Fastening velcro to fabric?

[VanForNow]

I am trying to fasten velcro strips to fabric so it doesn't pull away. I tried gluing it to the fabric, but it still peeled off after a while. 

Any suggestions? I don't know how to sew, which is one alternative.

 

[highdesertranger]

sew by hand is not very hard. I can even do it believe it or not. mine doesn't look the best but it holds. highdesertranger

 

[LadyJo]

Fabri Tac is a specialty glue for fabric. It will hold really well. I think you will still need to be gentle pulling the Velcro apart. It does come in a small bottle so you can try it out before gluing everything.

https://www.amazon.com/Beacon-Fabri...159&s=gateway&sprefix=fabri+ta,aps,186&sr=8-6

A glue gun may work well. I have never tried it.

 

[Matlock]

Stop in a Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Joann Fabric Store and ask any Lady in sight to explain how to sew velcro to fabric. They will make sure the velcro your using is a medium strength version (one reason it might pull off of the fabric is your using a heavy duty velcro which probably is overkill). They will help you pick out a needle and the right thread weight and explain the process to you.
Or, be daring and go for the labor intensive trial and error method cause, your a guy right?

 

[VanTalk00]

I'm intrigued by this hand-held sewing machine.  Anybody have experience with something like this?  Seems like it would be good for us sewing newbies.

Jim

 

[VanTalk00]

^
Update - Just saw the Amazon reviews for this - not good - especially not for velcro.  Am now wondering about this leather/awning repair tool.  Anybody?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . wondering about this leather/awning repair tool.  Anybody?

They work well for repairing thick, heavy material.  Slow work.  The supplied needle is large and the thread is 18 ga. wax coated polyester(?).  If the material is light and your fingers strong enough it is much faster just using needle and thread.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Crazy idea but sometimes stapling could work.
Even glue and staple.
I've never had much luck with self adhesive Velcro either.
Possibly using another glue to boost the adhesion like shoe Goop found at Walmart which you will find handy for many other users as well.
Or a polyurethane based glue.
But sewing may be the only real solution.
Good luck.

 

[MrNoodly]

Or, be daring and go for the labor intensive trial and error method...

The modern building-dwelling default mode is to look for a gadget to solve a problem. But living a different way requires a different approach. Yes, do it by hand if at all possible. And backing up a step, is Velcro really the simplest, best solution, or is it just another gadget?

 

[SheepDog]

Sewing doesn’t have to be pretty to be strong/usable! I’d be surprised if you couldn’t find a couple videos about hand sewing and figure it out enough to fix everything by this evening!

Don’t try to sew through glue or self-stick Velcro you’ll have more frustrations than necessary.

Sewing is a very valuable skill that can save the day more times than you’d imagine! Also hand sewing can be done for very little money!

SD

 

[highdesertranger]

you all beat me to it. forget that toy sewing machine sewing by hand is a valuable skill on the road. for me sewing buttons on is a never ending task. also those speedy stitcher's are great for sewing heavy material and leather. I have two of them and I was going to link to them but you found them. highdesertranger

 

[cyndi]

The OP hasn't responded.
I have been wondering the same thing. I'm in a conversion van so sewing wouldn't work. I need the velcro to stick to the upholstered walls.
I'm going to try the glue LadyJo mentioned.
Thanks, LadyJo!

 

[B and C]

They make curved sewing needles that could be used to secure the velcro to your upholstered walls Cyndi: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=curved+s...582201&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_1yokz8q1wx_e

Dye the velcro to blend with the upholstery.

 

[maki2]

The first step is understanding the properties of Velcro. Velcro fabric is made from nylon. Nylon is not compatible with most adhesives which is most likely why the original poster of this thread had adhesive failure. They used a glue that did not stick to nylon and when you do that the Velcro will indeed peel off.

