So I started sewing my silnylon tarp....

**IRONFISH45** · 09-11-2014, 16:17

GEE, DON'T RIP ANYTHING! Gently open the seam and pull the threads loose, being very careful not to cut the fabric. Ripping out seams opens the needle punctures wider and can cause the area to weaken.

What I have found to work is:
1) Work slowly as members show in their videos.
2) Check your fabric often, if stitching is tricky check ever few inches, not feet. Put the needle in the down position and do a visual on the area, be sure nothing is folded or scrunched. Check for odd looking stitches, or loose thread.
3) Do not inject thread when you are tired, angry, annoyed or distracted.
4) Be aware a lot of goofs happen at the end of a long seam.
5) With silnylon I learned to clean my feed dogs, needle and plate with alcohol both when I start injecting thread and when I finish. I found that helped a lot of the stitch problems.

Stitches too close together will weaken the seam, it will rip easier.

With the Argon, I found it very easy to repair my injecting errors. Twice I had a fold where I was injecting, I did not have the Argon smooth enough, trying to work with one hand in a sling is not efficient nor conductive to not making errors. LOL

**yenemy** · 09-11-2014, 17:37

Originally Posted by IRONFISH45

GEE, DON'T RIP ANYTHING! Gently open the seam and pull the threads loose, being very careful not to cut the fabric. Ripping out seams opens the needle punctures wider and can cause the area to weaken.

What I have found to work is:
1) Work slowly as members show in their videos.
2) Check your fabric often, if stitching is tricky check ever few inches, not feet. Put the needle in the down position and do a visual on the area, be sure nothing is folded or scrunched. Check for odd looking stitches, or loose thread.
3) Do not inject thread when you are tired, angry, annoyed or distracted.
4) Be aware a lot of goofs happen at the end of a long seam.
5) With silnylon I learned to clean my feed dogs, needle and plate with alcohol both when I start injecting thread and when I finish. I found that helped a lot of the stitch problems.

Stitches too close together will weaken the seam, it will rip easier.

With the Argon, I found it very easy to repair my injecting errors. Twice I had a fold where I was injecting, I did not have the Argon smooth enough, trying to work with one hand in a sling is not efficient nor conductive to not making errors. LOL

Thanks for the advice ironfish! What stitch length do you use? I am concerned about weakening the cloth, as my stitches look awfully close together.

**IRONFISH45** · 09-11-2014, 17:58

I just use a middle length, which is not helping you decide which length to use, I know a stitch per inch suggestion is posted someplace, I will look for it real quick. I have a clear space between stitches, they are not right next to each other, but they are not as far apart as a basting stitch. I can see each stitch clearly. I will look or find a ruler and give a suggestion.

Close stitches are good for some fabric and applications, but not tarps and the type of nylon we are working on.

**yenemy** · 09-11-2014, 18:05

Ironfish: thanks. One stitch per inch seems incredibly long compared to what I have... I estimate my stitches are one every couple millimeters or so. I do have a tarptent... maybe I should have compared against those stitches as well.

Dang, maybe I'll just have to recut. I'll lose an inch or so off the raw width, but I was giving myself several inches allowance on either side anyway.

**IRONFISH45** · 09-11-2014, 18:45

I don't think I said one stitch per inch, if I typed that it was a huge typo.

TRY 7 TO 10 STITCHES per inch see what that looks like. Use a scrap piece of your fabric. Also check your thread tension, if you make adjustments, just do tiny adjustments, easier that way.

Fabric is the strength, thread is the hold together. If the strength is punctured too often it becomes weak, because the fibres can not do their job.

My first silnylon tarp has a reinforcing strip down the center of it, just like a heavy duty jacket does. I had a terrible time with the top and bottom fabric not moving together, I had to take out the entire ridge and restitch it, twice no less. I ended up stitching from both ends and both sides of the fabric. Never again, major production, now I figured out a better system that works for me.

**Beckyinma** · 09-11-2014, 18:45

I use 8/ inch on just about everything outdoor related

**yenemy** · 09-11-2014, 19:36

Thanks again folks. I will measure and possibly recut/restitch when I get home.

**yenemy** · 09-12-2014, 01:29

Okay, so I measured the stitches and they are 12.5 stitches per inch. The next longer setting is 6 stitches per inch. Other settings on my machine are zigzags and buttonholes... No other straight stitches. I tested the current stitch length (12.5/in) on a piece of scrap, and it seems to hold okay. I sewed a few inches without locking it, then pulled the seam out pretty roughly, leaving the needle holes. Then I pulled the fabric apart as much as I could at the seam and couldn't get it to rip.

Looking at the seam I've already sewn though, it is going to be a real pain to try to cut the stitch, so I'm going to have to sleep on it to see if I will recut the fabric and start from scratch, or let it just be a little wrinkled and maybe give this one away to a friend/relative when I've made something better.

Thanks all!

**Bubba** · 09-12-2014, 06:23

Surprising there isn't anything in between 6 and 12.5. I use 10 stitches per inch so 12.5 would be better that 6. 6 is a basting stitch. a good sharp stitch puller used with a little patience isn't as much of a pain as you would think. How much seam do you need to undo?

**yenemy** · 09-12-2014, 12:43

Originally Posted by Bubba

Surprising there isn't anything in between 6 and 12.5. I use 10 stitches per inch so 12.5 would be better that 6. 6 is a basting stitch. a good sharp stitch puller used with a little patience isn't as much of a pain as you would think. How much seam do you need to undo?

About 2 or 3 feet... it's kind of daunting. The seam cutter/puller/ripper thing I have has a broken tip too, so it would be easy to push through the sil by accident. I'm going to dig around and see if I can find another one; if not, I figure I need a new one anyway, so I'm going to get a new one this wekeend and will try to pull the seam. Like you guys said, if it's worth doing, then it's worth doing right