Help needed from all you experienced custume makers

[HomespunMary]

I've promised my three-year old god daughter to make her a witch dress for Halloween, and she happily picked out the fabrics. Well, needless to say, the fabrics are as far from quilt cotton you can ever get, and now I've run into a big problem...

This one stretchy and glittery fabric keeps leaving a glue residue on the needle after just a few stitches (I know, LOL, I'm a spray basting glue fan but I've never once had glue stick to my needles before, and I'm not using it on this project):



Now the sewing machine has started to act up, probably as a result of the glue, so this is what a regular straight stich looks like on the reverse side (the glittery fabric is on the other side):



I don't know what this type of fabric is called, but if anyone has used it and knows of a way to sew it together without having to change needle every ten stitches or so, I'd love to hear your advice...

[Debby1313]

If its stretchy, you might want to try a ball point needle made for knits, and also use the knit foot on your machine, in my case it is a clear plastic and I assume light weight foot that is wider than the normal foot, which keeps the knits from stretching unevenly..Check your machine manual, and follow the directions for sewing with specialty fabrics..I used to have conniption fits with anything stretchy til I used the right needle and the right foot at the same time..then it worked like a champ!
Good luck!
Debby in Wenatchee

[HomespunMary]

Thanks a lot Debbie, but I sorted out the knit settings yesterday... The glue (that must presumably be under the little "metal" rounds on the fabric) seems to be what really causes the problem.

The stitches look OK now again, but the glue on the needle keeps resulting in the top thread breaking...

[fabricgirl]

Mary did you try cleaning under the throat plate to see if there is any residue there and also try going back to the fabric store and seeing if there some other kind of thread that you might be able to use and like debbie said try getting a diffrent needle to sew with .


I hope this helps fabricgirl

[CaroleJ]

Maryq, what a nightmare. I have no experience with sequinned fabrics, and others are chiming in with advice about needles and machine settings that came to mind for dealing with knit fabrics.

You have my sympathies...!

[Tapdancetutu]

I have the solution for you. I have sewn this type of fabric for prom dresses for DD before. Get out your wax paper from your pantry....tear off a sheet and lay on top of your seams that you are sewing and sew right through it into your fabric. The wax coats the needle so the glue doesn't stick. And then you tear it away out of the seams when finished. You can see right through it to watch your seam allowances.

[HomespunMary]

Thanks a lot to all of you! And, Tapdancetutu, I knew there would be someone here who had sewn with this type of fabric! I asked my machine dealer about this yesterday, and he said to use silicone on the needle, but he had no clue what kind or where to get it. Kitchen wax paper sounds like a much simpler and readily available idea! Thanks a million! Will try that tonight.

[TexasSewGal]

Try using strips of tissue paper on the top and bottom of your stitches. It is cheap and will tear away. Never came across this problem but I haven't sewn this type of material. Good luck.

[gmaann]

Oh, Maria!! I had the exact same problem when I used that exact same fabric (except I was using BLACK - for a Harry Potter costume). I was SO FRUSTRTATED. I'll never sew with that fabric again. I do hope you found one of the suggestions of our dear forum members to be the answer!!

[HomespunMary]

Thanks ladies for all your tips and concern. It turned out that our wax paper is presumably not as waxy as yours, so it didn't make a big difference. But, now I've sewn almost all I need in that horrible fabric (only need to make a small apron in the same type of fabric but silver) so the ordeal is basically over anyway

I've posted a few pics of the bits and pieces I've made so far here:
[url]http://homespunmary.blogspot.com'>http://homespunmary.blogspot.com[/url]