More Sewing Learning

Good morning sewists

I know been just a lil busy. More learning you ask for? How is your stitch books coming out? Tips for great stitches Walmart has Pellon interfacing with a light bond able backing to iron on to the wrong side of your cotton fabrics.

This interfacing helps the stitches to form nicely for the work being done. I will be posting my work yes I'll start with you if you insist. Smile. 

Okay, more listings to sewing information I love sharing.

This would be a page from Threads magazine Teach Yourself to Sew. 

 

This page is pretty important as it tells specifics for the Needle, fabric and threads to use for most fabrics.

Another page same magazine this page tells about the seam guides on your machines it's important to know this because this is how you determine where you seam allowance is in any project. Definition for seam allowance 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Parts_of_a_plain_seam.png a picture to illustrate what a seam looks like.

Seam allowance (sometimes called inlays) is the area between the edge and the stitchingline on two (or more) pieces of material being stitched together. Seam allowances can range from 1/4 inch wide (6.35 mm) to as much as several inches. Commercial patterns for home sewers have seam allowances ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.

Sewing industry seam allowances range from 1/4 inch for curved areas (e.g. neck line,armscye) or hidden seams (e.g. facingseams), to one inch or more for areas that require extra fabric for final fitting to the wearer (e.g. center back).

Yes, there is too much information every where pertaining to the Sewing craft. My aim is to learn all that I can of my craft and to be conscious and observant of others that would like, love, or even yearn to learn the craft. I am self taught still learning and honing all techniques to make my projects whether it be a quilt, basket, garment, seat cover or a wrist band to a jacket or even a self drafted pattern look professional in appearance inside and out. 

I hope that you'll join me as I, we, and you go on an exciting journey through the past, present, and future techniques in this World Sewing. 

Have a blessed day all!

Easters coming

I've been working on a little girls Easter dress there is no pattern draw bodice and added circle skirt fabrics used white batiste gray crinkled taffeta and black tulle almost done it needs bell sleeves and the other tie hope you all like it

Extra sewing learning

Good morning all

I was thinking that maybe I need to give you all a little story bout myself and drop some extra learning on you all. I didn't learn to sew as a kid even though it was all around me. See I have a family that sews on both side my mothers side and my fathers side who knew lol.

My great Aunt Laura taught me gardening. I learned how to cornroll and frenchbraid hair at ten. Hum! See a pattern already at a young age! I love hair I gotta tell you that! I had two younger sister and two brothers one older and one younger head full if hair this one. Yes, plenty of practice so yes designing is in my blood and working with my hands to create something beautiful is my passion.

I did finally pick up sewing in my ninth grade year in high school yay! I made my first pair of pants, but by then we had moved out of the city close to family and the other family had moved to Michigan no way there to keep it going.

I had one beautiful daughter of my own, by now had graduated from beauty culture school, done a little modeling, stage appearance as Whitney Houston (yeah, that was fun) still no sewing. Then got blessed with two more daughters back to back Wow! No sewing!

Ok, baby daughter in high school, middle daughter out of high school working, eldest gave my a granddaughter and took ill with Lupus!  I was part owner and manager in a beauty supply store yeah all 1600 square feet of it! I hired family to run the store so that I may put more attention to my eldest. 

We bought four acres of land and upon moving in I found that my niece had left an older model of singer brand sewing machine at my sisters house yes the house was big enough for three families.

What did she mention a sewing machine? Yes, she did! Still didn't use it yet had to put the house in order, do the gardening, get the daughters, attend to the store, my clientele had even picked up did hair in the second kitchen.

Well, in between time that my clientele was not needing attention and I wasn't running errands or tending to my ill daughter. Somewhere life calmed down and I got the chance to sneak in a whole dress ( still have it pic posted at the end.)

I write this to let you all know that anything is possible. My eldest is resting in paradise and yes I miss her terrible. So, I couldn't and it was all a hoax us having that big ole house but I wanted her to say she did everything and pretty much she did just didn't travel out of country.

Came back home to mom for just a second ended up in Cali with my fiancé from the beauty supply store. He was comforting and patient with me. I got bored shopping and learning my new surrounding and no one I knew no job bored!

Needing something to do to ease myself I asked for a sewing machine. Yes, can we say slowing going nuts!!!! We went to Walmart. I got the Brother Limited Edition Project Runway 50 stitches, 80 utility stitches ( still have Lola today). Now, with this being so long I will post later differnt sites and books and thing that helped me along the way.

Ok I'm posting the pic of my first dress I made. It's eyelet fabric can't remember the pattern I do know it was simplicity though.

It can happen ladies smile. Have a blessed day

Okay here's the knowledge part.

Some free sewing sites:

www.burdastyle.com they have PDF patterns membership is free, community of sewers, can have your own page for activity, you can learn different techniques.

www.craftsy.com they sale and have free classes sewing, baking, painting etc. membership is free they have some beginning classes that are free. The really good ones cost from $14.99- $49.99. Also they sale some fabrics.

www.joannsfabrics.com has some free projects.

www.itsseweasy.com yes this one is on your PBS stations membership is free you can watch past episodes and they have a project listing.

These are just some of the websites I know off the top of my head. Oh yes, I have more so I'll post as we go along as their are plenty. I will also get a listing of books and magazines that help too.

