way to make them not smell bad and prolong washing them until I can have a fuller load to cut down on expenses.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

If you've got the space, you can have a bucket of vinegar-water to dunk all the liners in, build up a load of it. (like, 1/4c vinegar per bucket).

The vinegar is mostly for neutralizing the pee-smell. You'll want to use some sort of soap while washing -- you can even use a bit of laundry detergent when handwashing. Just don't use much, or it'll take forever to wash out.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

So I got the stuff out of the dryer. and... OMG flannel is evil- so much fraying, tangles, etc. Plus it has tons of little balls of colors on them. from other fabrics. Blegh. With I could have a washer/dryer in my unit. Well in a year I guess I"ll look for a unit that has one.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Oh, eek! I was going to warn you about that for flannel -- I frequently do a quick hem-ish edge around the outsides if I pre-wash. If I'm doing something where exact dimensions don't matter, I'll wash flannel afterwards since it's such a fraying mess.

I remember one memorable moment with bright blue flannel disintegrating in my dryer so it looked like Cookie Monster had died. Hilarious and horrible, all at the same time.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Hahahaha! Wowza. Most of my flannel just had some long scragglyness. But two smaller pieces seemed like they wanted to be one piece, just a huge big tangle mess. Oh and corduroy- does not dry very well  

So if I postpone washing/drying by dunking in vinegar water- how long do you suppose until I should wash it? One liner a week...would take three or four to make a load worth while.


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## Mel_W (Apr 26, 2013)

Tom said:


> So I got the stuff out of the dryer. and... OMG flannel is evil- so much fraying, tangles, etc. Plus it has tons of little balls of colors on them. from other fabrics. Blegh. With I could have a washer/dryer in my unit. Well in a year I guess I"ll look for a unit that has one.


My thought exactly with flannel. I hate working with it. I usually sew what ever I want to then I wash it. I like putting fleece edging on my liners or I use my serger which I love because it sews fabric so it does not fray at all.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

Lower quality flannel has a tendency to fray more because its not as tightly woven as the more expensive ones.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

The vinegar-bucket trick: I've managed 1/month in the summertime. The limit is the size of your bucket; the fabric soaking longer doesn't hurt it as far as I can tell.

But: make absolutely certain the fabric is completely submerged! If it's soaking wet but above the surface, it'll grow mold.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

Annie&Tibbers said:


> The vinegar-bucket trick: I've managed 1/month in the summertime. The limit is the size of your bucket; the fabric soaking longer doesn't hurt it as far as I can tell.
> 
> But: make absolutely certain the fabric is completely submerged! If it's soaking wet but above the surface, it'll grow mold.


OH! So you keep the liner in the bucket until you wash it? I thought you means dunk it, scrub, then hang to dry. How good is hand washing with some vinegar in the tub? Would that work okay too ?

-ALSO! I made my first liner!! I used to hate pins, still am not in love with them, but boy did they help! Got pricked on the leg a couple times. That's what I get for sewing before bed  Sewing wasn't that bad! 
-The hard part (which I thought would be the easiest) was actually cutting the fabric! I have a rotary cutter which is really nice- but my mat is 18x24 and it's a little tricky. 
-So..how does it look? (I didn't bother trimming the white part with JOANN.COM or whatever but it's not really an eye sore but it can fold or be covered up) the liner is a little longer and wider - about an inch on both sides more than the cage but better bigger than smaller)




































Some people say don't use an inner border- but I think this is a very close together stitch that it won't be a problem.


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## Annie&Tibbers (Apr 16, 2013)

Looks great! Super-cute fabric.

You can do either of two things:
1. Store liners in a bucket of vinegar-water until you're ready to wash.
2. Handwash. I save up for a bathtub-load with 1/4c vinegar (deodorize the pee) and 1Tbs detergent, run a hot tub, swish everything around, handscrub spots if necessary, rinse rinse rinse, hangdry. You could do smaller loads in a bucket or sink, but that doesn't work with my particular setup.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Looks great. 

I always use an inner row of stitches. It helps hold the liner flat. I use the triple zig zag stitch which is #6 on the photo you posted. 

If you are hand washing, you could do that every day. Use some nice soapy water in a bucket or sink, swish it around well, rinse and use a bit of vinegar in the final rinse. Hang to dry.

