sewing bug netting

[GREEN THERAPY]

Does anyone have any tips for sewing bug netting so that it doesn't stretch while sewing it.... Its my last fontier in hammock making and any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[nobanjo15]

I've been told it is possibe to put the noweeum netting between two pieces of paper and then carried on sewing. You can then tear away the paper leaving the netting nicely seamed.

[headchange4u]

I was paranoid the first time I sewed NoSeeUm because I had heard that it was difficult to sew. Nothing can be further from the truth. I find it as easy to work with as fabric.

To help with the stretching, you could pin it while you sew. I also find that if you don't keep tension on the netting as it feeds through the sewing machine, stretching really isn't a problem. Just let the machine feed the netting through at it's own pace.

Different types of netting my stretch more than others. I remember Hammock Engineer said that the Nano NoSeeUm he used in making his quilts, that he got from Thru-hiker.com, was more prone to stretching. That's where pinning the netting to the fabric would come in handy.

[Hack]

I'm thinking of making a bug screen for my ENO double hammock. Unfortunately, the shops near to home charge about $11 per yard for the full width stuff. Instead of buying a piece and then cutting it into one long strip as per Speer instructions and having so much left over, I wondered whether I could run seams across the bug net so that I could only by half the material? I have sewed flat-felled seams with fabric, but wonder about the viability of doing it with no-see-um?

Anyone used the Speer-type velcro system for a bug net for their ENO?

Mark.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I'm thinking of making a bug screen for my ENO double hammock. Unfortunately, the shops near to home charge about $11 per yard for the full width stuff. Instead of buying a piece and then cutting it into one long strip as per Speer instructions and having so much left over, I wondered whether I could run seams across the bug net so that I could only by half the material? I have sewed flat-felled seams with fabric, but wonder about the viability of doing it with no-see-um?


sure, you can do that. I've sewn no-seeum to itself. I'd guess a flat-felled seam would be straightforward.


Grizz

[Schneiderlein]

I'm thinking of making a bug screen for my ENO double hammock. Unfortunately, the shops near to home charge about $11 per yard for the full width stuff. Instead of buying a piece and then cutting it into one long strip as per Speer instructions and having so much left over, I wondered whether I could run seams across the bug net so that I could only by half the material? I have sewed flat-felled seams with fabric, but wonder about the viability of doing it with no-see-um?

I have to strongly second what hc4u wrote:


I was paranoid the first time I sewed NoSeeUm because I had heard that it was difficult to sew. Nothing can be further from the truth. I find it as easy to work with as fabric.


I actually find noseeum easier to sew than many other fabrics I have worked with. Disclaimer: I have always used a walking foot or more recently, the integrated dual-feed system on the Pfaff, and I think it helps to minimize stretching.

[Ramblinrev]

not all machines have walking foot attachments available. If you know you are doing a lot of silnylon or bugnet sewing then it would be worth checking into the availability before purchasing a machine. If a walking foot is not available a roller foot might serve to an extent.

It's not soo much that the walking foot reduces stretching as it helps prevent the layers of fabric from moving at different speeds. This frequently happens when using very light slippery fabrics. BTW, I have seen and heard of people who have taken a thin piece of paper and added it between the two layers of fabric This provides more friction between the layers and hence more equal movement through the machine. This is only really needed on the first stitch pass. On subsequent passes the fabic is already stitched together and so moves through together. The paper does not seriously impair the stitch as the first pass is not the pass that provides the strength for the seam. The paper rips apart like perforated paper and leaves little if no residue in the seam.

[Coffee]

Yeah, it's not hard and really forgiving. Nanoseeum from thru-hiker stretches a lot, regular noseeum doesn't that much.

[Splinter]

Does anyone have any secrets to keeping the bugnetting out of the bobbin area? I can put approx. 5 or so stitches and then the bugnetting is stuck. I have tried different thread and losened the tension (major no-no) slightly. Any ideas? Please...

Here is the stuff that I am trying to work with.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86662

[Ramblinrev]

Depend on how technical you are and what features your machine has. Assuming you have a zig-zag machine, if you have interchangeable throat plates you can try using the straight stitch throat plate. That has a smaller opening and should present less of a problem. You could try using a sharper needle so there is less pressure and more peircing from the needle. You could take some masking tape and put it along the seams so you sew through the masking tape. (That is create problems from the sticky on the masking tape. Not the best recommendation. You could place a piece of paper across the throat plate and tape it out of the way of the needle. (no sticky on the needle) You can place one hand in front of the machine and one behind to hold a constant tension on the fabric as you "pull" it through. Or some combination of all that plus what ever someone else comes up with.

