An easy way to tell the right or wrong side of fleece is to hold your fabric by the horizontal cut edge (the cross-grain) and pull slightly. The cut edge will curl to the wrong side of the fabric. I may have misunderstood, but I believe this was misstated in the video.
Hello @eileengarcia803 Just catching this now. Thanks for your note. In the video I pulled the fleece across the LENGTHWISE edge which has the selvedge. I stated that when pulled in this direction it curls to the RIGHT side. You are correct that when pulled the OPPOSITE direction, i.e. across the cross-grain of the fabric, it will curl to the wrong side. So, it’s one of those quirky things, but the right side can be determined either way😊
I am using single side polar fleece 168 gsm weight for a Mcalls 5252 hooded vest. I see that you do not recommend the stretch stitch but what needle did you uses; stretch, universal or something else? I want to finish the armhole without binding by just folding it over. Would you overcast and then fold to topstitch or something else. Thanks for the great tips.
Happy to help you with your questions! I thought I mentioned the needle, but perhaps that is in the coordinating instructions. I use a stretch needle for fleece, usually a size 11. Since fleece does not ravel, you don’t need to overcast the edge before hemming. However, if you want it to look more like ready to wear, you could use a machine overcasting stitch to finish the edge before turning under and top stitching. My preference is to use a serger to imitate ready to wear, but that is optional. There are more fleece tips on my www.letsgosew.com website. Let me know if you need anything else.
Why is water soluble used when doing pocket overcast edge, but not the rest of it? (Took me two weeks to discover) I had to use this on moleskin/ultra suede, else fabric pushed into stitchplate and squeezed onto needle as it tried to come up out of the fabric causing defective stitches. I haven't had such problems with fleece.
Thanks for reaching out with your question. The pocket featured on this coat is a little bit special. The sides of the pocket are enclosed in seams so those edges don't get finished at all. However, both the top edge of the pocket and the bottom edge were stitched using the water-soluble stabilizer and the wide open overcasting stitch. If you are making a patch pocket style, one that gets topstitched onto a garment, you would want to use the featured technique on all sides. Just another quick tip for you, if you're having trouble sewing standard seams on fleece then switch to a waking foot (even feed foot), for more control. Last but not least, please click on the link below to view and download the instructions that coordinate with show 1710-2. Link for instructions: bit.ly/3aA1nPG
Hi Karen! Sorry I missed your comment earlier. Interfacing and fleece generally do not pair well together. I recommend finding patterns that are made for fleece or simply skipping the interfacing. Happy help furthering you need me 😊
My first advice is to find an alternative closure such as toggle fasteners like the one on my sample coat, buttons and loops, snaps, and even special magnets used for garments can work. Personally, I avoid buttonholes on fleece. If you look at quality garments in ready-to-wear, they usually design fleece garments with alternative closures. Here is one of the reasons buttonholes can be iffy on fleece, fleece is spongy. When the buttonhole attachment is in place, the fabric is pressed down in that area but remains lofty surrounding the attachment. This can throw the buttonhole mechanism off when you’re stitching. If you would still like to try a buttonhole on fleece, make up a test sample with the exact scenario your garment will have, such as seams, number of layers, etc. Place water-soluble on top of the fleece, pinning or basting it in place. Select a stretch buttonhole if you have one. This type of buttonhole is made up of more open style zig zag stitches. For a stretch buttonhole or even a regular buttonhole, increase both the width and the length to allow for the buttonhole to glide more easily across the fabric. Another option is to use a stabilized piece of material on top of the fleece, something like a faux suede could work, and then sew the buttonhole through the layer of suede. Again, be sure to test before committing to your final garment. I hope this helps! I wish you well in all your fleece sewing adventures!
