Spandex Sewing Tips
Spandex is a great fabric for garments that need to stretch with your body. It has been a favorite for dance costumes, gymnastics outfits, skating costumes, exercise wear, and swimwear since it was introduced in the 1950s. This fabric is easy to care for, but it requires a little finesse to sew.
Spandex stretches four ways. This gives it its practicality for active wear; however, it is also what makes it somewhat tricky to sew. Here are some tips to help you sew Spandex with ease:
1. Use a new needle. A standard sewing machine needle, size 11 or 14 can work well for Spandex. If your machine accepts them, you might also want to try a stretch needle, which is specially designed to prevent skipped stitches while sewing Spandex. Again use size 11 or 14.
2. Most machines have several stretch stitches. Before you begin sewing your Spandex garment, use a scrape of the Spandex to test out your stitches. Adjust the stitch length and tension, so that the stitches look right and the fabric does not pucker.
3. Puckering is a problem when sewing Spandex. Remember to keep the fabric slightly stretched as you guide it under the needle, but never pull it.
4. Spandex has a tendency to pull down into the feed dogs. You may want to change your machine’s needle plate to a straight stitch needle plate when sewing delicate fabrics such as Spandex. Straight stitch needle plates feature a small needle hole and are designed to prevent fabrics from pulling down into them. If you don’t have a straight stitch needle plate or your machine doesn’t accept them, placing small pieces of tape at the front and back of the needle hole in your machine’s plate to decrease its size can be helpful.
I have really never had luck sewing anything stretchy. It never looks right and I have been sewing a long time. I have a serger which I have never used and I wondered if it will work better than a regular machine. Also, what stitch do you recommend on a regular machine? There is one that looks like a zig zag but is composed of tiny straight stitches. You said to use the straight stitch plate and I can get the least little zig zag in that one. I want to take some t-shirts in on the sides and I usually wind up ruining them (at least I think I ruin them, the seams run, etc.).
Debra,
Thanks for reading the blog.
You shouldn’t need a straight stitch plate to take in some t-shirts. Straight stitch plates are useful for very delicate material that gets easily caught in the feed dogs. T-shirt knit is unlikely to do that. To take in seams you shouldn’t even have to use a special stitch as long as you don’t open up the original seam. I would use your machine’s straight stitch. If you have a scrape of knit material similar to the t-shirt material, use it to practice setting just the right stitch length and tension. Be sure to adjust your presser foot’s tension as well, if that is an option on your machine. Of course be sure begin and end your seams by either starting and ending in the previous stitching or by backstitching at the beginning and end of the seam. These tips should prevent your seams from running.
Remember to let the machine do the work; simply guide the fabric, but don’t tug it through the feed dogs. Doing so is a really common mistake that even people who have been sewing for years make.
Thanks. I appreciate your advice. Will be more careful about tugging.
Hello my name is adam and I’ve been doing pro wrestling for roughly 10 years. It’s very difficult to find someone who is reliable in making my gear so i have just decided to start doing it myself. If you have any personal advice on books or any personal experience in that form of making such items it would be appreciated. Our materials are spandex, nylon, and lycra based, and neoprene. Thank you for your time.
Hi Adam,
Thanks for your comments. Unfortunately there are no books that I can find on making wrestling or gymnastics wear. This pattern from Jalie http://www.jalie.com/men-s-and-boys-leotard-and-singlet-biketard-sewing-pattern.html may help. It should give detailed instructions. The Jalie site also has a video on the homepage on sewing spandex.
Elizabeth