What Foot To Use When Sewing Many Layers Of Fleece
Fleece is one of the trickiest fabrics to work with, despite being so comfortable and soft. It is a very versatile fabric, and can be used to power a wide range of home improvement projects. All of these unique properties mean that fleece behaves rather differently from your normal fabric.
What Foot To Use When Sewing Many Layers Of Fleece?
Contents
- What Foot To Use When Sewing Many Layers Of Fleece?
- What Presser Foot is Ideal While Working With Fleece?
- How Do the Extra Feed Dogs Help with Multiple Layers?
- Are There Any Specific Types of the Walking Foot?
- Are There Any Alternatives to the Walking Foot?
- Which Foot is Best for Working With Layers of Fleece?
- Some Tips for Working With Fleece
- Why Is A Walking Foot Good For Multiple Layers?
- Which Is More Expensive ? The Classic Walking Foot Or The Open Toe Foot?
While you are working with fleece and multiple layers of fleece, you need to put the presser foot in the appropriate manner. The right presser foot model can help you tackle the fleece fabric without any issues.
Check out this complete guide for all the information you need .
What Presser Foot is Ideal While Working With Fleece?
Fleece is a very tricky fabric, which is why you need to pick the right equipment while working with it.
Most experts recommend using a “walking foot” while you are working with fleece. This kind of foot is ideal while working with unusual fabrics – and is just ideal for multiple layers.
While you are working with fleece, you have to work with multiple layers while making blankets or coverlets. The only way to manage all of the layers together under the needle is to use a special presser foot type that comes with extra feed dogs, such as the walking foot.
How Do the Extra Feed Dogs Help with Multiple Layers?
If you use a normal presser foot while working with one layer of fabric, the feed dogs of the machine will function properly.
However, while working with multiple layers the bottom layers of the fabric get sewed much faster than the top layers do. This causes a lot of misalignment.
The walking foot has a special design that helps to keep the multiple layers of the fleece aligned with each other. The top and bottom layers of the fabric are kept in place by the extra feed dogs and this prevents shifting. This makes the walking foot ideal for fleece.
Are There Any Specific Types of the Walking Foot?
The walking foot can be found in two specific types.
- Classic design: The first is the classic design, which came out in the beginning. The second is the open-toed version. The former is versatile and can be used for all kinds of fabrics. It provides an extra layer of stability to the fabric.
- Open-toe: On the other hand, the open toe walking foot will provide you with visibility, which can be very useful if you are new to sewing. This is very important for people who want to sew fleece layers to make quilts and blankets. Both of these types have their unique advantages.
Are There Any Alternatives to the Walking Foot?
Yes, there is another alternative that you can use if you cannot find a walking foot. This is a Teflon foot, which is also known as a non-stick foot.
It is coated in Teflon and is ideal for working with unusual fabrics. The Teflon material is also used in non-stick frying pans.
The Teflon foot is best applied in situations where a normal presser foot would not work at all. If you are working with multiple layers of fleece, which tend to get bunched and puckered easily, then the Teflon foot is actually a really great idea. It can work very smoothly.
Which Foot is Best for Working With Layers of Fleece?
As mentioned before, fleece is actually a very tricky fabric that can be hard to deal with when there are one or two layers involved. When there are multiple layers involved, it is always the best idea to go with a presser foot that can provide you with extra stability.
While a Teflon foot can be very useful, it has one disadvantage. Over time, the Teflon material wears down and gets a lot of scratches. The efficiency of the material decreases over time. Due to this reason, they have to be replaced from time to time. This can be expensive.
This is the main reason why experts recommend sewists to invest in a really good walking foot. The best course of action is to get the standard walking foot as well as the open toe foot. Use the latter while you are working with multiple layers of fleece for blankets.
The standard walking foot is also very good for working with fleece, and you should use it when you need an extra layer of stability. For example, if you are making something unusually thick – then it is best to use a standard walking foot. Both these models are very good.
Some Tips for Working With Fleece
If you are new to working with fleece, then you will find these tips very useful. Managing this versatile fabric can be challenging, which is why you should memorize these tips. They will help you a lot, whether you are creating blankets or serapes.
Tip 1 – Take the nap of the fabric into consideration: It is important to consider the surface and the pile of the fabric that you are working with. All the fibres run in the same direction, which is why they get piled easily. You need to consider the nap too.
Tip 2 – Choose the right accessories: Fleece is heavy and has a knitted structure. That is why it is not the right choice of fabric for heavy embellishments and accessories. That is why you need to choose the right accessories for decoration while you are working with multiple fleece layers.
Tip 3 – Try to decorate using stitches: Fleece is very easy to decorate if you consider decorative stitching. Set your stitch length to a longer number and also remember to try out the stitch on a test piece before applying it to your layers. This will make decoration very easy.
Tip 4 – Work with a ballpoint needle: While there are many needle types available, the ideal needle for a fleece project is the ballpoint needle. The rounded tip of the needle loops between the fabric instead of piercing it. It won’t snag on the knit fabric of a fleece blanket.
Tip 5 – Use the right presser foot: While working with thick and tricky fabrics like fleece, you need to use the right presser foot. As said before, the best presser foot for fleece is the standard walking foot. It has multiple feed dogs which help to prevent bunching and piling.
Tip 6 – Don’t be afraid to experiment!: Last but not the least, you should also never be afraid to experiment with fleece. Fleece is fun to work with and you can experiment with fabric colour and stitching styles. This will help you to discover your own personal style of stitching.
Why Is A Walking Foot Good For Multiple Layers?
Walking feet have extra feed dogs, which adhere simultaneously with the top and bottom layers of the fabric. This prevents the fabric layers from getting misaligned. This is why it is perfect for multiple layers of fleece.
Which Is More Expensive ? The Classic Walking Foot Or The Open Toe Foot?
An open toe foot offers more visibility and has a complex design as well. This is why the open toe foot is slightly pricier than the standard foot. But their prices are comparable, so it is best if you get both.
This has been a comprehensive guide to working with multiple layers of fleece and choosing the right foot for your project. To sum up, you should consider getting a walking foot while working with fleece to prevent pilling. You should also not be afraid to experiment and try new things!
Crafting has always been a deep-seated passion of mine, one that has flourished and evolved over the years.
I've dedicated considerable time to both studying and practicing in the realm of fashion and sewing, amassing a wealth of experience and skills.
It brings me great joy to share these insights and experiences with you all, hoping to inspire and foster a similar passion for the art of sewing.
- How To Hem Chiffon With Tape - January 21, 2024
- How To Fix Ripped Jeans That Ripped Too Much? - January 9, 2024
- How To Make Pants Waist Smaller Without Sewing? - January 8, 2024
