sewing 1.1 sil vs ripstop

[eviscerate3]

Hello all, I have been working quite a bit with 1.9 riptop and have had great luck. I ordered some 1.1 sil to make a tarp and I cannot for the life of me get a good stitch. Does anyone have any tips or tricks? When I run it thru the machine the top and bottom don't stay even. I've tried pinning it with no luck. It just gets bunched up and the stitches just turn into a rats nest. Although I can't use 1.1 rip stop for a tarp I have some other projects in mind. Is it as hard to sew as the sil ? Thanks in advance!

[dangerous]

check the machine tension and make sure you didn't miss a point on thread routing (especially the one on the needle arm before you thread the needle). Other than that just try your best to use both hands to guide the fabric through the machine.

[VictoriaGuy]

EDIT: I think I mis-understood the 'top and bottom' idea! Sorry!
If the fabric is not feeding evenly (top and bottom layer), make sure your presser foot is clean and polished. Some folks even put a bit of wax or polish on the presser foot. A roller presser foot can help, also.
A dull needle (or a needle with a burr) can drive the lower fabric down through the needle hole in the plate and cause all kinds of problems. Make sure you are using a 'Sharp' needle like a Microtek, not a 'Ball Point' or 'Universal' needle.
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Original reply - probably off-topic.... ;-)
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What size needle are you using (and what thread)?

I'd been working with some 1.9 coated ripstop and when I started a new project with 30D silnylon (same thread)I found I wasn't getting enough tension (threads on the bottom were too loose- the upper thread wasn't pulling the stitches tight). After experimenting with changing the tension(s) to no avail, I switched to a larger needle (Schmetz Microtek 90/14) and the problem disappeared. I think the smaller needle wasn't punching a big enough hole, and the fabric was gripping the thread and not allowing the upper thread take-up (arm) to pull the stitch tight.

With very thin fabric, you won't get the 'knot' buried in the fabric, so the stitches on one side or the other will look a bit unusual (also the line of stitches will not look 'straight', but like a bunch of diagonals) - so don't worry about that. You do want the stitches to be tight without puckering the fabric, though, IMO.

When this happens to me, I grab my cotton scrap for checking stitches and make sure the machine is still working properly on that (easy) fabric. It can help to eliminate some possibilities.
If you post some pics of your problem stitching, it will help to get better advice.

[VictoriaGuy]

Although I can't use 1.1 rip stop for a tarp I have some other projects in mind. Is it as hard to sew as the sil ?

I may have bad news for you.

I find the coated fabrics easier to sew than uncoated, in the lighter weights, as they have more 'body'. Very light uncoated nylon is a challenge for me..

You should be able to get your sil tarp stitched up with a bit of work with your machine.
Just stop your sil project and work on scraps till things are 'right'..

[VictoriaGuy]

What sewing machine are you using?
Does it have adjustable pressure on the presser foot bar?

Also, are your feed dogs clean?

[IRONFISH45]

I may have bad news for you.

I find the coated fabrics easier to sew than uncoated, in the lighter weights, as they have more 'body'. Very light uncoated nylon is a challenge for me..

You should be able to get your sil tarp stitched up with a bit of work with your machine.
Just stop your sil project and work on scraps till things are 'right'..

I find the uncoated not too bad to work with, however I have been making clothing for many years, so I have sewn on a lot of very delicate fabric.

Silnylon, for the tarp I am making is driving me crazy. I have used three different thread injectors. A few days ago, I did a lot of injecting. My hands were slippery. Hmm, I grabbed some Alcohol and some gauze surgical squares, I cleaned my needle, I pulled out the thread I had used last injecting session, the races, everything that touched the Silnylon. Guess what my sewing machine sewed like a champ. I think there was some residue left from the last injecting session, that gummed up the machine. Every other time, I have to go through, clean everything, put a new needle in, re thread the bobbin, adjust the pressure foot, maybe even the tension. This time when I finished I cleaned all the external parts with alcohol (not the drinking kind). Everything worked great when I tried it a week later.

So get some gauze surgical squares, they are a little abrasive, not enough to hurt your injector, just enough to get any residue off the surfaces you clean. I like the squares to clean wounds and other things around the house such as a phone I let someone else use. I pull about 18 inces of thread out of the bobbin, and tread from the spool that is threaded into the machine also goes.
Now, sewing that silnylon is almost finished.

[VictoriaGuy]

I think there was some residue left from the last injecting session, that gummed up the machine.

Great observation and advice about the alcohol for cleaning.

Some of the older coated (not silicone impregnated) fabrics I have here are a bit on the gummy side, so I'm pretty watchful if I use them - and usually I save that fabric for 'expendable' projects - not the important stuff.

Sewing is like any other manual skill I've learned - it takes experience to know when the problem is with your tools (not adjusted, not sharp, not tuned up) or with your hands and technique. It's tough to learn on your own, particularly when your tools may not be tuned up properly.
OT (from woodworking)- Once you are handed a really sharp plane or chisel to work with, you will know forevermore when your tools need sharpening. Same thing with a sewing machine - Ironfish knew from experience that he had a machine problem and found the solution.

[gmcttr]

...I grabbed some Alcohol...

A bit of caution is needed here. While I completely agree with cleaning everything, those of you using older black Singer machines should stay away from alcohol as a cleaner or be very careful not to get it on the "painted" areas. It will quickly eat into the shellac clear coat and the black japanning under it.

[VictoriaGuy]

A bit of caution is needed here. While I completely agree with cleaning everything, those of you using older black Singer machines should stay away from alcohol as a cleaner or be very careful not to get it on the "painted" areas. It will quickly eat into the shellac clear coat and the black japanning under it.

Good point- don't spray stuff around!
I always find it's easier to just remove the presser foot and clean it away from the machine, so I can look at the surface I'm cleaning.

A roller foot is a useful addition to the 'toolbox':

[eviscerate3]

Wow, thank you all for the tips! I have been out all day lounging in my hammock at my daughters softball tournament. I went and bought a few sharp 90/14 needles and am going to give that a shot. My current thread injector is an old used brother LS 30. I have checked to make sure the thread is routed correctly and it seems to be and I have cleaned out the feed dogs the best that I know how which was with a small brush and a can of air. I have not tried cleaning the presser foot. Didn't even think about that. The paper clip idea sounds like a great one! Do they hold the fabric better than pins? I have tried pinning every 2 inches or so and it still got bunched up.
It seems that the presser foot and feed dogs are not keeping the same pace if that makes any sense. the bottom layer seems to not move as freely as the top. Like it is being pushed down into the machine from the needle.

pat9381 - How do i adjust needle tension? I am only a few months into teaching myself to sew. Unfortunately I do not have anyone local to teach me hands on. Have watched a lot of youtube videos and read a lot on here. What needle would you recommend for sil?

Again, thanks to all of you for taking the time to answer my questions! It is really pretty amazing how helpful people can be. I appreciate it!