In the first two blog posts about sewing with fullers you have already learned a lot. The third and final article is all about seams, sewing techniques, ironing and more. After these three articles at the latest, you’ll be real fulling pros 🙂
Which sewing machine should I use to sew Walk?
Walk has the wonderful property that it does not fray. That is why it does not need to be finished at open edges like other fabrics. You can save yourself a step here.
As it does not need to be serged, it does not need to be sewn with an overlocker. On the contrary – as soon as two or three layers of fleece are sewn together, many overlock machines do not manage to sew these thick layers together properly. For my very first fuller’s seam, I naturally thought: great, just quickly overlock it with my new (first) overlocker and I’m done. The result was that I “wrecked” my 10-minute-old overlock and had to take it straight to the repair shop.
Another disadvantage of the overlock is the thick seams that are created by two layers of fullers in combination with the overlock seam. Thick seams are particularly annoying for babies and children. That’s why I definitely recommend sewing Walk with a normal sewing machine!
In rare cases, I sometimes sew a single layer of fulling together with a cuff using the overlock. But otherwise always with a normal sewing machine. In the first blog post of the walktrilogy, I already wrote something about the needle.
Right and left fabric side
Most fullers have the advantage that they do not have a right or wrong side. I find this very helpful, especially for sewing beginners 🙂
Can Walk be steamed or ironed?
A very clear YES. Would you have thought so? Some also steam the walk completely before sewing it. This can be done either with a lot of steam or with a damp cloth. As I wash my walk before cutting, I no longer steam it before sewing. I then steam the sewn seams first. One of my most important sewing accessories is the mini iron from Prym. It is simply super practical, handy and just right for ironing seams etc. Sometimes the seams create small waves. Sewing in a zipper can also cause the walk to curl. Good steaming often helps here. Then lay the walk flat and leave to cool.
Various sewing techniques
I use different stitching techniques when sewing on the Walk, depending on the visual accents I want to create.
Sew the layers of fabric together
To sew them together, I lay two layers of felted fabric on top of each other and sew them together with a straight stitch.
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Theoretically, you could leave it at that after sewing it together. You can iron the seam allowances apart so that they are flat. I like to sew every inseam twice. First I sew the two layers of fabric together (as described above), then I use a fell seam or topstitch with a twin needle. I’ve become a real fan of fell seams in Walk, as they look really great and also offer additional seam stability. But topstitching with a twin needle is also great for making the seam nice and flat. I will now show you how the seams work:
Chopped seam
My personal favorite for fullered seams is the fell seam. After two layers of fabric have been sewn together, one of the two seam allowances is cut away close to the edge for the fell seam.
Then fold the remaining seam allowance over the trimmed seam allowance. Depending on how much time I have, I steam the folded seam allowance. But it also works without steaming 🙂
Now topstitch the folded-over seam from the right side of the fabric. The cut-back seam is not sewn into place. After the seam has been stitched from the outside, it looks like this:
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Topstitching with the twin needle
Another option I use in places where I want the seam to be particularly thin is to fold the seam allowance apart and then topstitch.
Once the two layers of fabric have been sewn together, the seam allowances are folded apart. Steaming is optional.
Now topstitch the folded seam allowances from the right side with the twin needle.
How well can Walk be unraveled?
If something has been sewn together incorrectly, Walk can be easily undone. Walk will forgive you a lot here 🙂 IMPORTANT: only the seam with the simple straight stitch is easy to undo. The fell seam is much more difficult.
Sewing buttonholes with Walk
I can’t stop raving about Walk. Because buttonholes are also very easy to sew. In principle, there is no need to sew a real buttonhole. It is sufficient to sew a rectangle with a straight stitch. A slit can then be cut.
Personally, I still really like real buttonholes. I either have a facing on the wrong side of the fabric (e.g. made of woven fabric or muslin). This makes the buttonhole a little more stable. Or I sew an additional buttonhole thread.
Tips for sewing in a zipper with Walk
As the walk is quite stretchy, it can be challenging to sew in a zipper. With a few little tricks, it becomes easy again. Before I sew in a zipper, I reinforce the edge. This leads to more stability and prevents ripples afterwards. There are two options for stability:
Support seam: with a simple straight stitch along the edge of the fabric within the seam allowance.
Seam tape: as an alternative or in addition to the support seam, the wrong side of the fabric can be reinforced with seam tape. I like to use the seam tape from Prym.
To be on the safe side, I use both. I reinforce the edge first with a straight stitch. I then press in the seam tape and sew the zipper.
If the zipper does curl a little after it has been sewn in, it helps to dampen the fuller.
That was the trilogy of blog posts about sewing with Walk. Feel free to leave a heart or comment. You are also welcome to share the posts.
Have a cozy fall and winter season and enjoy sewing with Walk.
