Sewing Tip – Page 8

July 24, 2020

Sewing Basics: Getting to the Point of Pins

Do you know the different types of pins?

Pins may not be the most exciting item in your sewing box, but they are a vital tool to anchor your fabric when you are sewing. When choosing the type of pin to use, there are several elements that should be considered as each type of pin is made with unique characteristics that target a specific purpose, depending on the type of project, the fabric used, or even how it’s going to be sewn. We will look at:

Head style
Length
Thickness
Point style

After a review of the characteristic of each, we’ll suggest four common pins you may want to keep in your sewing box to be prepared for almost any type of project.

Head Style

Pins come in three basic head styles, each with a different purpose. The choice comes down primarily to your need for visibility and ironing.

Flat/No Head: This type of head can be difficult to see but has the advantage of working well when you need to iron the project with pins in place since there is no head to melt. It is also a good choice for hand sewing as there isn’t a head for your thread to catch on.
Glass: Like flat head pins, glass pins are good for projects which need to be ironed with pins in place because the glass heads will not melt on the fabric. They also have the advantage of better visibility since there is a colored head that shows more prominently than flat/no head pins.
Plastic: These pins come in all sorts of brightly colored ball or flower shaped heads and are the easiest to spot on your project. If you keep that hot iron away from those plastic heads, they can be a great choice.

Length

Pin length is tied to the thickness and layers of fabric you are working with. The thicker the fabric and the more layers you are working with, the longer length pin you should choose.

Short and stubby: The shortest pins are about ¾” long. These work best for small delicate projects. Due to their short length, they are not well suited for anything other than the sheerest of fabrics.
Universal/dressmaker length: This is one of the most common lengths and will work well on most fabric types and thicknesses. They are 1 – 1 ½” long which is long enough to pierce through most fabric types but short enough to avoid bending too much as you pin through the layers.
Quilting length: These pins are longer since they need to handle multiple layers of fabric, as well as batting. They are usually 1 ½ – 2” long which can easily manage all those thicknesses.

Thickness

Pin thickness choice will be impacted by the delicacy of the fabric you are working with. Pins make holes so your fabric’s ability to recover from those holes drives your choice. The general rule is the finer the fabric, the finer the pin.

.4mm: This size passes beautifully through the finest of sheers.
.5mm: These may be called extra-fine, super-fine, silk, or satin. They are recommended for fine, lightweight fabrics, including some sheers.
.6mm: Most all-purpose pins are labeled fine and are best paired with medium-weight fabrics.
.7mm or .8mm: These may be harder to find, but the diameter is great for thicker fabrics like heavy wools, denim, and quilted layers. Just remember that they will make larger holes.

Point Style

The point style choice is directly impacted by the fabric you are working with, in particular woven vs. knit. Think about how you choose your sewing machine needle — one type for knits and other types for different wovens. The same logic applies in choosing the right pin.

Sharp: These all-purpose points work well with most woven fabrics in all but the more delicate weights.
Extra-sharp: These have a more defined, tapered point that will pass cleanly through the more delicate fabrics.
Ball point: Ball point pins are intended only for use with knits. The point is rounded so it slips between the loops of the fabric and does not pierce or pull the yarns.

What should you have?

Now that we know about the various elements of pins, let’s get to the point for what is a good mix to have in your stash of pins. With this variety, you will be well prepared to handle almost any project.

We suggest:

Glass Head: Keep a stash of universal glass head pins on hand. They will probably be about 1.5” long and .6mm thick which is a great choice for most projects and won’t melt if you touch them with a hot iron.
Ball Point: Keep a stash of these for your knit projects. They are likely to be about the same length as your glass head pins but are likely to have a plastic head since knits are much less likely to be ironed with a hot iron.
Silk: If silk or similar delicate fabrics frequent your projects, this is a good pin to include in your stash. In addition to having a delicate shaft, they usually have a flat head or no head so ironing over them is not a problem. Always test your pin on a scrap to see how the fabric recovers and keep pins within your seam allowance to help avoid unwanted holes.
Quilting: Even if you are not a quilter, these are good pins to include in your stash. They usually have plastic ball heads, but melting isn’t usually a concern since most ironing on quilt projects happens before and after pinning. And because quilts are usually made with a sturdy cotton, your fabric should be able to handle the heavier weight of the pins.

Now that you know the point of pins, you should be able to choose the right type of pin to use for your project.

