To add an easy heirloom look to a child’s dress, use two pre-made, hemstitched linen placemats on the collar and cuffs.  Two placemats will provide enough fabric for the collar, cuffs, corded piping, covered buttons, and even a matching headband.

Supplies

• 2 Linen placemats
• Commercial dress pattern with high bodices front and back
• Dress fabric
• Any additional items as noted on pattern
• Your choice of embellishments, if desired

Placemats can be new or reused from placemats found in your closet, thrift stores, or a retail store. To personalize the finished garment, add fabrics, trims, buttons, or embroidery. Your imagination is the only limit to creating a treasured garment, accessory or treasured gift.

Collar

1. Start by cutting out a complete front bodice from the pattern.

2. Clean and starch the placemats, then one of the placemats in half crosswise across the short length. (Figure 1)

3. To make the collar, pin one of the placemat halves over the front bodice. Adjust the collar length either to show or cover the bodice seam. Trim the placemat along the neck and shoulders. (Figure 2)

4. Cut the second placemat half in half crosswise in the same manner as the first placemat. (Figure 3)

5. Put these two placemat pieces right sides together and pin them to the back bodice, adjusting shoulder width and collar length to match the already cut front collar. Trim placemat pieces along neck, shoulder and, if necessary, the center-back edge. (Figure 4)

6. French-seam the collar front to the back at the shoulders, pressing seam allowances toward front. Narrowly hem each collar back edge, using the 5/8″ seam allowance.

7. Baste the collar to the bodice neckline, both right sides up, matching center fronts and shoulder seams. The collar neckline will be finished simultaneously with the dress neckline.

Cuffs

8. Fold the cuff pattern along fold line, then fold away seam allowances at short ends. (Figure 5)

9. Pin the cuff long folded edge to a short end of second placemat, then cut all the way across placemat end. Repeat to cut second cuff across opposite placemat end. (Figure 6)

11. If the placemat piece is longer than the cuff pattern, press the extra amount to the wrong side on the cuff’s underlap (button) end. Tack this folded amount or fuse using paper-backed fusible web.

12. Sew each cuff to a prepared sleeve edge. Serge or trim-and-bind this seam allowance since it will be visible.

13. To reinforce a single fabric layer, pin two rectangles under each cuff’s buttonhole area. Sew the buttonholes, then trim interfacing close to the stitching.

~Adapted from an article from Affordable Heirlooms, printed with permission

Sometimes all it takes to make a task easier is just a little bit of information or a short helpful hint. As members of the American Sewing Guild, that’s what the alliance is all about—sharing better and easier ways to do things. So let’s look at some helpful hints and tips to make our sewing lives run more smoothly:

— If you need colored elastic and your fabric store doesn’t stock it, look for ponytail holders and/or elastic hairbands at your local dollar store. Both come in a wide assortment of colors and they’re perfect to use for a variety of sewing tasks like button loops, belt loops, etc. where the elastic is visible.

— When you stitch a dart, avoid a lump at the pointed end that sometimes happen with backstitching. To secure the end of the dart, simply shorten your stitch length down to 1 as you approach the point. No need for an abrupt ending or backstitched lump. This same technique can be used at the beginning and end of a seam as well.

— Got leftover soap slivers in your bathroom or kitchen? Use them for marking design details on garment fabrics. They’re also great as pincushions to lubricate pin points and making pinning easier.

— Need to stitch a straight line that’s too far in from the edge to use your seam guide? Head for the hardware store (or the garage) and get some painter’s tape. Place it where you need it and use the straight edge as a guide for your stitching. If you’re doing multiple rows of stitching, after you’ve done the first one, use the presser foot edge to space the remaining rows, or another strip of tape, depending on the distance. Painter’s tape pulls off easily without damaging most fabric surfaces, but test first on anything with pile, sequins or other delicate finish.

— A fun travel tip: Use the holes in a large button to keep earring pairs together in your suitcase.

— To safely cut open a buttonhole, place a straight pin at the ends of the stitched buttonhole and use your seam ripper to cut from the middle toward each end. The pin will stop you from slicing through the end stitching and making a creative opportunity repair.

— Think about using dental floss anywhere you need a heavy thread. It’s ideal for gathering over or for sewing on metal buttons that tend to cut threads.

— If you’re having trouble moving your fabric evenly for free-motion stitching, use a new sponge in each hand for added grip of the fabric surface.

— Not sure what color thread to use to sew on a multi-color trim? Opt for invisible monofilament, as it spans all colors and virtually disappears. Check for clear or smoke, depending on your trim color and pair it with regular thread in the bobbin to match the fabric base color.

— If you do a lot of sewing, pre-wind bobbins in common colors you use frequently. Or purchase pre-wound ones that fit your machine.

— If you’ve got a new sewing machine, make a stitch sampler for handy reference. Just sew rows of all the stitches side by side and label with the name/number so you know what the stitch looks like when it’s actually sewn as opposed to just the schematic on the machine. For best results, use two layers of fabric with interfacing between.

— To help extend the life of your good sewing shears, wipe off the blades after each project you cut out. Manmade fibers can build up on blades and dull them more quickly.

— Working on a really bulky napped fabric, like fur or sherpa? Use flat flower-head pins for easier visibility. Regular pins can get lost in the pile.

— To adjust the tension on your machine, put a different color thread in the bobbin from the needle. That makes it easier to see any imbalance and you’ll know how to adjust it for perfect stitching.

