I do a lot of raw edge appliqué, which uses steam a seam lite double sided bonding material. Often there are multiple layers of fabric and fusible interfacing, and if you don’t fully heat-bond that interfacing, it can gum up the needle - even the super nonstick needles. I make sure to iron everything to the manufacturers specifications and when i quilt through the appliqué, I frequently check the needle for any stickiness or adhered lint. When I find it, I use a little isopropyl alcohol or needle lubricant to keep everything going smoothly. I also use 505 spray basting for most quilting; that’s a lot less problematic- maybe because I’m sparing with it. Thanks for the post!
Nice timing on the sticky article. (●'◡'●) I was working on a video this week testing all the different tapes that people torture their embroidery machines with. I'll be sure to mention your substack and skipped stitches.
Thank you for this invaluable information. I’m currently working on my first quilt with pieced and appliqué blocks and when doing the latest appliqué block the needle was getting sticky - I was blaming the double sided adhesive however I was very heavy handed with the basting spray so, well, lesson learned. Thank you again and thank for the other comments, very informative.
I second Christine's mention of individual alcohol prep pads. They have become a regular supply in my sewing studio. So simple to use one to clean needle and/or the plate if I've taped a guide down. Great article Cale.
My sewing kit includes Double-sided Tape (DST), a most helpful tool for installing zippers without waves. In addition to DST I also have a box of individual alcohol prep packets. Even though I use the narrowest width if DST (1/8”) and do try to keep it out of my stitching line, I check the needle every inch or so and will wipe down the needle with a alcohol prep pad if it feels the least bit sticky. Thank you for sharing the technical reason why adhesive can result in skipped stitches.
Could using adhesive also cause thread breakage? I was embroidering on cardstock yesterday and had issues with my thread breaking. I had used adhesive on the cutaway to attach the cardstock.
I do a lot of raw edge appliqué, which uses steam a seam lite double sided bonding material. Often there are multiple layers of fabric and fusible interfacing, and if you don’t fully heat-bond that interfacing, it can gum up the needle - even the super nonstick needles. I make sure to iron everything to the manufacturers specifications and when i quilt through the appliqué, I frequently check the needle for any stickiness or adhered lint. When I find it, I use a little isopropyl alcohol or needle lubricant to keep everything going smoothly. I also use 505 spray basting for most quilting; that’s a lot less problematic- maybe because I’m sparing with it. Thanks for the post!
Nice timing on the sticky article. (●'◡'●) I was working on a video this week testing all the different tapes that people torture their embroidery machines with. I'll be sure to mention your substack and skipped stitches.
I use leather needles when sewing velcro. Seems to work for me.
Oh those teflon coated needles are a game changer!!! Utter genius haha ......
Excellent advice and something many people may not think about.
Thank you for the reminder.
I promise to do better next time…
Thank you for this invaluable information. I’m currently working on my first quilt with pieced and appliqué blocks and when doing the latest appliqué block the needle was getting sticky - I was blaming the double sided adhesive however I was very heavy handed with the basting spray so, well, lesson learned. Thank you again and thank for the other comments, very informative.
Excellent article! Thank you for the recommendations regarding adhesive sprays.
I second Christine's mention of individual alcohol prep pads. They have become a regular supply in my sewing studio. So simple to use one to clean needle and/or the plate if I've taped a guide down. Great article Cale.
My sewing kit includes Double-sided Tape (DST), a most helpful tool for installing zippers without waves. In addition to DST I also have a box of individual alcohol prep packets. Even though I use the narrowest width if DST (1/8”) and do try to keep it out of my stitching line, I check the needle every inch or so and will wipe down the needle with a alcohol prep pad if it feels the least bit sticky. Thank you for sharing the technical reason why adhesive can result in skipped stitches.
Thanks for sharing this information and your recommendations about products!
Now I know why I have skip stitches problem when I was sewing fabric with glued on sequins!
Could using adhesive also cause thread breakage? I was embroidering on cardstock yesterday and had issues with my thread breaking. I had used adhesive on the cutaway to attach the cardstock.