Cotton batting also has quite a bit of stretch, but the fleece seemed to have about twice as much stretch. Because of this, and the higher loft fleece … A key motto to keep in mind: measure twice, cut once. 3 Select a thin cotton or polyester fabric if you want to line fleece garments. New Topics; Member List; Calendar; Forum; We don't know much, but we know quilters; Quilting Questions; If this is your first visit to the Missouri Star Quilt Co's "Quilter's Forum", be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. Prepare the first pattern, pin and cut carefully. 13) Fingerless Gloves Fingerless Gloves from Sewcraftyme.com Wear these striped fleece wrist-warmers as the weather turns chilly and make a style statement this fall! I lay the crosswise stretch along the lengthwise stretch which reduces the stretch of the finished blanket. 2. Use flannel on both sides or replace fleece with cotton on one side, if you need a lighter blanket. Hope all of this helps! Short stitches can cause the fabric to bulge and lose their shape. The fabrics laid out on table in perfect proportion ,the sides didn’t stretch out ,but the fleece ended up stretching Longer than the cotton fabric on TOP and Bottom edges. This is a two-sided design, that can be made as a throw or a larger sized blanket. 1. You will have less stretching, and since you cut your Minky larger than your cotton you’ll be able to see where you’re sewing. If the fabric is pinned together well, the sharp scissors should be able to easily cut through all of the fabric without it … But, you don’t need the pattern anymore. I have not been pleased with the outcome of attempting to sew with fleece and wonder what I am doing wrong. Stack the fleece and quilting fabric on top of one another, right sides together. Some other fleece fabrics may include wool, cotton, rayon and spandex. There are many benefits to using pattern weights when making clothes. This demonstration shows several different pattern weights you can use as well as tips on how to best use them. The idea is to quilt them together. 2. Here I have used small pompom trims for embellishment. After you have cut the pieces and have them laid out in a logical order, you can begin. This site is owned and operated by Elli & Tee Inc. Thecreativefolk.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Simply clear away any remnants from your previous project. Hello Customer, Cut one yard of fabric off of your three yard cut of flannel. If you don’t have a separate room, step 2 can be quite important. It stiffens the fleece so it will not stretch while you piece. If you are interested in becoming a member, please click on the special offer below: https://go.nationalsewingcircle.com/C24871, Ashley Briggs demonstrates how to make reverse applique as well as how to add elements to your projects through utilizing reverse applique. It’s durable enough to wash in warm water and machine dry, but the fleece on the inside of the fabric will pill, shed lint, and lose its texture over time. Ashley-NSC, Have lots of Fleece and need som ideas! Don’t worry, that’s what this article is all about. There are some categories where fleece is better than cotton. If you’re sewing near outdoors, you could also take it outside and shake it out or use a lint roller. If you have small children or animals in the house, make sure your work area and supplies are far out of their reach. WINTER WARMUP—SAVE UP … It is breathable and allows moisture to evaporate quickly. Cotton is more of a warm-weather fabric while fleece is more of a cold-weather material. Sew these two pieces of fabric together so that your fabric now measured 72 inches by 20 inches. The first step for beginners is gathering adequate information about the type of fabric you plan to use. So what tension is good, stitch length etc. The static in the fleece affects the electronic monitors and again cannot breathe through it. Remember: measure twice, cut once. Also, they are not usually pure, which means that not every fleece or cotton fabric you buy will be the same as other fleece or cotton fabrics. I use my walking foot when doing the quilting so it helps to eliminate the pulling. 2. Learn how to make reversible fleece blankets in minutes, with this tutorial. What do I mean? Do use polyester thread instead of cotton thread on the fleece. Hi and thank you so much for this tutorial on fleece. Sewing unwashed flannel with result in bunching and puckered seams. Layout your fabric and place the pattern on top. The above suggestions should alleviate those issues. Follow along as she walks you through the process from start to finish. Follow these simple guidelines and you will be able to sew fleece and cotton together like a pro. Sew with cuddly fleece on both sides to keep your baby warm and cozy or replace fleece with cotton on one side to make a lighter and brighter blanket. Needles of differing sizes (including a few spares in case one gets lost or broken), Thread