Hat making?? Learning Millinery..

[LorenWho]

Out of curiosity, can anyone tell me why a chain stitch is used when sewing in the sweatband?

 

[belfastboy]

Out of curiosity, can anyone tell me why a chain stitch is used when sewing in the sweatband?

Via sewing machine or hand?

 

[LorenWho]

Via sewing machine or hand?

Sewing machine, though I thought some hatmakers here were using sewing awls.

Thanks!

 

[LorenWho]

A #1 straight needle will work better than an awl for doing a chain stitch by hand.

Excuse my ignorance, is the #1 straight needed for the awl? if not, how does one do a chain stitch w a regular needle?

Thank you!

 

[belfastboy]

Sewing machine, though I thought some hatmakers here were using sewing awls.

Thanks!

I have never used a sewing machine. Sew all by hand with a needle. I use a running back stitch as that is the most secure. Not sure there are any hatters in the Lounge using a machine to sew the sweats. Perhaps the ASM machine is set up to only impart that type of stitch??

 

[belfastboy]

View attachment 542791

I am not a sewing person (sewer?) ....what I call a running back stitch is my nomenclature for what looks like your chain stitch. Not sure why anyone would use an awl. Just a plain needle and thimble works fine for me. I use a relatively small needle but I have watched some hatters that use what I would consider a huge needle. Many ways to build a house.

 

[LorenWho]

View attachment 542791

Ahhh…interesting - thank you! Another question, please: are you re-entering the material through the same hole you came up through?

 

[LorenWho]

I am not a sewing person (sewer?) ....what I call a running back stitch is my nomenclature for what looks like your chain stitch. Not sure why anyone would use an awl. Just a plain needle and thimble works fine for me. I use a relatively small needle but I have watched some hatters that use what I would consider a huge needle. Many ways to build a house.

I don’t know why I thought people were using an awl. I guess I was thinking how a chain stitch sewing machine works, and for doing it by hand an awl came to mind.
Yes - many ways.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[belfastboy]

You not incorrect....there are hatters out there that do use an awl. Not sure what size needle they are using.

I don’t know why I thought people were using an awl. I guess I was thinking how a chain stitch sewing machine works, and for doing it by hand an awl came to mind.
Yes - many ways.

Thank you for sharing!

.

 

[belfastboy]

My answer is no. You just want to make certain you leave room above the brim break for your stitch line. It is covered by the crown ribbon unless you stray tooo low below it and it gets hard to hide it. I work hard at keeping my hand stitches even and straight but it is really not necessary as the ribbon hides all manner of sloppiness. I am just a bit OCD about keeping it neat and tidy. If you peruse the internet you will discover multiple ways to hand stitch a sweat band. I have never used one, a special ASM sewing machine for sweats, while quicker, is not easy to master. The learning curve can be long and frustrating. Not to mention the $$$$ to buy one.

Ahhh…interesting - thank you! Another question, please: are you re-entering the material through the same hole you came up through?

 

[LorenWho]

Thank you. That cleared that question up for me.

My answer is no. You just want to make certain you leave room above the brim break for your stitch line. It is covered by the crown ribbon unless you stray tooo low below it and it gets hard to hide it. I work hard at keeping my hand stitches even and straight but it is really not necessary as the ribbon hides all manner of sloppiness. I am just a bit OCD about keeping it neat and tidy. If you peruse the internet you will discover multiple ways to hand stitch a sweat band. I have never used one, a special ASM sewing machine for sweats, while quicker, is not easy to master. The learning curve can be long and frustrating. Not to mention the $$$$ to buy one.

 

[jlee562]

I use a standard singer 80/12 needle in my awl.

 

[LorenWho]

Fantastic - thank you!

 

[belfastboy]

I use a standard singer 80/12 needle in my awl.

I use a standard #7 needle sometimes a #9

 

[Darrell2688]

I have The Speedy Stitcher sewing awl, it is the only one that I have found that will accept a sewing machine needle. I bought it on Amazon of course, there are other places that carry the same stitching awl. I need to do a bit more prcticing with my stitching awl, I keep running the inside thread through the wrong loop made when I back the needle out.

 

[K.U.Hack]

I had the same issue. I flipped the needle 180 and switched to top stitch needles (larger eye). Works a treat.

 

[Darrell2688]

What do you mean by a top stitch?

 

[K.U.Hack]

What do you mean by a top stitch?

The top stitch needles have a larger eye for thicker thread (think yellow thread on a pair of jeans). I have found that they work better with the speedy stitcher. I also removed (and then replaced) one of the metal disks so I could wind a bobbin on my machine and put the whole bobbin in the stitcher instead of wrapping thread around the post.

I had the same issue. I flipped the needle 180

I should have said rotated 180.

 

[Darrell2688]

The top stitch needles have a larger eye for thicker thread (think yellow thread on a pair of jeans). I have found that they work better with the speedy stitcher. I also removed (and then replaced) one of the metal disks so I could wind a bobbin on my machine and put the whole bobbin in the stitcher instead of wrapping thread around the post.

I should have said rotated 180.

Thank you for the information, using a sewing machine bobbin in place of the metal bobbin that came with the Speedy Stitcher is another great idea. I understood the idea of turning the needle 180 degrees, the problem that I have is what loop to run the thread through, when I pull the stitch awl back and create a loop, the loop is always on the back side of the needle and that thread is the thread that I have pulled inside the hat crown, while the thread on the front of the needle stays tight against the needle shaft. Maybe I am not applying enough tension on the thread that is inside the crown, or the thread on the bobbin is too tight?

 

[jlee562]

Sewing machine needle works perfectly fine.