How do you sew a drawstring channel on a curve?

[stevebo]

I'm working on a new project, and would like to make a cat cut, with a built in drawstring channel. Is it possible to make a drawstring channel on a curved /cat cut piece of fabric?

[turnerminator]

I have done it, I made a couple of ponchos and bivi bags with curved channels.

I needed to slit the fabric inside the hem at intervals, so the fabric curved without bunching. It didn't come out perfect but thats down to my lack of skills more than anything.

[MAD777]

Sure. The trick is to fold small segments of the hem, making sure that segment is being folded perpendicular to the edge of the fabric in that segment. As you go around the curve, that perpendicular is an ever-changing angle.

The edge of the fabric in a cat cut is shorter than the length of the curve you are going to sew. Therefore the fabric at the sea line is going to be very slightly bunched up whereas the edge that's folded over is going to be stretched tight. The difference in length of the seen line and the length of the cut edge is very small nut is is enough to make your hem a twisted looking mess. Then you will have difficulty getting the cord in the channel.

[Merganser]

I would be concerned about structural integrity slitting fabric on a bridge. I did it one fold at a time and lots of pins. It was harder that rolling around webbing and in the end I found the webbing more comfortable on the back of the legs.

[AaronAlso]

I have done this on a much smaller arc. Around the bottom pannel of a SB to be honest. It was kind of a rounded rectangle shape. It was like my second or third gear mod and as is common for me I consulted the great sewing guru, Grandma!

She said, "Those curves are nothing more than longer straight lines. Just go slow keep your material taught and lined up with your guides and everything will be fine."

I followed her advice and it turned out rather well, I thought so anyway.

[Ramblinrev]

One trick for sewing curves is to shorten the stitch length. The shorter the stitch length the shorter the arc of the curve sewn at any one time. As far as folding over, the small the folded fabric the less buckling you will get and the more easily you can ease the fabric around the curve.

Snipping the fabric is only needed when you are folding a convex curve. For a concave curve like a cat cut you should be able to simply fold the fabric like pleats and ease around the curve. Well, it sounds easier than it is. You can run a hand basting stitch along the allowance of the fabric and bunch it up to stabilize it while you pin and sew it. It's a pain, but it can be done.

[pb&j]

You can run a hand basting stitch along the allowance of the fabric and bunch it up to stabilize it while you pin and sew it. It's a pain, but it can be done.

+1 Basting stitch works well, as long as you have a TON of patience. It is a PITA.

[gargoyle]

You can fold over some grosgrain or twill tape and make a nice channel. Skip the "hem" channel, unless it is neccessary for function somewhere in your design?

I've done really tight radius hems, so they can be done. Go slow, keep the stitch length short and SLOWLY work your way around the curve. If your machine has a speed adjust set it slow, or spin the wheel by hand for really slow-mo control.