I do hedgie laundry every two, sometime 3 weeks and have a nylon laundry bag that I store the bedding in until ready to wash.


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

awesome job for your first round!


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

ajweekley said:


> Hey, can I piggy-back on this thread? What's my problem if my machine keeps skipping stitches? A friend of mine who sews a lot said it was probably my needle, so she recommended I get a ballpoint and try a different size. So I did that, and it got better, but it's still skipping. And that's not really helpful when I'm trying to avoid places to catch tiny toes.


 skipping stitches can be for a variety of reasons, including:
1) top thread tension too tight
2) needle too small for the thread/fabric combo, or needle too short for the machine, or maybe wrong point type (but you'll usually see pulled/puckered threads in the fabric if that's true)
3) machine out of time (needs to go in for a tune up)
4) pushing the fabric too fast (just let the feed dogs take it through)
5) sewing more bulk than the machine is designed for

if you're sewing on one fabric and it works, but skips on another fabric, try:
slowing down
adjusting tension

beyond that, it might need a technician to look at it... different machines have different types of issues.


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

ZeeMartin said:


> skipping stitches can be for a variety of reasons, including:
> 1) top thread tension too tight
> 2) needle too small for the thread/fabric combo, or needle too short for the machine, or maybe wrong point type (but you'll usually see pulled/puckered threads in the fabric if that's true)
> 3) machine out of time (needs to go in for a tune up)
> ...


Thanks! I figured out what the problem was. I needed to increase the pressure on the pressure foot to squeeze the layers together tighter. It's working just fine now.


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## Tom (Jul 21, 2013)

I can't ever get the liners to fit the cage  First one was too big, second one is a smidge too small. Bought a 24x36 cutting mat- hopefully that'll be easier to cut 45x22 versus 18x24.


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## ajweekley (Aug 8, 2013)

Tom said:


> I can't ever get the liners to fit the cage  First one was too big, second one is a smidge too small. Bought a 24x36 cutting mat- hopefully that'll be easier to cut 45x22 versus 18x24.


And fleece is kind of hard to work with because it's so stretchy. Which is why I had trouble sewing it, because I generally just cut it and leave it raw if I use it for stuff. I hate sewing it.

What I do when cutting fleece is to lay it out flat on the floor, trying to make sure it's not stretched or bunched anywhere. It helps if you have tile or some kind of floor pattern with straight lines somewhere, because you can line up the selvage edge (the uncut edge) along a line to help you make sure it's nice and flat. Then use your measuring tape to measure the long side and make a mark where you want each end to be. (If you're turning the edges under, make sure you're leaving a seam allowance for that.)

Then, measuring across from the selvage edge, measure across to get your width. (Again, leave a seam allowance if you're turning the edges.) Do this several times so you'll have a lot of marks fairly close together. You'll "connect the dots" with your scissors when the time comes to cut.

Now take a T-square if you have one, or something rigid with square corners like a folder or the back cardboard off a notepad if you don't. The bigger, the better. Go back to the original "end" marks you made along the selvage edge. Line up the bottom of your square with the selvage, and the corner with your mark, and make a dotted line across the width of your liner. Do that for both ends.

Then it's all much easier to cut because you can just connect the dots, and even as the fleece shifts and stretches it'll be easier to cut it straight. If you have a rotary cutter, which it sounds like you do, it'll be even easier than it is for me with scissors.


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## ZeeMartin (Aug 5, 2013)

Tom said:


> I can't ever get the liners to fit the cage  First one was too big, second one is a smidge too small. Bought a 24x36 cutting mat- hopefully that'll be easier to cut 45x22 versus 18x24.


 you've only been a sewer for 12 minutes... practice a bit, you'll get it :-D


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

It's better to aim for too big than just right. You will never get it just right because even with pre-shrunk fabric, it will still continue to shrink a little bit.

As I've mentioned before, use the base of your cage to mark the outline of the liner. Turn the base upside down and add an inch or half an inch around the edge. The marked line is your stitching line. Cut it outside that. As mentioned, a T-square works great too. 

In the learning stages, go for wider seam allowances. It makes it easier. I use a metal yard stick with the rotary cutter. 

I used to make minimum 5 liners plus more bags than I can think of per week and I'm sure I could do it in my sleep. You will get an easy system worked out.


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