Sewing – Page 55

November 29, 2019

Pedal to the Metal, Sewing is Like Driving

This story is by Hope Wright from ASG Springfield Lincolnland Chapter

I taught a Summer Sewing Camp this year and when I went to the school for start of sign up, one teacher’s aide expressed some regrets that she never learned to sew. I told her that if she could drive, she could learn. That was based on my opposite experience — since I could sew, it was pretty easy to learn to drive. Just had to remember to step on the brake, not just lift the foot from the pedal! Since then, I’ve been thinking of comparisons.

For Adults: If you can drive a car you can learn to sew.
For Kids: If you learn to sew, it will be much easier to learn to drive when you are older.

Using a sewing machine is like driving a car:

Both have a start switch, although a key isn’t needed with a sewing machine.
Although you can leave them running when you aren’t in the driver’s seat, it isn’t a good idea. (especially be sure to unplug irons!)
You have to figure out the purpose of all the buttons and levers on the sewing machine, like all the buttons and levers on a car – and every model can be different so you have to figure it out for a different sewing machine as well as a different car.
You have to steer the fabric just like turning the steering wheel. Continual adjustments are needed, and eventually many of them will become automatic.
The more you press down on the foot pedal the faster it will go, up to where the pedal is to the metal/floor.
You have to figure out where to look to be able to go where you want to go. Keep your eyes on the feet/fabric, not the needle, just like you keep your eyes on the road, not the hood.
You can’t be distracted — you could sew through your finger or have an accident.
There are times that it is boring, but you have to stay alert or you could sew through your finger or have an accident.
You have to plan ahead to know where to turn your fabric or change lanes.
Sometimes you have to make corrections, either unpick some stitching or make a detour.
Preparation is needed for both. For sewing, you have to to select and cut out the project. For driving, you have to plan your route and make sure you have your driver’s license, etc. before you leave home.
Both need to go to a mechanic for oil changes and repairs at regular intervals or when something quits working.
You can spend lots more for extra “stuff” and for flash, but there are economical changes you can make.
Both have practical uses that will save money, like repairing and upcycling clothes or traveling without taking a bus or cab.
Both have fun uses – exercise your creativity and artistic skills, or take a drive to enjoy the scenery.
The more you sew or drive, the easier it gets — practice is important!

What is different about it?

If you take your foot off the foot pedal of a sewing machine, it will stop. To stop a car, you have to step on the brake.
You don’t have to watch out for others who might sew in to you or that you might sew in to.
There aren’t very many “rules” in using a sewing machine; certainly nothing that will get you arrested!
You can sew at a much younger age than you can drive. And you will probably be able to sew long after you have given up driving.
Driving creates memories, but sewing gives you something tangible to show, wear, use, or give.

© Hope Wright, ASG Springfield Lincolnland Chapter

November 8, 2019

Button and Buttonhole Positioning

Button and buttonhole placements can sometimes be confusing. If the button and buttonhole are placed incorrectly, the garment may be too tight, too loose, or create gaping. The number of buttons on the garment is suggested on your pattern envelope, but it’s up to your personal preference or need. A good guide to start placing your buttons vertically is to keep in mind your body’s pressure points. Pressure points are where your body may put strain on the garment and may be your bust, belly, or even the hip if you are making a button front dress or skirt.

Button Placement

Once you have identified your pressure point(s), mark these on your muslin or sloper (block) pattern for future reference.

Decide how many buttons to use.
Lay your pattern or muslin flat, mark the center front and your pressure points.
Place your highest and lowest buttons on the muslin.
Measure the distance between your top and bottom buttons.
Divide this distance between the number of buttons you will use. If you use 5 buttons, divide by 4. You will always divide by one less button, because that is the number of actual spaces between your buttons.
Determine if the button placement falls on your pressure point(s). If not, you may want to adjust the position slightly to hit that sweet spot.

Buttonhole Position

Now that you have the button position, you need to determine if you want vertical or horizontal buttonholes. Horizontal buttonholes will need a facing deep enough to fit the entire length of the buttonhole. I have seen some patterns where the facing is too narrow for horizontal buttonholes. Vertical buttonholes allow for button play. This means if the button is not set exactly in the measured spot, there is room for the button to move up and down within the hole.

The distance between center front and the finished edge of your garment is generally 5/8”. This is okay if your button is 7/8” or smaller. If the button is larger, you will need to extend the distance from CF to the finished edge of your garment.

