What are the settings for a sewing mahine to sew a regular fabric tail?

[spottedcatfish]

Making my first tail is really starting to aggravate me! What are the best sewing machine settings, in terms of stitch, width, length, and tension. To properly sew a regular fabric spandex tail? I have tried using that type of stitch that has come up in a lot of posts, the sort of zig-zag straight stitch, and I've also used a straight stitch to make the edge look nicer when I turn it back right-side out. However, I have found that the straight stitch is too tight and that zig-zag type stitch has been too loose.

The settings I have used so far for both stitches have been:

width: 4 Length: 2.5 Tension: 0

The only thing I know is to leave the tension at 0, but that may be wrong for other stitches. I am also using a regular Singer Simple sewing machine. I'm sure it it capable of this, if I only knew the correct settings!

Some help please!

[Ayla of Duluth]

lower the width, and heighten the length. this will make the zigzag stitch a bit straighter and more stretched out, so it'll tighten it. think of it like a coil or something. as you stretch it, it gets skinnier, and the less room it has to stretch further.

I've never sewn with a zigzag stitch, but theoretical physics would suggest that this is the correct method to tighten the hem.

[Ayla of Duluth]

also, play with some swatches of stretch fabric first to see how changing the settings of the stitch will affect the stretch of the hem. find one that's the right stretch for you and then go ahead and sew your tail. practice makes perfect :)

[spottedcatfish]

Should I leave the tension where it is?

The stitch is not a zig-zag stitch, which I found to be not as stretch friendly as I liked, but rather a Rampart stitch. Info about it here: http://www.singerco.com/sewing-resources/stitch-detail/52

Is this a good stitch to use? Should I use the zig- zag instead?

[Ayla of Duluth]

Wow, that's quite the stitch. I wouldn't up the tension at all, the thread will be under enough stress on the tail as it is. But try that rampart stitch on a swatch and see how it compares to the zigzag stitch. Decide which one you like better. If one run of hem is too thin for your tail, try sewing the hem two or three times. It might help.

[Winged Mermaid]

Any stretch stitch is fine! We recommend the zigzag becuase it's the most common on sewing machines, but any stitch identified as a stretch stitch in your sewing manual will most likely be fine. I like the stitch that resembles an overlock stitch. If in doubt, do ask Ayla suggested and do some swatch tests!

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the tension settings :/ I try not to mess with them unless I absolutely have to, haha. Look in your manual and see what it says! If it doesn't help you, take some scrap pieces of fabric and mess with it until you get it where you'd like it to be. All the help I can be with this, I'm afraid.

[spottedcatfish]

Wow, that's quite the stitch. I wouldn't up the tension at all, the thread will be under enough stress on the tail as it is. But try that rampart stitch on a swatch and see how it compares to the zigzag stitch. Decide which one you like better. If one run of hem is too thin for your tail, try sewing the hem two or three times. It might help.

Ok I'll try that. I actually have to take in the hem, so I may try a few types of stitches to achieve this. Thanks Alya.


Any stretch stitch is fine! We recommend the zigzag becuase it's the most common on sewing machines, but any stitch identified as a stretch stitch in your sewing manual will most likely be fine. I like the stitch that resembles an overlock stitch. If in doubt, do ask Ayla suggested and do some swatch tests!

I'm afraid I don't know anything about the tension settings :/ I try not to mess with them unless I absolutely have to, haha. Look in your manual and see what it says! If it doesn't help you, take some scrap pieces of fabric and mess with it until you get it where you'd like it to be. All the help I can be with this, I'm afraid.

I wish I didn't have to mess with the settings, but they were set for regular fabric, not stretchy lycra. I will sew swatches and maybe create a stitch guide for what the settings are for each stitch I use. Practice makes perfect. Thanks for the help. :-)