Questions & Answers

How do I minimize pilling on felt? I create toys for the children using felt. After they have they have played with the toys for a while, pilling is occurring.

Be sure that you use 100 percent wool felt to prevent pilling. Craft felt will pill because it usually made up of a mix of artificial fibers.

How do I know what size pattern to use? Is there a difference in sizing in patterns versus ready to wear?

Do not buy patterns in your ready to wear size. Take your measurements. Dresses and tops are bought according to your bust size, and skirts are bought according to your waist size. Kwik Sew and Burda are usually true to size. McCall's, Butterick and Vogue use the same sizing. And Simplicity is a little different. Experiment with the different companies and see what works best for you.

When should I use pinking shears?

Use pinking sheers only on stable frabrics. Do not use pinking shears on fabrics that are prone raveling. These fabrics need to a clean finish either by hand, machine or made into fully lined garments. I suggest the Hong Kong finish for very ravelly fabrics such as tweed.

Never use pinking sheers for cutting out. They do not provide accurate cutting. They promote raveling on certain fabrics, such as silk dupion, satins, and heavy tweeds.

How do I resize a pattern?

Go to this link for easy instructions on how to resize a pattern:
www.sensibility.com/pattern/resizepatter.htm

What does "with nap" and "without nap" mean?

With nap means with a one way pile as with velvet. Lay all of the pattern pieces out the same way up or the pile will go in different directions on the garment and look terrible.

Book Recommendations

I highly recommend these books by JoAnn Gagnon. She will teach you step by step how to sew on the machine. In Stitches & Pins, A Beginning Sewing Book for Girls, she goes over the features of your sewing machine. Lists the important sewing supplies that are needed. She talks about fabrics, how to read a pattern, pinning, proper sitting position. She has you practice on paper first, learning to backstitch, turn corners and zig-zag stitching. She goes over pattern layout and cutting. You will make a pillowcase, Bible or book cover, tote bag, laundry bag, potholder, doll quilt, bias tape, hostess apron, bound blanket, elastic waist skirt, reversible vest, purse, pajama bottoms or shorts, how to apply facing, how to sew tubes, pajama top or nightshirt. There are tips interspersed throughout the book as well as very clear instructions on how to make each of these projects. This book would be appropriate for children or adults who are just beginning to learn how to sew. This is the book I use to teach my children how to machine sew. An adult or older child could actually teach themselves.

Pins and Needles is for intermediate sewers. And Buckles & Bobbins is for teaching boys to sew.

Sew What Skirts is such an awesome book. There are several different skirt styles that you can make without ever having to buy a pattern. It shows you how to make a quick pattern exactly to your measurements. I was so surprised how easy it was. And the fit is perfect. If you love skirts, then this book is a must have.

Quick and Easy Sundresses

 

 

 

 

These sweet little sundresses are so quick and easy to make. You can easily make the pattern yourself and whip one up today. I'll tell you how. I got the idea from Xue-Originals. She made some for her daughter. I thought they were so adorable that I just had to make some for my Little Miss 8. Now you can too! This little dress can be worn loose without the tie at the waist or with the tie. It's adorable either way.

First I got a pillow case to use as a guide for making my own pattern. I held it up to Little Miss 8 and measured how long compared to the pillowcase I would like it to be. Folded up the pillow case at the bottom to where we wanted the hem to be. I also marked on the pillowcase where the armhole should be and how high the slits should come up at the bottom, one on each side.

Then I laid it down on the paper I would use to make the pattern on. (I bought a roll of examination table paper from a medical supply store. I use this to trace and make patterns. It's also great to give the kids to use for tracing paper when they want to trace a picture from a book.) I folded the pillow case in on the sides about two inches on each side to take in some of the fullness. I then traced around the pillow case.

I transferred the markings for the armhole and slit placements onto the paper pattern, and wrote "top" at the top of the pattern.

I folded my fabric with right sides together, pinned the pattern down and cut it out..

With a fabric marking pencil, I marked the placement of the arm holes and slits.