[te-wa]

to be fair, I found Nano-seeum stretches in ONE direction. If you can use the fabric in a direction that doesnt stretch, (along the length, it will stretch along the width) you will be fine. Mesh is always the most time consuming aspect. Sewing it to silnylon is frustrating, at least you wont be doing that

[GrizzlyAdams]

Does anyone have any secrets to keeping the bugnetting out of the bobbin area? I can put approx. 5 or so stitches and then the bugnetting is stuck. I have tried different thread and losened the tension (major no-no) slightly. Any ideas? Please...

Here is the stuff that I am trying to work with.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86662

when researching how to sew tulle (which is even worse than noseeum) I read a suggestion I have not tried but which makes sense....sew the netting on top of a sheet of tissue paper. It will have to be sturdy enough not to get torn up, but evidently you can then just rip it off.

might want to try tissue paper that is more or less the same color as the netting...

(looks at link) oh yeah, I have some of that netting. I can see your problem..

Grizz

[Splinter]

That makes sense. I have some tissue paper, and I was also going to try paper as well. Dumb question... should the paper be in between the hem, or under? I'm not sure if that question makes sense. Oh well...I'll try again.

[GrizzlyAdams]

That makes sense. I have some tissue paper, and I was also going to try paper as well. Dumb question... should the paper be in between the hem, or under? I'm not sure if that question makes sense. Oh well...I'll try again.

definitely under. You want the feeder dogs grabbing the tissue, not the netting.

[Ramblinrev]

The paper should be under where the seam will be so that it gets sewn to the fabric. Then it can be pulled off. A straight stitch throat plate would be a more permanent solution with less hassle if you have one. Or could fashion one.


VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV - feed dogs
| |
---------------O------------- Paper strip Taped in front of and behind the feed dogs.
| |
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV - feed dogs

That way you don't need to feed the paper as well as the fabric. Just a short cut to the same end... keep the hole small enough to keep the fabric out.

[Splinter]

I tried with the paper, but I had to feed the paper and fabric. Then stop and tear off the paper (which I learned, the hard way, is best to tear in half like a perforated piece of paper :eek:) and start again.



The paper should be under where the seam will be so that it gets sewn to the fabric. Then it can be pulled off. A straight stitch throat plate would be a more permanent solution with less hassle if you have one. Or could fashion one.


VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV - feed dogs
| |
---------------O------------- Paper strip Taped in front of and behind the feed dogs.
| |
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV - feed dogs

That way you don't need to feed the paper as well as the fabric. Just a short cut to the same end... keep the hole small enough to keep the fabric out.

No offense ramblinrev... I just learned what a bobbin was two weeks ago.:o are you meaning tape the paper on top of the feed dogs? Will the fabric feed or do I need to help walk it through? Also the hole in the paper, I'm going to let the needle put the hole in the paper. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks for the help!:D

[Ramblinrev]

the strip of paper goes between the feed dogs
it is taped in front of and behind to keep it in place
it should be maybe a couple of inches longer than the feed dogs so you have enough room for the tape
you allow the needle to put the hole in the paper

I think this is somewhat easier to manage than feeding the tissue _unless_ you have to zig-zag the seam. Then feed the paper as Grizz suggested.
Hope that solves the mystery....

[tight-wad]

Lots of pins.

With mesh or tulle the feed dogs move the bottom piece along, but the top piece doesn't always keep up, therefore the two pieces get out of sync. Pinning every few inches can keep this from happening.

After a lot of practice you can learn to apply pressure to the two pieces on the deck of the machine as the fabric is feeding to the needle and minimize slippage.

[Ramblinrev]

The problem seems to be punching throught the throat plate rather than slippage... although that is sure to follow when the punching problem is solved. That's the other problem with the tissue paper along the seam is it can lead to more slippage

[Splinter]

This could be interesting. I may wind up doing this the way Grizz said. There are four rows of feed dogs:

>> >> << <<
>> >> << <<
>> <<
o
>> <<
>> >> << <<
>> >> << <<

(motion is from bottom of screen towards top)

I'm going to try with the tape and see how it works. I've gotten enough done to hang on the hammock. It looks REALLLLY ugly, but I've got a three day hang tomorrow, and if push comes to shove, I have a top cover that does keep the gnates off. Thanks for your help. I'll keep tinkering with it until I get it or throw the machine to the side of the road and buy a speer hammock:D

[Ramblinrev]

well I'm off to hang for a few days.... happy sewing...

[Splinter]

Thanks for the help!