Sewing with Minky Successfully Part Two

My simple suggestions for working with minky -

Minky Strips

Cutting:  Never cut with a dull blade or scissors.  The pile of most minky's is way to thick and a dull instrument will not give you the clean cut needed to minimize shedding.  Always replace a rotary cutter blade if you suspect it of being dull.  You can always mark the blades with masking tape for later use with fabrics not needing an absolute sharp blade.

Tidying as you cut: Use a sticky lint roller to pick up the shedded fibers off of the minky as you cut.  This minimizes the minky fluff from going all over everything and helps to keep it somewhat contained.  It also helps make clean up easier if you are doing what you can as you go along.
Also keeping a vacuum handy is a good way to keep the fuzz under control.  You will need to vacuum the entire area after you are finished cutting and sewing.

Seam Allowance:  The recommended seam allowance on minky is 1/2 inch.  Minky tends to curl so the 1/2 inch gives you room to sew without catching the curl.  Take your time when sewing minky.  This fabric does not respond well when sewn at fast speeds.  I find that it tends to slip and stretch when sewn at high speeds.

Sewing: I have heard many ladies mention that you need a walking foot to sew on minky.  I disagree.  In my opinion a walking foot stretches the fabric.  When sewing knits (this is where the knit characteristic comes in) in most cases you do not want them stretching.  When knits are stretched while sewing they tend to come out with a ripple effect.  Minky can do the same.  Now if you are wanting a ruffle effect stretching is definitely something that you want to do.

Sew at a slower speed not a fast one.  This minimizes sliding along with pinning.  You can also minimize the sliding by hand basting your pieces together.

Remove your pins as you sew. Do not sew over your pins.  This can cause the needle to break and cut a hole in your minky.

Pinning

Pinning: While sewing minky you will see some sliding.  It is very important that you have a lot of pins on hand and pin minky prior to sewing.  You want to pin farther apart than every couple of inches.  I recommend about 1 to 1.5 inches apart.   I also like to use binding hem clips in place of pins depending on the project.   I especially like to use them when binding with minky.

Have Patience and Be Flexible:  Minky is a specialty fabric and has its own characteristics.  Be willing to work with the fabric.  Never work with minky when tired or upset.  It has the potential of driving you nuts if you are tired and increasing your frustration if you are upset.

I hope that these tips and suggestions help to make your minky project a success.

Happy snuggling!

Kate