Then to mark which end is the top and right side of the fabric, I attached a safety pin about four inches down from the top edge on the right side of the fabric.

Some of the fabrics I used were see through; so I wanted to line them. I decided that lining with an underlining would be the quickest and easiest method. I used some white cotton fabric for the lining. Cut it out with the same pattern. I did not mark the armhole and slit placement. I placed the lining on top of the wrong side of the fashion fabric. Pinned them together. Then I serged all around the edges of the two pieces joining them together. Then when sewing the dress, I treated each lined piece as a single piece of fabric. If you don't have a serger, you can attach them with a zig zag stitch on your sewing machine. I learned about this method of lining with an underlining from the book Sew Fast, Faster, Fastest Timesaving Techniques and Shortcuts for Busy Sewers by Sue Hausmann. The serger I have is a White Superlock. I love it! It is one of the easiest out there to thread. The thread guides are color coded. It uses regular sewing machine needles. It comes with an instructional VHS which is very easier to understand. It is very reasonably priced and is known for it's reliability. I have never had any mechanical problems in the few years that I've owned it.

Then with right sides together on the sewing machine I sewed up the side seams from slit to arm hole markings, leaving below the slit markings and above the armhole markings free. So basically, it looks like you have side slits on the top and bottom.

Now, on the bottom of the dress, I folded in the side edges of the slits to the wrong side of the fabric, pinned and stitched in place. I did the same with the slits for the arm holes. Then I folded up the bottom twice, pinned and stitched the hem.

On the top, I folded the top front and back down to make a casing, pinned and stitched.

Then using the same fabric as I used for the dress, I made a tie for the waist, one for a head band and two long tubes to go through the front and back casing to make spaghetti straps. Measure how long you need your strips for these things to be. For the spaghetti straps, I cut the strips 1 1/2 inches wide, and 2 inches wide for the waist tie and hair ribbon. Fold your strips in half with right sides together. Stitch near the edge, turn, push the tip of the fabric inside the tube at the ends. Stitch the ends closed. Press. To make the turning of the tubes much faster and easier, I used a Fasturn. It's turns the tubes within mere seconds.

Feed the spaghetti straps through the casing, adjust the gathers, and tie over the shoulders when on. To making feeding the tube through the casing much easier and faster, I use a tool called a bodkin. It's much more efficient than using a safety pin. It takes seconds as well.

I have five or six more of these little dresses cut out and ready to sew. I will post pictures of them as I get them done.

Questions & Answers

What is the best way to cut knit fabrics?

Use a rotary mat and rotary cutter to cut your knit fabric pieces.
But watch your fingers! It will be easier to maneuver around the curves if you use a small cutter with a fresh blade. Use Pattern weights to keep everything in place while cutting.

What is an easy way to do interfacing?

Interfacing can be very time consuming when cutting out each piece to be interfaced individually, then ironing the interfacing on indivdually. I have found an easier way to interface. It's similar to laminating. Use fusible tricot to interface most items. Press the interfacing onto the back of a piece of the fashion fabric large enough to cut out all facings or interfaced items. When they are cut, they will be exactly matched in size since they were cut as one. This saves a lot of time.

How do I prevent jamming at the beginning of my seam?

When you first start to sew your seam, hold on to your thread tails, your needle and bobbin threads, for the first few stitches, then you may release. This will prevent the fabric from being pulled into the throat plate and jamming. You can also start sewing on a little square of fabric that you place just ahead of your actually project you are sewing on.



It's not always easy to tell which is the right side of the fabric. What is the best way to mark the right side?

Put a safety pin in the seam allowance on the right side of the fabric on each piece to be able quickly identify which is the right side.

I am a beginner sewer, and I always seem to have trouble fitting the collar to the shirt or top. What is an easy way to do collars?

The thing to do when you are doing collars is to really take your time, go nice and slow. Baste if you feel it's necessary. Before sewing, measure everything and then make sure both sides match.

