My gathering trick is: Take a length of perl cotton or dental floss. Use a wide zigzag to sew across it. This is the second-best gathering trick I know. The cotton or floss will never break, because it's not actually getting pulled through the fabric. (the best gathering trick I learned last weekend, and is the wonder and fucking glory that is the ruffler foot, but that's sort of specialist).
When you are inserting a zipper (scary, but easier than it seems), instead of pinning it into place, fuse it into place with the narrow (1/4 inch) stitch witch fusible web. It won't budge and you won't have the awkward bit where you sew over pins or the zipper slips.
Mark the dots. And the notches. Even if you think you won't need them, because eventually you will. The quilters have all the good marking toys, and they are not stored with everyone else's notions.
1 needle: 1 project. Needles are cheap, especially if you buy them when they are half off. The time you spend fighting with a needle that doesn't seem dull but is is a lot. Also, there are special needles for some fabrics, specifically denim and knits. These will reduce crying if you are working with those fabrics.
Buy one good pair of sewing shears. Never use them for anything else. Hide them from your family if necessary.
If you are going to grade patterns or alter them, there is some stuff in the interfacing section that feels a little like fusible interfacing, but is not interfacing, and is marked in one inch grids. It's excellent for redrafting and altering patterns. I have taken to buying it by the bolt and tracing all my patterns onto it instead of cutting them out. I have "fitting issues" so everything I make is altered anyway.
Don't try to stuff your patterns back in the envelope. Store the envelope and all the pattern pieces in a 1-gallon ziplock bag.
They are not kidding about the grainline and nap markings. If you do not pay attention to this, your clothes will look bad and hang strangely.
Long pins are easier to work with. If you are working with silk, satin, or knits, look for the special pins for the task.
Spray starch may help when you are working with especially soft or slippery fabrics, as long as those fabrics are washable.
If you are trying to get around a curve, more pins are better. Go slowly and have faith. After you have gone around the curve, clip it following instructions. Proper clipping makes your clothes lay right.
Have fun! Start with something low-stakes and not on a deadline, and remember that it is a hobby, not a test.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-04-28 05:25 pm (UTC)Take a length of perl cotton or dental floss. Use a wide zigzag to sew across it. This is the second-best gathering trick I know. The cotton or floss will never break, because it's not actually getting pulled through the fabric.
(the best gathering trick I learned last weekend, and is the wonder and fucking glory that is the ruffler foot, but that's sort of specialist).
When you are inserting a zipper (scary, but easier than it seems), instead of pinning it into place, fuse it into place with the narrow (1/4 inch) stitch witch fusible web. It won't budge and you won't have the awkward bit where you sew over pins or the zipper slips.
Mark the dots. And the notches. Even if you think you won't need them, because eventually you will. The quilters have all the good marking toys, and they are not stored with everyone else's notions.
1 needle: 1 project. Needles are cheap, especially if you buy them when they are half off. The time you spend fighting with a needle that doesn't seem dull but is is a lot. Also, there are special needles for some fabrics, specifically denim and knits. These will reduce crying if you are working with those fabrics.
Buy one good pair of sewing shears. Never use them for anything else. Hide them from your family if necessary.
If you are going to grade patterns or alter them, there is some stuff in the interfacing section that feels a little like fusible interfacing, but is not interfacing, and is marked in one inch grids. It's excellent for redrafting and altering patterns. I have taken to buying it by the bolt and tracing all my patterns onto it instead of cutting them out. I have "fitting issues" so everything I make is altered anyway.
Don't try to stuff your patterns back in the envelope. Store the envelope and all the pattern pieces in a 1-gallon ziplock bag.
They are not kidding about the grainline and nap markings. If you do not pay attention to this, your clothes will look bad and hang strangely.
Long pins are easier to work with. If you are working with silk, satin, or knits, look for the special pins for the task.
Spray starch may help when you are working with especially soft or slippery fabrics, as long as those fabrics are washable.
If you are trying to get around a curve, more pins are better. Go slowly and have faith. After you have gone around the curve, clip it following instructions. Proper clipping makes your clothes lay right.
Have fun! Start with something low-stakes and not on a deadline, and remember that it is a hobby, not a test.