Machine-sewing with PVC

im not sure mabye if you put masking tape on then tear it of after you have sewn

hi pandora!
for pvc/patent you can also use baking sheets cut in strips. also liquid soap (which i definitely recommend!) works really good, but is a bit... yeah, soapy and sticky. just wash it of after you sewed and don´t forget to clean the sewer foot. some people told me it works when you stick some adhesive tape to the foot, but i never tried... there are also special foots for materials like these or leather. they have an additional transport system on the upper side.
hope it works and your skirt will turn out well!!

Ah. Thank you both.

I think I'll avoid the liquid soap - I'm cautious of using liquids near electricity - but I'll try masking tape and baking sheets on some off-cuts and see what works best for me.

Cheers!

Hi Pandora. I would go with the masking tape. Draw exactly on it where you are sewing the seam and tape both sides. If you make your garment up too small the stitch line will show if you have to unpick it. Err on the side of caution.
Make sure your toothed dog foot plate is lowered so that you have more space under the foot and the fabric doesn't get crushed. There is usually a setting for this on top of your machine with numbers ranging from 0 - 8. Set about 1 or 2 after testing on scrap fabric.
It's a bit like sewing with leather so use a ball leather machine needle as it will stop the risk of the material splitting where the needle goes in.
You could use a fine hard wax on the needle to help with the stitching. I have some called Burr Wax. It's for jewelery saws and burrs but is brilliant for stopping drag that is created by the sticky on the tape. A church candle is about the same consistancy. The wax has to be hard and brittle as normal candles are too soft.
After sewing a long seam clean your needle with a little nail varnish remover to get sticky off and re-wax. It may take a bit longer but it will save a lot of hassle and torn fabric.

Hope this helps

Ooh! Very useful. Thanks Sheila!

I've got plenty of offcuts, so now I just need a free evening to give it a try

Your'e welcome Pandora. The most important thing is the machine needle

More advice please

Masking tape works very well at feeding the fabric through the machine (and helps keep the hem together since I can't use an iron or pins!).

But on my practice pieces when I come to remove the tape, some stray fragments of tape get caught in the stitching. Any advice on removal? Or do I just need long nails and patience?

I find a seam ripper is good for gently getting the stray bits off. If you use it to score alongside the seam then the tape rips more evenly from each side. It's good for getting to the tiny bits too.
You can also loosen the stuck bits by using a piece of sticky tape wrapped round your fingers. Press firmly onto the bit and lift up with a flick of your wrist. A bit like fluff removal.
Try both ways as it depends on how long and tight your stitches are

Thank you again. Both things that wouldn't have occured to me.

Has anyone told you how much of a star you are recently? Because you are!

Awww....*blushes* Years of trial and error sweetie....LOL