10 Better Sewing Habits Your sewing habits can often make or break a project. Good habits enhance your results, while bad habits-which may at first seem rewarding-stymie success. In this article from Threads #164 (December '12/January '13), we asked our authors to share what they considered to be good habits for a better sewing experience. It's easy to believe that developing good habits requires herculean efforts. But to replace one behavior with another, you simply need to be aware of how you sew, rather than sewing on auto-pilot. Sewers sometimes drag a garment through the needle and feed dogs in an attempt to get a smooth, pucker-free seam or to move delicate fabric through the machine without snagging. To eliminate puckers the correct way, adjust your machine's tension setting, and use the correct needle and the correct size thread. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10next> View all
How to: Petersham Ribbon Waistband It’s been crazy here Dearhearts – so please, if my posts are a bit scatter-brained, forgive me. Now that you know all the in’s and out’s of petersham ribbon (see last week’s post), you can start applying it in various ways to different sewing projects you may have. This is but one way, I have more still to come! Step 1 ✂ For the waistband, you will need two lengths of petersham that is your waist measurement + 1/2″ for wearing ease + seam allowances. Step 2 ✂ Next, stitch the petersham facing waistband to the skirt lining. Step 3 ✂ Now, its time to add your zipper to the lining. Step 4 ✂ Time to add the skirt lining with the zipper to the outer skirt. Step 5 ✂ Once done with the zipper, all that’s left is to stitch the waistband facing to the outer waistband along the top edge and then stitch in the ditch just below the lower edge of the petersham. And from there, you’ll have a lovely petersham waistband and a beautifully inserted zipper to boot. Happy 1st day of December! xoxo, Sunni
Free Online Sewing Classes Whether you yearn to sew clothes, quilts, or decorative items, you can expand your skills and learn new techniques simply by turning on your computer and checking out a few free online sewing classes. There's no need to invest in expensive lessons when you have such a wide variety of free ones right at your fingertips. Free Video Sewing Lessons For people who prefer to see what they're learning, video lessons reign supreme. Teach Yourself to Sew by Judith Neukam One great resource for online lessons is Teach Yourself to Sew. Homeschool Blogger Beginning Sewing Series Another option is the Homeschool Blogger Beginning Sewing Series. Simplicity Sewing Videos Both new sewers and experienced stitchers will enjoy Simplicity Sewing Videos. The Crafty Gemini Free Sewing Classes If you're looking for great lessons that focus on learning how to complete projects, try The Crafty Gemini Free Sewing Classes. Burda Style Sewing Lessons Another great resource is Burda Style Sewing Lessons. eSewing Workshop
Off The Cuff ~Sewing Style~ How To Make An Easy and Cheap Shirt From Silk Scarves Wanna learn how to make a super cute and breezy summer top? What if I told you it only cost me about 3.50? And what if I told you it took me about 5 minutes?! I thought so. Guys, this shirt is a dream. It's super light weight and breezy. Here is how it works... You need: 2 silk scarves matching in size and color. My studio was way too messy for any good pictures of the process, so I used photoshop. So, here is a representation of my two scarves. I got home and washed them on delicate, then hung them to dry. You then layer the scarves on top of each other, right sides facing in. Basically, sew where you see the dotted lines. (But probably a bit more even..) Leave a big enough space for your head, the shirt is meant to be a bit "boat necked." Also, make sure you leave enough room for your arms, so it's loose and breezy. The shirt will naturally fall over your shoulders like sleeves. The scarf should already be hemmed when you buy it, so... that's all there is! Here is a bit of warning,
Resizing A Pattern Just when I thought I was too busy for anything except complaining about being so busy…I came up with a little tutorial sort of thing! After making the good witch of the west costume forced me back into my sewing area, I was motivated to tackle one of those projects that is easy to put off for a long, long time. Sometimes, even more than a year. This project is resizing a vintage coat pattern. During the great coat sew along I caught Marji fever (scroll down to the May 15th post) and purchased many vintage coat patterns. Then someone on PR made a fall coat out of corduroy… then I saw this fabulous wide-wale corduroy at a very good price…that also needed a home. Step 1: I went to the nearest Threads resource – mine happens to be in the sanctuary (a.k.a. sewing area, a.k.a mommy zone) – and read this article. All the other steps:Trace the original pattern and all markings (extend the grain lines the length of the piece at this point – I didn’t do this on the sleeves but should have).