— Whenever possible, end topstitching into a seam. If that’s not possible, leave long threads at each end, thread them into a hand-sewing needle and bring them to the underside of the fabric and tie off to secure.

~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 .

Creating a custom tablecloth for your round dining table not only adds a personalized touch to your home decor but can also be the base to transform an “ugly duckling” table to a touch of elegance. Whether you’re looking to enhance your dining experience for everyday meals, are hosting a special occasion, or sprucing up an outdoor table for a summer dinner on the patio with friends, a beautiful tablecloth can bring elegance and charm to your setting. With a few basic sewing skills and an easy cutting method for round cloths, you’ll be able to create a beautiful tablecloth that fits your table perfectly and showcases your personal style.

Measuring

Start by measuring the diameter of the tabletop through the center of the table from edge to edge, then divide this number in half to find the table’s radius. For example, if your table is 36″ wide, the table’s radius is half of that, or 18″.

Next, you’ll determine the side drop, which is the measurement from the top of the table to the bottom length for how low you want the tablecloth to hang.

• For a casual look, a drop of 6″ to 10″ is standard.
• For a more formal look, a drop of 15″ is a good choice.
• For an elegant look, go for floor-length which is usually 30″.

Once you’ve chosen your desired drop length, you can calculate the tablecloth’s cutting measurement by add together the tabletop radius + the drop measurement + the hem allowance.

Yardage

The following table will help you determine how much fabric you need. This also shows how much trim you’ll need for the edges if you choose to add it.

Cutting

Fold your fabric in half lengthwise, matching the selvage edges, then in half again, matching the cut edges this time. Then use a pin to mark the folded corner (fabric center). Pin your fabric around the edges to make sure it does not shift. Then position one end of a tape measure at the marked corner fold. Use the tape measure like a compass and mark the cutting radius every few inches, creating a pie-shaped cutting line. Finally, cut through all four layers of fabric at once along the marked line.

Finishing the Edge

Depending on your final look, choose a narrow hem for this finish, which could include a contrasting thread color, embroidery, decorative stitching, or a unique trim. You can also serge the edge for lighter finish.

I’ve heard about using stay tape when sewing on knits, but I don’t really know how. Can you help?

Stay tape is used to keep seamlines from stretching, especially on knit fabrics, but also on loosely woven fabrics. Without stay tape, some seams can ripple and distort during stitching, especially those on the crosswise grain of the fabric.

Stay tapes can be constructed two ways—woven or knit—and most are fusible. Woven tapes are good to use on straight seams, as they do not flex around curves, like armholes, where knit ones are a better choice. In addition to shoulder seams, stay tapes can be used on garment openings and to stabilize a zipper placket. Wrap garment bodices are also an ideal place to use stay tape so they hug the body without gaping.

Stay tapes come up to 1” wide, depending on your pattern’s seam allowance width. The wider tapes are ideal to stabilize a hemline in knit fabrics, preventing rippling when you topstitch.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to apply the stay tape, but be sure it is wide enough to span the seamline on the garment wrong side. On very loosely woven fabrics, measure the stay length on the original pattern piece and ease the cut fabric piece to fit that size.

I’m new to machine embroidery and wondering what “freestanding embroidery” means?

Most machine embroidery designs are made to be sewn to a fabric base to help support the stitches and keep the motifs in shape. However, some digitizers create designs that can stand alone, without a fabric base. This is done by adding additional supporting stitches to the embroidery during its creation.

Freestanding designs are sewn on an easily removable stabilizer (water- or heat-soluble), so once that is removed, all you see are threads of the stitches. These types of designs are often used for creating jewelry, mats, 3-D pieces, baskets, etc. where there is no visible background.

While you can stitch a freestanding motif on a fabric base, you cannot stitch a regular motif onto a totally removable stabilizer and expect it to maintain its integrity, so look for specially marked freestanding designs for this technique.

A friend told me that I need to have a pair of pinking shears. Why do I need them and how are they used?

Like many helpful sewing tools, pinking shears aren’t a necessity, but they’re nice to have in your sewing toolbox. Pinking shears have blades that cut in a sawtooth pattern. Depending on the brand, the actual shape and size of the “tooth” can vary.

Pinking shears are great for trimming seam allowance edges in woven fabrics to keep them from raveling. Once the seam is sewn, trim each seam allowance edge evenly. In the same way, they can be used to finish hem edges for a flat finish.

They’re also perfect for making a decorative edge on non-wovens, like fleece, felt and some knits.

One construction use for pinking shears is to use them to reduce bulk in curved area seams, like necklines, armholes, etc. Rather than trimming and clipping the seam allowances, you can make a single pass with pinking shears and do both functions at the same time.

Why do sewing books suggest trimming the selvage off fabric before using it?

The selvage is the lengthwise edge of a woven fabric and it’s more tightly woven than the main portion of the fabric. Because there are more threads in the selvage, it can shrink differently than the other portions, causing puckering. You may have noticed that if you’ve pre-washed any cotton fabrics. So, rather than distort the fabric, it’s best to trim them off.

Selvages don’t ravel, so if they’re not puckered after pre-washing, they can be used as an edge finish for straight areas like garment waistbands, bindings and hems. Some quilters like to save the selvages as many have interesting printing and designs on them and can be pieced together for scrappy blocks. Trimmed selvages can also be used like straight-grain stay tape (see above).

On fabrics other than quilting cottons, selvages can be incredibly interesting in both weave and coloration, so the strips can also be used for trim (like on a pocket), a straight seam finish or coordinating binding.

See our article, Selvages: On the Edge

~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 .