When I do collars, I prefer to do a wrapped corner. Wrapped corners give corner seams a nice "point" instead of a "bunched" corner. A normal corner is sewn by stitching down one side -- pivoting -- and sewing down the second side. Trimming seam and turning right side out.

Wrapped Corner is a multi-step procedure:
1. With right sides together, stitch the seam of one side. Trim seam. Press seam toward back or facing.
2. Understitch seam if possible (stitching seam allowance to facing)
3. With right sides together, line up second seam. The first seam line will now be on a folded edge.
4. Stitch second seam. Trim seam allowance.
5. At intersection of the two seam allowances, fold second seam so it leaves a square corner.
6. Turn project right side out, keeping the intersection at the corner folded.
7. With point turner carefully push corner out -- keeping corner smooth.

Note: You should have a smooth even corner without any "bunching" in the corner.
Note: If corner does not appear smooth, turn back inside out and re-fold corner and turn again.

This is a great technique to use when making vests to get perfect points.

Sewing Machine Meme

Beth at Sew Mama Sew has been compiling a list of posts organized by sewing machine brand. It will be very helpful to refer to when you are in the market for a new machine. Below I have answered questions about the machine that I use, and Beth will add this along with the others they receive.

What brand and model do you have?

I have a Kenmore Model No. 385 16524000.

How long have you had it?

I've had it for about eight and a half years.

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?

I (I mean my dad) paid approximately $275 for it.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

I mostly sew clothing.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?

My sewing goes in spurts. I will go long periods where I don't sew; then I'll have periods where I am sewing every day for a few hours. I would say on the average I probably sew five hours or less per week of actual sewing time when you take into account the time of laying out patterns, cutting, etc.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?

I enjoy my machine. It has never given me a problem. It is adequate for my needs. At this point, my only lack with this machine is that it takes four steps to do a button hole. I would love it if it would do a button hole in one step. To me, that would be awesome. The newer Kenmore's do have a one-step button hole feature. My machine does not have a name; so I guess we are not in love.

What features does your machine have that work well for you?

I mostly just us the basic stitches, straight stitch and zig zag stitch. It has a few decorative stitches, stretch blind stitch, shell tuck stitch, elastic stitch. It has the capability to use a twin needle, which I do use from time to time and love using. It has a free arm, which comes in handy; a thread cutter, yea; and a thread tension dial, and of course the reverse sewing lever. So it's a good basic machine.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?

No. Everything works fine.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!

My dad bought me this machine before he passed away. We went to Sears together, and he helped me pick it out. So when I sew, I always think of him. It would be hard for me to get rid of this machine for that reason. If I ever upgrade, I could see myself passing it on to one of my daughters; or keeping for my grandchildren to sew on, when I have grandchildren, that is.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

Yes. I would recommend this machine to others because it has been a solid machine. I have never had a problem with it, and I have never had to take it in for servicing.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

I would just say that it's important to think about what type of sewing you will be doing and what features you would "need." I would get a machine that meets those qualifications. I wouldn't get a machine with a lot of features and bells and whistles that you know you won't use. You'll just be spending more money. I don't think the machine has be to very expensive to be a great machine. You don't need lots of fancy stitches unless you know you'll use them. Most people only use the straight and zig zag stitches. So don't go to the extra expense if you don't need to. But if you'll be doing projects that are more heavy duty, with lots of layers, and many, many hours of use, you may need a more expensive machine. So just find out what the machines you are considering are capable of, how much power they, can they handle the type of sewing that you will be doing?

Do you have a dream machine?

At this point I do not have a dream machine. I have been very content with this one.

Question & Answer Roundup

I received several excellent questions, more than 20 to be exact. I received the majority by email. I will post five of them today. I will continue to post more in the days to come.


How can you do a mitered hem on say a shirt where you have a "V" corner and you want to get a perfect corner?

Like this:
http://sewing.about.com/od/homedecprojects/ss/clothnapkin_3.htm


or this:

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/needlework/Sewing-Handicraft-For-Girls/Exercise-No-26-Mitered-Corner.html


I was wondering, in your opinion, what would be a good sewing or cutting table to get when one has space limitations and to prevent back strain? Meaning, should it be below the waist, waist-level, or something else?

