Sewing

December 16, 2022

Handy Notions: Seam Guides

Whether you’re just learning to sew, teaching a novice sewer, or just need a little extra security to make even seamlines, there’s a seam guide to help you with the process.

In addition to sewing seams, guides are also helpful for evenly applying trims equidistance from an edge, hemming, decorative stitching, or topstitching. While the machine presser foot edge is a good guide for small distances, a movable seam guide can go anywhere on the machine base for wider spacing, either left or right of the foot.

Look at the machine throat plate as most have markings for various distances from the needle, often up to 1”, sometimes on both sides of the foot, and sometimes in metric designations. But, if those markings aren’t enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, consider some other options.

Magnetic Appeal

One of the most common seam guides is a raised edge shape that magnetically adheres to the machine base. Because it’s easily removable, you can use it only when needed for a particular task. A single guide can be used on multiple machines if you have one specific to classes or travel.

Magnetic Seam Guide available on Amazon.

Magnetic seam guides come in a variety of shapes and sizes—some designed for curved edges, others for corners and some for straight seaming.

Adhesive-backed Guides

Instead of a magnetic backing, some seam guides adhere to the machine with a repositionable adhesive. They do not damage the machine’s surface, but can be moved as needed. Some offer curved edges for guiding both inner and outer curves with confidence.

Clover Needlecrafts Stick n Stitch Tool available from Amazon.

Screw-in Guide

Depending on your machine brand and model, there may be a screw hole in the top of the machine base that can support a screw-in seam guide. These guides are adjustable and slide on the screw to set the correct distance from the needle, but that distance is limited.

Universal screw-in seam guide available on Amazon.

Quilting Guide

An add-on quilting guide may be an optional or standard accessory for your machine, depending on brand and model. Though designed for spacing quilting lines, it’s also usable for seaming and topstitching a set distance from the fabric edge. The guide has an adjustable “arm” that extends from the presser foot shank and slides to create a guide for evenly spaced stitching. It’s secured at a specific setting with a small screw to keep it from slipping from the chosen distance. If you’re looking for wide spacing, be sure to check the length of the extension arm.

Presser Feet

Some machines work with a presser foot that has a built-in adjustable seam guide. Because of its attachment to the foot, the guide edge is limited in distance from the needle position. Check with your machine dealer to see if this foot will fit your machine.

Presser foot with a seam guide available on Amazon.

Gridded Base

If a small add-on guide doesn’t pack enough “oomph” for you, consider a lined addition to your machine’s surface so you can have measurements extending on one or both sides of the presser foot for foolproof following.

Repositionable seam guide available on Amazon.

When positioning a seam guide, remember to measure the distance needed from the needle position, not the presser foot edge.

DIY Seam Guides

Instead of purchasing a separate accessory, many people have opted for DIY seam guides of all sorts. The most common is to adhere a non-marring and removable tape, such as painter’s tape, to the machine base at the desired distance from the needle. It’s easily repositionable for various tasks and you can write notes on it; plus, it had two parallel edges, so either one can be used depending on the stitching width needed.

Another simple option is to stretch a rubber band tautly around the free arm of the sewing machine at the desired distance from the needle. A piece of narrow elastic tied around the arm works in the same manner.

If you have a pad of sticky notes in your office, move them to your sewing room and adhere the entire pad to the machine base to make a raised-edge seam guide. The glued-together side should face the needle.

~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 .

December 2, 2022

Sewing Faux Fur

Whether you’re making stuffed toys, a funky Halloween costume, a plush wrap for holiday gatherings, a warm coat for the winter, or the most fabulous Cosplay costume ever, faux fur is a wonderful fabric of choice. It’s warm and cozy, comes in a variety of colors and textures, and doesn’t harm animals. But, how do you sew on it? There are some tricks to make the process easier.

Choose a pattern with simple lines—complex fitting and too many details make sewing these plush fabrics a bit more difficult. Cut-on sleeves are ideal, as opposed to set-in sleeves. Loose-fitting is better than trying to stitch fitting darts in furry fabric. If your pattern was designed for fur, chances are good that the designer planned for simple lines.

Cutting

Use the “with nap” cutting layout so that the tops of all the pattern pieces go in the same direction, with the pile surface going down for a smooth appearance. Think what it feels like to pet an animal from head to tail vs. the opposite direction. Mark the nap direction on the fur backing to ensure all the pieces face the same direction.

When using thick furs, choose a lighter weight fabric for details like facings, undercollars, etc. to reduce bulk.

When you cut fur, avoid cutting the right side hairs. Draw the pattern shapes (remember, both a right and left half) on the backing and cut the pieces single layer. Use the tip of some sharp scissors or a sharp craft knife to cut only the backing and not the long hairs of the right side. Transfer any markings to the wrong side after cutting.

If you’re sewing conventional seams, use at least a ½” seam allowances, as anything narrower makes the seam line hard to control. Finger-press the seam allowances open, and to reduce bulk, trim the pile within the seam allowances.

