How to Sew Stretch Material to Cotton
Combining stretch fabric and woven cotton adds texture and improves the fit of some garments. However, runs in stretch fabric and stitch cracking are common with this fabric mixture. Use spun polyester thread and avoid using sharp needles to repair damaged seams. Ball point needles prevent damage to knitted fabric, as ball point needles push fabric fibers out of the way instead of slicing through them. Use the thread and needle that work best on the delicate stretch fabric for the best result when fabrics are combined.
Things You'll Need
- Seam ripper (optional)
- Scissors (optional)
- Ball point pins
- Sewing machine with polyester thread and ball point needle installed
Instructions
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1
Use the tip of the seam ripper to cut any frayed threads you see around the edges of the damaged seam, and use your fingertips to pick the loose threads out. Carefully cut the seam threads, not the fabric, with the seam ripper.
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2
Check the raw edge of the cotton fabric for frayed fibers, and trim any uneven spots off using the scissors.
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3
Straighten the raw edges, line them up, and pin the fabric pieces together with the ball point pins.
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4
Set the sewing machine on a medium length straight stitch setting. If your machine has an SS setting adjustment for stretch stitching, set that, too.
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5
Put the seam edge of the garment under the presser foot of the sewing machine, and align the needle tip with the seam, overlapping the intact part of the old seam by 1 inch. Sew straight up the seam, using the seam allowance that was used to make the garment. The seam allowance will normally be 5/8 inch.
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Set the sewing machine to either a zigzag or blanket stitch to finish the raw edge of the seam, and sew close to the fabric's edge.
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Tips & Warnings
These sewing steps also apply to making a new garment with stretch material and cotton.
Avoid pulling on the stretch material when sewing, to prevent seam puckers.
References
- Photo Credit sewing machine image by Peter Baxter from Fotolia.com