For sit-down work, try a 24-inch to 26-inch height table such as a folding card table.
If standing to cut, you'll need extra height: about 30 inches for sewers under 5 ft. 4 in.; 33 in. to 35 in. for those 5 ft. 5 in. and above; and up to 37 inc. or more for taller people. Try a height slightly lower than you waistline. You can experiment by boosting the card table with books.
Typically the best height for a cutting surface is a standard kitchen work surface. You don't want to be bending over it. Three inches below your elbow would be ideal. You can wear shoes to get to the proper height.
Many people use the dining room table or the floor, but neither of these is ideal and will cause back strain. So if space is an issue, you could actually place your cutting board on your kitchen work surface to do your laying and cutting of patterns and fabric. If this is not an option and you have it in your budget, there are several ready-made tables available to home sewers that fold up or down and don't take up much space when collasped. Then you could use a fold-up card table for sewing that can be put away when done.

Can you tell me where I can find plus size vintage patterns?

Check out these sites: Mom's Patterns; Lanetz Living and Out of the Ashes. They all have ways to (a) search by bust size or (b) use the search terms "plus size."

Carolyn over at www.diaryofasewingfanatic.blogspot.com sews a few vintage plus size patterns. You may be able to scroll down through her older posts to find her sources or even ask her.

Booty Vintage on Etsy specializes in larger size patterns. www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=100606

Marge at Born Too Late Vintage has plenty of larger sized patterns. www.rubylane.com/shops/borntoolatevintage

Also try www.zipzapkap.etsy.com . The sections are organized by size; so you can jump straight into something that will fit.

Patterns from the Past has patterns for patterns for above 40-inch bust. Some of the patterns go up to a 48-inch bust.

Eema-le at www.ninjaeema.etsy.com has some plus size 80s patterns in her Etsy shop.

You can also try Ebay. When searching Ebay for a pattern, it's really helpful to put the bust size in the search; for example, "vintage pattern b44."

How do you quickly cool a hot iron when you want to change heat settings from cotton to synthetic, for example to prevent scorching or melting your project?

It's so simple. Just use the burst of steam function which works instantly to remove excess heat from the iron. Much more effective and less messy than using a damp terry cloth towel.

How do I keep knit fabric from bunching when I sew?

Place strips of tissue paper on top of the seam, then sew. This will also prevent skipped stitches.

Simplicity 6667

This is the pattern I used for the Lady in Lavender post below. For some reason I wasn't able to get the pattern image in the same post with the photos.

Lady in Lavender

 

 

 

 

This is my version of the 1974 Simplicity 6667. I found the pattern in an antique store. I made the dress using a cotton material. I chose View 2 but with the shorter sleeves. The dress is above the waistline, v-shaped neckline, vestee, back zipper and ruffles on the sleeve hem and the neckline. If I make this again, I will make the knee length version in a flowey fabric.

One Lovely Blog Award

Jackie from Sewing By Jackie has granted me the "One Lovely Blog Award." Thank you so very much! The rules to pass the award on to others is as follows:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2) Pass the award on to 5 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
I have just recently discovered the blogs listed below. I pass the award on to:

Xue-Originals

DJ Store Room

Grosgrain

Sew For Fun

and

Another Creation

Simplicity Historic Costumes 4739

I made this sweet little dress for Miss 8. She loves to wear it. I used the now discontinued Simplicity Historic Costumes Pattern #4739, Civil War Growth Dress. The dress is made of cotton. For the elastic casing around the neckline, waist, and arms, I used bias tape. I also used the same color bias tape as a trim for the hem.

Sewing Tips From My Readers

Here are sewing tips from my readers that were posted in the comment section during the 2009 Sew Mama Sew May Giveaway. Thank you to all who submitted a sewing tip. I've enjoyed reading them and have actually learned a few things that I did not know. I am sure your tips will help others. If any of you ever have any sewing tips you would like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comment section of any post. I am always looking for ways to better my sewing.

