Tips On How To Sew Vinyl For Beginner Seamtress
Vinyl is difficult to deal with, that’s so I heard. That’s true though. Without the right tools, you are in for a lot of trouble. I have postponed my handbag project long enough and recently I have finally gathered all I need to sew vinyl. My best basic sewing machine for beginners provides me with everything I need quick and easy. So it's important to choose the right sewing machine for you.
Here are my two cents on how to sew vinyl nice and easy.
Needles
Vinyl is much thicker than cotton so please bear in mind that too many layers and your sewing machine might struggle to penetrate through.
The needle I recommend you to use is the variety for sewing leather and vinyl. My all-time favorite is Schmetz’s Leather Needles. They have no problem sew through vinyl and leave behind no skipped stitches.
Wonder which size of needle you should use? Consult the manual to see if there is any instruction.
Presser Feet
When the fabric is traveling through the machine, Vinyl can stick to the presser foot and cause you trouble. For a typical project, the most viable solution is to sew on the back side, which is fabric. This side will feed through the sewing machine without any problem.
However, in some certain projects which sewing on the right side is required, switching to another presser foot can solve the problem.
I have used a Teflon coated foot and a roller foot, both of them work well on vinyl. They are smooth and don’t stick to any of the fabric I frequently work with.
Your sewing machine may require a particular type of presser foot so beware of the size before you purchase. Some of the best entry level sewing machine can go with a wide range of feet.
If a Teflon coated foot is out of the question for you, stick some sticky tape on the side that comes in contact with the vinyl of the regular foot.
Pins
Vinyl doesn’t tolerate pins as these sharp objects will leave holes on it unless you use pins on the seam allowance only as no one is going to see the holes.
Even if you limit the use of pins on the seam allowance only, the difficulty is inevitable as the material is sometimes too thick for pins to penetrate.
A better tool would be Wonder Clips. They are wonderful for thick fabrics in general. I find them particularly useful in making bags. So if you have to deal with heavyweight materials regularly, these clips should be an essential tool.
In case you cannot get your hands on any wonder clip, binder clips can be a good substitute. Please bear in mind that vinyl show marks as well as they show pin holes so don’t leave these clips on overnight. In case you haven’t found yourself at the best first sewing machine to start sewing yet, here I have just the suggestion for you, choose a Singer sewing machine for beginners.
So there you have it, all the tools you need to sew vinyl. Other than those above, I don’t think you need any special equipment like a whole new sewing machine for this job. Hope you find this article helpful, feel free to share.