How to avoid tunneling when using a twin needle
- The tension of the lower thread should be less than the tension of the upper threads. But it’s not so easy to achieve. ...
- The second thing that may help to prevent tunneling is using stabilizers and interfacing. ...
- It may help to use stretchable elastic threads. ...
Full Answer
How do you stop a needle from tunneling when sewing?
The second thing that may help to prevent tunneling is using stabilizers and interfacing. You can place a piece of a lightweight wash-away or tear-away embroidery stabilizer right under the fabric (if you decorate a big piece of fabric) when you are sewing with the twin needle.
What is a twin needle used for in sewing?
A twin needles sews two lines of parallel threads while the bobbin goes back and forth in a zigzag between each stitch. A twin needle is a way to get the look of a coverstitched hem without using a coverstitch machine on knit fabrics. A twin needle can also be used on woven fabrics to sew pintucks, decorative stitching,...
How do I Stop my twin needle stitches popping?
Sometimes people experience problems with twin needle stitches 'popping'. In this case you can try sewing with a very small zig zag stitch when using your twin needle. It is important to test it out first on scraps and turn the wheel by hand to make sure the stitch will fit inside the zig zag foot gap.
How do you thread a bobbin with a twin needle?
The bobbin thread, for sewing with a twin needle, is threaded into the sewing machine like it is for normal sewing with one needle. I heard some advice that the spools must be set so that the threads are unwound in opposite directions, otherwise, they may become tangled when sewing.
How to stop tunneling when sewing?
To prevent tunneling when sewing a lightweight knit fabric you’ll need to stabilize the fabric further. Overlocking helps, but a thin strip of knit interfacing, fusible webbing, or a wash away hem stabilizer will do wonders. Where maintaining the fabric’s full stretch is crucial, the wash away hem stabilizer will be the best product for the job. Buy bigger sheets and use a ruler and rotary cutter to cut it into 1/4″ strips to make it cost effective.
What size twin needle do I need for kids?
I tend to use a 4mm twin needle for kids garments and a 6mm for adult garments, purely because that’s what looks about right to me.
What happens when you increase the needle tension on bobbins?
The problem with increasing the needle thread is that, while the bobbin thread zig zags nicely, the needle threads draw together and the double hem ends up creating a tunnel effect. Here are the same three hems seen in profile. The increased needle tension gives this lumpy seam finish seen on the right.
What does the sewing machine manual tell you to do when the needle threads appear on the underside of the fabric answer?
When the needle threads appear on the underside of the fabric like that, the sewing machine manual will tell you to increase your needle thread tension. So I did.
Can you hem a dozen t-shirt in a row?
Sometimes the needle threads get a bit twisty and knotted together. If you’re going to hem a dozen t-shirts in a row, you may have to stop and rethread your needles half way through. I’ve definitely noticed that using cheap overlocker type thread for the needle threads leads to a hot knotty mess quite quickly. Stick to good quality threads up top.
What are twin needles used for?
Twin needles can be used to create parallel and decorative stitches on a whole host of fabrics. They are most commonly used on the hems of knit and jersey fabrics to create a professional finish.
How to thread a twin needle sewing machine?
To thread your sewing machine for a twin needle first thread the machine in the normal way. Next place a second reel of thread on the second spool pin if your machine has one. If not you can use the bobbin winding pin or an accessory spool stand.
Why use twin needles on knitted fabric?
Using a twin needle also helps to prevent the stitches from breaking thanks to the zig zag stitches created on the wrong side of the fabric. This is particularly important with fabrics that stretch as you put them on/take them off/wear them hence the use for knit and jersey fabrics.
What foot to use for twin needle?
Your user manual should indicate which presser foot to use for a twin needle and it is usually the zig zag foot for most machines. In addition to differing sizes there are different types of twin needle for different types of fabric. We stock universal, ball point, stretch, jeans, embroidery and metafil twin needles.
How big is the gap between twin needles?
In addition to the needle size there is also variation in the gap between needles. For our twin needles the gaps range from 1.6mm to 6mm. How big you want the gap is partly down to personal preference, but the needle also needs to fit inside the presser foot opening and the zig zag throat plate opening of your sewing machine. Your user manual should indicate which presser foot to use for a twin needle and it is usually the zig zag foot for most machines.
