hand vs machine sewing

[M Manchester]

Sorry for resurrecting a question that I think gets asked a lot...

Although I have read that hand sewing is preferable to machine for antron fleece, I have yet to find an exact explanation as to the reason why and I can't figure it out. I have just been experimenting with odds-and-ends from the fabric store at the moment.

My attempts at hand sewing have been inconsistent and the fabric bunches in places. No doubt this is from a lack of experience, but a machine will produce consistent results all the time. My mother, who has much more experience, showed me that when she runs some fabric through her Singer it produces a nice straight seam.

Project Puppet recommends a ladder stitch as the best option. I did a search on the Singer Web site and they sell a machine that can do a ladder stitch. Has anyone ever tried this before? I know that I'm supposed to pull the thread to bring the two pieces together and that a machine probably can't do that, but again the advantage would seem to be consistency.

I found a summary page from the MuppetCast that says the Henson stitch is a double gathering hand stitch. But my results that created gathered fabric does not lay flat. Obviously I'm missing something and any insight is appreciated. Too bad there doesn't seem to be a single authoritative resource on this topic that I can find.

Many thanks, Michael

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Hand sewing is usually the way to go because it allows more control over each individual stitch. Machine sewing will give you very even stitches, but a machine isn't really designed to do the kind of intricate work that's necessary to hide fleece seams in puppet hands and heads. With some puppets it's difficult or impossible to machine sew because of the design of the puppet itself.

To an extent, it's also a matter of preference. Some people hand sew hands, heads and anywhere on the puppet that will always be visible and machine sew the rest of the puppet (like the body if it's underneath a shirt). Other people hand sew everything. Some people do machine sew entire puppets, but I have never personally seen one of those that looked as good up close and something that was stitched by hand.

Your biggest problem is likely a lack of sewing experience. It takes a lot of time and practice to become very good at hand sewing. All of the people I know who are exceptionally good at hand stitching have been sewing for well over ten years and sew if not everyday, than most days. Like working with any material - clay, paint, leather, etc. - it takes time to get a feel for Antron fleece and to learn the best ways to stitch it.

Don't get hung up on chasing the mythical "Henson stitch" because you read about it in books or online. Just get really, really good at a basic ladder stitch and use a pin or needle to carefully "pick" out the fuzz that gets trapped under your stitches once a seam is complete (this is sometimes called "picking out your seams").

If you're not happy with the results you're getting at first, practice on scraps. Experiment with your Mom's machine and see what results you get too. Also, a proper sewing class is a great investment for any puppet builder. The 10,000 hour theory applies - the more you do it and the more you learn, the better you'll be.

Also, have a look at the Stiqpuppets YouTube Channel. It has lots of great tutorials and probably a few videos that you might find helpful.

 

[Rymoore21]

I prefer to hand-sew everything using the Henson Stitch. It is easier to control each stitch.

 

[D'Snowth]

To add my own two cents worth, I too occasionally will have a problem with a bulging seam, however, I don't believe the problem with that lies within the seam construction itself, but rather, I think it's a combination of two different problems: either the fabric isn't exactly patterned and cut just right and doesn't apply right onto the foam, and/or the foam itself isn't cut just right.

I tend to have this problem with jaws, jaws are a real hangup for me for a variety of different reasons, but yes, with jaws, I almost always with have small, yet noticable protrusion of fabric, usually just underneath the bottom lip where the seam starts, but again, I think it's mostly due to the way the fabric was patterned and cut.

 

[Slackbot]

I hand-sew everything. I've just never been able to get tight enough control using a sewing machine. Not that I've tried that hard.

I use the Henson Stitch an awful lot. However, I've found that when I'm sewing fleece on top of foam, I get a ridge where the seam is. The thickness of the fabric pushes the seam up. Other people say they don't notice it, but to me they look like badly healed scars.

I've been experimenting with the baseball stitch just on puppet heads, and the results so far are encouraging, but still not as good as I'd like. Anyone have any hints for me?