working with lame
 

Has anyone ever worked with lame fabric? I am trying to do an art quilt.

I've worked with lame on only one other application - doll clothing, and I was told to use a smaller needle and thinner thread, and that the fabric frays horribly. What I wasn't told was that the pins will snag the lame very badly, so I'm wondering how in the world to pin this fabric to sew it, without having the pins snag the fabric?

When using it prior, I had to end up covering the area where the pins were with some fur trim. I was making a doll cape so it turned out adorable, but this solution isn't really applicable for a quilt.

Any ideas on the pin thing?

Thanks....

I have used it in quilts. To avoid fraying zigzag all seams or use fray check.

I Googled. Tried to copy and paste. But I went to adventures in dressmaking and they have a link for sewing with lame. Says to use a ballpoint needle. It's all I got but am saving to favorites because I have some. Frays like a dry haircut. But if you google sewing with lame that's how I foun the link. Good luck.

I used it once in a quilt and was told to use a very lightweight iron on interfacing on the back. It has been a while, but I don't remember using a different needle or that it snagged. You might try it on a scrap and see if it would work for your project. You could also "frame" the edges with the interfacing so that you could pin and keep the fraying down.

Have you tried glue on the edges instead of using pins? They have the Elmer's glue that comes in a small liquid tube. Or the strips of double face iron on (like stitch witchery)? Not sure what you are making, but if there is a will, there is a way! You just have to investigate what is out there and what will work for you. Good luck.

You may also want to check into tricot lame (or tricot-backed lame). It is lame backed with tricot, making it much less fragile. It also doesn't fray. I bought some years ago but never got around to using it.

I bought some cotton lame' at JoAnn's years ago. used it as an inner border here. Don't think i even stitched on top of it but it sewed in well. cotton lame' is easier, doesn't shred so much. I still have lots and will have to find out more when I get around to using it again.

I found the only way I could work with Lame was to fuse it either using a fusible interfacing or wonder under fused to a thin fabric. Its tricky to fuse it seeing how its not cotton but it can be done using a layer of muslin over the top of the lame.

I haven't used lame` in over 20 years, forgot how I worked with it.

I've used it in a couple of small Christmas wallhangings. I backed it first with a knit fusible interfacing. That helped keep it from fraying. I used it in the wings of the angels, and the star and little border on the Oh Holy Night.

what about using dupioni silk?? can't spell it but you probably know what i mean. shreds like crazy. i was going to use it on bottoms of some curtains that were too short but never did. Can i do something with it other than make pillow covers?