Buttonhole Size

To figure out what size buttonhole to use, some machines have a button hole foot that the button sits on the back carriage and the machine will make a buttonhole to that size. Or you have a machine that is computerized and you can adjust for your button size. The general rule of thumb is, the buttonhole needs to be 1/8” bigger than the button, for ease of going through the hole.

1/2” button uses a 5/8” buttonhole
5/8” button uses a 3/4” buttonhole
3/4” button uses a 7/8” buttonhole

Good Buttonhole Practices

When making a vertical buttonhole, the button and buttonhole will be placed exactly at center front. In the case of horizontal buttonholes, the button is set at center front, but the hole is started 1/8” away from center, toward the finished edge. If your garment needs a button at the top edge, I start at 5/8” down for the button placement, but you can decide how far down, depending on the width of your button. But never start a buttonhole higher than ¼” below the neck edge.

Always make a test buttonhole with the same thickness as your garment, Top fabric, bottom fabric and interfacing. Make sure your button will pass through the hole easily.
Buttons are set on the left front and buttonholes on the right front for women’s garments

Something that I do for jackets, especially for horizontal buttonholes, is to set all the buttonholes along the edge of your fabric BEFORE cutting out the front body. This allows for checking the placement without chancing ruining the garment and works best for bound button holes because the inside opening is usually hand finished.

~© Annalisa T, Alameda County Chapter

November 1, 2019

Guide for Seam Finishes

You have all of your supplies ready, you’ve adjusted your pattern, cut your fabric and you’re ready to start sewing. Before you sit down at the machine, have you thought about the best seam finish to use for your fabric? This post will help you to choose the best method to assure your seams are perfect.

Fabrics & Best Seam Finishes

Batik: Flat fell seam or sew with a plain seam and serge together
Batting: Butt the raw edges together and hand overcast with basting thread to get the width you need.
Beaded Fabric: Finish with a product like Great Seams as in Hong Kong finish. Eliminate facings. Finish the neck and armholes with bias silk charmeuse or line your garment, making the attachment at the neck and shoulders.
Boiled Wool: Sew seams and clip curves. Press seams open and top-stitch on each side from the right side using a wide double needle or top-stitch each side separately from 1/8” to 1/4” allowance from the seam. Trim to your top-stitching.
Brocade: Press seams open and overlock separately, even if lined. Use a Hong Kong finish with lightweight silk or bind separately with double fold bias.
Burnout: Finish with a narrow French seam.
Charmeuse: Use flat fell or French seam on serger.
Chiffon: Use a narrow French seam. On long vertical seams, sew with tiny zig-zag stitches to prevent drawing up.
Corduroy: Serge seams separately or flat fell the seams.
Crinkle: Sew with a tiny zig-zag.
Damask: Sew flat fell seams.
Denim: Sew a straight seam. Serge one seam allowance and trim the other without turning under. Overlap the serger seam allowance onto trimmed seam allowance and topstitch. This forms a fake flat fell seam that is less bulky.
Dupioni: Serged or traditional flat fell; serge and press open.
Faux Fur: None
Faux Leather: Use a fake flat fell seam or finger press open and top stitch from the right side, straddling the seam. Trim close to stitching.
Faux Suede: Lightweight ultra suede seams can be simply pressed open. Other faux suede’s can be top-stitched with a double needle or treated with a fake flat fell seam.
Flannel: Straight stitch or flat fell seam
Fleece: Sew with a straight seam and finger press open. Top-stitch or serge.

Gabardine: Press seam open and serge each side separately with a woolly nylon in lower looper; flat fell; or Hong Kong bound.
Georgeette: French seam.
Jersey: For lightweight knits, sew the seam, press to one side and top-stitch 1/4’ from seam. Trim extra fabric away. For invisible seams on wool jersey, zig-zag and press open.
Mudcloth: Flat fell or bind with double bias.
Rayon: Flat Fell or press open and serge.
Slinky: Four thread serge with Woolly Nylon in lower looper. Use differential feed if needed.
Sweater Knits: Stabilize horizontal seams and neckline using 1/4” clean elastic. Sew seams with small zig-zag then four thread serge. You can also sew with a lightening stitch and bind with Great Seams.
Tencel: Flat fell or press open and serge separately.
Velvet: Press open, pink or or serge separately.

© Sunny Kent, ASG Inland Empire Chapter

October 25, 2019

Stay “Sew” Safe Online – Safety Starts at Home

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the perfect time to launch our new series of articles and tips to help you stay “sew” safe online!