or several different spools of thread in your choice of color, Optional supplies include a thimble and needle threader. , I am sewing a blanket with fleece on one side and the other side is cotton blend fabric pieced together like a quilt top. The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. The walking foot will prevent stretch, particularly when sewing round a curved shape. In this example, the strip of fleece is folded and then sewn to the edge of the garment neck with the overcast stitch. Once you have your workspace all set and ready to go, you are ready to really get your project started. You will want to ensure that you have a sharp needle when working with this fabric, because even though it is easy to sew through it can dull a needle quickly. Hi Vickie. What you might do is use the fleece as a backing for the cotton. You don’t want any premature damage to your project and you certainly do not want any injuries or accidents. The key to whether one is better than the other lies in how each fabric is made. You now have two pieces of fabric that measure approximately 20 inches by 36 inches. Binky's! Once I know what those are I may be able to help you further. To prolong the fuzzy texture, wash your garment inside out and lay flat to dry. No Sew Fleece Throw Kit Dog Mom No Sew Throw Kit - 72inx60in. Fleece is a synthetic wonder product. Sewing Fleece And Cotton Together – Step By Step, these are the best scissors for cutting fleece. Pin them in place. You can use lace or rickrack if you wish. 1. Fabric care: Sweatshirt fleece made from cotton, hemp, or rayon is prone to shrinking, so be sure to preshrink your fabric. it has a smooth exterior with a plush interior nap. This throat plate has only a small hole for the needle to pass through, making it almost impossible for the fabric to get pushed down into and caught in it. Minky on the Bottom. For a bias bound blanket, you’ll want 3 packages of extra wide double fold bias tape (3 yards per package). Despite bearing a close resemblance (and same name) as the fleece wool on a sheep, it is 100% man-made. Remember, you can always cut it down if you cut too wide, but you can never make it bigger if you cut too short. If the fabric is pinned together well, the sharp scissors should be able to easily cut through all of the fabric without it slipping and sliding all over the place. 1. 2 Prints. Use the right toe of the foot to guide the fabric. It is important to use very sharp scissors or shears. Binding has been either sewing a 1/2″ edge and then trimming with pinking shears or I do ‘pillow case’ style on the quilt. Clean your cutting tools This video demonstrates how to pin and sew two pieces of fabric together. Sewing fleece and cotton together can be very tricky. When working with two pieces of fleece, it is very valuable to pin them together across both diagonals and at intervals along the edges to keep them from "crawling" apart from each other. Step 3 Sew the two pieces of fabric together using a straight stitch on the sewing machine. When I make a double layer fleece blanket I reverse the stretch. We would like to offer you a special promotion for your first year membership. I have been using fleece as a backing for ‘comfort quilts’ to be given to those who are in the hospital or home bound. Also, if you can lessen the presser foot pressure on your machine that can help as well. However, it can be a bit tedious, especially if this is a project you are very excited about! They go over well with any age. … Even when wet, fleece provides warmth and maintains good insulation. Easy and fun to sew, they can be made with different fabrics and trims. http://go.nationalsewingcircle.com/C8649. They are both stretchy and that means a different type of sewing method. For fleece and faux fur, use a 90/14 or an 80/12 needle. Pin the two pieces of fabric together using straight pins. The material is composed of a plastic base, not the fluffy coast of sheep. Thanks for the tips about sewing fleece. Sew with the fleece side down, against your sewing machine’s feed dogs. Iron this seam allowance open. Read on for the step-by-step guide to sewing fleece and cotton together. Trying to correct this after the fact will only make matter worse. Cotton is generally quite forgiving. ZJ also shares ideas of projects that can be made entirely out of fleece like blankets, sweaters, or toys, and shows some examples of projects that can be accented with fleece. She provides an overview of tools and floss recommendations, as well. Trace the round shape onto the quilting cotton with your fabric marker. Prep work is necessary and a crucial step towards a successful end result. However, it is still extremely soft and fuzzy. This helps keep the fleece’s bulk and stretch under control as you sew. Use this technique at home to ensure your fabrics are aligned. You can use a pattern that was handed down from your mother or grandmother, a pattern you created yourself or a pattern you bought from the sewing and craft store. Don’t use cotton thread when sewing fleece as it doesn’t have much give and may break. would like to have more tips about actually sewing fleece on my sewing machine. Figure Velcro May not be recommended. We offer high-quality and award-winning kids' toys, games, swings, and more. If you have a dedicated sewing room, great! You make me want to sew with this now. It then goes to the manufacturer to be turned into all types of textiles. As for tension and stitch length, you can keep your tension setting similar to what you have it on when stitching with other medium weight fabrics and stitch with a construction stitch length of 2.5. 