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Three tips you should know about and use... |
Or see them routinely performed by YouTubers.
These are tips that save time and headaches, but since they're not essential
processes, some of us may have been blithely unaware.
I have three such tips/techniques to share today, and none of them were known
to me until a few years ago. (One of them wasn't known to me until earlier
this year.)
Perhaps you know one or all of these, in which case I bow to your extensive
knowledge. For everyone else, may these tips lead to faster, easier and better
sewing in your future.
When I started watching YouTube sewing videos a few years ago, I saw this "snipping" trick being used and it's been my go to method ever since. Just fold the material in half and make a tiny narrow cut into the seam allowance.
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I don't think I've had a need to make ruffles or gathers since I made my
fabulous fabric flowers
years ago, but if I ever do come across that requirement in future, this
will be my new method. (I learned this trick from a fellow blogger only a
couple of months ago.)
'Til next...
Tip #1 for Marking Midpoints
Amost every sewing project that we take on requires us to find the
midpoint along a piece of fabric at various times.
The way that most of us do this is to measure and mark with a pen.
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| One way to mark a centre point... |
Even without knowing an alternative, I was never a fan of this method
because there are times when the mark isn't on the "right" side of the
fabric to be of any help, and there are times when it's almost
impossible to make a mark because of the fabric or the colour.
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| Better way to mark a centre point... |
When I started watching YouTube sewing videos a few years ago, I saw this "snipping" trick being used and it's been my go to method ever since. Just fold the material in half and make a tiny narrow cut into the seam allowance.
You don't need a marking pen, it's visible no matter what type of
fabric you're working with, and it's virtually foolproof.
Tip #2 for a Neat Top Thread Finish
One of the first things that I learned to do on a sewing machine was
to back tack at the completion of a line of sewing to anchor
the stitches. Then I'd snip the top thread close to the surface and yank
on the back thread to pull the upper thread to the other side.
It's that simple.
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| Pull on back thread to loosen the last "loop"... |
So it's not like I didn't know how this process worked. But there are
times when you may not want your stitching to have the "back tacked"
look to it at all. (Consider when you sew around a zipper box.)
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| Pull on the loop until thread comes free... |
In that case, you'll want to pull the top thread through to the back
without doing the backstitching and instead tie off the ends
neatly.
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| Knot the ends for a tidy looking top side... |
This is how you do it. Tug on the back thread until you loosen the last
loop. Pull up on the loop to bring the top thread to the back. Tie a knot.
Tip #3 for Making Gathers and Ruffles
If you're like me, you were taught to make gathers by stitching a long
basting stitch and then pulling on the threads. Now, whether the stitching
is done by hand or by machine, the thread is the unpredictable
element in that method.
Do you find yourself holding your breath as you tug on the ends of the
thread, hoping they don't snap??
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| Foolproof way to make easy gathers... |
Well, say goodbye to the endless stream of cursing that results when the
threads do snap. As long as your sewing machine is capable of a
zigzag stitch, you're good to go with this much better method.
I've seen it done with yarn but not being a knitter, I had no yarn in my
possession to give it a try. So I went into my little bag of "gimp" and
found this narrow satin ribbon to use instead.
As with the other tips, this is easy. Do a wide and long zigzag stitch
over whatever cordage you find and then you can gather with no fear of
thread breakage. (Oh, and tip #3A is to use dental floss if you're hand basting gathers; it'll hold up stronger than thread.)
Did you gain some knowledge today? If so, spread it around.
'Til next...
Great tips. I find my machine has backtack issues so I often need to pull the threads to the back for knoting. That was the method I learned for finishing the narrow point of darts. The other tips prove that this "old dog" can learn new tricks because i will incorporate all of these helpful skills.
ReplyDeleteLove the hints Rochelle! The center-point trick is so obvious that it scares me...since it never occurred to me, lol. (I have always folded and pinned the center point.) I do use the knotted thread, particularly on areas like bust points, and have read about dental floss gathering. THAT I want to try, although I actually enjoy gathering. (Even invisible 'gathering' in a sleeve head rather than sewing the sleeve in "flat", makes a truly 3-D sleeve.)
ReplyDeleteThere is power in all the little tricks! I'm usually perplexed when I read about fear-of-darts, but realize now that I never had problems because of back knotting the last stitch. Who knew?
But my grandmother "Nono" (just guess!) taught me the very best "trick" of all...press, press, press! No garment or quilt will look professional without a good press. I was 15 or 16 and she was right. Nono hated to sew or do anything domestic. I do have a beautiful quilt that she was forced (obliged?) to make when the New Jersey courthouse was completed in 1910. It's a lovely variation of a log cabin design, but I'm afraid to wash it because I fear that the reds will bleed. Any tricks for that? (I bought a box of Color Catcher but am afraid to use it...)
Yes! Tip to all beginner sewers: do not be lazy about pressing as you go/sew. Keep the iron nearby and ready as a companion to your sewing tools. And it's not just important in garments and quilts, many a "small thing" that I've made have required crisp edges.
DeleteIsn't it weird and wonderful about clipping the center point? So much easier and impossible to mess up. When I took apart the bag I remade for Mom back in the fall, I noticed that it had little cuts in the center point of its seams, so obviously it's a well known "trick".
Other from what you've already purchased for colour fastness and a cold water wash, I don't know what I can impart about washing your heirloom quilt. Maybe try dipping a corner first to see if it runs??
I have done the first 2 tips for years, but on the third tip about gathering, when I discovered a gathering presser foot years ago, that was the best way to gather for me and it makes even gathers, something I could never achieve with the thread pulling method. So maybe that is a tip for you Rochelle: a gathering presser foot?
ReplyDelete