With internet connected smartphones, computers, laptops, iPads, televisions, security systems — and even some of our sewing machines are capable of connecting to the internet — it’s more important than ever to take ongoing steps to keep ourselves protected. Here are a few tips to get started:

Operating System Updates: Keeping your operating systems up to date, whether that’s Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android or something else, is your first line of defense. This includes computers, laptops and mobile devices. Most of these devices will update automatically or at least alert you that an update is available. If you receive a screen that says an update is available for your operating system, smile, mash that update button and yell “LET’S DO THIS!”
Software Updates: While the operating system is what runs your device, software is what makes your device do what you want it to do. It could be a word processing program, an email program, security software, or that game of Solitaire you love to play while drinking your morning cup of joe. If your software doesn’t update automatically, try looking for a “Check for Updates” choice (often found under the Help menu).
Browser Updates: Browsers refer to what you use to connect to the internet, such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc. An up-to-date browser will help to protect you while you surf online. It won’t hide that new pattern or notion that you’re having delivered to your home though.
Secure your home’s Wi-Fi: You should protect your wi-fi connection as fiercely as your guard your fabric stash. Your home’s wireless router is a potential weak spot in your security. Whether you purchased your own router or you received your modem/router from your internet service provider (ISP), check to be sure that you are not using the equipment’s default username and password (which is often admin/password). If you’re not sure how to check this, it may be time to get out the manual, make a call to your ISP, or promise your favorite teen a new home-sewn item for helping you out.

Avoid clicking on suspicious emails, even if it looks like it came from someone you know. If an email looks like a scam and quacks like a scam – I mean, duck – it probably is a scam. Or duck. Doesn’t matter. Sew a holiday outfit for the duck but don’t invite it in to your home.
Protect your devices with antivirus software and anti-malware (or total internet security that combines both) software. This software is like a technology flu shot. Nothing can guarantee that your equipment won’t get infected, but this does a great job of slamming the door on potential problems.
Never click and tell. Make your online friends ooh and ahh with pics of your new handcrafted outfit, but no one online needs to know what you spent on your new embroidery machine or that you are leaving the house right now to head to the fabric store (tell all about it when you get back though!). Many don’t realize that seemingly random details are all that criminals need to know to target you, your loved ones and your physical belongings—online and in the real world.

Watch for more online tips and information on how to keep your fabulous, creative self “sew” safe online!

~© Janice Blasko, ASG Webgoddess

October 11, 2019

Meet Janet Pray

I Want to Teach the World to Sew!

That’s the mantra of sewing icon Janet Pray, educator, designer, and owner of Islander Sewing Systems. Her passion for all things sewing is evident wherever you find her—and she can be found in the classroom, on her website, on Facebook, and on Bluprint. Her comprehensive knowledge of sewing and her dry, quick humor puts her name on the top of the list for ASG chapter events as well as for conference instructor.

Concerning her mantra, Janet says, “It always seems so cliché, but it’s true for me. I loved the idea of sewing from the age of 5. When I first saw my grandmother create a doll dress without a pattern right in front of my eyes, I thought it was nearly magic!”

Growing Up Sewing

At age ten Janet made it her mission to learn how to sew from her grandmother who lived more than 200 miles away. Each time she visited, she would take a new project that included a technique she wanted to learn. She recalled one visit when she wanted to learn how to install a zipper. “I took a break to play outside and when I returned, much to my disappointment, grandma had installed the zipper—perfectly, of course. I realized then I had never told her of my motives to learn the process. When she knew I really wanted to learn, it was game-on!” She soon turned this passion for learning into one of sharing that knowledge with the world.

As a pre-teen she had the opportunity to spend the summer in Southern California with her aunt, Margaret Islander. Janet enjoyed going to work with her aunt one evening a week where she would see the industrial equipment used to train sewing machine operators for the garment industry. Over the years Margaret would share the industrial techniques that Janet later incorporated into her own ready to wear business. Janet credits these sewing techniques to eventually allow her to hire private contractors to sew her products. “These contractors were really home sewers until I taught them industry techniques that allowed them to sew from home and make a very reasonable hourly wage. I paid them by the piece but taught them the fastest way to make it. Win-win!”

