Tips for Sewing Heavy Vinyl Fabric

Our short video, "Hints for Sewing Heavy Vinyl Fabric" gives a quick tip for making heavy vinyl easier to sew. Heavy vinyl is difficult to sew with because it is heavy and sticky. This video shows how to use polyester batting to help feed sticky vinyl through a sewing machine.

When you're sewing heavy vinyl such as Shelter-Rite^® and you have a large panel, you might encounter some difficulties while sewing. This problem usually arises from two factors: The size of the assembly and the fact that heavy vinyl will often stick to the tabletop.

To help your sewing machine feed large, heavy vinyl, we recommend one simple trick: Use polyester batting! You can place this sleek material beneath your vinyl to help the assembly slide across the surface you're working on. It also helps your sewing machine to better feed the material. By using this little trick, you can sometimes avoid needing another person to help you feed these large assemblies through the machine and avoid skipped stitches. Our high-quality polyester batting is ideal for helping your large vinyl assemblies slide across a tabletop or other sewing surface. We offer this product in 5-yard (#100158) and 10-yard (#121869) segments.

And before you even start on your project, be sure to browse our incredible selection of premium vinyl products. In our short video, we've chosen to sew with Shelter-Rite, which is a durable, vinyl-coated polyester fabric with a matte finish on the outer side. Shelter-Rite is often used in heavy-duty cover applications. It's also a popular choice for marine chafe protection and tarps, as well as RV skirts. If you're interested in other similar products and are in need of waterproof vinyl fabric, be sure to check out our informative blog "Waterproof Fabric — Which Brand Should I Choose?" (#300345XHT).