Amanda said...
My sewing tip is....
Quality cotton is worth it's weight in gold. Don't be tempted to buy the cheap and nasty rolls of $1 cotton from the cheap shop. You will regret it and be forever having to rethread your machine if you do.

jkubenka said...
My favorite sewing tip is keep your scissors sharp! Sharp scissors really help smooth the whole cutting process, no matter what sort of fabric you are working with.

Julia said...
My DD saves her baby food little plastic containers for me to use for all sorts of things. I always keep a bunch of pins on my ironing board in one of them, as well as one next to my sewing machine. I plan to sort all of my buttons by color using them.

McVal said...
My sewing tip is to have a magnetic pin holder. Then you won't accidentally knock it off the table three times per project and have to pick them all up by hand. If they do fall off the table and manage to disengage from the magnet, it's a snap to pick them up.

Laranoelle said...
Always take the time to iron during your sewing projects. Even if it doesn't seem like it would matter.....it always does (and ends up better if you do)! It pays to take the time to do the job right.

Loralynn said...
My favorite sewing tip is to iron your seams flat before opening or ironing to one side. The heat "sets" the stitches taking out any wobbles in the seam.

Karen said...
My most recent personal "revelation" for my sewing room is that I tend to use what I can see in terms of supplies. A couple of years ago I moved all of the fabric out of plastic boxes and organized it by color in stacks on shelves in my craft closet. That opened up all new possibilities to me in terms of combinations for both quilting and sewing. Then I moved my thread out of boxes onto thread spindle holders on the wall, and recently, I moved all of my zippers out of a box and into canning jars, organized by color. I just love seeing what I have so that I can use what is best for each project!

Kristine said...
My tip is for tracing patterns and adding seam allowances easily. Take two pencils (or marking tools of your choice) and place popsicle sticks or strips of corrugated cardboard between them, the width of your desired seam allowance. Tape the pencils and "spacers" all together, and now when you trace the seam line, the cutting line will automatically be marked also!

Jules @ MoonCat Farms said...
I think one of my tips is using fishing tackle boxes to store my notions in. They are kept very organized & I can grab the box and take it with me when I need to.

Baba said...
My sewing tip would be to have a trash bag handy to catch scraps to sort through for other uses later.

Becky said...
My advice is to go slow! No matter how long you have been sewing, no matter how many times you have used a technique it still pays to take your time. And get your sewing machine tuned up yearly - twice a year if you sew every day!

Valerie said...
Just started following! My tip is to use two mil plastic drop cloth sheeting to copy patterns onto to preserve them found in any hardware store. It is see through, and a sharpie marks on it well. DO NOT IRON THEM. You can smooth out wrinkles with your hands. Great for grading as well, and it works just like tissue paper does.

Rhonda said...
My tip would be to store vintage patterns in quart size ziplock bags. Some of the envelopes of mine are torn and this protects them from further damage.
Thanks!

Modest Mom said...
My favorite sewing tip -- slow down! I make far fewer mistakes if I just take my time.

BKelly said...
I don't have a lot of tips as I am new to sewing, but I guess the one that I learned is that it is really important to iron along the way. It actually makes things much easier in the long run.
Heck, the only thing I use the iron for is sewing!

Maesha said...
Hi, Trudy. I'm also very new to sewing, but so far I've seen that one really needs to buy a quality machine. I tried sewing with my grandmother's 75 year old sewing machine, and it was horrid!

Brittany said...
I'm also a homeschooler (both a teacher now and a student then), and I learned to sew the same way: by watching my mother. I figured out the rest myself, so I'm the one who's really in need of some good tips! I guess my tip would be to make a pattern if you're making something new so you won't have to figure it out all over again the next time. Whether I follow my own tip is another matter entirely!

MaryAnne said...
My sewing tip is to always take time to pin before sewing. I tried to get away without doing that for years, and the mistakes I made always took more time to fix than pinning would have taken in the first place!