@@LetsGoSewwithJoanneBanko Your idea of using something more stable on top may be just the ticket! I am going to try that. I did try with stabilizer, and I got a lot of skips in the stitching. I'm not exactly sure what the issue was, but I think maybe trying to make the leash holes with just some kind of cover fabric in place could be the thing I need. I will try that. Thank you! What I'm actually trying to do is use the button hole function to secure leash holes on dog coats I make. I have made several for my own dogs, but haven't really cared about having separate pieces of fabric, because the fleece doesn't fray. But I was hoping to be able to offer something a bit more professional looking for clients who would like to purchase my work. Definitely trying this with a separate type of fabric. I may even cut away, and sew that on, so the fleece doesn't come into play with the stitching. Ooh! You gave me some things to experiment with this week. This should be fun. :)
Happy to help@@kestrelhawkins6078! Love the fact that you're creating dog coats! What a great business adventure! Let me know how the buttonhole idea works out for you :-)
I did one layer of fleece with very stiff interfacing. Rule 1. Pick a button much smaller than u want (maybe 1/2 the size), if using a button hole foot. Or use the walking foot and do a manual button hole according to the size u need. I still recommend stiff interfacing. Let me know if this works for u.
I’m trying to learn how to close a very basic quilt. My quilt has a top and bottom layer of fleece and a layer of batting in between. I’ve tried a slip stitch which is hard for me to do as well as I’ve used my walking foot. I don’t like the look of the finished project. They don’t look professional to me. Do you know of a way to close a quilt? I’d appreciate any help you could offer. Thank you so much. Julie
Hi Julie! I understand you are working with multiple layers, however fleece does not need to have the raw edges turned under, & doing so may make it difficult to get a neat finish. I happen to have a tip sheet with five ways to finish fleece. It's written for working with a single layer of fleece but none the less I think it may help you. Take a look and let me know, Okay? Here is a link to the sheet on my site: www.letsgosew.com/tip-sheet-five-ways-to-finish-fleece-blankets.html
Hi Jacqueline! I used Simplicity 1067 to make the coat. FYI, if you visit my website you'll find more tips for this coat in the show notes for show 1710. Here is a link: www.letsgosew.com/series-1700_bonus-files_its-sew-easy-tv.html
It's been a while since this was posted, but thank you--so many good tips. How to tell the right side, grading seams, etc.
So happy to know you found the video helpful! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts 🙂
An easy way to tell the right or wrong side of fleece is to hold your fabric by the horizontal cut edge (the cross-grain) and pull slightly. The cut edge will curl to the wrong side of the fabric. I may have misunderstood, but I believe this was misstated in the video.
Hello @eileengarcia803 Just catching this now. Thanks for your note. In the video I pulled the fleece across the LENGTHWISE edge which has the selvedge. I stated that when pulled in this direction it curls to the RIGHT side. You are correct that when pulled the OPPOSITE direction, i.e. across the cross-grain of the fabric, it will curl to the wrong side. So, it’s one of those quirky things, but the right side can be determined either way😊
I am using single side polar fleece 168 gsm weight for a Mcalls 5252 hooded vest. I see that you do not recommend the stretch stitch but what needle did you uses; stretch, universal or something else? I want to finish the armhole without binding by just folding it over. Would you overcast and then fold to topstitch or something else. Thanks for the great tips.
Happy to help you with your questions! I thought I mentioned the needle, but perhaps that is in the coordinating instructions. I use a stretch needle for fleece, usually a size 11. Since fleece does not ravel, you don’t need to overcast the edge before hemming. However, if you want it to look more like ready to wear, you could use a machine overcasting stitch to finish the edge before turning under and top stitching. My preference is to use a serger to imitate ready to wear, but that is optional. There are more fleece tips on my www.letsgosew.com website. Let me know if you need anything else.
PS, Thanks so much for watching! Happy sewing!
Why is water soluble used when doing pocket overcast edge, but not the rest of it? (Took me two weeks to discover) I had to use this on moleskin/ultra suede, else fabric pushed into stitchplate and squeezed onto needle as it tried to come up out of the fabric causing defective stitches. I haven't had such problems with fleece.
Thanks for reaching out with your question. The pocket featured on this coat is a little bit special. The sides of the pocket are enclosed in seams so those edges don't get finished at all. However, both the top edge of the pocket and the bottom edge were stitched using the water-soluble stabilizer and the wide open overcasting stitch. If you are making a patch pocket style, one that gets topstitched onto a garment, you would want to use the featured technique on all sides. Just another quick tip for you, if you're having trouble sewing standard seams on fleece then switch to a waking foot (even feed foot), for more control. Last but not least, please click on the link below to view and download the instructions that coordinate with show 1710-2. Link for instructions: bit.ly/3aA1nPG
Do you have to use interfacing on fleece
Hi Karen! Sorry I missed your comment earlier. Interfacing and fleece generally do not pair well together. I recommend finding patterns that are made for fleece or simply skipping the interfacing. Happy help furthering you need me 😊
Any ideas for doing a buttonhole on 2 layers of fleece? I've been stumped by this for years now.
