Sewing Issues

[chasingtides]

I lost a pattern.

It was a simple one, but I wanted to double check it. It was for a simple blanket, involving two layers that I would turn inside out... and now I can't find it. I bought the fabric for it (a cream and charcoal cotton toile and a grey fleece).

I've found a nice pattern (here) but I'm concerned. Whenever I've used my sewing machine, the wrong side of the fabric (the one facing down while I sew) looks like an utter mess and obviously, that's not an option with this pattern.

Halp? Am I missing some basic sewing machine know-how?

(Also, it's fucking cold here.)

Comments

[willfully.livejournal.com]

I don't really understand sewing instructions, but... is it possible to just fold the cloth in half with the nice side facing out on both sides? Except I think I've misunderstood your question. Sorry, I'm useless with this stuff. :\

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. I can do that - it's the stitches (the thread) that's the issue. When I use my sewing machine, it's nice on one side and a mess on the other (and I don't fancy hand sewing a whole blanket).

[willfully.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I understood that a bit belatedly. XD I don't know how to help with that, unfortunately.

[autumn-lilacs.livejournal.com]

I'm a sewing newbie still, but I thought that messy thread was a result of incorrect thread tension.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

I'm as newbish as you can get, so I will trust you.

I've been doing further research and am 99% sure I figured out what was causing the issue.

[autumn-lilacs.livejournal.com]

Oh good. I hope you get it fixed! I've been wanting to drag out my machine, I never finished the How To series that I'd bought. Maybe make the new baby something.

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that if this goes well, I can do receiving blankets for my two cousins who are expecting in the spring. *crosses fingers* Also, silver fleece + toile would be pretty.

[vichan.livejournal.com]

Um, I'm not a newbie, but not an expert by any means, either - everything I know I was taught when I was 7 or 8, and I haven't really learned anything new since then (I pretty much just keep the skill fresh to sew some curtains or a last minute Halloween costume). Without seeing exactly what's happening, it's hard to say what's going on. But a couple of possibilities:
1. You might be sewing against the weave of the fabric. This isn't always an issue, but it's been an issue for me with some materials. :-/
2. The material isn't laying flat under the foot. If it's bunching too much on the inside (the right side), it can bunch up underneath and you won't even see it. (When I HAVE to bunch up material on the right, I just fold and pin it.)
3. Since you're sewing multiple layers together, they might not be moving all together - different types of material stretch differently, I guess. Whenever I have to sew more than two layers together, I just use way more pins than necessary and that seems to solve the problem. XD

Does the stitching look weird even when you crank the machine manually? (When you spin the knob thing on the side; I don't know ANY proper terminology. Hell, I don't even know if today's sewing machines still have manual knobs. They should, right? Mine is something like 35 years old, so I might just be old-fashioned.)

[chasingtides.livejournal.com]

The stitching looks more even when I do it manually, so I will do that and fix my threading error and I think I should be a-okay for a basic blanket.

[smallcaps.livejournal.com]

You already has answers, so I will just say that this post makes me want to sew something. I'm not sure what! I have some fabric I was gonna make a coat out of so maybe I should get around to picking up some lining and a pattern. \o/