How to Sew Nylon Fabric?

Nylon is a one-of-a-kind material, which combines a lightweight fabric as well as toughness. Nevertheless, it may seem that it is rather complicated to operate with this nylon material, as the ripstop nylon fabric possesses the ability of gliding.

Therefore, utilize a roller presser foot to prevent your cloth from jamming inside the sewing machine. Additionally, it gets dirty seamlessly and can cause such problems as missed seams as well as some stuck bits of tissue in the sewing machine.

Take it easy! These problems can be prevented seamlessly. You are able to sew ripstop nylon fabric using a standard stitching machine as well as your own hands rather readily. Do not underestimate hand sewing. This can help out when the electricity is turned off.

You merely should comply with these tips for sewing in order to implement your sewing project into practice.

A Couple of Words About Ripstop Fabrics

To begin with, ripstop is a kind of reinforcing braiding. Therefore, ripstop does not necessarily mean nylon, but whichever type of synthetic fabric, polyester, cotton fabric as well as silk. Notwithstanding the above, ripstop nylon is the most widespread kind of ripstop fabric.

One of the advantages of this material is that it is complex to tear as there is a thick reinforcing filament in the braiding which is designed in the form of a cross-over template. As a general rule, it is light in weight and slick.

This fabric is used for everything that must be light in weight, nevertheless powerful as well as durable. For instance:

1. hammocks;
2. outerwear;
3. hot air balloons;
4. camping equipment;
5. kite flying;
6. home furnishings;
7. reusable bags;
8. sheets etc.

This material is stable in wind as well as water-resistant, it depends on the coverage of the fabrics. In addition, there are various weights of this material. The more slippery and lightweight, the more complex to stitch. The more weight, the easier it is to operate.

What Do You Need to Prepare for Sewing Ripstop Nylon fabric?

In order to make your sewing more comfortable here is a tiny list of the things you will demand:

• stitching machine;

• standard presser foot or walking foot;

It is possible to utilize ripstop nylon fabric with whichever machine as the tissue is light in weight. Additionally, it is compatible with the standard foot (but it is much more convenient to exploit the walking foot because it assists to hold the feed flat with slick ripstop nylon).

• needles;

As for the needles, it is rather important to select the right needle. You require a rather sharp and thin one. The best option is a versatile 70/10 size needle. Naturally, you are able to try diverse types of needles and select the most appropriate one for your sewing projects.

• thread to sew;

As for the thread, a versatile one is the best one as well as polyester thread coupled with nylon thread. Keep in mind that you should stay away from the other threads such as the cotton one (as it is not solid enough).

• sharp scissors;

• sharp rotary cutter;

• pinking shears;

Generally, nylon is rather slick (it is up to the crosshatch pattern, braiding, and coverage on the fabric), so you require rather sharp scissors, a rotary cutter sharp enough, or pinking shears. Also, there is a tiny tip for sewing ripstop nylon fabrics: Utilize pattern weights or duct tape so that the fabric does not slide.

• hot knife to cut nylon;

• scrap fabric.

You should also remember that ripstop nylon possesses the ability to fuse upon touching the warmth. Therefore you are able to utilize a hot knife. It can also reseal the edges. Nevertheless, use caution utilizing this technique and firstly test it on a tiny bit of scrap fabric.

Which Thread Should You Use For Sewing Nylon?

You could utilize diverse thicker threads while sewing ripstop nylon fabric, except vinyl thread. The best variant is lightweight nylon thread as well as bonded nylon one (№ 69), specifically while sewing webbing.

It is rather ready to get such kinds of threads in your local textile shops or on the web.

Be certain that you possess a sufficient amount of the thread because you have to utilize twice as much as a regular one. Additionally, you have to place a minimum of two feet of the thread through the needle’s hole in order to ensure you possess quite a few to begin sewing nylon webbing.

Is It Effortlessly to Sew Ripstop Nylon?

No, it is not complicated to sew ripstop nylon. In order to mend the large area of tissue, it is better to use your sewing machine, nevertheless to operate with the tiny one you can merely implement hand sewing.

