How to Sew a French Seam ~ Expert Tips from Nancy Zieman. Nancy Zieman, Executive Producer and host of Public TV’s Sewing With Nancy, has compiled 100+ sewing methods and techniques in her new Nancy Zieman’s Sewing A to Z.
For more on Nancy Zieman’s Sewing A to Z, including a free PDF download of the entire Seam Finishes section of the book, visit our Sewing A to Z blog tour post. Nancy shares more tips and visuals today in an exclusive tutorial for Sew,Mama,Sew! Readers about French Seams. Once you can confidently sew French Seams you’ll find they are perfect for any number of sewing projects, from totes to pants for kids. Enjoy Nancy’s expertise, and be sure to check out Nancy Zieman’s Sewing A to Z! French Seams– Surprisingly Easy & Versatile ~ Nancy Zieman When I hear the term French Seams, my mind immediately pictures a silk or batiste blouse.
French seams enclose the raw edges, producing a neat, ravel-proof seam. Traditional French Seam, using a 5/8” seam allowance: 1. Trim the seam allowance close to the stitching. 2. SMSSewingAtoZ. Seam Finishes: Turned and Stitched. Earlier today, I did a turned-and-stitched seam finish on my Lonsdale Dress.
I’ll show you how I did it, breaking it down step-by-step with photos. This is a really tidy seam finish for stable fabrics like cotton. If your fabric presses well and holds a crease, this is a good solution for finishing the edges! Here’s what it looks like: And here’s how to do it! Repeat with the other side of the seam allowance. Now, take your work to the sewing machine. Sew close to the folded edge, all the way from top to bottom.
Now sew the other side. Backstitch at both ends. Seam Finishes Simplified. Tess has style.
She’s full of fun, creativity and her talents are limitless. She produced this comprehensive Seam Finishes Simplified guide to share some of her sewing expertise with all of us. Armed with this guide you can create even more style in your women’s clothing, incorporating finished seams for a more beautiful and sophisticated final product. Tess blogs at Made by Tess and she has a Made by Tess shop featuring beautiful pins, bags, aprons and much more.
Foot Book Club. It's time for you to start exploring the feet that come with your machine.
And what better way than to create a Foot Book. A Foot Book is a book that has pages dedicated to particular feet. You'll test out feet, stitch up some samples demonstrating techniques, then sew those into your pages. The final size is about 9" x 9" (or so...it doesn't really matter - mine is about 8 1/2" because I cut it too small!) Here is a Foot Book cover, complete with grommets and rings, made by one of my Foot Book Club members. Seven Essential Sewing Skills. Tasia from Sewaholic and Sewaholic Patterns wows us with her incredible style and sewing skills.
Her blog is one of our favorite daily reads! Have you seen all of the gorgeous versions of her Lonsdale Dress out there on Flickr, Pinterest and your favorite blogs, all sewn up this past summer? All About Decorative Stitches + Project. Maddie Kertay from Domestic Anarchy is back!
She shared the Sweet Dreams Nap Mat in our Back to School series, and today she fills us in on the worlds of possibility in all of those decorative stitches you might just have on your sewing machine. Learn more about Maddie in her introduction, and be sure to stop by Domestic Anarchy where she writes about her “obsessive love of sewing and crafting” and how to homeschool several kids while working from home, all while keeping sane and happy!
Today even the simplest mechanical sewing machine comes with at least a few decorative stitches built in; these are sometimes erroneously called “embroidery stitches.” These fancy stitches might include a nice blanket stitch or perhaps even a scallop or honeycomb stitch. More expensive machines come with perhaps 60 or more such stitches and possibly even multiple width options depending on the features included. Easy Applique: The Starch Method. Joanna from Fig Tree & Co. is one talented, busy woman!
She produces over 100 quilting, sewing and children’s patterns and design booklets, and she designs several fabric collections each year for Moda Fabrics. Joanna also regularly publishes a style magazine, Fresh Vintage, and travels to teach her quilting and sewing techniques. You can learn all about Joanna’s work on the Fig Tree & Co. site, and Joanna also blogs regularly at Fresh Figs.
(Be sure to check out her fun, recent posts from Quilt Market!). Today Joanna took a little time out of her busy schedule to share one of her favorite sewing techniques with us. Hello, Sew,Mama,Sew! Applique shapes, ready to sew! I have to admit to you that even though I am not much of a gadget girl, over the years I have fallen in love with a few techniques and shortcuts that I just can’t live without, and this process I’m sharing today is one of them.
At this point in my quilting journey this is my favorite and only method for doing applique. Magic Tube-Turning Trick. Dear Catherine, Congratulations on completing your first garment for yourself.
Well done! Now you are eligible to become a member of our top secret club and I can reveal to you the Magic Tube-Turning Trick. 1. Cut the fabric for your tube, adding about 1/2″ to what the instructions require. 2. 3. 4. 5. Shhh. . ~ Kristin « Pattern Review ~ Amelia Shirt PDF Pattern from Frog Legs & Ponytails Amy Butler & Kaffe Fassett Pool Highlights »
Grommet Tutorial.
Home Decor. Clothing. Kids. Christmas Projects. Totes/Bags/Wristlets. Continuous Bias Strip.