Special Considerations for Sewing Vinyl
I just love this tutorial for making a great-looking zippered vinyl bag. Makes a great gift for any occasion. Are there any special types of needle or sewing foot needed to make it easier to work with sewing vinyl? Can I sewing vinyl with a regular sewing machine?
Submitted by Juanita
Hi Juanita! Yes you can sew vinyl on a regular sewing machine, but you should consider your presser foot. When sewing vinyl, the fabric can actually stick to the bottom of a regular presser foot. To avoid this you can either cover the bottom of your presser foot with tape or buy a Teflon presser foot – both work well.
If you plan to do a lot of work with vinyl I would suggest getting the Teflon foot, as it is much easier to change it out when needed than to continually reapply tape. However, if you only need to sew vinyl a few times we have a quick hack for that! Quick Tips: Sewing Vinyl with Tissue Paper.
Generally you can stitch through vinyl with a universal needle. However, if you are using a heavier weight of vinyl I would recommend using a wedge point needle or a needle meant for working with leather fabric. This will help ensure even stitching and eliminate any puckers or thread breakage.
Hope this helps!
Ashley
You might also be interested in:
Sewing Vinyl: Make a Zippered Bag
How to Sew Vinyl Windows into a Fun Project Bag
How to Iron Vinyl
Common Sewing Machine Feet and When to Use Them
Specialty Sewing Machine Feet Options
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Please note: questions may be edited for clarity and relevance.
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needle and foot need for sewing vinyl
Thanks
This is so timely for me. I just started sewing bags. While I have an older Pfaff sewing machine that should be able to handle this task, my #69 nylon thread keeps breaking and I don't think the bottom tension is correct. I've been looking at needle types and decided to see if I have a leather needle. One problem at a time. Thanks for the helping hand.
Place a thin layer of Tissue Paper over or under vinyl, where it touches your presser foot or sewing machine. Sew seams and then gently tear away the tissue paper. I use 3mm or longer length stitches, to avoid tearing the vinyl.
On your video about ironing vinyl, why not use a hair dryer?
Also lengthen your stitch length so your seam doesn't "perforate" a line to rip off. Additionally, if you choose to use tape on the bottom of the presser foot, use the frosted magic kind, and a roller foot can sometimes work. I loved putting a clear window or a clear patch pocket in several items I made. Don't be afraid to try vinyl, it is great! OrahLee
You could also by a roller foot for this.