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  1. #1
    Senior Member Snowball's Avatar
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    Stapler and fabric (DIY trick)

    If you are like me and hate pins you can use a stapler.
    Compared to pins it has its limitations so don’t use it on the fabric you want to use! The clips is not sharp as pins are so treads will be cut.
    I use it for the raw edge.
    Just another alternative.
    Clips.jpg

  2. #2
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    I strongly recommend you stop using staples immediately. I know it sounds like a good idea but it has the potential to be extremely dangerous. I guess you are fine if you are sure to keep the staples away from the needle path. But in the event you hit a staple with the needle you risk having shards of broken needle flying toward your face. People tend to sew right over pins thinking it is easier than pulling them out as the approach the presser foot. Again it is a highly dangerous practice. A piece of needle in your eye is nothing to sneeze at. And it can and does happen. I recommend always using something you can remove before the fabric moves into stitching position. It cuts way down on the risk of injury.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
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  3. #3
    Senior Member Snowball's Avatar
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    You got a point safety is important.

    In hindsight I should have been more specific.

    I use the staples on the fabric I DON’T use when I am cutting so it never gets in contact with the sewing machine. The picture show the raw edge I cut away and its ready for the bin. Nothing to remove just bye bye staples and all.

    I doubt staples can pass under the pressure foot without causing problems and if they can they will cause extra wear on the metal parts so it’s not recommendable.

    Pins you don’t remove and sew across will also cause unwanted wear on the teeth on the feeder if you don’t remove them especially when used on thin fabrics like Ripstop nylon. Most pins are > 3x thicker than the nylon fabric so ………

  4. #4
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowball View Post
    You got a point safety is important.

    In hindsight I should have been more specific.

    I use the staples on the fabric I DON’T use when I am cutting so it never gets in contact with the sewing machine. The picture show the raw edge I cut away and its ready for the bin. Nothing to remove just bye bye staples and all.

    I doubt staples can pass under the pressure foot without causing problems and if they can they will cause extra wear on the metal parts so it’s not recommendable.

    Pins you don’t remove and sew across will also cause unwanted wear on the teeth on the feeder if you don’t remove them especially when used on thin fabrics like Ripstop nylon. Most pins are > 3x thicker than the nylon fabric so ………

    Gotcha... that makes a world of difference. I withdraw my concern. I think I would find it cumbersome but that falls under the opening "If you're like me". I guess I'm not.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

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  5. #5
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    Turn the stapler foot around so the arms fold out instead of in. Instead of stapling, its called pinning. Still easy to remove too.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Snowball's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigHat View Post
    Turn the stapler foot around so the arms fold out instead of in. Instead of stapling, its called pinning. Still easy to remove too.
    I know you can rotate the stapler foot around on some staplers but mine is fixed.
    I would not use this method on any visible fabric surfaces because staples are not pointy and WILL cut threads in the fabric unlike a pin that spreads the threads in the fabric. Something to have in mind.

  7. #7
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    I've used a regular desk stapler opened up to staple fabric to the floor (don't use on nice flooring!!) for layout purposes. Always staple on the waste area, as above. Worked pretty good to keep the fabric taught.

  8. #8
    Senior Member litetrek's Avatar
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    Another pin alternative

    Quote Originally Posted by Snowball View Post
    If you are like me and hate pins you can use a stapler.
    Compared to pins it has its limitations so don’t use it on the fabric you want to use! The clips is not sharp as pins are so treads will be cut.
    I use it for the raw edge.
    Just another alternative.
    Clips.jpg
    I used a kids washable glue stick when making my DIY 11' hammock. The smaller diameter sticks are just about the width of the seam you want to make and they are sticky enough to adhere almost right away. I was patient and glued one seam at a time over a period of two days. Each long seam took about 45 minutes.

    I set up a long table (I used an old hollow core door) with double sided carpet tape down one edge. Let what you want to fold over for the seam hang over the edge of table (1/2" or so) and use the tape to hold the other side taught and wrinkle free. Lay down a strip of glue on the fabric and then fold your 1/2" (or whatever) over on top of it and press it down and squeeze out any excess glue. Depending on the length of your table you may have to repeat this a couple of times. I was able to do about 6.5 feet at a time using the door. The double sided carpet tape will last many iterations.

    When the glue dries run all of your seams through the sewing machine in minutes. Then soak the whole thing in some hot soapy water to remove the glue. It works great .... I hate dealing with pins. A professional with a sewing machine would laugh at this, though .... don't care cause I'm no professional.

    Buy your glue at the dollar store because If I remember it took me about 4 sticks and that's the number that came in the generic cheapy pack. The glue only has to hold for a day or so and you want to wash it out at the end so it doesn't have to be quality stuff.

    I did this trick on 1.9 ripstop nylon. i think it might make sewing silnylon significantly easier because it sort of stiffens up the seam until you wash out the glue.
    Last edited by litetrek; 02-09-2015 at 20:38.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Glue which is not intended specifically for sewing can damage your machine. Even when it is dry you can transfer the goo to the innards. I recommend not using adhesives at all for this reason. It seems there are some new products intended for sewing machines which do not do this but I would lay dollars to donuts they are not sold in the dollar stores. If you decide to do this anyway clean your needle every chance you get and be very careful. Self-adhesive carpet tape I wouldn't even consider.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

    "Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
    Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn

    We Don't Sew... We Make Gear! video series

    Important thread injector guidelines especially for Newbies

    Bobbin Tension - A Personal Viewpoint

  10. #10
    Senior Member litetrek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    Glue which is not intended specifically for sewing can damage your machine. Even when it is dry you can transfer the goo to the innards. I recommend not using adhesives at all for this reason. It seems there are some new products intended for sewing machines which do not do this but I would lay dollars to donuts they are not sold in the dollar stores. If you decide to do this anyway clean your needle every chance you get and be very careful. Self-adhesive carpet tape I wouldn't even consider.
    The carpet tape does not end up in the seam. It is a temporary fixture to hold the fabric down and none of the adhesive comes off onto the fabric when you pull the fabric off. So the needle never sees the carpet tape.

    I let the glue dry for a full week. There was no adhesive transfer to the needle. I doubt, if done correctly, my suggested technique causes any damage to the sewing machine. If you worked in a production shop and did this all the time I could see it as an issue, but then this technique is too slow for someone who sews for a living. Its a suggestion for someone who will do it once in a while.

    Done incorrectly by sewing with with wet glue, you make a good point.

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