Saturday, October 29, 2016

By Robert Turner


Sewing is a lot of fun once mastered, but for someone now learning the skill, it can seriously test one's patience. Sewing is also something that requires a lot of practice to be successful at. Being steady at a machine is a task, so here's some insight on how to sew a straight edge easily.

Even the best of those who sew use a guideline to help them. Certainly, with enough practice and over time, the majority of those who sew will be easily able to estimate certain measurements frequently used, like seam allowance. That being said, the additional help of having a guideline will make sure the measurement is always accurate.

Some people like to mark the fabric exactly where it needs to be sewn in order to follow a straight line. You can do this using tailor's chalk, which comes in different colors so that it can be seen on practically any fabric. It stays visible throughout the project until you rub or wipe it off. However, sometimes sewers mark the fabric's wrong side to be safe, in case any remains. You can then follow the markings under your needle as you stitch.

Tracing paper for sewing is much like tailor's chalk. You place the paper under the fabric and trace the pattern over the fabric using a tool called the tracing wheel. This transfers the lines from the paper directly onto the fabric. Some fabrics don't work as well with chalk and tracing paper, so many professional technicians prefer to trace necessary lines using thread. It is a technique that takes more time to complete, but it is definitely the most precise method.

Tracing with thread requires stitching, by hand, long running stitches along the pattern lines. This way, the thread won't budge until it's time to pull it out after stitching by machine. This is also a good way to work for anyone who may have difficulty seeing the stitch lines, because they can use any color thread to differentiate, without causing any damage to the fabric.

Making running stitches through the fabric can be done on a single layer to trace the pattern or through two layers of fabric. Doing it through two or more layers of fabric holds them together loosely as if already sewn. This is called 'basting'. Basting is a good way to check for any mistakes during a fitting before running the final stitches on a garment or piece of work, which can be a bother to pull out if there is a mistake.

There are methods to achieve a straight edge stitch without having to mark the fabric in any way. These methods are extremely fast and easy to put in place. One way is to place a magnet where necessary on the machine, using the straight edge as the guideline when stitching.

Although a magnetic guide works well, sometimes it creates an obstacle when stitching and isn't so great when it comes to home machines with plastic parts. As such, another very cheap and effective method is to place a length of tape across the machine bed at the desired width for stitching. The fabric edge should line up alongside the tape edge for a straight line.




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