Told you I would give knowledge too!

Now have a blessed evening😃

Serger use

Gm to you all I come to you all humble with a question about Janome Juno 3434d presser foot the Elasticator. I'm wondering has any of you lovely people have had the pleasure of using this particular foot. 

Think I'll take a chance and just try it.

Sewing Tips and tricks

Hello all here today to get myself together! Whew! I have a list of notions that will help you along the way. Some you can even make yourself to save a lil dough. Lol some I wish I had when I started some I learned about along the way.

A good iron trust me it makes your projects look so professional. Invest in press cloths silk organdy is great  for your pricier fabrics but we will use cheesecloth same isle sewing notions. I love the glass head pins you can iron on them and they don't melt. The longer yellow pins for heavy projects are great. A cutting mat healing if possible and rotary cutter the smallest ( I need one of these but 45 mm works for me) poster board is great to help harden the underneath the cutting mat.

I will post a pattern for you a pressing ham and sleeve roll. I can also lead you to a thread holder that you can make yourself.  I made my own dress form for about $25. You'll need a couple of thick rubber bands or you know those thick bands everyone wears around their wrist with the catchy sayings eg. WWJD tell you later bout this as I can only show you. Ruler, a French curve, also can post I hip curve you can print.

Always keep a stash of each size of elastic, couple sizes of zippers basic colors, buttons, hooks and eyes, hand sewing needles, that little thread kit you find at the registers, we will work our way through the interfacings and fabrics but keep a small stash of cotton for now. Match your threads to the cottons for now. 

The different size machine needles you will most difinitely need these grab all of them one pack of each. I use either Janome for my own machine or Schmetz these seem to be universal to most brands of machines. A stiletto or the Purple Thang or cuticle pusher will do I use either of these to hold the fabric as it goes thru the machine. Some exta things that help in the sewing room. A piece of aluminum foil, a small piece of smooth wood, artists paintbrush.

I use the foil as like an extra way to heat fabric for appliqueing and crispier creases. The piece of wood I use as a clapper. And the paintbrush I use for dusting small particles around the machine.

I don't expect you to kill yourself with these purchases just things you'll pick up along the way. The basic sewing kit will work and you can add to it along the way. But I've tried to think of things I use from around the house like a spray bottle and startch and wax paper and freezer paper( you can use these to trace patterns or to print on from your home printer) cause you'll need these too lol.

Hope you guys that are beginners are stitching out your stitch books and having fun with them. Oh they can be on scraps of fabric cotton no bigger than 6x10 fold the ten inch in half so each page has five inches to sew each stitch. I know but aren't you feeling a bit better about your machine. Doesn't it sound nice as it purrs while you are stitching? 

Trust me I wish I had someone to hold my hand as nervous as I was. We are gonna be making things real soon. You need to know your machine as if the thread tangles you will know what to do. Is why I have you read that manual and stitch the book. Patience Rome was not built in one day!

To all have a blessed evening Happy Sewing Loves

Tips and tricks

Good evening loves

Ok let's start here let's get a little educated. For my beginners, there are several brands out there that will certainly get the job done. For my first I got Brother Project Runway Limited Edition can't remember the model number. However, it's the one with fifty stitches and eighty utility stitches. The basic one didn't have enough stitches and this one is computerized comes with a nice selection of presser feet, needles, and other accessories. I got it from believe or not Walmart for a whooping $170 with taxes. Not too bad I won't say that all Walmarts sell sewing notions and machines. As some are not equipped.

There are other things that I needed to start my journey. I just bought the machine nothing else. Back to the store this time I bought the basic sewing kit. You know the one with the blue scissors yes that one. I also bought some pieces of scrap fabric Walmart had in the scrap bin for .69-4.00. 

Now what to sew; hum good question it can not be something taxing or for a expert or beginner really lol. I took sewing in home ecs god years ago! It's like riding a bike once learned you never forget. You may get rusty but you never forget. 

Now to get myself together I decided I needed to bush up. I opened the box put the machine on the bed in my room. Yes, it was complicated another story we're talking sewing. I read the manual so I could learn to operate it. I made pillowcases. But I'll give you a secret shhh! Ok you know all the stitches that are on your machine? I want to start by making a stitch book. Why stitch book because you will get the feel of your new purchase and you will experiment with the stitches tension, stitch length, the throat plate, and the presser feet. 

Once you know your machine the rest will come. So, let's get those stitch books done and don't forget to read your  MANUALS. Your manual is your bible learn it as it holds the secrets to your machine. Every brand is a little different so I can't tell you how to work it as I'm not with you silly😄 The manual is best here I want you all to have a good understanding of your individual brand and model. It has all the settings and what presser foot to use with what stitch. It also tells how to match the needle, fabric, and thread. Try it and leave comments, questions, and such below we will continue so Get to Workin! Lol gotta laugh yes we will have with. She said that!

Tips and sewing tricks

I've been sewing again since 08-09 I've learn so much that I'd like to teach my craft and go farther with my new found skill hobby. I am a member of several Facebook sewing groups. I like looking at the pieces made and will comment occasionally however the rooms are loud a busy to try to teach anything so I've made my own page to post what I've learn so this will be something new to myself and if you have patience and are willing I think we can have a great journey I'm open to questions suggestions criticism and all just be kind tho.