Use a clear desk mat (purchased from an office supply store) under your sewing machine. It will keep the machine from sliding. Notes (such as what embroidery stitches are on your programmable card) can be stored under the mat and can still be easily read. NOTE: The mat will stick to varnished surfaces and may damage them. To prevent damage, put decorative flannel between the mat and the desktop surface. What are ideal hem widths? Most hems should be 1 ¼ inches (3 cm). Blue jean hems are ¾ inches (2 cm) and are topstitched. Chiffon hems on straight garments can be 2 inches (5 cm). Curved chiffon hems should be rolled. Circular skirts can have ½ inch hems (1 cm), which are best topstitched.
Keep a fingernail file and clipper near the sewing machine for hangnails to prevent snagging delicate fabric.
Keep two of everything in your sewing room: hem gauges, embroidery scissors, pincushions, tape measures, etc. That way, if you lose one, you have another one to use and don’t waste time looking for the first one. It usually turns up in a little while anyway.
What colors of thread can be substituted if you don’t have the right color? Different shades of gray match most fabrics. Red thread should always be used with red fabric, though orange thread may be substituted in some instances. White can be used on yellow, and yellow can be used on bright green. All dark shades, like navy, can use black thread.
Air cleaners should be installed in any alterations or dressmaking studio. Excessive amounts of lint can be inhaled. This poses a real threat over time. ‘Cotton Lung’ is a disease just like Black Lung. Just a note: Ionic air cleaners drop lint out of the air, HEPA filters will need to be cleaned more often.
Instead of reupholstering a lampshade, try making a slipcover with a drawstring casing on each end.
If you have limited space, instead of purchasing several sizes of garment bags, get the gown length ones (72” or 2 m). These can be shortened to any length, and you only need one roll.
The ‘Super Magnet’ that you use to hold your pins can also be used to coax splinters out of your skin. These magnets are so powerful that they may even help remove non-metallic splinters.
Educate teenage girls: It is not a ‘Credaline’ (which they think means incredible), but a Crinoline. They are not ‘Sequence’ but Sequins.
When sewing buttons for coats or suits, instead of wrapping the shank with thread, try tying half hitch knots around the thread shank. These will not tear as easily and will not unwrap, exposing the button threads.
For an inexpensive Sleeve and Seam Roll: Get a heavy cardboard tube from your local fabric shop. Cut it to a usable length (I like 30 inches), pad it with batting (like cotton, which does not melt), wrap it with cotton fabric. Stitch the fabric down and tuck the ends into the roll. This roll can fit into a lined garment through a small hole. And we can press the garment without turning it inside out.
When sewing four holed buttons, sometimes we forget and the threads come out perpendicular to other buttons.To prevent this, sew four holed buttons in an “X”, crossing the holes diagonally. The stitching will always be uniform.
Use washable fabric markers (Crayola launders best) for pattern design. If the ink should chance to bleed from the pattern to the fashion fabric, the ink comes out easily.
Use microfiber cleaning cloths (available in the automotive section of Walmart) for cleaning lint from clothing and ironing boards. These work better than a lint brush and are washable.
Always change your sewing machine needle when you hear a popping sound or when your machine skips stitches.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR BACK TO THE DOGS. When sewing shoulder and side seams, keep the garment back side toward the sewing machine feed dogs. The feed dogs will ease the fabric slightly and make a better fit.
You can determine fiber content in the fabric store with this simple test:
1. Hold a handful of fabric and squeeze it. If it wrinkles, it is natural (cotton, silk, ramie). If not, it is synthetic or wool.
2. Hold a handful of fabric for about one minute. If your hand feels sweaty, the fabric is probably synthetic. If your hand is dry, it is probably natural.
Use fabric yardage for gift wrap when giving to crafters or sewers.
When purchasing fabric at yard sales or flea markets, wash it with a little Lysol disinfectant. It will help get rid of the moldy smell. (Note: One viewer asked about the strong smell of Lysol. There are several fragrances of Lysol available. Use one that suits you, but don’t use too much or you may damage the rubber seals in your washing machine.)
When purchasing trims, zippers, or buttons at yard sales or flea markets, place the items in nylon stockings and tie the stocking shut. The items will launder easily without tangling or getting lost.
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Contributor's Note
www.sewandso.etsy.com
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