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Sewing Tips

Mastering These Basics Will Quickly Advance Your Skill Level

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There are some things that I have learned that will continue to help you no matter your skill level. Although they are basic things, by using these basic sewing ideas and tips, you can become more creative and continue to learn more advanced techniques.

Organization is Key

Although not a sewing skill, being organized can be a skill you develop that will help you with all your sewing projects. Before you start, gather all the supplies you will need for your project.

Keep them in one area so they are easy to find. When you are organized, everything goes smoother. One easy way is to use this cart with wheels to keep your materials in.

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You can move it closer to the area you will be laying everything out on.

Use Grainlines

The grain of the fabric is the weave that runs lengthwise. It will run parallel to the factory-finished edges. You must cut patterns on the grain for the garment to fit and hang correctly. 

Measuring every pattern piece’s grainline to the factory-finished edge is important before cutting the fabric. If making piping, you should only cut on the true bias, which is 45 degrees.

If you don’t cut straight or don’t cut on the true bias, it simply will not look right.

Don’t Sew Over Any Pins

It can be dangerous to sew over a pin because if the needle hits it, it could break off and enter your eye, which could result in losing your sight. If the pin doesn’t break, it could weaken, making your sewing machine needle dull.

Basic Thread Colors

If you have white, black, navy, and cream-colored threads, you could sew just about anything with these colors. You can expand these colors by adding forest green, medium yellow and a basic red.

If you aren’t sure what color to use, always use a darker thread than your fabric. You can buy spools of bulk thread with a wide range of colors.

Sharp Scissors

Make sure you have a sharp pair of scissors for cutting fabric and a smaller pair for cutting your thread. Keep the smaller pair by your machine and your fabric scissors on your cutting table.

It’s important that they are sharp so that you are tearing your fabric or ripping the edge on your thread.

Thimble

Always use a thimble when working with heavier fabrics when sewing by hand. If you don’t have a thimble, you may not be able to push the needle through the fabric.

Seam Ripper

Who doesn’t hate using a seam ripper? This means you made a mistake and it’s extra work. But you will, undoubtedly, make mistakes and a seam ripper is the quickest way to get that stitch out and try again.

Magnetic Pin Cushion

When picking up pins, a magnetic pin cushion will help you save lots of time. When removing pins from a pattern, you can simply drop the pins onto the pin cushion and they will stay there.

Extra Table

Having an extra table that is kept close to your sewing table can help you to become more efficient. You can keep some extra supplies there along with other pattern pieces and other pieces of fabric.

Keep Your Scraps

After cutting out the larger pieces, keep the leftovers. This is great for those smaller pattern pieces that you are going to be needing.

Erasable Marking Pen

You can use this pen to mark your fabric for button placements or any other marks you will need without worrying about marking up the fabric. Test this first to make sure it actually erases.

These heat erasable pens are perfect for removing the marks with a quick touch of your iron. Click the image below to see them on Amazon. And speaking of ironing…

Iron And Ironing Board

If you want the outfits you sew to look more professional, using an iron before sewing seams and edges is crucial. Expert seamstresses will tell you that half of the time you spend sewing should be on the ironing board.

If you aren’t ironing your seams right now, just try this for your next project and let me know if the finished product looks “sharper” and more professional.

Clear Ruler

Because this is see through, you will be able to see exactly where you need to mark the pattern or fabric. You won’t have to lift the ruler so that you can see if you are on the right spot.

Although these are basic sewing tips and tools, you can expand your skills by using these simple tools and by adding these tips to your sewing routine.

Sewing Tips

Top 10 Sewing Hacks

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Sewing tips and hacks can make the lives of individuals who sew for a living or as a hobby much, much easier.

I will share ten important sewing hacks that can increase a person’s skills, keep things more organized and speed up the process.

sewing objects

1. Hand Stitching Guide

When looking for a way to sew hand stitches that are evenly spaced, use a sewing machine to machine-baste a straight line of the required stitches and then use these stitches as a guide for the hand stitching.

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The stitch lengths should be set on the type of hand stitch chosen. Now, pull on a few machine stitches each time and hand sew, following the holes left behind.

Alternatively, the machine stitches can be left in place and pulled out once the hand sewing is complete. Machine stitches can serve as a guide for various hand stitches like herringbone stitch, top stitch, or blanket stitch.

2. Simplified Tailor’s Tack

Another technique for tailor’s tacks offers a way to hold threads more securely compared to the traditional methods. Once the pattern pieces are cut out, use unknotted contrasting doubled-thread in the hand needle.

Now, take one stitch that passes through the tissue pattern and the layers of the fabric. Now, from the other side, take the needle back through the pattern and fabric and cut thread tails that are long in length.

The next step involves lifting the tissue pattern off the fabric, allowing the tails to pass through.

Now, turn the fabric over, use a different thread color, and use a second stitch that goes over the first in the same technique, leaving behind the long tails.

Now, pulling the layers of fabric apart, the one set will stay stitched onto the top layer while the alternative set will remain stitched onto the bottom.

These threads now mark a clear position for sewing that can be viewed from either side.

3. Why Two Safety Pins Are Better Than Just One

Many sewing enthusiasts pull cording or elastic through a type of casing. For this technique, some people use a safety pin to guide it through.

