Stitch length for Argon quilt?

WV · 01-11-2014, 10:46

I'm starting an Argon UQ, and I just did a test seam on some scraps. The fabric has a slight tendency to gather (bunch up) with my machine, but both pieces are feeding evenly. A second test seam with a shorter stitch length shows less signs of gathering. Neither setting is unworkable IMO, but I wonder what the best stitch length setting would be from the point of view of keeping the down from escaping, but also not weakening the fabric with needle holes too close together. I'm using a Singer 15-91 machine (without a walking foot, though I have one I could use with it). The test was done with the Gutermann Tera thread that was already on it. I will probably switch to Mara thread and test again, but I'm looking for a suggested stitch length to try. My machine doesn't have a gauge to indicate stitch length, so I need to test and measure. My long stitch test looks like about 9 stitches per inch, and the short test might be 25 (hard to see).

I'm taking the trouble to fine tune this because I'm excited about this fabric's possibilities, but wary of potential problems. It's so light it doesn't seem to obey the laws of physics, but in fact it floats around precisely because it does. So far, it has been a dream to work with - probably the easiest fabric to cut with a soldering iron.

**dangerous** · 01-11-2014, 11:26

I've made several synthetic quilts with argon and use a stitch length of around 8 per inch. I'd say if your machine it's causing it to bunch you can tighten up your stitches a little bit but I wouldn't go any where near 25 per inch. a different foot might help as well as practicing holding the right amount of tension on the fabric while feeding it into your machine

**gmcttr** · 01-11-2014, 17:47

I agree with something closer to 8-10 stitches per inch. The Tera is way too heavy of a thread and it is probably causing a higher lower thread tension requiring you to use a higher upper thread tension which could be the cause of the bunching.

With Argon (and I have very little experience with it), I would pass on the Mara 70 also and use Gutermann Sew All. Maybe use the Mara 70 if I was incorporating grosgrain.

**KenDen** · 01-11-2014, 20:12

I have not used the argon but I made a quilt with the T-Goat SevenD. My machine has a dial and I started with stitches in the 10-12/inch range but the machine go wonkers on me and the stitch length would get real short. It will lose a feather every once an a while at a seam.

I have a quilt from Hammock Gear using the Argon and I see stitches from very close (I cant see them well enough to count) to maybe 1/8inch long).
I have samples of the Argon and it is very similar to the SevenD. I am pretty amazed with these materials. They are tough so I would not worry too much about the material strength. I would really like to see pictures when you are done. Not to get off topic are you going to use the new treated down?

**FLRider** · 01-12-2014, 09:42

With Argon (and the other <30d nylons), it may be worth going to a smaller needle (which will necessitate a move to a lighter thread). I found that a 70/10 sharp worked better than larger sizes (I'd been using a denim needle in 90/14 for work with heavier CORDURA fabrics and webbing and, found it quite adequate when working with 30d) when I was working with NoBul1 last year.

Closer stitches help, for certain, as well. As far as I know, the NoBul1 quilt I made is going strong with a 3mm stitch length after a year of use (at least, the guy I work with who bought it off of me hasn't said anything about any problems with it). Of course, that was a synthetic quilt rather than down, so leakage might be a problem with down and more stitch holes. Still and all, I can't see it being too much of a problem; even if you double the number of stitch holes, that would mean double the loss of a down cluster every what? Two packings? One packing? Out of how many down clusters?

Anyway, that's been my experience so far. Not quite up to the experience of the real manufacturers here, but it's worked okay for me.

**Boston** · 01-13-2014, 15:38

+1 on what other's are saying, and I'll also push for the presser foot info. I started trying to use a roller foot on Argon and got bunching. When I switched to a normal zig-zag foot all was well.

Also, be sure your thread tension is correct.