TuffSew here, your heavy duty sewing machine supplier. Whether you sew because it’s your hobby or your livelihood, it’s important to continue to learn different concepts and techniques along the way. 

Sewing begins to be a challenge when you decide to start tackling multiple layers of material underneath your presser foot. After reading this article, you should be better suited to handle situations when you must sew thick materials.

First you need to ask yourself “What type of sewing machine am I working with?” This is extremely important because every sewing machine has its limitations. If you are using a regular household sewing machine, the following 3 tips will help you:

1)      Do you need all that additional layer lining? Probably not. Cut off the excess (especially for side seams) but make sure not to break the actual stitching.

2)      Use the largest size needle acceptable for your sewing machine. Usually a size 18 or 19 needle will allow you to penetrate the multiple layers more effectively.

3)      In situations when you are breaking needles –maybe you are sewing a strap for a purse- use the hand wheel alone.

Those tips didn’t help? Still breaking needles? The problem is not you or your domestic sewing machine-it’s the capabilities of the machine. It’s time for you to start looking into more of an industrial grade sewing machine. 

Portable walking foot industrial strength sewing machines will stand a much better chance of completing your thick sewing projects. 

We recommend our TuffSew Straight Stitch machine, you can view it here http://www.tuffsew.com/straight-stitch-industrial-walking-foot-sewing-machine. Here is a video with more information on this type of sewing machine:

To go over the details of the above video. Walking foot industrial strength sewing machines will help you sew thicker fabrics because:

1)      You can use larger needles- up to 22 or 23
2)      There are “grips” on the walking foot and feed dogs, which help pull the heavy fabric through the sewing process
3)      You can use nylon thread and thicker weighted thread in general- giving the stitching in your final project much better strength and life duration
4)      More power- more RPM’s and torque equals better results when sewing heavy fabric
5)      More durability- all metal parts and cast iron construction will give you a machine that lasts much longer than plastic parts and construction
If you are interested in understanding more about sewing thicker materials, feel free to stop by our website at www.tuffsew.com.