Taboo or kosher? The topic of sewing on paper often comes up when discussing sewing machine maintenance or needle selection. Whether we should or should not sew on paper has been out weighed by the fascination of creative uses of threads in scrapbooking, decorative note cards, clever paper gift tags, embellished gift bags and the good ol’ quilt piecing using paper piecing techniques.
Recently a tween-aged girl was dragged into the store while her mother looked at buying a new sewing machine. Obviously annoyed by the inconvenience of being seen with her mother in a sewing store of all places, she slumped down in a chair as far away as possible. Wanting her mother to not feel like she needed to rush out, I asked the daughter if by any chance she enjoyed scrapbooking. To my delight she said, YES! I quick picked up a couple pieces of cardstock paper, showed her how to access some of the decorative stitches on the nearest sewing machine and went back to help her mother. A few minutes later, I watched the daughter try out another sewing machine, pushing buttons and sewing out new stitches. By the time the mom and I were finished, the random scraps of paper had everything from rows of stitches to complete programmed names using the built in alphabets!
So is sewing on paper bad for a machine? One should take time to thoroughly clean out the bobbin case and hook area after extensive paper sewing. Also, a new needle would be in high order for the next sewing project!
Most any decorative stitch can be sewn on paper. First, select the decorative thread. Second, select the decorative stitch. When stitching on heavy paper stocks, light and airy stitches will not normally need any extra stabilizer. If the selected stitches are heavy satin stitches or numerous tiny stitches to create intricate floral details, a stabilizer would be best added underneath the paper. This will prevent the paper from being perforated or non-recognizable. If using thinner thread, a smaller needle will not leave such a large hole.
Try using a sewing machine, a large needle (16/100 or larger), and no thread in the needle or the bobbin to achieve decorative perforations in paper that can let light or another color of paper show through. These decorations can add simple yet delicate texture to any scrapbook page.
For an artistic gift idea, purchase a package of plain thank you notes. Using a decorative thread, stitch a decorative stitch along the lower edge of each thank you card. Place all cards back in the package and give as a gift!
Sewing on paper has been “legalized†in the sewing world ever since the start of paper piecing or sometimes referred to as foundation piecing. Though copy paper will work and tear away from the tiny stitches recommended for this paper piecing technique, new products such as Carol Doak’s Foundation Paper is much more suited for the sewing machine and for a much easier removal process. These 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheets of paper can be run through a copy machine or printer and sewn through with ease. Check out this paper at Carol Doaks website.
So whether doing a sewing event with the local Girl Scouts to teach them the art of sewing straight lines on paper, decorating a scrapbook page or enhancing gift cards with thread, sewing on paper with a sewing machine is just another way of expressing creativity! So, go ahead…sew on some paper today!
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