Sewing, thread, sewing machines + masking tape / duct tape differences

[lugiacollector]

Edit: This post contains lots of helpful comments for overall sewing method, machines and thread now!

I tried using the duct tape method of where you dull the tape by putting it against standard cloth/cotton a few times before applying it to the head, but it's become a huge mess where some pieces just haven't stuck together right, rips, shreds, too

Comments

[killpurakat]

Have no comments on the tape part, but as for the sewing machines woes

[lugiacollector]

Wonderful reply! I'm wondering what type of thread is best to use without having to literally go over the entire thing three different times X_x lol i'm very slow when I work on stuff and fell in love with this thread. >_< kinda sucks because other threads I have so many troubles with it breaking or not going through my machine easily and springing back and forth very often :o

The thread was loose after the incidence and knotted in the bobbin XD I can re-do the bobbin though. I've noticed when sewing, the machine pulls too much thread from the spool and it can sometimes get tangled underneath the spool around the metal bar that holds it.

I'm not sure if the stitch lengths are the same with yours compared to mine. I have as a base 2.5 I usually sew at 13.0 though, and it takes quite a while to do. 13.5 is the next and 14.0 after that.

My machine is a Brother EX-660 ^-^;

[matrices]

No, its a little much to sew the seam three times, in my opinion. Sewing it more than necessary sets yourself up for a seam staying so firm the fabric rips which is completely WORSE than a seam popping. I've learned this the hard way and had to re-cut entire body pieces because I made that serious mistake.

1 time on low-stress areas is sufficient, with thread appropriate for sewing machines.
2 times on high-stress areas (like crotch/seat/armpit) is enough, again, with thread appropriate for sewing machines.

Upholstery thread is not really the right choice for many sewing machines, and Brothers are a typically lower-end brand that aren't really reliable enough to handle it. You will probably have to use a high quality more expensive thread like Guttermann for that machine to be happy, or keep experimenting to find the right thread that works with your picky machine.

[lugiacollector]

BIG THUMBS UP TO THIS ^^^
<3 gotta give a HUGE thank you!

[killpurakat]

Agree-ish. The trick is changing the stitch length each time. Sewing it at the same tight stitch length will DEFINITELY cause problems. Changing the stitch length each time you re-sew the seam allows for flexibility, as well as strength.

And the stitch lengths that work really well are an average one and a large one. Small stitch lengths will cause the fur to rip. Too big a stitch length and the seam can rip more easily. Thus, the compromise. :)

[matrices]

Has never caused me a problem. I have been making fursuits for quite a number of years at this point!

I subscribe to this mantra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle
Its quite important to me, and I try to make everything I share simple enough for even the most beginning of beginners!

[killpurakat]

Nononono... I must be tired and not clear. -_-;;; Total derp at the moment. But I need to finish proofing a fic for someone by tomorrow, so no sleep for me... XP

I meant that if you change your stitch length (to be longer than your regular setting) when you go over a seam again, then the seam remains flexible but is reinforced nicely, without the prospect of tearing the fabric.

(Although, since I'm already being weird, you could always try to princess seam everything, but princess seaming a fursuit is sort of like using the Power Glove to beat BattleToads: certainly an achievement, but nobody will ever have the patience to earn it.)

I'm a teacher, so I'm a big fan of the KISS principle, but I tend to keep Albert Einstein in mind: "Things should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler."

[matrices]

You were perfectly clear!

Hopefully I am clear in response. Going over seams more than needed on faux fur increases the risk of the backing of the faux fur perforating and tearing when stressed, you want a seam that needs to give out to give out on the seam rather than the backing of the fur to prevent extremely costly repairs vs just repairing the seam itself with a new line of stitches.

Many professional makers sew their seams with a straight stitch once, for good reason.
Many professional makers also sew their high stress areas such as their crotch or armpits a second time, but that's it. (this is typically addressed with a zigzag stitch and not a different stitch length whatsoever)

I am here to make it simple for new people who are perhaps reading on and trying to decide what advice to take, I don't think I'll be changing your mind if you feel there is added benefit for the extra step and effort, but I feel it is important to clarify this to others reading.

[killpurakat]

Ah, that makes it clearer. I'd prefer for neither the seam nor fabric to rip (in that perfect world where your car never breaks down on the highway and all reactions have no side products, right?), and from the horror stories of some costumers/fursuit makers I've known, I understand a ripped seam can be disasterous to the whole costume... if you cut the extra fabric on the inside of the seam too short (because as the seams pop, the stress shifts to the remaining stitches which then pull too much and rip the entire fabric

[lugiacollector]

I agree ^_^ some people may or may not be detail oriented and love detail, i'm just one which does love it! Some don't of course we're all different in our own ways ^^

[killpurakat]

You ruin enough sewing machines, you eventually start to learn, so I am very learned in this subject. ;) When it comes to sewing machines, I do have quite a few tips/tricks/horror stories to share. ;P

[lugiacollector]

Actually I recall sewing an entire fleece costume using upholstery thread and this machine without any problems. It's the thick fur fabric that makes this machine want to barf out thread like it has a flu O_O

I am just now using the attachment for this type of fabric as recommended, but I might have a feeling this machine just hates anything thick. The best thing I can do for now is flip the thread over and make the stitches huge in length so it goes through the machine more and keep my fingers crossed until a really old machine comes my way. :X

[killpurakat]

Yeah, sad for the sewing newcomers, but the older the machine, the better and longer it will last. Unless you are willing to spend money (then there's some brands that are sweet little workhorses able to do every job).

Good luck on hunting for an older machine! If you find two, maybe pass along that info? :) I've been trying for a few years, but every old machine I've come across has been too expensive (antique status jacks up the price such that newer high-end machines are the better deal), missing parts, or rusted up in such a way as to be unrepairable. ;_;

By attachment, do you mean a walking foot to help ease the fabric through the machine? Or is it something else for thick fabric?

[lugiacollector]

I got comments in this post stating that newer machines are better than older ones. Perhaps its a matter of opinion. It's hard for me to tell, but from comments it is stated that the walking food/feed wont work as good with older machines or will wear down. That's quite a problem :x

Yeah, I have a new attachment I just got I believe it's a walking foot. I probably broke my machine's timing because I wasn't using this before when I was sewing thick fabrics, but strangely it broke while sewing cotton and made a ball of thread at the bottom, strangely.

[killpurakat]

Well, it's more the fact that while older machines will have their own unique issues and needs, they DON'T have plastic parts. They were all metal (and in some cases wood for the base), and that can make a huge difference with heavy fabric projects. It's why people value old sewing machines so much and are very proud to be using the same machine their grandparents used