~Sheryl Belson, ASG

July 10, 2020

Using Striped Fabric to Bind an Edge

It’s Stripe Hype!

Whether you’re binding a jacket front, collar or a quilt, using a striped fabric for the binding is a great way to accent the edge.

Stripes come in varying forms—from simple two-color versions to multi-color patterning, wide to narrow—but one thing’s for sure: they’re fun!

From the top: crosswise; lengthwise; bias

Stripes can be used three different ways for binding an edge: lengthwise, crosswise or on the bias. The choice depends on the desired finished look.

Using a stripe lengthwise on a binding showcases only about ¼” of the patterning, so for wide stripes, this use really isn’t a good option as you’ll likely see only one color. However, for tiny stripes, you can showcase three or four lines. Using a stripe lengthwise requires more yardage than cutting crosswise and/or more frequent seaming. You can use the entire fabric width and less yardage, but that strategy requires more seaming and matching end to end. The fun part—you can decide which stripes to showcase, but remember you’ll need to allow for seam allowances, so place the featured stripes accordingly.

Cutting binding crosswise is another option that showcases stripe repeats at right angles to the project edge. It allows for more visibility of stripe patterning and fewer seams are required with less yardage.

Many stripe aficionados prefer to cut striped binding on the bias (a true 45° angle) for some diagonal interest. The amount of yardage required depends on how frequently you want to piece the strips, matching the stripes. Cutting striped binding on the bias allows it go smoothly around curves, which is not the case with the horizontal or crosswise cutting, as those grains are suitable only for straight edges (like most quilts) rather than curves.

Piecing

In almost all instances, unless you have a short edge to cover, binding needs to be pieced to make enough length for the project. It can be pieced in two ways: with diagonal or horizontal seams.

Diagonal Seaming: While diagonal seaming makes for flatter binding because seam allowances are offset and not on top of themselves with multiple layers, it can be more difficult to align stripes with this bias seaming.

Crosswise Seaming: For crosswise stripe fabric strips, it’s easier to get a more invisible seam if you use horizontal piecing, sewing strips end to end. This technique also allows for a regular repeat of the stripe. To create a horizontal seam, place strips right sides together matching the same stripe on both layers. Stitch down the center of the stripe, trim the seam allowances to ¼” and press open. If you stitched accurately, the seam should be almost invisible and show a continuous stripe pattern along the binding.

Finishing

Once you’ve pressed your binding in half and sewn it the edge, first press it toward the edge you’re covering. Then fold it to the underside and hand-stitch the folded edge of the binding to the back side of the garment, quilt, etc.

For a quicker finish, fold the binding to the underside, pin or clip securely so that the underlayer is slightly wider than the top binding, and stitch in the ditch of the seamline where you initially attached the binding. Because the binding underside is slightly wider than the top, your stitching should easily catch the folded edge to secure it. Using transparent thread (either smoke or clear) works well for this, especially if your project is multi-color.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda 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 two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

July 3, 2020

Serger Piping

Pipe it Right

Perhaps you’ve never looked beyond the standard foot on your serger to see the other possibilities of this mighty little overlocker. Did you know you can actually make and install foolproof piping?

Check your instruction manual or with your dealer to see about getting a piping or cording foot for your model of machine. It’s either a metal or plastic foot with a groove on the underside, which is the secret to the process. Depending on your serger brand, you may be able to get different sizes of the grooved feet, like 3mm and 5mm (referring to the diameter of the cord that will go into the piping).

The piping foot can also insert ready-made piping if you prefer not to make your own.

Check your serger’s instruction manual for specific setting for your machine. The following are general instructions.

Making Piping

Determine the length of cording needed for your project and add 6”. Cut the fabric strips the same length.
Cut a strip of fabric about 2” wide and on the bias grain if your piping will be going around a curve or a corner. Plaids and stripes look great cut on the bias as well. If the piping is simply being applied to a straight edge, cut the strip on the crosswise grain. Piece the strips together with a diagonal seam to achieve the final length needed and press the joining seams open.
Center the cord length in the center of the strip wrong side and fold over the upper fabric so the raw edges meet. Leave about a 3” tail of cord extending from the initial end of the mix, so you can hang onto it behind the foot.
Set the serger for either a 3-thread or 4-thread stitch, with a fairly open length.
Slide the cord end under the foot and nestle it into the groove, then pull the end behind the foot until you get to the wrapped fabric portion. Put the foot down and stitch! The groove guides the cord with precision, the blades trim off the fabric edges and give you an even seam allowance. Voila!

