Sewing with Oilcloth Tip: Sticking Together

You've probably noticed that oilcloth and laminated cotton are pretty sticky but that's not always a bad thing. Use the stick to your advantage.  When you cut two pieces from the same pattern piece place the right sides of the fabric together and the two pieces of oilcloth will naturally stick together.

This is really handy when your using a rotary cutter, mat and ruler to cut out a project. You'll need to do a lot less pinning!

Here are some tips to get you through that sticky business while sewing.

Sewing with Oilcloth Tips: Tracing Patterns

Ever wonder how to mark your pattern pieces onto oilcloth? The regular methods such as pinning and spiky tracing wheels just won't do, they would leave your project full of holes before you even started your project. Never fear, here are two methods that work well.

For this first method, just raid your sewing supplies and pull out a point turner and tracing paper. The sharp edge of the point turner is great for making small details. See how I made an X to mark the snap placement on my Sewing with Oilcloth Garden Apron pattern?

The second method is great for stitch lines and darts, just use a flat or smooth edged tracing wheel and your tracing paper. This handy tool can be found in the notions section at any large fabric shop. I think it's better to use this method if your using tissue paper patterns, I worry that the point turner would rip your pattern.

When it comes to buying tracing paper, might I suggest that you don't buy the double-sided paper. Oops! Luckily the markings came off of my oilcloth with a little rubbing.

Oilcloth: Orange Mums!!

Oilcloth Sewing Tips #7: Stitch Length

When sewing with oilcloth I find it very helpful to use a longer stitch length, this helps because the oilcloth has a tendency to get sticky under the pressure foot.  Normally, a stitch length of 2 is best, but for oilcloth you will want to up your setting to a 3-4 stitch length. When you combine this trick with the use of a speciality presser foot or tricked out presser foot you should have great success creating a fun oilcloth project!  Happy sewing!!!

OCA Sewing Tip #6: Presser Foot Trick

Back in October of 2008 I had this to say about using a proper pressure foot:

When sewing with oilcloth it is important to have the right presser foot. Oilcloth has tendency to crawl and to not want to stay put, this results in puckers at every pin. Using a roller foot or a teflon foot will help remedy this. When you use one of these handy presser feet you take some of the friction away and have less puckers in your seams.

These pressure feet can be costly, and I could see why someone might be worried about the cost if this was their first oilcloth project. So, the other day I was thrilled to get the following tip from another Oilcloth Addict!

One of our readers had recently read on a sewing forum that you could use painters tape on the bottom of a regular pressure foot. This really works! I don't have a proper foot for my industrial, so there are just some projects I can't do on that machine, for example, topstitching.

I didn't have any painters tape, so I used plain old masking tape! Place the tape on bottom of your favorite pressure foot and then just cut it away using a sharp exacto knife. Now your good to go.

Thanks so much for that no cost solution! If you have a good tip, please contact me at Kelly@modernjune.com.

BTW, I am still working on this weeks tutorial, I made something really fun but when I was done with it I came up with a better way to do it! So back to the back yard drawing board!!! Intrigued yet?