Sewing seams in fur can be tricky as the layers tend to shift. To avoid this, use a walking foot or dual-feed to help. Hold the seam allowances together with spring clips to keep them in place while sewing, or hand-baste. Keep the layers taut while sewing to prevent puckering, but don’t stretch them, and use a slightly longer than normal stitch length.

If your machine has adjustable pressure, decrease the presser foot pressure to help with the layers shifting.

Create plush toys with Luxe Cuddle from Shannon Fabrics

Almost all furs have a knit backing, so choose a sewing machine needle size consistent with the fabric weight, with either a universal or ball point to avoid damaging the fabric. Regular sewing thread works fine for fur.

As you sew, push the pile toward the project and away from the actual seamline. Stop every few inches to ready the area ahead of your needle and presser foot. The more pile you can keep out of the actual seam, the easier the finishing will be.

Seaming Option

If you think conventional seams might be too bulky in your project, think about trimming off the seam allowances entirely, and using a wide, open zigzag to sew over the adjacent fabric edges. Because of the pile, the seams will be hidden once opened.

Faux fur can also be sewn with a serger, with the stitches going over the cut edge in the same manner as a zigzag.

Finishing

Do not press most fur fabrics—finger-press only. Steam and heat can permanently damage fur pile.

Once you’ve stitched seams, take a long pin or needle and “comb” the pile out of the seam that got caught during stitching. Doing this will give you an almost invisible seam line buried in the pile.

Furs generally are not suitable for topstitching, buttonholes and other finishing details common to other fabrics. Choose alternative fasteners where needed, like hook-and-loop tape, snaps, hooks, etc. Avoid zippers on long-pile furs, as the hairs get caught in the zipper mechanism.

Cleaning

Sewing faux fur makes a mess—no doubt about it! So, clean your machine frequently and clean your sewing area when the project is done, or the cut fur pile will haunt you forever. Use a strip of packing tape or an adhesive lint remover to pick up loose pile. This works on seams as well where you’ve trimmed the hairs to reduce bulk.

November 25, 2022

Service Sewing: Not too old to take on new challenges

Jan Letkowski has proven that no matter how long you’ve been sewing, you are never too old to take on new challenges and learn new techniques. Known for her exquisitely tailored clothing since coordinating fashion shows for Harper’s Fabrics in the 80s and 90s, plus many decades of sewing for her family and charity, Jan is now making seasonal liturgical banners up to 18 feet long for the St. Charles Borromeo parish in Gladstone.

The red banner for Pentecost was her first project, and features applique on the lectern banner. This banner is used for Pentecost Sunday and Confirmation Masses.

Ordinary Time is the longest period of the liturgical season and is represented by the color green. Jan chose to create the long panels with layered fabrics that complement the color of the marble and the Risen Christ Painting. The base fabric is purchased drapery panels stitched together to the length needed. Fabric with pleated stripes is attached underneath to result in a fluid design. The large banner called Together at Table represents a tree with leaves in various shades of green and prints. The branches were wrapped around batting and attached to the base to give a dimensional effect. The banner on the lectern is created with circles of all the fabrics used in this set.

Students contributed autumn-colored paper leaves to the triptych of banners on a tan background. The leaves are colored paper glued to paper like backing.

Particularly magnificent, the dark navy Advent banners are made from polyester dupioni with jelly roll strips sewn together and appliqued on for the gradated sections. Metallic vinyl ribbon was used for the stars, and the gold curve was achieved with two rows of gold double fold binding. The binding was unfolded and hand sewn to the base, with the creases in the tape adding interest to the design. These 17+ feet long banners are lined with matching polyester lining.

Student scholars also helped create the designs of the four coordinating Advent candles. They arranged shapes onto a black background to create a stained-glass look, and Jan appliqued them in place and added the flames made from the same gold trim used on large banners.

As a final service to the church, Jan is creating a notebook documenting the creation and care of the banners, to ensure they will be bright and beautiful for a long time.

Editor’s Addition:

Are you looking for some direction on making liturgical items? We’ve found a few sources of information, fabrics, and instructions to help:

~Thanks to Phyllis Carlyle for sharing this information. Jan Letkowski is a decades long leader of the Northland Neighborhood Group of the Kansas City, MO ASG chapter

November 18, 2022

Sewing in Circles

In everyday life, the phrase “going in circles” doesn’t necessarily have a positive connotation, but for creative sewers going in circles can be loads of fun! Those decorative and utility machine stitches are ideal for circular sewing, and there’s an attachment made just for that. But never fear, if your machine doesn’t have an available attachment, you can still do it.

Attachments

Many machine brands offer a circular sewing attachment—a calibrated slider with a vertical pin to mark the circle center.

The attachment screws to the base of the machine and the sliding rule adjusts the circle radius to the size needed for circular sewing. Depending on the brand, you may be able to stitch up to a 15”-diameter circle.

Remember high school geometry? The radius of the circle is one-half its diameter (the distance across the widest point).

Stitching

The fabric you’re embellishing needs to be stabilized for stitching, so choose a stabilizer that suits the fabric. Though a hoop isn’t required for circular stitching, it’s helpful and it can hold temporary stabilizer in place. Add an extra bit of stabilizer at the circle center as it will be secured to the center pin and no wobbling is a must.