Yoga with Gaileee, E-RYT said...
Make sure that you have the proper needle in your machine (opps, unlike me, who had a double knit needle, when I should have used a universal needle), for the appropriate fabric. (sigh)

Sage said...
My favorite tip is for cutting slippery fabrics. I smooth them out over a sheet of brown paper, then pin the pattern and cut through all layers. The paper keeps the fabric from sliding around. This has really improved the ease and accuracy of my cutting when I'm working with slippery fabrics.

thestitchinchicken said...
Hi Trudy! How great that you and your daughter both have blogs! I'm glad that I came by, I need to sew more clothes, and you're an inspiration to keep moving in that direction!

My tip is to get an organizer from the hardware store, that is used to store small nails, screws and other items, and use it on your sewing table. I have one with different sizes of drawers and I made labels for each one so everything stays organized and easy to find.

Agnes Nz said...
My sewing tip is... Use pinking shears to cut your fabrics. It is quick and easy, and you don't have to hem... (yes, I am lazy!)

suesueb said...
Enjoyed reading your blog-the sewing room videos, Betty Hutton song! My tip for you (which I don't think you need) is to read through the instructions first if you don't understand them totally. Then pin or baste so ripping is not so hard.

Tawny said...
Hmm. My favourite sewing tip varies from day to day depending on what I"m doing. Today, it's this: Stretch your fold over elastic a little bit while sewing onto a neckline or lingerie. Makes for a more appealing garment instead of it being all stretched out. I learned this the hard way of course.

A Joyful Chaos said...
My tip would be cut everything with a rotary cutter; so much faster. And then pin before you sew.

Yehudim said...
My favorite sewing tip is not mine, but I found it while browsing all these great blogs! It is an easy way to make your own bias tape. If you are interested in learning here is the link

http://creativelittledaisy.typepad.com/creative_little_daisy/2007/11/diy-version-of.html

Paul Thompson said...
As a beginning sewer, I recommend not putting a project away until it's finished....otherwise, it gets lost in the drawer of unfinished objects!

Ruth said...
A sewing tip----clean up your sewing room after every project and before starting another project. Ha, you should see my sewing room right now. I have piles everywhere. Piles of fabric remains from the past six projects, piles of thread, scraps, sewing tools, you name it. I need to take my own advice, don't I?!!!!

sewfunky said...
Don't use the dollar rolls of thread in your machine; they break easily and can frustrate you to no end!

Ni said...
I would say that measure twice to make sure you got it right.

Tanya said...
I used to give up on anything that needed to be unpicked; now I concentrate not on getting to the end result but on proceeding with patience and enjoying the process and making the best I can. So my tip is to breathe and don't swear at your sewing machine because that doesn't help!

Tammi said...
My favorite tip is- instead of backstitching, reduce your stitch length to very small at the end of your seam, it is a lot neater.

Cassie said...
My favorite sewing tip was for quilting to make sure you use starch as you are ironing your fabric; then when you cut, the fabric doesn't move so much on you. Your pieces will be the right size.

Esther said...
My tip would be don't be afraid to unpick but use a really good unpicker to do it. If you leave things that you aren't happy with, you will be less likely to sew next time. We all make mistakes, but the wonder of fabric is you can generally put it right or use it for something else!

It's A Wonderful said...
Hmmmm...don't spend too much on patterns. Buy lovely fabrics. Cheap fabric is cheap fabric.

Faye Lewis said...
My favorite tip is for buttonholes. To make pretty buttonholes that don't ravel, sew over each button hole twice. For jackets, I sometimes sew over three times. Works out great!

AllyJo said...
My best tips are old school, but I swear by them. I am a pinner...I pin, pin, pin; and I really believe it makes a big difference. Throw the rail road stakes away and invest in good pins. They changed my life. Press as you sew, press as you sew, press as you sew. It also helps to set the seam with some warmth; then press well. It seems to press cleaner if you set the seam.

Prairie Lady said...
Try on as you go so you can make adjustments along the way.