Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Winners Announcement!
Camo bunny is excited to ship to his new home with....
Callie Tilkins
$12 credit to Sew Charming by Becky goes to....
Brittany Dawn Harper
Congratulations ladies!
Please contact me ASAP to claim your prize.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Sewing yourself up for Success - part 1 (Tools)
Okay scouts, you should know this one... in order to be successful you must first... be prepared!
This is very true for sewing. If you don't have the things you need, you'll be frustrated, rushed and stressed. Trust me, I've been there. Rushing leads to cutting corners, sometimes literally. Yes - I have cut projects where I didn't mean to. Shoot, I even cut my measuring tape in half when I didn't clean my cutting surface. I learned the hard way. Trust me, its not fun.
So, what do you need?
Fabric. Pre-washed. ALWAYS pre-wash. Nothing stinks more than making a masterpiece just to throw it into the washer and dryer and it no longer fits. 44" of cotton (regular width) shrinks 2" during the washing and drying process.
Color Catcher. Your reds and blues very well may bleed. I always suggest a Tide color catcher going in the wash with new vibrant fabrics. It will save (or, should) the rest of your load of laundry.
Fabric scissors. Yes, you need scissors for fabric. And only fabric. Cutting paper with fabric scissors dulls them. My husband knows I will cut him if he uses my fabric scissors for anything. That is, I would cut him if I didn't shoot angry lasers out of my eyes to kill him first.
Seam ripper. This undoes all the oopsies. My favorite is a Dritz seam ripper that has rubber watchamacallits on the end that actually 'sweeps' away all the tiny little pieces of thread that appear as you rip a seam.
Sewing machine. And manual. I won't be able to give you step by step instructions for how to thread your machine or what bobbin to use or which stitches your machine has - thats why you need your manual. If you don't have one, you can probably download one from the manufacturer's website. All you'll need is your model number.
Thread. It always looks best if you have it to match your fabric, but you don't have to. You can absolutely get by with the simple black or white thread. All of my sewing threads are Coats and Clark. (Be sure you have thread in the bobbin also)
Marking pen. I like the blue kind that disappears in water. There are chalks and pencils that will work also. The only one I don't recommend is the purple one that should disappear with exposure to the air, because one time it didn't disappear.
Measuring tape or ruler. I really strongly suggest getting a firm ruler. I have the 3" x 18" kind they sell by the rotary cutters. You can use a tape, but you'll have to be extra careful that its not bending when you are using it.
Needles. For different materials, you need different needles. For sewing cotton (which I suggest you use to begin), you can use a universal needle.
Pins. These are different than needles. You need pins to keep your fabric together in the right place until you sew it together. I suggest getting the kind with a plastic ball on the end if you plan on sewing a lot. If you have just plain metal pins, they will scratch your skin and if you pin enough, you'll end up with a hole in your thumb. Been there, done that. You can get WonderClips instead, but sometimes those are difficult to maneuver around.
Pin cushion or magnetic pin holder. Seriously, you need one. Otherwise the pins will end up in your carpet.
Seam guide. No idea what its called, but for younger sewists (each of my daughters has one) or those who tend to wander, this is a great tool for making sure your stitches are straight. It won't work on everything (like curves), but its a great tool! It magnetically attaches to the plate and you can adjust it so that your seam allowance should be spot on.
This is very true for sewing. If you don't have the things you need, you'll be frustrated, rushed and stressed. Trust me, I've been there. Rushing leads to cutting corners, sometimes literally. Yes - I have cut projects where I didn't mean to. Shoot, I even cut my measuring tape in half when I didn't clean my cutting surface. I learned the hard way. Trust me, its not fun.
So, what do you need?
Fabric. Pre-washed. ALWAYS pre-wash. Nothing stinks more than making a masterpiece just to throw it into the washer and dryer and it no longer fits. 44" of cotton (regular width) shrinks 2" during the washing and drying process.
Color Catcher. Your reds and blues very well may bleed. I always suggest a Tide color catcher going in the wash with new vibrant fabrics. It will save (or, should) the rest of your load of laundry.
Fabric scissors. Yes, you need scissors for fabric. And only fabric. Cutting paper with fabric scissors dulls them. My husband knows I will cut him if he uses my fabric scissors for anything. That is, I would cut him if I didn't shoot angry lasers out of my eyes to kill him first.
Seam ripper. This undoes all the oopsies. My favorite is a Dritz seam ripper that has rubber watchamacallits on the end that actually 'sweeps' away all the tiny little pieces of thread that appear as you rip a seam.
Sewing machine. And manual. I won't be able to give you step by step instructions for how to thread your machine or what bobbin to use or which stitches your machine has - thats why you need your manual. If you don't have one, you can probably download one from the manufacturer's website. All you'll need is your model number.
Thread. It always looks best if you have it to match your fabric, but you don't have to. You can absolutely get by with the simple black or white thread. All of my sewing threads are Coats and Clark. (Be sure you have thread in the bobbin also)
Marking pen. I like the blue kind that disappears in water. There are chalks and pencils that will work also. The only one I don't recommend is the purple one that should disappear with exposure to the air, because one time it didn't disappear.
Measuring tape or ruler. I really strongly suggest getting a firm ruler. I have the 3" x 18" kind they sell by the rotary cutters. You can use a tape, but you'll have to be extra careful that its not bending when you are using it.
Needles. For different materials, you need different needles. For sewing cotton (which I suggest you use to begin), you can use a universal needle.
Pins. These are different than needles. You need pins to keep your fabric together in the right place until you sew it together. I suggest getting the kind with a plastic ball on the end if you plan on sewing a lot. If you have just plain metal pins, they will scratch your skin and if you pin enough, you'll end up with a hole in your thumb. Been there, done that. You can get WonderClips instead, but sometimes those are difficult to maneuver around.
Pin cushion or magnetic pin holder. Seriously, you need one. Otherwise the pins will end up in your carpet.
Seam guide. No idea what its called, but for younger sewists (each of my daughters has one) or those who tend to wander, this is a great tool for making sure your stitches are straight. It won't work on everything (like curves), but its a great tool! It magnetically attaches to the plate and you can adjust it so that your seam allowance should be spot on.
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