SEWING WITH VINYL

Hi everyone,

I was so happy to see your excitement and entusiasm on my newest pattern Vinyl Zipper Pouch. Thank you so very much!

As I mentioned in my previous post, I used 0.5mm PTU printed vinyl to make my pouches (I got mine from Sullivans Trim and Zipper Valley online shops).

I heard from a few of you being a bit unsure about this material and how to work with it, so here are some of my tips to hopefully help you feel more confident about sewing with vinyl:

• Use a rotary cutter, ruler, and a cutting mat to get perfectly straight edges when cutting your vinyl.

• I used a standard presser foot on my sewing machine without any trouble but a teflon foot would work great if you have one. You could also try sticking a piece of scotch tape to the bottom of your presser foot for an easier gliding over your vinyl.

• Use a 90/14 needle for your sewing machine.

• Use sewing clips, not pins, to hold panels together as pins would damage your vinyl.

• Use good quality polyester thread (universal guttermann thread is my favorite).

• Adjust stitch length, a slightly longer stitch works well, I set my Juki sewing machine to #3 (3mm length).

• Sew slowly to prevent any bunching of your material.

• If your vinyl keeps sticking to your sewing machine table as you sew, you can place a piece of tissue paper in between the vinyl and your sewing machine to help it move smoother.

• If there are any creases in your vinyl, stretch it out and place a few heavy books on top of it for a few hours. Another option is to run your hot iron across your ironing surface and then place your vinyl over it, the residual heat should help smooth out the wrinkles.

• Store your vinyl rolled up rather than folding it to prevent any unwanted creases.

And, if you’re more of a visual learner, here’s a link to my detailed step by step video on how to make these super handy pouches. Enjoy :)