Buttonhole Knife

I was gifted a buttonhole knife set, but I don’t know how to use it. Can you help?

A buttonhole knife is like a small chisel, and it often comes with a small cutting board and sometimes a rubber mallet, though the chisel can be used without the two additional pieces. It is important to protect the surface when using a buttonhole knife as it is sharp and can easily damage a tabletop or regular cutting mat.

To use a buttonhole knife: If the buttonhole is larger than the chisel blade, place the buttonhole flat on the protected surface and position the blade between the buttonhole stitching lines, then push firmly to cut. If you have a rubber mallet, use it to hit the chisel handle. This effort will cut your buttonhole between the stitching lines. Cut from the end toward the center. Depending on the size of the buttonhole, you may need to reposition the chisel blade and repeat the process to cut the entire length. Be careful not to cut through the bartacked ends of the buttonhole.

If your chisel blade is bigger than the buttonhole size, position the buttonhole over the edge of the protective cutting block and cut from one end to the center, then reposition the buttonhole and cut the opposite side, again from end to the center. This two-step process ensures that the oversized blade doesn’t cut through the buttonhole end stitching.

Some buttonhole knife sets come with an eyelet cutter as well. This tool can be used to cut round eyelets or to cut the eyelet end of a tailored keyhole buttonhole.

 

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Bodkin

A friend told me that I should buy a bodkin for my sewing room, but I don’t even know what that is. Can you enlighten me?

Bodkins, a tool used to help thread things through casings—like elastic, ribbon or drawstrings, come in various sizes and shapes. You may have used a safety pin for this same purpose, but a bodkin is larger and easier to use. Some bodkins look like very large needles with an extended eye, others are more of a tweezer-like tool with a gripping tip to hold the insertion tightly while pulling it through the casing. The latter usually has a device to tighten the tips for a secure hold during the operation.

Bodkins can also be flat plastic strips with slots that the elastic or ribbon is threaded through for insertion. These often come in a set with multiple sizes depending on the casing size.

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Fusible Interfacing

When I use fusible interfacing should I trim off the seam allowances of the pieces or leave them on? I’ve seen information both ways.

There are multiple schools of thought on this topic. If your fabric and/or interfacing is mid-weight or heavier, it’s best to trim the interfacing seam allowances off before fusing as it cuts down on the bulk in the seam. If you’re using lightweight interfacing and/or fabric, it’s not as important to remove the seam allowances before fusing as the additional bulk is minimal.

When you use a sew-in interfacing of any weight, leave the seam allowances on so that they get caught in the seam and stay in place. After sewing the seam, trim the interfacing layer very close to the stitching to reduce bulk.

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Printing on Fabric

I want to make a commemorative pillow using a friend’s wedding invitation. How do I print it on the fabric?

You’ll need to buy inkjet-ready fabric sheets at your local sewing or craft store. The fabric is chemically treated to retain the ink after printing and it’s backed with an adhesive stabilizer paper to allow it to feed through the printer. Be sure to read the instructions as directions differ depending on the fabric brand. The most commonly available sheets are 8 ½” x 11”, so you may want to add borders of another fabric to increase the size of the pillow. There are also online services that can print fabric for you in multiple sizes and on varying fabric types.

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~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

Nothing can add more pizzazz to a table setting than some fun fabric napkins. Whether you choose a whimsical quilting cotton, a solid linen, an ethnic print, or an elegant home décor fabric, napkins add a colorful accent.

There are several ways to finish the edges of your napkins, and we’ve talked about some previously in this article. Today’s napkin edge focus is on an easy mitered hem finish for single- and double-layer napkins.

Fabric napkins can be many finished sizes, from a 12” cocktail version to a full 24” dinner cover-up. Most napkins are square, though there’s the occasional round version thrown into the mix for a holiday tree fold.

It goes without saying that you want to choose a washable fabric for a napkin that you plan on really using for meals…cottons are great, polyester is fine for a sheen, or perhaps real linen for texture.

Depending on your fabric width and napkin size, figure how many you can get across and the total number needed before you figure yardage. From 54”-wide fabric, you can cut three 18” squares across the fabric width; from 42”-wide fabric, you can cut only two across the width. Keep in mind that using this hemming method, you’ll lose 2” of napkin size from the cut square size.

Hemmed napkins with mitered corners

Once you’ve cut the napkin squares, press under ¼” on each napkin edge. Then press under a ¾”-wide hem on all edges (1).

Fold adjacent napkin edges right sides together keeping the narrowly pressed edge folded. This forms a sharp point (2).

Using the 45° marking on a ruler, draw a line diagonally across the corner. Stitch on the line (3).