Islander Sewing Systems Janet continued, “During the years I was conducting my sewing production business, I would often accompany Margaret when she was invited to teach at trade shows and special events. Her style of teaching was enthusiastic and engaging and I always try to carry on that tradition. When Margaret retired, she asked me to continue her mission to teach home sewers that sewing can be more fun, faster and better, than they know. What an honor and a pleasure for me to share all of her special information and now some of my own, with other sewers. I am one of the lucky ones who work at what we love; and, therefore, it doesn’t even seem like work, more like play. When I share this information I can see it in the eyes of the students how excited and happy they are to know a better way to sew. I cannot imagine enjoying anything more, and I feel so blessed to be on this mission, all I can say is: I want to teach the world to sew!”

Tuesdays at Two

While Janet continues to teach around the country, she has also embraced the new platform of social media. Each week Janet and her daughter Jessica do a live Facebook presentation called Tuesdays at Two. (That’s 2 eastern time.) This hour long presentation is a warm interaction between mother and daughter sharing sewing tips, techniques, and even sew-alongs. Coming up on October 22 will be the very popular Islander Shirt, a camp style shirt for both men and women. Also in the works is their Baja hoody pullover.

Tuesdays at Two While Janet does the sewing demonstration, Jessica is hard at work monitoring comments and questions from viewers. The excellent visual quality gives viewers a great opportunity to not only see exactly how the construction should be done, but also the ability to ask questions in real time. And if you miss the live show, don’t despair, Janet has all episodes archived on the Facebook page and there is even a searchable directory now. For the archived list of episodes, go to her website www.islandersewing.com.

And on the topic of her website, in addition to her books and videos, you can also find quality fabrics, notions, and patterns. The Islander Patterns are classic, comfortable styles that work with any wardrobe. However, there is a definite difference in the pattern itself. While the traditional pattern companies have that large, awkward pattern instruction sheet, Janet has chosen to put her instructions in a booklet. This allows her to use actual pictures of the construction process which is excellent for the visual learner. And what’s even better, the newer patterns are color coded. Her well written, easy to follow instructions are also very different from the traditional patterns in another way. Her goal has always been “better, faster, easier” and her instructions reflect this goal. She not only uses industrial time saving techniques for sewing, but she also emphasizes sequencing steps. She said, “My patterns are designed to be constructed using techniques that do not require pins or basting. Seldom do my patterns have any hand stitching at all. Seam allowances are specific to the operation never needing trimming. (i.e. sew seam at 5/8 next step, trim to ¼”). My newer pattern guides are designed with my exclusive “Express” method of construction. This is where I cut down on the back-and-forth from machine to iron by a new order of construction, sewing as many pieces as possible before pressing and pressing as many pieces as possible before sewing.” The instructions give much more than simple construction steps, they are a whole new, EASIER way to sew.

Fashion Patterns by Coni

In addition to her own Islander Patterns, Janet also offers patterns from designer Connie Crawford, of Fashion Patterns By Coni, a company she purchased last year. Janet commented on the purchase, “Just like Margaret’s work, Connie’s products are too important to let go. So I am proud to have brought together the very best in drafting and fitting with the very best in construction and teaching.”

Janet was referring to Connie’s six year study to create better sizing for plus sizes that resulted in patterns that fit the larger sized woman rather than simply scaling up all over. So with Janet’s designs featuring sizes from very small to 4X and Connie’s designs going to 6X, www.islandersewing.com is one of the only places to go for those seeking larger size styling as well as the traditional sizes.

When asked what advice she would like to share, she wanted to encourage people to purchase a good quality sewing machine and not be lured into purchasing a low end machine. While not endorsing any particular brand, she said that the better machines produce a more uniform stitch and feed the fabric better so that the operator does not have to struggle with the machine. “Low quality machines cause the new sewer to be discouraged because she/he thinks it’s their inability to sew well and it’s really the machine’s. Even my sewing is unsatisfactory using a low quality machine. “

Awards

Janet is the recipient of the 2012 Association of Sewing and Design Professionals – Life Time Achievement Award as well as ASG’s Sewing Hall of Fame for 2017.

Janet is a long time ASG member in the Detroit Chapter and offers fellow ASG members a generous 20% discount off books, DVDs, and patterns at www.islandersewing.com. Visit the Special Offers section in the Members Only area for the discount code. A limited number of kits for the Islander Shirt that will be the subject of her sew-along on October 22, 2019 are also available.

~ Rosemary Fajgier

The American Sewing Guild is truly fortunate to be able to count many gifted sewing designers and instructors among our friends, members, and supporters. Throughout this coming year we will be featuring some of them in our Notions Blog. We hope you will enjoy reading about them and take the opportunity to get to know them better and explore their many talents by visiting their websites, taking their classes, and discovering the wide variety of designs they bring to the home sewing market.