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Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 9:37 pm Post subject: sewing tips and hints

carring on from Bugs thread there are obviously a lot of expert seamstresses out there so how about putting your hints and tips for better sewing on here.Tips for what ever you like to sew or make - hints for stockists or patterns, put it here.

My only tip ( and I can sew but am probably a bit rusty) is to always have the iron up when making something. Pressing all work as you go along makes for a much more professional and neater finish.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 9:41 pm Post subject:
Good thread, Julie! When sewing on beads, wax the cotton first by running it around a candle. This helps to prevent the thread knotting.

Deedee

Joined: 10 Jan 2005
Posts: 250
Location: Surrey

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 05 9:44 pm Post subject:

mmm now lets see I'll have to wander off and think about this one..my main thing is keep a scraps bag/box/basket.I have even managed to make a full size quilt or two with the scraps I keep hold of,but they come in handy for running on under the machine if its playing up,if you oil your machine always leave a little scrap under the foot to stop oil marking your next project,use them to clean the machine with,wrap a band aroung the horizontal part and stick your pins in it for ease of use...*goes off to get more coffee and think of some more*

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 11:28 am Post subject:

nettie wrote:

Good thread, Julie!

When sewing on beads, wax the cotton first by running it around a candle. This helps to prevent the thread knotting.

Would that work with cross stitch, or would it make the work all waxy. I'm fed up of untangling knots!

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 12:20 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

nettie wrote:

Good thread, Julie!

When sewing on beads, wax the cotton first by running it around a candle. This helps to prevent the thread knotting.

Would that work with cross stitch, or would it make the work all waxy. I'm fed up of untangling knots!

ah can solve that one, every so often let your threaded needle hang loose as it were, ( ie let it dangle off the edge of the work which will create a tension, due to weight of needle) and it will spin and un twist itself hopefully preventing the knots you talk about.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 1:04 pm Post subject:
I do the dangly bit (oh er!) but the thread still knots up. Oddly enough, some colours seem to be worse than others. Can't imagine why blue is more tangly than red, for example?! Nearly finished now. No more cross stitch for a while. Must finish the knitted blanket for baby Neve, before I have to start making it bigger to catch up with her!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 2:04 pm Post subject:

Re the twisting thread thing: it also makes a difference which end of the thread you put through the eye of the needle. I think if you always thread with the end that you didn't cut, it will twist up a lot less when you sew.

It's just that you automatically go to where you make the cut and thread with that end, which means that the thread is twisting in the wrong direction, thus causing the tangles.

Am I making any sense?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 2:19 pm Post subject:
Yep, it makes sense, but it's a kit, so it came in pre-cut lengths! Thanks for the tip though, I'll try and see which way is worse. Thank goodness it's nearly finished!

culpepper

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent

Posted: Tue Jan 11, 05 7:49 pm Post subject:
Look in charity shops for buttons,zips etc.Theyre usually sold for pennies.

Home on the Hill

Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 313
Location: Warwickshire

Posted: Sat Feb 12, 05 9:52 pm Post subject:
And always check out those cheap bookshops (ours is called The Works) because they often have craft books at bargain prices.

sugarplumhalle

Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 50
Location: E. Yorkshire

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 05 3:34 pm Post subject:

culpepper wrote:

Look in charity shops for buttons,zips etc.Theyre usually sold for pennies.

I have found numerous dress patterns in charity shops aswell, some even uncut! I have made friends with my local charity shop aswell so on the odd occasion they save fabric for me.

I probably spend un healthy amounts of time going round charity shops but oh, the crap i find

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:09 pm Post subject: Re: sewing tips and hints

Fiddlesticks Julie wrote:

i haven't sewn anything on a machine in years (i do some mending by hand) but i always ironed creases in to make neat edges then put the pins in, then sewed it... made the job much easier and there were fewer accidents

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:13 pm Post subject:

sugarplumhalle wrote:

culpepper wrote:

Look in charity shops for buttons,zips etc.Theyre usually sold for pennies.

you can also buy clothing that has nice buttons on it from charity shops... then you can either sew some other buttons on and wear it or give it to the charity for it's rag bag

still works out cheaper most of the time.

i volunteered at a charity shop a few years ago and whenever something had to be thrown in the rag bag i would save the buttons first to add to my collection!

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:17 pm Post subject:

i'm in the process of trying to find an inexpensive sewing machine. i haven't used a machine in many years and to be honest i was rusty then.

i took a dressmaking course in high school i was 15, i'm 34 now so you can imagine i've forgotten a lot and the machines have probably changed too...

my problem has always been adjusting the tension...any tips on that one?

does anyone have any suggestion for what to look for in a machine? i want one that sews the button holes but i can cut them myself if necessary. also, how useful is a serger (think you call them overlockers here don't you) i seem to remember the one we had in school was brilliant as it finished the edges and trimmed the excess off at the same time... those are fairly expensive, is that right?

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Wed Apr 06, 05 8:38 pm Post subject:

Overlockers are fantastic - but you have to be confident to use them as they trim and finish all in one go - eBay have some fantastic bargains - Something on my list to buy - got to do something keep buying material and not doing anything with it.

I've seen a good basic machine sold in places like Netto, Aldi or Lidl - Infact the last one was better than my Singer - was sorely tempted and there are a few in Index and Argos that aren't a bad price

Joanne

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