Welt help ! First time sewing sunbrella furniture fabric .

[scarab29]

I am having a issue where the welt I have sewn is coming out all wavy ( see pic ). Can't figure out what I'm doing wrong . Using the same 1/4 welt cord I use on everything else and have never had this issue even using the boardy marine sunbrella . This fabric is very expensive and i'm freaking out !! Pushed it to the side for a couple days and figured I'd ask the masses here . Thanks for looking !

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6r5R47xqSPqbEh3ZExVWjFFNWc

[sofadoc]

Need more info, so I'm just going to throw out several basic questions. Some may apply, some may not.

1. Did you cut the welt strips on the bias, or straight?
2. Did you make snips in the welt as you sewed it on?
3. Fiber welt or vinyl?
4. Is the wavyness only on the curved edge of the cushion, or along the straight runs as well?
5. Did you sew the welt separately first, and then sew it on the panel? Or did you sew the welt to the panel all in one pass?
6. I assume that you sewed this on a machine that you normally sew on with no previous problems?

Answers to these questions might help us make a better assessment. Please don't be insulted by them. Sometimes, you have to ask all the basic stuff first.

I think Paul does a lot of Sunbrella stuff. He'll probably have some good suggestions.     

[scarab29]

1 straight cut
2 on sharp turns
3 foam welt cord
4 waves all over , straight runs and curves
5 welt sewn to plate then boxing sewn on
6 All good with the vinyl cushions I made yesterday for a viking .

Thought it may have to do with the welt cord and the soft hand fabric to be honest .

Thanks

[sofadoc]

Yeah, I think foam welt expands or contracts a little after you sew it in, causing the waviness with soft fabrics.

[scarab29]

Yeah, I think foam welt expands or contracts a little after you sew it in, causing the waviness with soft fabrics.

I think I answered my own question as I looked at the different types of welt cord on the upholster.com site and found this note for the jute cord and the foam cord .
Foam Flex Welt Cord is also good for outdoors. Again cut the fabric on the bias to prevent wavy cording.
5/32" 500yds.

Jute welt cord is great for sewing outdoor furniture cushions. Wasahble. Cut the fabric on the bias and pull tight while sewing to prevent wavy cording.

[MinUph]

Sounds like your getting a handle on the issues. Welt cord, stretch, etc. Keep up posted and we will work through this. Cushion grade sunbrella can be a bear to sew.

[sofadoc]

Hey Paul. I recall that you bought a new machine recently for the purpose of handling Sunbrella better. How's it working out?

[MinUph]

The new machine is a nightmare. It is a Consew 1541. It breaks thread, jumps timing, etc. I made the mistake of buying it from the guy in California, and while he is helpful on the phone we haven't gotten all the bugs out yet. And havent had a sunbrella job since the new machine.

[Grebo]

Iv'e not had issues with the soft fabric other than the fraying, for which I use an serger.
I use fibre welt cord & always cut on the bias.

Suzi

[Darren Henry]

Sometimes, you have to ask all the basic stuff first.

If , for no other reason, for the benefit of those less experienced who are only quietly reading in the background.

[sofadoc]

The new machine is a nightmare. It is a Consew 1541. It breaks thread, jumps timing, etc. I made the mistake of buying it from the guy in California, and while he is helpful on the phone we haven't gotten all the bugs out yet. And havent had a sunbrella job since the new machine.

If you're talking about Zamir, I've heard several horror stories from others that bought from him. He's usually got his machines priced a little cheaper than anyone else, and some report receiving a brand new machine that is good to go.

But others have experiences similar to yours. It doesn't sew right when they get it, and they just get jerked around over the phone. The only option is to hire a local mechanic to fix it, at which point any savings is negated by the mechanics fee.

I was looking at that model on Consew's website. I notice that it has a round knob on the upper right side of the head that is identified as "Climbing device". What does that do?

There's a lot that I don't understand about the industrial sewing machine industry. Juki has made the 1541 model for years. And now Consew makes one. That's like Chevy coming out with their own Mustang.

[gene]

Iv'e not had issues with the soft fabric other than the fraying, for which I use an serger.

I saw a video where the guy suggested that instead of buying an expensive hot gun to cut the fabric you could use a soldering gun and run it around the cut edges to stop it from fraying.

Has anyone tried this? I'm not sure if it would be faster than serging.

gene

[brmax]

I have had a soldering iron for awhile, though it was used for electric work a lot. I really just smartly learned of its use for other stuff, then I felt like I needed a v8 bonk. It was here I learned of this new use and of course depending on the model the available parts. I guess it didn't sink in as that wasn't the first need I had for it and as we all are busy forgetting some other uses! oh well.
http://flitetest.com/articles/soldering-gun-hot-knife-quick-tip

I remember way back when another had a 1541 with the top knob, as I remember its like adjusting what many call the lift in the slotted part on the back or inside the back cover, banana shaped.
It seems pretty darn cool I think, but I possibly could use correcting on that.
It was a neat item all the while I was looking around but only top dollar got that option.

Great tips on the welt, so I'm picking up if using textiles try to cut on the bias. When working on outdoor cushions jute can be used, and may be best choice?

have a good day
Floyd

[kodydog]

I was having the same problem with raveling on an outdoor slip cover made with Sunbrella. The owner was planning on washing it once a year and I knew that would be a problem.  Our serger has been on the blink and because its a light weight machine and we rarely use it anyway we have not gotten around to fixing it. So I took the advice of the folks on this page and tried the soldering iron. And it did a good job of melting the edge of the seam. But slower than (I assume) a hot knife and slower than a serger. When I showed the owner he thought I was a genius. Thanks for making me look good y'all.

[kodydog]

As far as the wavy cording. It looks like the top panel is cut on the bias which will make it very stretchy. This makes it real easy to stretch the top panel as your sewing along. Even when you do your best not to and especially if the cord is cut straight.