Another significant point is the appropriate sewing devices (such as the right needle etc), which will facilitate your sewing process.

Additionally, you should take precautionary measures such as utilizing a thimble as well as a pincer (in order to drag the needle through the edges because it may be slippery).

Sewing Ripstop Nylon Fabric Using Sewing Machine

Old-time sewing machines are superior while sewing ripstop fabric as they were designed to manage nearly every type of fabric with the help of metallic sections coupled with powerful engines.

There are a couple of ideal sewing machines for sewing nylon:

• Singer 99;
• Kenmore 158.

In addition, if you have an HD sewing machine it is also okay, as they are designed for heavy-duty and are able to cope with rough and solid ripstop nylon.

Naturally, there are plenty of sewing machines, which deal with this kind of fabric, so it is better to consult with your vendor.

How to sew Ripstop Nylon?

After the preparation of the appropriate sewing tools, you can begin sewing everything you desire with this thick material and the kind of the seams would be up to the product you would create.

Anyway, you should try your sewing devices, the size of the seams, and the stitch length prior to starting to sew.

It is obvious that plenty of technical details are up to the type of the product, notwithstanding there are some common pieces of advice:

Stitch straightforward

Any type of ripstop nylon possesses noticeable reinforcing braiding in a grating template. That is why it is better to sew straight through these strings as it looks more attractive on the end project.

Take into account that ripstop fabrics as a rule stretch out diagonally and it is normal that you are not able to sew straight every time.

Lengthy stitches

Regardless of the selected type of stitches, you should not create a small stitch length even if it seems to you that the stitches would be firmer. Having made this mistake, you will vice versa get unstable stitches.

Additionally, the ripstop fabric might begin tearing betwixt the seams or you could obtain folds. It is a great option to sew ten stitches per inch or fewer. You should also keep a seam allowance.

Strengthening the stitches

As a rule, it is great to implement a zigzag seam while operating with thicker nylon. On the other hand, it is always good to utilize a top seam in order to provide a one-of-a-kind appearance to your handiwork. Enhancement of the stitches is particularly relevant when the finished product will have to withstand the weight.

Stitching Ripstop Nylon Manually

First of all, you should exploit nylon thread as it is rigid, and solid, and glides across the tissue very readily. Here is a tiny instruction for stitching ripstop nylon manually:

1. String the nylon thread through the hole of the needle approximately by half to ensure you possess a binary thread passing through the tissue.
2. The needle must be size 18 in order to put the needle in the tissue readily.
3. Utilize a thimble.
4. Utilize approximately 2 feet of the thread.
5. Begin stitching next to the external edges of the webbing and keep going until you have finished.
6. Then, link an upper node in the thread. In case of obtaining extra thread, you should merely chop it off.
7. In addition, it is better to utilize pincers in order to push the needle through the ripstop fabric as the needle is slick enough.

And that is all! Your fabric is stitched.

Is it Possible to Stitch Nylon Strap?

Of course, it is possible to stitch a strap made from this sort of fabric, but it is better to do it using your stitching machine, but not manually. Furthermore, you will definitely need an HD stitching machine, as they were designed for operating with complicated fabrics such as ripstop nylon.

Stitching Ripstop Nylon Webbing Manually

In order to do it you need to prepare some tools:

• thimble (to prevent your fingertip from hurting);
• pincers (for pushing the needle through the fabric as it is slick).

On the other hand, if your hands are strong enough and you are confident in your skills you may not utilize them.

In the case of utilizing a stitching machine, upholstery, as well as nylon threads, are the best variants. These sorts of threads ensure the most powerful maintenance In addition, you have to monitor the engine in order to ensure you aren’t overstaining and combusting it. You require an appropriate stitching machine to cope with the nylon webbing as not everyone is suitable for this purpose.

So, if you do not possess a proper one, never mind! You can do it manually.

1. Begin with the seam located approximately 1/16 inches from the prior seam.
2. Be convinced your thread is passing the whole path through two coats.
3. Additionally, you are able to strengthen the seams utilizing an “X” betwixt the seam lines.