However, in some cases, the cord or elastic at the start point can go into the casing. This is when it becomes a complex task to weave backward, which usually means the individual has to start all over again.

To avoid this issue, use another safety pin to secure the cord’s tail or elastic to its casing.

4. How To Make A Button Shank Out Of Thread

When using flat buttons for thicker fabric, creating button shanks out of thread is advisable. To do this, start with threading the needle using thread that is a double strand.

The next step involves taking one stitch at the placement mark for the button on the fabric’s right side. This will hide the knots underneath the buttons.

Now, take the stitch through each button as one would normally do, but avoid pulling this thread tight. Follow this up by selecting a spacer that ensures ample room between the button and the fabric.

When using thinner fabrics, use a toothpick or pin; when using thicker fabrics, use a thin pen, chopstick, darning needle, or bobby pin. Place the spacer underneath each button between these holes and then tug on the thread from the sewing needle to secure the spacers and tighten the thread.

Follow up by sewing on the buttons in the traditional manner.

Once the button is securely sewn, ensure the needle is on the fabric’s underside. Remove the spacer, ensuring the stitch remains taut. Bring the needle through the fabric and then the button, and wind this thread around the sewn stitches until a shank has been created.

For a finished look, especially when using the larger spacers, use blanket stitches that are closely spaced around these threads as opposed to just winding threads around this shank. When finished, ensure the thread has been secured closely to the shank.

5. Extreme Makeovers

Shop consignment or resale stores that sell used shirts for men can be used for this type of project. Take the shirt, cut off the sleeves, cuffs, and collars, and open up the side seams.

Now press all the items flat. Now lay a simple blouse pattern over the remainder of the shirt and use the existing hems and button plackets.

One can make a scoop-neck blouse by adapting the neckline to take advantage of the original button placements. Shorter sleeves can be cut out from the original shirt, and in most cases, there will be sufficient fabric left over to cut out a new self-facing for the neckline.

Pockets can also be repositioned and dependent on the fit of the original garment; one can keep the yoke and shoulders of the shirt and only adapt the length, sleeves, and neck.

6. Tape Guide Using Topstitch

One can sew straight top stitching onto fabric without any markings by using masking tape on the fabric to establish the top stitching guide. All that is required is to stitch along the tape edge and then remove this tape once finished.

7. Hem Guide Using Silicone

Hem guides made of metal can be uncomfortably hot when pressing the hem. To avoid this issue, use one strip of a silicone pot holder.

One can make these strips from a whole pot holder and cut the strips into various-sized hem guides. The iron will not harm the silicone and will always remain cool.

8. How To Stop Disappearing Ink From Vanishing

To stop air-soluble disappearing inks from fading away fast, apply Scotch Magic Tape onto each mark. In addition, when pulling off the tape, no residue will be left behind.

It takes far less time to remove the tape than to reconstruct these marks.

9. Marking A Hem Without A Helper

To mark hems without helpers, take a string and stretch it tightly across the length of a doorway to the desired height for the hem and now tape or tack it onto the jamb on each side. Now dust bath powder over this string.

Now, with the garment on, brush up against this powdered string, which will transfer a dusting onto this garment at the exact right height. This is ideal for coats, dresses and skirts.

10. Using A Crotchet Hook To Remove Basting

Crochet hooks are fantastic tools to remove basting threads, open seams, or ease up stitching threads. Use the rounded point to get underneath a stitch and then the hook to remove the threads.

This technique stops the dangers of snagging the threads’ fabrics or cutting an accidental hole into the fabric. This is usually a risk when using a seam-ripper.

It is best to use a size nine hook, but smaller hooks also work.

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Sewing Tips

What Is Backstitching And Why Should I do It?

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For beginners, you may not know what a backstitch is. It’s elementary in sewing, and you need to know it. Backstitching is essential when sewing by hand or on the machine.

What is it exactly? This secures the starting and finishing seam that was just sewn. The seam will, without fail, unravel if you don’t backstitch.

backstitch

Each modern machine has a backstitch button. Even the majority of older machines had them. No matter which one that is used, the process is the same.

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Typically, the button is just a symbol of an arrow that points backward. We will use curtains as an example.

When you start and stop a seam, the backstitch must be used.

First, sew the first 5-6 forward stitches as you normally would. If you have a manual button to backstitch and are new to using it, you may want to slow the machine down.

Just until you get used to it. After you have sewn the first 5-6 forward stitches, you can push the backstitch button for the backstitch.

Many modern machines will auto-backstitch without holding the button down. But with some, you must hold down the button while it backstitches.

5-6 stitches are plenty of backstitches for the beginning and ending seams. The fabric also feeds backward while this takes place, so keep that in mind.

When backstitching, do your best to guide the thread over the stitches that have just been sewn. If it’s not exact, don’t worry. Just get it as close as possible.

Once you have backstitched the 5-6 stitches, sew forward again. If you have a manual backstitch button, you must hold and release the button until you finish the backstitch.

As mentioned previously, be sure to backstitch at the end of the seam as well. So, the process goes this way.

First, sew a forward seam 5-6 stitches. Next, backstitch. Follow this up by sewing to the end of the seam and then backstitch once again for the final stitching of that seam.

Now you’re done, with a nice secure seam. This prevents the thread from unraveling at the beginning and end of the stitching.

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Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.