Sewing Machine Set Up Sheer Perfection

One of the difficulties of sewing with lightweight sheer fabric is that it tends to get drawn into the throat plate because of its softness. To prevent this from happening use a straight stitch throat plate and straight stitch presser foot. Use a short stitch length of 2mm and apply a bit of tension by pulling on the fabric slightly from behind as well as in front of the needle as you sew. I used the built in walking foot on my machine, which helped the fabric to feed evenly and prevented puckering. If puckering is a problem, sew over strips of tissue paper. Afterwards, gently separate the tissue paper from the stitching.

If you are still having difficulties with the fabric shifting or getting caught in the machine, a small amount of spray starch pressed along the edge of the fabric can make it easier to control. Test first to make sure that the starch does not stain the fabric. The spray starch will tend to soften after the fabric has been sewn and moved around a bit.