19th C. Pocket Solutions Because You Have to Put Your iPhone Somewhere Reticule Pocket seen in 1875 Godey’s Hidden pockets. Wide pockets. Tiny pockets. Welt pockets. It truly is amazing the variety and locations of pockets in 19th Century clothing! For easy reference, let’s look at where our ancestors carried personal items in pockets sewn into their garments. Regency 1800-1820: 1800 Lady with Reticule Bag Before the Regency era, personal items were held in pocket bags that were tied underneath the petticoats (skirts) and accessed through slits in the sides. And what woman wouldn’t want a lovely new accessory to show off! c.1830 Muslin Dress with 1800-1825 Purple Silk Reticule Rarely would you find an attached pocket sewn into a Regency skirt seam. Romantic Era 1820-1840: 1838 Full Skirted Dresses I love this time period! As women’s skirts became fuller, reticules were still used but hand pockets were added into the side seams of skirts. Also, a new addition of a watch pocket is seen on surviving articles later in this period. Bustle Era 1870-1889:
Tutorial: Adding an elastic neckline. Sometimes a wide neckline can be softened a little by adding an elastic gather. I think it gives it a more playful finish to the garment. Great for casual tops. But as always, it's very important to do it correctly. The casing for the elastic will be created by bias binding.Leave a long tail for joining your pieces and pin to the right side of your fabric.Sew around the entire neckline stopping one or two inches back to allow room for joining your bias.I have set my bias in a small margin from the edge to allow for the overlocked edges I did. Press over your bias to the inner side of your garmentSew your second bias stitching row Feed elastic through casing.Tie off leaving a long tail.I finished my garment completely, tried it on and then adjusted the elastic.Join your elastic ends and close off your bias.
Start Our Free Online Sewing Class For Beginners Pages This Blog Linked From Here Start Our Free Online Sewing Class For Beginners Whether you just want to brush up on sewing or have never touched a sewing machine before, this is the place for you! lesson 5: How to Thread Your Machine lesson 6: How to Sew Straight, Curved, and Corners lesson 7: How to Sew a Basic Seamlesson 8: Trouble Shooting your Machine lesson 9: Basic Sewing Terms lesson 10: How to Fix Tension on Your Sewing Machinelesson 11: How to Read a Sewing Pattern Envelope ©Oh You Crafty Gal! Posted by Julie Sews Email ThisBlogThis! Labels: sewing, sewing school 23 comments: Paige MckenzieMay 13, 2013 at 5:49 PMThank you so much for this! Load more... Newer PostOlder PostHome
Making a Shirred-Back Dress, Part One: Modifying Your Pattern As promised! This technique isn't difficult, but it has a few parts, so I'm going to break it up into three posts. Part one is modifying a dress back pattern so it's the right size to be shirred with elastic thread. We're going to be talking about strappy and strapless patterns, so no full-coverage dress backs. You can modify a basic dress back bodice like so. Important: don't forget to add a seam allowance at the top of the new back pattern piece. If you're using a basic sloper or simple dress pattern, you'll also want to change the front. Or a simple straight front: Isn't patternmaking fun? We'll be shirring the whole back, rather than side back panels, which is often what you'll see on vintage sarong dress and rompers. With a fitted-waist skirt like a circle skirt or pencil skirt (or even fitted shorts for a romper), you'll still need a zipper. Now, close up the back darts and trace the pattern. Now you need to figure out how much extra width to add to accommodate the shirring.
The 30 Minute $6 Dress Tutorial | papernstitch - StumbleUpon Guest post by Rachael at Talk 2 the Trees. The perfect dress is hard to come by. I like my dresses to be cheap, and long enough. Here’s Your Supplies List: 1. Here’s How you Make it: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Here’s the tutorial in pictures… Believe it or not, this dress only took about 30 minutes to make. About the author.