Hey folks.
I have amassed the needed materials to sew a Fronkey Bugnet, but before I begin, I have a question. I have seen where some people have reported having problems sewing the mosquito netting due to the open weave and trouble getting pins to hold the material together, and then there are some people who seem to have no trouble whatsoever.
Is there a trick to sewing the netting? How many stitches per inch would you recommend?
Thanks from MS.
SE
I've not had problems sewing any kind of netting. It's a matter of learning how to mange the fabric. That means practicing on scraps. Normal stitch length has always worked for me. But the tension has to be very carefully balanced. Otherwise you'll pucker the material. Again... practice on scraps.
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
I have learned I must turn the tension way down, shorten the stitch length some and use a thinner needle on some netting to prevent puckering. Definitely take a couple of pieces of scrap and practice until you get nice, flat stitches. I have found netting stays together pretty well without pinning.
Just me being me
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Use binder clips instead of pins to hold it together.
"As a well spent day brings happy sleep, a well spent life brings happy death." -Da Vinci
im glad you asked this because i have to gather 1 more thing to start my bugnet as well. good ideas everybody. let me know what works for you!
Generally I bind the ends between a piece of folded ripstop. I just don't trust seeing the mesh with no back up. Plus it gives it a nice finished look.
I've been surprised at how well the no see 'um netting sews together. I definitely needed lower tension than I was used to. The ends--starting and stopping--were the biggest challenge. I ended up starting an inch away from the edge and reversing to get the beginning edge sewn. I found the texture of netting-on-netting kind of "sticky" so I didn't need to pin it. I was sure to make nicely cut edges and followed those, taking my time.
How sticky or slick the netting is depends on what type of netting you're using. Noseeum is moderately slick, some of the drapery sheers that are used might be quite slippery and the netting that you find in places like Joannes you might have trouble with the cut edges tangling with other pieces because it's not a fine net at all and quite rough surfaced.Originally Posted by SouthernExposure
Again, difficulty pinning will depend more on the type of netting used than anything else, those little binder clips come in real handy for jobs like this.
IIWM, I'd use a setting that will get you about 8 stitches to the inch. Any fewer and you're really just basting it together (not turkey basting, it's a sewing term...). Any higher and you're going to have trouble with most netting trying to pucker on you.
Practice and play on some scraps until you get a feel for the fabric.
Rolled hem works nicely to finish the edge. No need for binding unless you like the look. Even then a rolled hem will help keep the binding from pulling the net apart. I've had it happen.
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
I appreciate all of the guidelines that everyone offered about sewing the netting. It took a while to get the sewing machine adjusted just right, but I finally got it dialed in and wound up having no real problems with the material. I also found that it held pins pretty well so that I was able to maintain a decent hem consistency.
Also, on a related note, I found that by cutting the first side of the Fronkey design with the tapered ends, then flipping it over and using that one as a pattern for cutting the second side, I was able to get a larger piece of scrap left over which is destined to become a ridgeline organizer tomorrow.
Thanks so much for the help.
SE
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