Trim the excess point fabric ¼” from the stitching line, trim the corner diagonally, and finger-press the seam allowance open (4).

Turn the hem to the napkin wrong side and press the squared corner (5). Use a point presser if needed to sharpen the corner. Repeat for each corner of the napkin.

Topstitch the folded hem edge in place around the napkin (6, 7). This can be done with matching or contrasting thread, using a straight or decorative stitch. If you prefer an additional row of stitching, edgestitch the napkin.

 

 

Repeat for each napkin you’re making. If you prefer not to have stitching showing, fuse the upper hem edge in place with a narrow strip of fusible web.

On the double

If you want your napkin to be double sided, cut a coordinating fabric square 2 ¼” smaller than the original square size.

Follow the directions above, but before you topstitch the hem in place, place the coordinating fabric square inside the hem on the wrong side of the napkin and smooth in place (8).

Once the second layer is smoothed in place and hems are repositioned, topstitch the hem edge through all the layers.

Making a double-sided napkin is a great way to hide the underside of a printed fabric that may not be as pretty as the right side, plus it adds a bit of body and contrast to the napkin.

This same mitering technique can be used on other right angles as well, like collars, slits, pockets, table runners, quilt tops, etc.

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~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .

Images from the 2024 Fashion Show at ASG Conference. Special thanks to Barbara George from the San Jose, CA chapter for organizing this event!

Ah, hem

Whether you prefer to hem your garments by hand or machine is a matter of preference but sewing machine manufacturers have risen to the latter cause by including a blind hem stitch on most models. It may be one of those quirky-looking stitches you don’t often use, but creating an invisible hem on many fabrics is possible.

The Stitches

You may, in fact, have two blind hem stitches—one for knits and one for wovens. The knit stitch has multiple zigzags between larger “bite” stitches, while the stitch for wovens has straight stitches between the wide zigzag bites.

 

The knit zigzags allow the hemline to still have some flexibility and stretch, while the straight stitch version creates a stable hem.

Blind hem Foot

Your machine brand may also offer a specialty presser foot specifically for blind hemming. The guide bar is movable on some brands of feet, so that the wide zigzag catches only a small amount of the garment fabric and hem area.

Before you dive in to the real deal, it’s imperative to practice this process on some scraps of your project fabric before sewing the actual garment. Fine tune the stitch and placement for minimal show-through on the right side.

Choose a thread color that closely matches your fabric. If you’re working with a print fabric, choose a thread color to blend with the most dominant color. Use the same color bobbin and top thread. Tempting as it may be, it’s best not to use invisible thread for blind hemming.

On the edge

If the garment fabric ravels, finish the hem edge using a zigzag, serging or hem tape to neaten it. If it isn’t too heavy, simply press under the raw hem edge ¼” and stitch it in place.

On knit fabrics, no hem edge finish is needed, as knits don’t ravel. However, you can finish the edge if you prefer.

It’s all about folding

The key to an invisible blind hem is in the folding. First, fold and press the finished hem allowance to the wrong side. Fold the garment back upon itself leaving ¼” of the hem extending beyond the fold. Pin the folded hem in place. The ¼” extension is where the stitching will be placed.

Adjust the stitch width so that the stitching along the finished hem edge will allow the wide zigzag “bite” to catch a tiny portion of the garment wrong side. If that stitch catches too much fabric, the stitch will show prominently on the garment right side. If it doesn’t catch enough fabric, your hem will not stay in place. The key is to catch just the right amount to hold and not show. Working with a practice piece of the same fabric as your garment is key to proper positioning.

If you have an adjustable foot, you can move the stitch right or left by moving the guide that runs along the folded hem edge. Or you can adjust the stitch width, or a combination of the two for optimum catch and hold and minimal show on the right side.

In addition to adjusting the stitch width, you can also adjust the stitch length to spread out the bite stitches, depending on the fabric. But don’t lengthen the stitch too much as the hem could gape or be caught during wearing.

If your machine has an adjustable needle position, you can also use that to fine-tune the stitch placement. So, it’s a balance of the stitch width and stitch length, and the positioning of the stitch using an adjustable foot and needle positioning.

Once you’ve practiced and gotten the hang of it, then sew around the hem on your garment. When stitching is complete, open out the hem and press to set the stitching.

Fabric options

Machine blind hemming works best on textured medium- to heavy-weight fabrics. It’s ideal for wool, fleece, suitings, etc. The texture helps to hide the bite stitch thread, as does any fabric print. For lightweight fabrics and solid colors, the stitch will show more and if you’re not happy with the look, opt for another hemming method.

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~Linda Griepentrog is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and three dogs, Yohnuh, Abby, and Lizzie. Contact her at .