Feed Sack Fabric Sewing Hints

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by The Shadow J Ranch Feed Sack Store

Planning a project

The beauty of the final product can be greatly improved by selecting feed sack imagery that corresponds to the size and shape of the final product. Read all pattern instructions prior to beginning a project. This will help you understand the best way to use the vivid images on the feed sack to create your product.

Cutting Woven Polypropylene Fabric

Woven polypropylene feed sacks can be cut with regular scissors or a rotary cutting mat and blade.

Ironing Woven Polypropylene Fabric

Feed sacks often have wrinkles that can be ironed out. Woven polypropylene feed sacks CANNOT be ironed with the iron directly on the fabric. A damp towel must be placed between the fabric and the iron.

Pins and Needles

Pinning woven polypropylene fabric can be a real challenge. The fabric is very stiff and regular pins bend and often break. Binder clips and clothes pins are easier to use on corners and straight seams than straight pins.

It can also be difficult to remove straight pins from the fabric. Straight pins with a ball head are easier to grasp and remove than headless pins.

Sewing machine needles often bend and break when sewing multiple layers of woven polypropylene fabric. To reduce needle stress, sew slowly across changes in the thickness of the fabric being sewn and make sure the presser foot remains as level as possible.

Thread

Woven polypropylene fabric should be sewn using 100% polyester thread. Cotton threads or a blend of polyester and cotton thread tends to fray. Seams sewn with cotton or cotton blend threads tend to break apart under heavy loads in tote bags.

Crisp Seams

The look of the finished product is greatly enhanced if seams are pressed flat with your hands. Feed sack fabric is stiff and can hold very crisp seams pressed with your hands. The pattern instructions indicate areas where pressing seams flat will improve the sewing process or make the product look better.

Research good examples

Look at examples of similar products for ideas. See examples of our up-cycled feed sack products at:

Square Market Up-cycled Feed Sack Products and
Etsy Up-cycled Feed Sack Products.

All of our products are proudly made in Texas.