Several Tiny Advice on How Properly Handle the Nylon

There are some tiny tips for sewing which will facilitate your sewing and assist to obtain an ideal finished product:

Do not wash it before sewing

It is not necessary to wash ripstop nylon (in particular water-repellent ones) as the material could decline. Of course, it depends on you to follow or not to follow this instruction.

You could still test a medium heating setting on your washing machine or tumble dryer, notwithstanding, watch your step, particularly when you possess a coated ripstop. An excessively rigid laundering may influence water-repellent features.

Use caution while pressing nylon

First of all, do not fold it in order to avoid folds. If this could not be avoided, find out the instructions regarding ironing, which applies to your particular type of nylon, and try it on the sample piece of fabric.

In case you did not find the appropriate instruction, utilize lower heating of the iron. Be particularly vigilant with the ripstop nylon with the coverage. In case your cloth is sensitive to heating, spray a bit of water on it.

Try the tips on a sample cloth firstly

You should remember that there are diverse formulations, coverages, and weighing as well as producers, therefore what operates with one kind, may not operate with the other. So, you should always try everything on before starting to sew your main project.

Get rid of the tailors’ pins

Tailors’ pins create cavities in the proposed material, therefore you should fix them solely in the seam allowance or utilize tissue tape or special adhesive in place of them. Of course, you are able to utilize tailors’ pins if you desire, nevertheless choose a thin and sharp one that would poke through your cloth with minimum damage.

How to reduce outwearing of the edges?

It can be implemented in several ways:

• cauterize the edges utilizing a flame of the candle;
• utilizing a hot knife;
• inserting a zig-zag seam.

Utilize appropriate means for markup

Try any instrument for marking on a sample cloth before utilizing it on the main one in order to check if it can be readily cleaned. You can utilize:

• chalk;
• hydrosoluble highlighter.

Select an appropriate presser foot

Ripstop nylon fits such types of presser feet as:

• walking foot;
• roller foot;
• non-stick foot.

They uphold the coats feeding straight and avoid clinging the ripstop to the foot.

Choose an appropriate thread

The best option is a polyester and nylon thread. Utilize a similar string in the bobbin case and pick the coloring that is suitable for the ripstop nylon.

Set up your sewing machine correctly

If you adhere to the instruction below, you will reduce the appearance of folds on the ripstop nylon and obtain a qualitative and solid stitch.

1. To begin with, select a seam with the median length (approximately 2,5 millimeters) and sew gently as the tiny length of the stitch can be harmful due to the excessive amount of needle infiltration.
2. Additionally, keep the tips of the thread using your fingertips while you sew your first stitch in order to prevent the ripstop nylon from being stuck. You can utilize reverse seaming in place of stitching for strengthening at the edges of your lines.
3. Keep the cloth tightly on two aspects of the presser foot and assist to direct the cloth.

Create as well as Neaten Stitches and Hems

Simple or double-stitched seams are circulated for this ripstop fabric. There are also other variants such as:

• double-fold stitches;
• French seams;
• topstitched stitches;
• welt stitches etc.

When you start to sew a hem, you should neaten the ends to avoid wearing them out in order to wrap the raw ends.

Before I get into the final part few more sewing guides for you –

Conclusion

Of course, it is not an easy job to sew ripstop nylon as it is thick enough as well as slick. It is also complicated to push the needle through the fabric.

On the other hand, in this article, you uncovered a lot of advice on how to operate the ripstop nylon properly and now you need merely your patience, appropriate sewing devices, and a lot of practice.

You will certainly succeed! Good luck!

Helen Grant

Hello! My name is Helen Grant. I am glad to welcome you on my site about sewing. If you came here then you are probably interested in the sewing craft and everything connected with it. On my site you will find visual aids for sewing, subtleties and secrets. I worked as a seamstress for a long time and helped a lot of girls to master this profession in my footsteps. All who used my personal secrets, life hacks, now have an excellent reputation, have reached great heights and independently conduct master classes for beginners. If you are interested in the topic of sewing, sewing life hacks, as well as detailed analyzes of sewing machines and materials, then you are definitely in the right place!