I have found that working with this particular knit is worse than the one I just finished with. This one, a stretch velour, has a weird tendency when you place the fabric right sides together, to change texture and seem as if it is starched. I think the naps mesh and interlock. It must have something to do with the nap of the fabric laying against itself. However, it still shifts when I try to sew the seam allowances. While I can still stitch through it the fabric rolls onto itself and pulls away as you stitch it; no matter how many pins I use. The seam allowances are never even from one side to the other because there is such a drastic shift. I've taken the seams out and redid them (many times) to get something closer to how it's supposed to be. I am SO tired of frustrating sewing projects!
Can anyone explain why stretch velour does this?
After taking a small break from sewing, I searched for someone somewhere having a similar problem (and hopefully some advice) and all I found was here from Linda S, does anyone know of anything else?
Here are pictures of the offending fabric to help you a bit in figuring out the problem.
The back is slick like a satin.
I don't know the answer to *why* the fabric has a mind of its own when you try to seam in certain directions but I wonder if you've considered putting a strip of washaway stabilizer between the layers? Mostly used for stabilizing embroidery but might prevent the fabric from locking into itself. Just a thought ...
ReplyDeleteYou may need Sandra Betzina's 'fabrics' book. It's never failed to provide easy answers to questions like this for me. In fact, I don't remember any trouble at all making my stretch velvet shirts, so her advice must be correct :-).
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