Inserting piping

Set the serger stitch length to a standard length (about 2.5mm).
Place the piping between the two layers of project fabric, either matching the seam allowance edges, or with the cord along the seam allowance. Slide the layers under the foot and again place the piping tail extending behind the foot. Start stitching about 1” from the covered piping end if you need to finish the end upon completion. If the piping end goes into a seam, then start at the end.
Keeping the layer edges together and the piping in the foot groove, sew the seam, encasing the piping between the layers.
If your project has a corner, stop serging about 2” before the corner and clip into the piping seam allowance (only) at the exact corner location. Shape the piping around the corner, but continue to serge straight off the end of the seam area. Remove the item from the serger, shape the piping around the corner, and reinsert the project into the serger at a right angle to the previously serged seam. Start serging again on the next side, and repeat at each corner.
If your piping project is continuous, like a rectangular pillow, stop serging about 2” before the place you began and finish the joining using your conventional machine.

PHOTO CREDITS: All photos courtesy of Bernina, used with permission

May 29, 2020

Stretching Yourself: Using Elastic Thread

We’re not talking about aerobics, but using elastic thread! Building stretch into a garment is easy with this thin, stretchy strand and a little ingenuity. Sections of your project, like yokes, sleeves, cuffs, waistlines and bodices are all likely candidates for shirring.

Shirring refers to sewing multiple parallel rows of stitching using elastic thread in the bobbin.

Shirring on distressed denim — Shirring using elastic thread on distressed denim

Shirring Tips

Shirring works best with lightweight fabrics, like voile, linen, etc., but you can also do it on lightweight denims and silks.

Look for elastic thread at the notions counter of your favorite store. It’s available in black and white. Some knitting stores may offer elastic thread in other colors. If you have elastic thread in your stash, double check it before use, as elastic can deteriorate over time.

Wind the bobbin by hand, not using the machine’s standard mechanism. Don’t stretch the thread while winding, but also don’t let it be too loose or you won’t get good shirring results. Fill the bobbin as far as possible, but be sure the thread doesn’t extend beyond the bobbin edge. If you’re doing a large project, wind multiple bobbins at once.

Insert the bobbin into the bobbin case and thread it like normal. Place regular thread in the top of the machine. Set the stitch length from 3 to 5mm for test stitching.

Test-stitch on the right side of the fabric and adjust the stitch length and tension as needed to get a look you like.

Draw lines on the right side of your project so that the stitched rows begin and end inside the seam allowance of the garment. You can draw multiple lines, or use a quilting guide for spacing, or the width of the presser foot.

Pull out about 2” of elastic and top thread to begin the stitched row. Sew along the first marked line, sewing slower than you normally do. At the end of the row, pull out 2” of elastic thread and top thread as well. Do not use the automatic thread cutter with elastic thread and do not backstitch. Tie off the threads on both ends of the stitching line. Repeat for all the marked lines, keeping the fabric flat as you stitch subsequent rows.

If you run out of bobbin thread while sewing, simply tie off the thread ends and start sewing with a new bobbin where you left off. Anchor the new threads in the same manner by tying off securely.

When all rows are stitched, steam the elasticized area to create the final shirring effect. Set the iron for steam and simply hover it over the stitched area right side to set the stitching and elastic in place. The steam causes the elastic thread to shrink up the shirring a bit.

Sew the seam crossing the stitched rows and stitch again 1/8” from the first line to securely anchor the ends.

Elastic thread can be machine washed and dried at temperatures under 200°. Do not put the iron directly on the elastic, as it can be damaged by higher heat.

April 17, 2020

Shelter in Place, Save Money and Sew!

You are living your best quarantine life, sewing up a storm and suddenly realize you are out of… or can’t find… or never had… something you need to finish your project. No matter what it is, you have no interest in going out into COVID world to pick up a spool of thread, a rotary cutter blade or a new pair of thread snips to replace the ones you must have dropped into the trash because they are nowhere to be found.

Now what?

Did you realize just how many of these things you can order online with a member discount?

We combed through the entire list of Special Offers just for members on ASG.org and created this table with the companies who carry some frequently needed sewing notions for you to have at your fingertips. Be sure you visit the members only Special Offers page to get the discount code to use when you place your order. Now it’s your turn! Go replenish your supply from the safety of your own home and enjoy great discounts while you do.

Click to open full size pdf file — Click the image to open full size pdf file

~Sheryl Belson