Sewing is a hobby that can truly grow on you. You start off thinking you are going to spend an hour or so every once in a while at the sewing machine but before you know it, you find yourself spending more and more time at the machine. What draws you in is seeing the creative fruits of your...
For me, there’s nothing more frustrating than realizing mid-way through a project that there’s something going wrong somewhere. Worse still, is the realization that it is probably something I did or did not do in the initial stages. It could be that I did not measure one part correctly or I’ve assembled the parts in the wrong order. Sometimes,...
Prepping for your projects is probably the most boring part of sewing but unfortunately, it’s something that has to be done. Prepping paves the way for a frustration-free time ahead and also ensures a perfect end product. So, no matter how boring or tedious you find it, prep you must.
Pre-Shrink Your Fabric
While stopping to preshrink your fabric may keep...
Knowing the basics of sewing machine maintenance is an absolute must if you want your machine to run smoothly and efficiently. There is no getting around this. Neglecting your machine can cause all sorts of problems and lead to unnecessary frustration.
Fortunately, keeping your sewing machine in prime condition is neither very technical nor very complex. It’s just little things...
Or my seam ripper… or measure tape?
Does that sound like you? Do you often feel like you spend far too much time looking for your various sewing supplies? Are your sewing projects forever getting put on hold simply because you cannot find the color of thread that you need or you’ve misplaced your measure tape or your seam ripper...
I’ve seen many sewers make the mistake of using the same tension setting for all their sewing projects and then they wonder why the finish isn’t perfect. The fact is, the wrong tension is a sewing disaster. It can ruin your sewing project and literally give you a tension headache. Knowing how to troubleshoot your tension problems can set...
I’m the first to admit that sewing is not something that should be rushed. Like all creative processes, you want to take your time at it, enjoying each step and savoring every triumph. Unfortunately, even the most ardent sewer is likely to find that they are pressed for time and cannot afford to indulge as much as they’d like...
When you are starting out with sewing, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when things start to go wrong with your sewing project. You just cannot get a handle on fitting on the collar or the sleeve cuffs. You’ve cut out the pattern and now you realize the stripes don’t match. The pleats just won’t stay in place.
You get frustrated,...
Being new to sewing is no excuse for sloppy work. Considering all the time and the money you will have spent on any project, it can be terribly disappointing to end up with something that looks slapdash and shoddy. When you put so much of your creative energy into a sewing project, the best reward you can get is...
As with all machines, sewing machines work best with some basic maintenance, done regularly. The emphasis is on the words ‘basic’ and ‘done regularly’. Most machines today are designed to perform well for years together without any major problems. More often than not, if you encounter any problems, it will be because you have the wrong setting on your...