4.99 SHIPPING—NO COUPON NEEDED! If you notice that your stitches are too close together or too far apart, the best thing to do is remove them and start over. We truly hope you find value on our blog, and are here to help if you have any questions! 6. If you want your blanket to have square corners, you can skip this step. Here’s the finished DIY fleece blanket: Ok, on to the next one! To make rounded corners, place a rounded object (like a plate) on top of one corner so the sides of the object touch the edges of the fabric. How to press fleece. When sewing fleece and cotton together, the most important thing to keep in mind is the difference in flexibility. Fleece has a distinct grain (pile or plush) that has to be taken into consideration. … Pure cotton is often used to make socks, t-shirts, underwear, and bedsheets, although many of these products more commonly use a cotton blend for durability. I've never worked with fleece so I need guidance. I usually tie them with fun pearl cottons or ribbons. So how do you sew fleece and cotton together? The stretch sewing machine needle is more rounded tip than a jersey needle. If you can't starch the fleece, placing it on the bottom … Learn which pattern weights work best with specific fabrics and use these tips to assist your sewing at home. I was asked to take the fleece pajamas of my daughter-in-laws twin boys and use the fabric to make a quilt for each boy. So just be aware of that and make sure you are gently guiding the fleece into the sewing machine instead of letting it get pulled and stretched as you sew those corners. There’s a few fleeces out there that have at least a portion of natural fibers like bamboo or sweatshirt fleece (usually cotton/poly blend), but synthetics are the norm. Getting prepared for your new project will be easy. Thanks. Flannel Vs Fleece – What’s The Difference? Place the pins in a straight line around each side, about 1 1/2 inches from the edge. Each plant grows hundreds of these little bolls. Read the label carefully to understand the blend and find blends that work together best. The softness of the fleece adds the comfort and the other side of the quilt is usually cotton. Cotton or cotton-poly fleece - made from cotton or a blended material and generally used for athletic wear. Not only will it reduce weight and bulk, but a woven fabric used as a facing will hold its shape better than the knitted structure of fleece. You really can’t mess it up too much. Do increase the stitch length than normal for sewing fleece. How to Prewash Flannel: Washing: I prefer to wash flannel with hot water. An idea for the binding is to use fleece strips. When sewing minky with another layer of fabric such as cotton or flannel, put the minky on the bottom to allow the feed dogs of the machine to help guide the fabric and prevent extra stretching. At 60 inches wide it’s one of the more cost effective fabrics to buy, it’s warm and lightweight, and has the added benefit of not raveling. To prevent the fleece from stretching I would definitely recommend using a combination of pins as well as either a walking foot or a roller foot. as I’m afraid it will eventually rip the fabric off. Cotton is also a very popular material for knitting and crochet yarn. You cannot breathe through it hence why it blocks the cold air so well. You’ll need: –2 yards plaid fleece –2 yards solid fleece –4 large pom poms … I have taken the pajamas apart and have a great deal of fabric to work with, the colors are bright and will be terrific to work with. In general, an all-purpose needle should work great when sewing with fleece. Oct 1, 2012 - Welcome to HearthSong, where we believe in improving children's lives through play! Round the Corners. The shank creates a neat stitch pattern on elastic, which makes it a good needle for stretchy fabrics. Safety pins will work fine, so they aren't removed until you are done and ready to take them out. Try to choose an area of the house not frequently used so that you are able to leave your project undisturbed when you have to step away for meals, breaks, or other important matters. When sewing cotton and fleece together, you will have these materials pinned together on the pattern. 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