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Friday, March 16, 2012

Twin Needle Fun (and a Lonsdale update...)

I went out and purchased a twin needle for my bathing suit project, because (and I hope I don't offend anyone here) I think zig-zagged topstiching looks kind of cheap/homemade. I was a little scared to give it a go, but I'm so thrilled with the result! It looks so clean and it stretches SO well.

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(Excuse the iPhone photos...)

 The only issue is the back side. It seems as if it's skipping stitches or failing to catch threads or something... can you see what I mean in this photo, or is it too far away?

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I'm assuming this is a tension issue, but I'm not sure how to fix it. Do any of my wise blogging friends have any advice? (In case it's relevant, I was using a walking foot.)

In other news: I basted the zipper into my Lonsdale muslin last night, and I'm sorry to say that it's entirely unwearable. The saddest part is that it's only really because of two relatively minor issues in execution, which I just don't really have the energy to try and fix. I'm a bit sad, because I really loved the fabric (butter yellow linen), but at least it was on clearance so it's not a huge loss financially. On the bright side, aside from those issues it actually fits really well, so at least I can try again with different fabric sometime in the near future.

(I'll post some photos and discuss in greater detail tomorrow. Although, I can't promise that I'll be able to post anything unflattering, which might defeat the purpose? Apparently I might have a few more self-confidence issues then I'm willing to admit...)

12 comments:

  1. Are you using a stretch twin needle? That's the only thing I can think of. (Though my experience with twin needles is pretty limited.) It also looks like your tension balance is off (top too loose/bottom too tight), since I think what I see in the photo is the upper thread being pulled down to the bottom. Too bad about your Lonsdale... I hate it when that happens.

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    1. Yes, thankfully it is a stretch twin needle! Thank you for the feedback about what might be off about the tension... I'll use that at a jumping off point to start playing with it.

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  2. It does look like the top tension is quite loose (although I have had that suggested to me as a good thing for twin-needling because it can reduce the tendency of the fabric to tunnel and bunch up between the two needles (which is the thing that usually drives me NUTS about twin-needling.

    I hope it will be stretchy enough for your purposes---I haven't had good results with twin-needle stitching holding up on hems and sleeve cuffs, but again, that's not on swimsuit fabric, and if it's over a stabilizing elastic that may help, too.

    Good luck! As for the Lonsdale---bummer! I hope you post pictures, but even if you don't---maybe put it aside for a week or two, and see if you get the energy. I often find I can face much more in the way of adjustment if I give myself some time to recover... ;)

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    1. Thank you for the help! The biggest challenge is that I'm not 100% sure what it's actually supposed to look like on the back side... none of my printed references are terribly clear. Time to go digging around on the internet, I guess! So far the give on this seems pretty fantastic, but I suppose I won't really know until I actually wear a finished garment.

      It's so funny, because advice varies so widely on the subject of stretch. My Singer sewing handbook instructs you to finish swimwear with a regular straight seam! Wha?

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  3. It always looks weird on the back side of twin stitching. Though, from the pic it does seem like you are losing a couple of stitches. I mean, twin stitches look weird on the back, but consistently so. You should def be using wooly nylon stretch thread in the bobbin. BTW, you'll probably have to hand roll it on the bobbin cuz it comes on serger sized spools. That's a pain but it works so much better than regular thread.

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    1. Ooh, I forgot about wooly nylon thread. The only time I've used it is when I took a serging workshop. I might give that a go (depending on how expensive it is...) - in the meantime I'll just keep experimenting with what I have. At the moment it's more than stretchy enough (seriously) but that might just be because my tension is so far off? We'll see!

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  4. i have no idea about the twin needles - have never used them - but i'm so curious about the lonsdale mishap. I understand about not wanting to publish unflattering photos!! And I agree with Tanit-Isis that sometimes you (general you) just need a little time away from it to come back to a project with fresh eyes and a fresh heart.
    That being said, I think I might have to crown myself queen of the all-but-complete garments soon, so maybe I'm just rationalizing my own tendencies!

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    1. LOL, I feel that way too. Honestly, I could probably save it if I was super invested in it, but it would require some piecing together and there's one thing I'm just... not sure how to fix? You'll see what I mean when I post about it!

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  5. Try cleaning both the bobbin casing and the racer the bobbin casing runs in. Felted fibers from both thread and fabric have a way of accumulating in all the hidden areas inside the casing and in the race. A good burst of canned air is sometimes all it takes, other times you have to go in with a pair of tweezers or a Q-tip lightly sprayed with WD-40 to get the felted fibers out. Make sure you are using brand new thread - thread has a short life, believe it or not. Also, make sure you are using the proper thread for the job. Always buy the best thread you can afford - you get what you pay for when it comes to thread. Work on adjusting both the upper and lower tensions. I usually start with the bottom tension - I have an old Pfaff 1222 - with my machine, the thread should flow from the bobbin casing with almost no effort when you suspend the bobbin casing up in the air by the thread. Not sure how your machine is set up bobbin-wise so this may or may not work for you. Work on the upper tension second. Make sure the top thread is properly threaded, and that the thread is not catching anywhere. Also make sure there are no felted fibers in the upper tension plates - a visual inspection with a flashlight should reveal if there is anything gumming it up. Also make sure the thread on the spool is not catching on the spool itself as you sew - sometimes the thread will catch on the top or bottom of the spool as it is pulled off the spool by the machine - this can be just a little piece of plastic that wasn't removed in the manufacturing process or in the slot that is cut into the bottom of the spool to hold the end of the thread. Often times just turning your spool end for end will alleviate the problem. You might want to adjust the timing on your machine just a hair if possible. One last thing, make sure your machine is properly lubricated. If none of these things works for you, then it's time to take the machine in to a professional get it cleaned and adjusted. Good luck!

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  6. Oh!!!!

    It does look REALLY professional!!

    I don't think my crappy Toyota has the ability to twin needle anything, but if I win any of these competitions
    I continually enter... This is one for the shopping list!

    Caff

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  7. I have just acquired a Pfaff 1222, in mint condition!. Just spent the last few days putting it through it's paces. The manual doesn't refer to using a twin needle. It has twin thread spools so... I suppose it isn't rocket science to presume it will do twin sewing, and that the second thread just follows the first when threading it up for twin sewing.Has anyone got maybe a few tips re twin sewing with my 1222

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    1. I'm not an expert, but I think as long as it has room for two spools of thread, and a wide enough space in the needle plate so that the needle won't break, it should be okay? Someone might need to correct me on that. My manual doesn't go into great detail about using the twin needle really, other than to tell me the maximum width I can use safely.

      It does say that, when you're threading the machine, just make sure the threads are running off their spools in different directions (i.e. one clockwise, one anti-clockwise) so that they don't tangle as easily. But yes, then you just thread them through the machine together.

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