How to thread a second reel?
Thread the second reel in the normal way passing the thread through the eye of the remaining needle. However, do not pass this thread through the final thread guide at the needle bar. One of the threads should be passed through this thread guide, but the other one shouldn't. This helps to prevent the threads from tangling as does threading them separately.
Can you stretch fabric with a tearaway stabiliser?
If using a tearaway stabiliser take care not to stretch the fabric when removing the stabiliser. Sometimes people experience problems with twin needle stitches 'popping'. In this case you can try sewing with a very small zig zag stitch when using your twin needle.
How to use twin needle for sewing?
Turn the twin needle with the flat side away from you and insert it in place of the previous one until the needle touches the stopper. Holding the needle with your hand, tighten the fixing screw. For sewing with a twin needle, two spools of thread are needed.
How to prevent tunneling when sewing?
The second thing that may help to prevent tunneling is using stabilizers and interfacing. You can place a piece of a lightweight wash-away or tear-away embroidery stabilizer right under the fabric (if you decorate a big piece of fabric) when you are sewing with the twin needle.
What is a twin needle sewing machine?
Twin needle sewing machine – everything you need to know about sewing with a twin needle. In this sewing tutorial I want to show you how to use a twin needle – a very simple tool that expands the capabilities of even the most ordinary sewing machine. The twin needle is made of the two needles that are attached to a single crossbar.
What is triple needle?
The triple needle is threaded into the sewing machine just like the twin needle is (see above). Just like with a twin needle, threads are pulled through the triple needle eyes. However, you need an additional spool. In terms of function, triple needles are especially good for decorative stitches.
What is the size of a double needle?
The thinnest double needles for knit fabrics are numbered 75. The number 80 is usually for sewing with metallic thread. No. 80, 90, 100 are universal or embroidery needles. Denim needles have a size of 100.
What type of needles are used for embroidery?
Embroidery is usually done at a higher speed than the regular sewing. Specially coated, larger eye allows smooth thread flow at higher speeds. This type of twin needles can be used with different embroidery threads – rayon, polyester, cotton.
How many pins does a sewing machine have?
Modern sewing machines like Janome, Brother, and Juki have two pins for spools.
What is a twin needle?
A twin needle or a double needle is two sewing machine needles connected onto one shank. One needle is slightly shorter than the other needle so the bobbin can catch both threads.
What kind of needle is a twin needle?
When looking at the information on a twin needle case it will tell you what kind of needle it is like a stretch needle or universal needle.
How to use a zigzag foot?
You must use a zigzag foot and a zigzag throat plate since the twin needle is wide. Once you thread the machine, put in the sewing machine needle, slowly turn the hand wheel to see if the needle hits the sewing machine foot. Sew with a straight stitch. Use hem tape to stabilize the hem before sewing.
Why use hem tape?
Use hem tape to stabilize the hem before sewing. This is the most important part because it prevents tunneling and your fabric from stretching out. My favorite hem tape for woven fabrics is HeatnBond Lite * and my favorite hem tape for knit fabrics is HeatnBond Soft Stretch Lite *. I sewed some examples of using hem tape ...
Do you need hem tape for a swimsuit?
Lined swimsuit fabric doesn’t need hem tape. The four layers of fabric in the hem of a swimsuit make it stable enough to not use hem tape. Also, I found it really hard to get the hem tape to adhere to the fabric with a safe, low heat. Here are some tips for sewing swimsuit fabric.
Can you wind two bobbins for twin needles?
Spool Image. Instead of buying two spools of thread for your twin needle, you can guy one spool and wind two bobbins. Use a bobbin as a spool of thread. When you thread your sewing machine the right thread will go on the right side of the thread divider and the left thread will go on the left side of the thread divider.
Can you change direction of twin needles?
Don’t change direction while sewing with the twin needle in the fabric. You’ll break the needles. Leave long thread tails after sewing. If sewing on knit fabric stretch the hem to pull the bobbin thread into the zigzag. This prevents any breakage while wearing the item.
