To go ‘braless’ in strapless tops: Wear a good fitting bra (one that you don’t mind losing) under the garment. Stitch the bra invisibly to the inside of the garment and cut out any of the bra which shows on the outside. If your beading thread doesn’t match your beads, use a permanent marker in the correct color to ‘paint’ the thread. (This ink is removed by dry cleaning.)
To hem chiffon: Press the hem ¼ inch (1/2 cm) longer than finished length. Sew a row of stitching along this edge. Trim the hem off near the stitching. Fold up ¼ inch (1/2 cm) and topstitch in place. Press.
To save closet space: Purchase a plastic chain at a hardware store and cut into manageable lengths. Hang a length of chain from a hanger and hang several garments on the chain.
You can use nylon upholstery thread instead of traditional nylon beading thread when making jewelry.
Use restickable glue (like Post-It Note glue) on skin (not on garment) to keep straps from slipping off of shoulders and to keep gaping necklines in place. NOTE: Glue may have to be reapplied because of perspiration.
Examining room paper from a doctor’s office makes excellent pattern drafting paper.
For hand-embroiderers, look closely at a self-threading needle (the ones for those with poor vision). Mine has two eyes. You can thread the needle with two different threads for interesting embroidery techniques.
Always press a hand knit sweater after finishing. This helps to block the sweater, and gives it a professional look.
Use a safety pin pinned to the shoulders of a garment as an instant bra strap carrier.
To finish the end of a serged seam, stitch three stitches off the end of the seam, lift the presser foot, pull the end of the seam back under the presser foot, and resew the end of the seam. Cut off the thread.
Use Quilt Basting Spray to join leather pieces together before sewing. To guard against overspray, put all pieces in a cardboard box before spraying. Don’t inhale the fumes – these are harmful.
How to determine the proper bobbin thread tension: Remove the bobbin case from the sewing machine. Hold the thread between two fingers, being careful not to let the bobbin fall out of the case. Gently shake the bobbin case up and down by the thread. The case should drop down about four or five inches (12 – 15 cm) with each shake.
For the avid recycler: Find a handmade paper maker in your area. They will use just about any fabric or thread tail you don’t need.
When using a long ruler for marking hems, place a sticky note on the ruler and mark an arrow on the note to indicate the correct position.
If possible, when altering, keep garments on hangers. This keeps the garments wrinkle free, and off of the floor.
To shorten sweater sleeves, divide the amount the sleeve is to be shortened by two. Measure this amount up from the sleeve ribbing and fold the sleeve up at this point. Sew along the edge of the ribbing with a stretch stitch. Cut off the excess at a desirable seam width and finish the edge with a zigzag stitch or finish with a serger.
One way invisibly tack facing down is to stitch in the ditch on the right side of the garment. When altering heavy knit sweaters, do not use your serger to sew the seams. Use a narrow zigzag stitch. It will help prevent the knit from running. Zigzag about a quarter inch from the first row of stitching and cut the fabric close to this second row of stitching.
When using a hole punch for leather or heavy fabric, such as belting, pad the anvil side of the punch with a scrap of leather. This will prevent the edges of the punch from bending or becoming blunt.
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Contributor's Note
www.sewandso.etsy.com
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