Happiness Through Sewing
When I was in school I had a professor who always said that after you cut your fabric it’s all down hill, meaning the hard part is over. At first, I thought he was kidding but as the years went by I agreed with this bold statement until today that is when I had a […] Read more…
When I pull fabric off the shelf, or out of the dryer, it’s pretty wrinkly and needs to be ironed before cutting. Sometimes it’s still wonky after ironing. The grain is slightly twisting one way or the other. Right here I have an easy decision to make. 1. I line up the fabric best I […] Read more…
Why does it matter if the fabric you’re about to cut is lined up or trued or squared? And wait, what does that even mean? Fabric is made of threads and woven fabric (as opposed to knit fabric) is woven from threads. The looms are set up with lengthwise threads (the warp) and thread is […] Read more…
My button fell off, again. Not the same button, but a button from a dearly loved garment. Luckily it fell off in my presence and I was able to catch it. Buttons fall off store bought garments because they are sewn on by machines and machines can’t knot a thread properly. Sorry, robots, that’s just […] Read more…
Did you know that when you hand baste anything, any stitch (tailor baste stitch shown in picture) that you do not need to tie a knot in your thread? Just leave a long enough tail (3″) so you don’t accidentally pull out the first stitch when making subsequent stitches. By leaving off the knot you […] Read more…
1. It’s a Needle, Not a Harpoon Use the smallest needle for the weight of your fabric. Smaller needles give you better control over your stitches. Heavier weight and tighter weave fabrics need a strong needle but still choose the smallest strong needle you have. 2. Darker Thread Blends in Better When choosing which color […] Read more…
You know how pattern directions always tell you to clip the seam allowance of a corner off? Well their method of one snip across the corner works okay but this is what I learned in my first semester in Fashion Design classes. It’s that basic. You need to know this and it’s so simple you […] Read more…