Sewing performance of stretch denim

The elastic yarns and fabrics are gaining popularity in last few years all over the world because of their wearing comfort and functionality. The elastane ratio and the subsequent finishing processes influence the fabric mechanical properties and hence performance during sewing. In this paper an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of Lycra percentage, type of sewing thread and silicone finish on sewability of denim fabrics. The seam efficiency was found to be increased with Lycra percentage, while the seam pucker and needle damage were affected by the weights of the fabric rather than the Lycra percentage. The seam slippage does not show any trend with either of the Lycra percentage or fabric weight. The use of silicone finish reduces the seam efficiency, seam pucker and needle damage while the seam slippage is increased. The use of cores pun thread though helps to achieve higher seam efficiency; the seam pucker, seam slippage and needle damage is increased.