My first advice is to find an alternative closure such as toggle fasteners like the one on my sample coat, buttons and loops, snaps, and even special magnets used for garments can work. Personally, I avoid buttonholes on fleece. If you look at quality garments in ready-to-wear, they usually design fleece garments with alternative closures.
Here is one of the reasons buttonholes can be iffy on fleece, fleece is spongy. When the buttonhole attachment is in place, the fabric is pressed down in that area but remains lofty surrounding the attachment. This can throw the buttonhole mechanism off when you’re stitching.
If you would still like to try a buttonhole on fleece, make up a test sample with the exact scenario your garment will have, such as seams, number of layers, etc. Place water-soluble on top of the fleece, pinning or basting it in place. Select a stretch buttonhole if you have one. This type of buttonhole is made up of more open style zig zag stitches. For a stretch buttonhole or even a regular buttonhole, increase both the width and the length to allow for the buttonhole to glide more easily across the fabric. Another option is to use a stabilized piece of material on top of the fleece, something like a faux suede could work, and then sew the buttonhole through the layer of suede. Again, be sure to test before committing to your final garment. I hope this helps! I wish you well in all your fleece sewing adventures!
@@LetsGoSewwithJoanneBanko Your idea of using something more stable on top may be just the ticket! I am going to try that. I did try with stabilizer, and I got a lot of skips in the stitching. I'm not exactly sure what the issue was, but I think maybe trying to make the leash holes with just some kind of cover fabric in place could be the thing I need. I will try that. Thank you!
What I'm actually trying to do is use the button hole function to secure leash holes on dog coats I make. I have made several for my own dogs, but haven't really cared about having separate pieces of fabric, because the fleece doesn't fray. But I was hoping to be able to offer something a bit more professional looking for clients who would like to purchase my work. Definitely trying this with a separate type of fabric. I may even cut away, and sew that on, so the fleece doesn't come into play with the stitching. Ooh! You gave me some things to experiment with this week. This should be fun. :)
Happy to help@@kestrelhawkins6078! Love the fact that you're creating dog coats! What a great business adventure! Let me know how the buttonhole idea works out for you :-)
I did one layer of fleece with very stiff interfacing. Rule 1. Pick a button much smaller than u want (maybe 1/2 the size), if using a button hole foot. Or use the walking foot and do a manual button hole according to the size u need. I still recommend stiff interfacing. Let me know if this works for u.
Also I used a ballpoint needle size 70/11 worked a charm. No skipped stitches!
I’m trying to learn how to close a very basic quilt. My quilt has a top and bottom layer of fleece and a layer of batting in between. I’ve tried a slip stitch which is hard for me to do as well as I’ve used my walking foot. I don’t like the look of the finished project. They don’t look professional to me. Do you know of a way to close a quilt? I’d appreciate any help you could offer. Thank you so much. Julie
Hi Julie! I understand you are working with multiple layers, however fleece does not need to have the raw edges turned under, & doing so may make it difficult to get a neat finish. I happen to have a tip sheet with five ways to finish fleece. It's written for working with a single layer of fleece but none the less I think it may help you. Take a look and let me know, Okay? Here is a link to the sheet on my site: www.letsgosew.com/tip-sheet-five-ways-to-finish-fleece-blankets.html
What pattern is that I would like to make one like it
Hi Jacqueline! I used Simplicity 1067 to make the coat. FYI, if you visit my website you'll find more tips for this coat in the show notes for show 1710. Here is a link: www.letsgosew.com/series-1700_bonus-files_its-sew-easy-tv.html
I’ve asked Santa for a Brother serger. Can’t wait!
Whooo Hooo! I'm so happy for you Susan! I can't imagine sewing without a serger by my side :-)