Select a stitch of choice—anything from straight to the wildest decorative varieties. One note of caution—because you’re stitching in a circle, the joining point stitches may not be exactly matching, so perhaps make a plan to cover them if needed with something like beads, buttons, tassels, etc. Creating overlapping circles is one way to solve this. If you stitch partial circles, or arcs, this isn’t an issue as there are no joinings.

Sewn circles can be used to embellish all kinds of projects from totes to garment sections and also trimmed for craftier applications like coasters or mats. Circles can be used alone or combined with machine embroidery motifs to make beautiful medallions.

Circles can also be combined with appliqués.

If stitching arcs, the stitched rows can end in a seam for security, or all threads can be pulled to the back at the end of stitching line and tied off to anchor.

The circle attachment can be used with almost any foot you have for the machine, and with any needle type, including double and triple needles. Use it with regular, embroidery or novelty threads.

Making it Happen

It’s best to start your project with a full bobbin, as some attachments limit access to the bobbin area. And, for best visibility, use an open-toe or clear foot for stitching.

If your machine isn’t in a cabinet, use an extension table to create a large flat area so the fabric doesn’t drag while stitching.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for attaching the circle stitcher to the machine. Adjust the slider so that the center pin is the desired radius distance from the needle and tighten in place as directed. With right sides up, push the fabric circle center down onto the pin, then place the safety top in place to hold the fabric firmly in place. The fabric should be able to pivot easily on the pin.

Leave a long thread tail to allow for tying and begin stitching. Keep the fabric flat while you sew the circle, and don’t push or pull—just let the machine feed the fabric to form the circle. Stop the stitching at the exact beginning point of the stitching, pull threads to the back and tie off to secure. To stitch concentric rows, begin in the middle and work outward. Move the slider to the desired spacing between rows and retighten. Do not take the fabric off the center pin until all concentric circles are complete.

DIY Circle Sewing

If you don’t have a circle stitcher attachment, use a thumbtack with a flat head and tape it securely to your machine base with the point up. The distance from the needle to the tack point will be the circle radius. Position the fabric as noted for the attachment and secure it in place with a firm pencil eraser placed over the tack to allow the fabric to pivot freely.

November 11, 2022

Project: Advent Calendar

An Advent calendar with pockets that holds cards suggesting the day’s special activity or a special treat is a popular tradition with children of all ages. The first Advent calendars originated as early as the 19th century and was used to mark the countdown in December to Christmas. Advent calendars are 24 or 25 days beginning December 1 and ending December 24 or 25. ASG member, Sara Scheil, shared the instructions for one she made one for her children.

Materials

21″ x 36″ piece of sturdy fabric (quilted fabrics work well for this)
6″ – 10″ of solid color coordinating fabric. A fabric with body will work best.
21″ of 3/8″ wood doweling
Approximately 30″ of cord or fabric tube for a hanger
Card stock and fabric paint in contrasting color

Instructions

Edge finish the quilted fabric on all sides (serge with a overlock stitch or bind with a narrow bias tape).

Fold down the top edge 1″ and stitch along the edge to form a casing for the dowel rod. Include the cord or fabric tube used for the hanger in this stitching by positioning the ends at each outer edge on the underside of the calendar.

On the solid colored fabric, using a ruler and fabric marker or chalk pencil, draw lines to make the pocket rectangles 3″ high and 3 1/4″ wide. Edge finish with the serger using a narrow stitch such as a rolled hem. Pinking the edges could be a substitute. Make 25 rectangles for the pockets.

On each pocket, paint, embroider, or applique the numbers 1 through 25 for the days of the calendar.

Optional: You may wish to title your calendar. Consider painting the words “Advent Calendar” on a rectangle approximately 3″ high and at least 12″ long of the solid fabric. Edge finish and topstitch on the upper 4″ space of the calendar.

Layout the 25 pockets on the calendar using the suggested measurements as a guide. Secure with washable glue stick. Let dry. Top-stitch the 3 sides of each rectangle by stitching each row with a continuous vertical and horizontal stitching line. Day 25 will be done separately in a “U” shape, of course.

Cut card stock into pieces 2″ high and 2″ wide. On the cards, record activities that your family enjoys or that are important to you during this season. Alternatively, you can include small gifts or candies in each pocket.

Card/Pocket Ideas

Play Christmas music
Put up the Christmas tree
Drive around to see the lights and decorations
Make Christmas cookies
Read the Christmas story
Look at photos from previous Christmas seasons
Hang stockings
Visit Santa
Special treat
Craft supplies
Pieces of a larger toy set given in a few pieces each day (LEGO’s are great for this)
Chocolates
Small jewelry or accessory items

Sara shares that her children would race to the calendar each morning to read the card. The surprise of what the day’s activity would be was very exciting. Seeing what day of the month it was not only taught them about the calendar sequence but avoided repetitive questions about when Christmas would be here. The activities they chose encouraged family togetherness and reminders of the meaning of the holiday.

~ This project is adapted from an article by Sara Scheil published in a previous issue of Notions.