What materials can be sewn on the machine

I am very often asked the question what kind of fabrics this or that machine sews. Buyers are very surprised when I do not name very heavy materials or lightweight knitwear. Recently, to my surprise, reproaches have been added, which in a neglected case sound like this: – On other sites they write that the machine will sew“super-heavy”fabrics, but I cannot hem jeans on it! Why did you sell me such a bad car? “

After such a statement, I decided to clarify this issue and make my own system of assessing the range of materials. I will evaluate the quality of only a straight stitch and the very possibility of its implementation without using a stabilizer. Grades will be given on a five-point scale.

Before attempting to sew something, it is very important to select the right threads and needles for your fabric and to adjust the thread tension correctly. Without this selection, you can only sew kitchen towels. The memories of my grandmother’s machine, which “could sew everything from chiffon to leather without adjustments with one needle,” is not worth referring to – leave them in childhood, when the grass was greener.

So, for high-quality work with very light fabrics (crepe de chine, chiffon, veil, cambric), the machine requires a small hole in the needle plate and a pressure regulator of the presser foot on the fabric. For the presence of a foot and a needle plate with a round hole in the accessories catalog, or for the built-in mechanism for reducing the size of this hole, we will give two points, and for other machines, we will award one point for the small size of the hole in the standard zig-zag plate. The pressure regulator is one point. Working with thin materials is “thin matter” and two more points will remain for the subjective part of the assessment, and the labor intensity and the very possibility of adjusting the machine to work with these materials will be assessed.

Usually, working with light fabrics (calico, satin, shirt fabrics, dress fabrics, satin) does not cause any particular problems with the correct choice of threads and appropriate tension adjustment. A base score of 4 will be awarded to each vehicle. Another 1 point will be added for ease of setting up the machine. And in case of impossibility of obtaining a high-quality line, the points will be reduced.

Medium and moderately heavy fabrics (flannel, leotards, corduroy, thin jeans, suiting fabrics) must be sewn by any machine. If there is a problem with such fabrics, then the rating will be downgraded from the base 5 stars. Find more options here: https://justsewn.com/best-industrial-sewing-machines/

For confident work with heavy fabrics (jeans, gabardine, raincoats, light coats), a high engine power is important. DC motor machinesmore than 45 W and machines with conventional motors over 75 W will receive two points, while less powerful ones will cost one. The built-in top feed conveyor is great for sewing heavy materials. One point will be added for its presence. The developed wide “toothy” comb of the lower conveyor will bring another point. Another point will be given to “iron” cars weighing more than 8 kg. A high rise of the foot is important for working with thick materials, but there is little point in evaluating it specifically, since in almost all household machines the foot rises to about the same height – about 6 mm in the first position and about 12 mm in the second.

Very heavy fabrics (thick jeans, drape, tarpaulin) should not be sewn on modern household machines. You can often hear that the machine is sewing 8 or even 10 layers of jeans. But it will be correct to say not stitching, but piercing. Many machines can pierce such materials with a relatively thin needle, if only there is enough motor power. But just a little to pierce, you still need to move the material to the length of the stitch, tighten the loop inside the fabric and sometimes climb the thickenings to pass the seams. These tasks are beyond the power of any modern household machines. I do not advise you to try, as sewing such materials can quickly lead to damage to the needle plate, misalignment of the hook or needle bar, and other similar troubles.

In industry, for working with very heavy materials, machines with triple advancement, with an enlarged shuttle and thick needles No. 140-160 are used (by the way, needles with numbers greater than 120 are not produced in the household standard 130 / 705H).

In an amicable way, knitwear should be sewn on an overlock and overlock machine. The seams that these units perform are elastic, and the differential conveyor does not allow the knit to stretch. If you are serious about working with knitwear, read the article ” How to choose an overlock ” and budget for its purchase.

Knitwear of medium thickness can be sewn on a sewing machine, but the result will most often be close to unsatisfactory. This is a base score of two points for each car. For the presence of the presser foot pressure adjustment or the built-in upper feed in the machine, we will add another point. The special jersey stitching will be another point. We will not give more than four points.

Thin knitwear, and even more so with the addition of synthetic elastic fibers, will most likely not be able to sew normally on a lockstitch sewing machine. The only more or less working option is to glue the joints with a fashionable water-soluble stabilizer, folk gelatin, or use another stabilization method. I will not assess the machine’s ability to work with such jersey at all.

A machine for working with not very thick clothing and haberdashery leather must meet the requirements for sewing heavy fabrics. The score will simply be copied from there. Additionally, you will need to use a foot with a sliding cover and special leather needles. Household machines are not suitable for sewing heavy saddle leather or boot leather.