Instructions
If you’ve ever top-stitched a stretch garment, even when you use a stretch stitch, you may have still been annoyed by how much stretching ability is lost. Especially for things like neck-holes, gloves, and socks where you want as much stretch as possible!
Luckily, a super-stretch seam is easy, all you need is stretch thread in your bobbin. You’ll most commonly find stretch thread under the names ‘Wooly Nylon’ or ‘Maxi-Lock’. Typically used in sergers, it’s characterized by a soft and fluffy fibrous texture.
You can’t wind it with your machine, but you can quickly wind it by hand. Thread your bobbin as usual, then with light pressure, wind it around until full. It surprisingly doesn’t take too long!
Then just load it into your machine. I’ve found that standard tension settings on the Memory Craft 6700p work great, but if you have issues try loosening the tension a bit. Finally, stitch as you normally would.
To show what a big difference the thread makes, I made some samples on 4-inch scraps of jersey cotton with both standard thread in the bobbin, and stretch thread in the bobbin. The zig-zag stitch won-out with my tests, but if you just need a bit of stretch and want a narrower seam, the others aren’t bad either.
Enjoy your super-stretchy seams!