So if you want to glue Velcro to fabric then you need to choose an adhesive that does stick to nylon fabrics as well as to the fabric you wish to apply it to. I do know for a fact that E-6000 adheres well to Nylon, I have tested it. The company does make a variation of it called E-6000 Fabric Fuse. I have not tested it myself but it might work for attaching Velcro to other fabrics. The disadvantage for van dwellers is you have to lay the project out flat for 8 hours of drying time. That likely means using your bed for a drying table as it is probably the only place large enough in the average van build to lay out a curtain. But it is flexible, can do some stretching and it is washable too. Plus it can withstand the heat of a dryer or inside of a van in the summer.

Fortunately I can sew! Tip for you all....many senior centers have a room with at least one if not more sewing machines. Even if you don't know how to sew you will find senior women and men at the center who might want to earn some extra money sewing up your curtains. If they don't want to be paid then offer to make a donation to the senior center in their name. Or you might even end up getting a lesson in how to sew your own curtains.

 

[VanForNow]

Thanks for your tips, everyone. Personally, I think velcro is such great stuff, the inventor should have been given the Nobel Prize. I will try one of the specialized glues to finish the job.

 

[maki2]

I'm intrigued by this hand-held sewing machine.  Anybody have experience with something like this?  Seems like it would be good for us sewing newbies.

Jim

Hand sewing machines can only do a chain stitch and they won't do a reverse stitch. What that means is that when you finish a line of stitching if you were to pull on the thread the whole line of stitching will unzip itself. The way to avoid that is to leave extra long length of thread at the start and end of a row of stitches and then either tie them off with a knot or thread it into a hand sewing needle and make a few back stitches to secure the threads.

 

[VanTalk00]

I watched a video about using the Speedy Stitcher where they create a "lock" stitch for every stitch.  Seems like it would be slow going, but I suppose you'd get fast at it.  Would that eliminate the unraveling effect?    Wish I'd learned to use a sewing machine, but it wasn't done back in the day.  Our senior center does offer classes, so maybe I'll try it.

My intention is to skin my cabinets with canvas and velcro to the Irregularly shaped van walls where it makes sense.  Also, I'm going to make a thinsulate quilt to act as a night roof cover in the winter (recall my water is up top) and an awning in the summer.  Using a Speedy Stitcher to make a quilt seems torturous, but applying velcro patches seems to make sense.

Jim

 

[maki2]

Jim tools are tools. If you can accurately guide a piece of wood through a band saw or a scroll saw then you will be very good at using a sewing machine. The reverse is also true. I learned to sew when I was quite young. The first time I used a band saw I was amazingly accurate with it because it requires pretty much the same hand movements. As far as sewing lessons there are things to be learned that are  related to specific tasks in garment making and upholstery. But those are easily learned from books and videos.

The youtube website for Sailrite is a great one to learn useful sewing lessons that can be used for vans.

 

[maki2]

The speedy stitcher is slow to use but very handy for repairing things like boots and the leather areas on sails. It is best used on thick fabrics but not needed on thin fabrics where a regular needle and thread are much faster and better.

As far as learning to use a sewing machine. There are other skills that translate to using a sewing machine. For instance if you can use a bandsaw, jigsaw or scroll saw and follow a cut line then you will have no issues with learning to use a sewing machine. The opposite is also true, if you can sew then you will be good with those other types of tools, the hand movements are pretty much the same for guiding materials into the tools or the tool into the material.

I don't know what to say about the concept of it just not being done for a man to learn to sew. My mother taught my 3 brothers to sew and how to do mending so that they could look after themselves. I guess much of it depends on the parenting style and if the parents had sewing skills. But it has never been a solely female dominated skill. The majority of sail makers are still men, I can verify that fact as there are 3 sail making shops on the block where I am doing a van build. Tailoring was and still is a traditional male dominated occupation. Upholstery for airplanes, cars and houses was and still is male dominated. So both sexes do sewing and that has been true throughout history. The "maker spaces" all have sewing machines and give sewing lessons and both sexes think it is an important skill to have.

 

[cyndi]

Brian, thanks for that idea!