Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 28

Thread: Cat cuts

  1. #11
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by Youngblood View Post
    If you look in some of the sewing books you will see they cut darts around neck lines to relieve the buckling(?) that naturally wants to occur. I wouldn't do that on these curved edges on tarps but you have to deal with it a little differently than when you hem straight edges.
    Another technique the sewing books offer is to trim the seam allowances very close which makes it easier to "ease" the fabric around a curve. This is often done on arm holes, collar seams and the like. The smaller the seam allowance the less fabric there is to bunch and wrinkle.
    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

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Doraville, GA
    Posts
    946
    Images
    23
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    Another technique the sewing books offer is to trim the seam allowances very close which makes it easier to "ease" the fabric around a curve. This is often done on arm holes, collar seams and the like. The smaller the seam allowance the less fabric there is to bunch and wrinkle.
    Yep. My problem with sewing smaller hems is that I don't have a straight stitch machine, it is 7 mm zig zag. I have a straight stitch presser foot but that doesn't solve my issues with the location of the feed dogs and the opening on the face plate. If I try to sew this light weight slippery fabric too close to the edge, bad things happen... the needle tends to pull the fabric into the machine. But I only sew proto types, so I just cuss and fuss and do the best I can.
    Youngblood AT2000

  3. #13
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by Youngblood View Post
    Yep. My problem with sewing smaller hems is that I don't have a straight stitch machine, it is 7 mm zig zag. I have a straight stitch presser foot but that doesn't solve my issues with the location of the feed dogs and the opening on the face plate. If I try to sew this light weight slippery fabric too close to the edge, bad things happen... the needle tends to pull the fabric into the machine. But I only sew proto types, so I just cuss and fuss and do the best I can.
    That's why the technique is shown as using the normal seam allowance and them trimming the seam. It is a pain to do on production which is why many manufactures use serging or marrow machines. Plus, they have fancy schmancy binding attaching machines and special heat sealing cutters. Frequently on mass commercial items, the seam binding is put right over a raw edge, specially in the really cheap lines of goods. The binding is put on as the seam itself is sewn.
    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

  4. #14
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Doraville, GA
    Posts
    946
    Images
    23
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    That's why the technique is shown as using the normal seam allowance and them trimming the seam. It is a pain to do on production which is why many manufactures use serging or marrow machines. Plus, they have fancy schmancy binding attaching machines and special heat sealing cutters. Frequently on mass commercial items, the seam binding is put right over a raw edge, specially in the really cheap lines of goods. The binding is put on as the seam itself is sewn.
    I did one tarp years ago with catenary ridgeline and edges where I just hot cut everything and used only folded hems, not rolled hems. I hot cut the catenary ridgeline with the panels laying on top of each other such that the edges melted together. It worked fine and was much easier to sew but my hot cutting technique was too much work. With DIY projects and low volume projects, when you weigh your options the best choices sometimes play out a little differently than with higher volume or more sophisticated operations. There is nothing wrong with hot cutting and using folded hems rather than rolled hems in many applications.
    Youngblood AT2000

  5. #15
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    If I was interpreted to disparage one technique over another I mis-spoke. Sorry for any confusion. You are correct. There is nothing wrong with any technique that works as long as it is successful in the application.
    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

  6. #16
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Doraville, GA
    Posts
    946
    Images
    23
    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    If I was interpreted to disparage one technique over another I mis-spoke. Sorry for any confusion. You are correct. There is nothing wrong with any technique that works as long as it is successful in the application.
    I was implying that at all, sorry if I came off that way. I was interested in your information and trust the conversation is of interest to the DIY folks on the forum.

    I believe I tried the hot cut, folded hem approach after wrestling with trying rolled hems on curves after I read some info on sewing techniques that I found on Stephenson's Warmlite site. I have had one their tents for a few years and have always admired the design, construction of it, and how well it does what it is suppose to do.

    But back to the curved surfaces and rolled hems for a minute. The basic problem is the geometry, it just doesn't want to fit when you do a rolled hem. The bigger the hem and the deeper the curve, the more it doesn't want to fit. You can force it to happen but it likely will not look as neat as the rolled hems you see on straight edges.
    Youngblood AT2000

  7. #17
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    Quote Originally Posted by Youngblood View Post
    But back to the curved surfaces and rolled hems for a minute. The basic problem is the geometry, it just doesn't want to fit when you do a rolled hem. The bigger the hem and the deeper the curve, the more it doesn't want to fit. You can force it to happen but it likely will not look as neat as the rolled hems you see on straight edges.
    That's why _I_ don't like to use grosgrain on tarps edges, particularly cat cuts. The geometry of grosgrain and I don't get along at all well. It loves straight lines. Seam binding or bias tape is made to take those curves with greater grace. I roll my hems simply because I use what I have on hand which often does not match the base fabric. So I roll twill tape into the hem to provide the strength and stabilize the curve. For _me_ that works better. If I had the machine that would stitch the seam and apply the binding all with only one pass through the machine I would use it and love it. But.... I would have a hard time trying to justify such an investment to my wife for the sheer purpose of "making gear."
    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

  8. #18
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    fort collins, co
    Posts
    4,648
    Images
    47
    have you done tarp edges with a rolled hem without the twill tape inside? how does it differ?

  9. #19
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Milton, PA
    Hammock
    Hennessey Explorer Ultralight
    Tarp
    Hennessey Hex
    Insulation
    HH Super Shelter
    Suspension
    ring buckle
    Posts
    7,945
    Images
    101
    no I haven't. I like having the stiffness... such as it is... to help guide the next roll. I have a whole industrial spool of 3/8" white twill tape so I am not about to run out of it in a hurry.
    The tape gives me a guide to work with while easing the fabric. Otherwise I just end up with a horrible mushy mess. But that's me. YMMV
    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. #20
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    fort collins, co
    Posts
    4,648
    Images
    47
    i've done that with ggr, it does make it easier to roll. it probably makes the rolled edge look better too. that's one reason i use the edge trim you, don't have to roll it.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Any pointers on Cat Cuts?
      By hk2001 in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 05-31-2014, 20:05
    2. Cat cuts?
      By Vincethebutcher in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 4
      Last Post: 09-21-2013, 00:24
    3. Cat cuts
      By Jburke1 in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 13
      Last Post: 08-27-2012, 10:27
    4. caternary cuts - How to???
      By FontanaHorseman in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 13
      Last Post: 01-22-2011, 09:05

    Tags for this Thread

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •