Sewing Sunsets

I think I’m having sewing withdrawals! We’re in the process of renovating the master bath in our house before we put the house on the market.  While I do enjoy decorating and picking out new paint colors and bathroom fixtures, I would really rather be sewing.  I’m glad I can talk about it here, even if I am talking about older sewing projects.  However, in the very near future I will be making an apron for my daughter’s roommate, so I’ll have a new project to show you.  That apron will be sewn in spite of real life’s other plans for me.

In the meantime, let’s continue talking about sewing set in sleeves.  The side seams of the bodice have already been sewn and then sleeve caps have been eased before sewing the sleeve seam.  I like to serge finish the raw edge of the sleeve (in the hem area) because I prefer to sew the hem by  hand using the blind hem stitch.  However, beginners might like to turn up the raw edge about 1/4 inch and sew around it and press.  That way, when the hem is turned up, the slip stitch can be used.  It doesn’t look quite as professional (in my opinion) as the blind hem stitch, but it might be easier for beginners.

Once the sleeve is completed, I had to sew it into the armscye of the bodice.  This is where it can get tricky, but it’s not really hard.  The sleeve and bodice are placed right sides together.  I match the sleeve seam with the side seam on the bodice, and then start pinning around the sleeve.  You can either slightly pull the easing stitches at this point, or you can pull those stitches prior to pinning the sleeve into the armscye and then adjust it to fit as you are pinning.

I like to sew the sleeves in, using the free arm of the sewing machine.  When I sew sleeves, I start sewing at the underarm seam, sew around, and then slightly overlap where I started sewing to secure the stitching.

(Also, remember that a single notch on the sleeve cap indicates the front of the sleeve and a double notch indicates the back of the sleeve.)  These set in sleeves were not gathered, but only slightly eased to fit the armscye.  When they are sewn into the garment, the sleeve cap should be smooth.  I like to serge finish these seams, but if you are a beginner, you could also slightly trim them with pinking shears.  Another option would be to use Seams Great.  I haven’t used this product myself (yet) but I hope to be able to get some and see how I like it–when I have time to sew again, of course.

Much more detailed instructions (and pictures) of sewing set in sleeves can be found at: www.sewseamless.com/Page8.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page17.html

Hand hem stitches; blind hem stitch and slip stitch: www.sewseamless.com/Page20.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

Now, understitching wasn’t really that hard, was it? I actually like understitching.

After I had understitched the facing and had pressed the bodice well, the next step was to sew in the sleeves.  This particular pattern has set in sleeves, which basically means that the side seams of the bodice have already been sewn.  The sleeves are complete before sewing them into the bodice.

The sleeve cap must be eased first so that the sleeve will fit into the armscye of the bodice.  I like to set my stitch length on 5 and sew at 3/8 inch and a little less than that, but beginners might find it easier to sew the ease stitching at 5/8 inch and 1/2 inch.  This type of easing is sewn from notch to notch on the sleeve cap.

Make sure that you leave long thread tails at each end of the stitching.

I like to sew the easing stitches first and then sew the sleeve seam.  Usually, I serge finish the raw edges of the sleeve seam prior to sewing the seam.  This seam is sewn at 5/8 inch seam allowance.  After sewing the sleeve seam, press the seam open over a seam roll.  I actually to press from both the right and wrong sides.

When the sleeve seam has been pressed open, it’s time to insert the sleeve into the armscye of the bodice.  That isn’t really hard, but it is a little tricky.  More about that sewing technique in a future post.

Understitching (instructions and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page7.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Sewing sleeves (instructions and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page8.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page17.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

When I first started sewing and came across the sewing term “understitching”, I was totally confused and bewildered.  Even though I looked at the diagrams and read the explanations, the concept of understitching still eluded me.  Somewhere along the way, I finally discovered that understitching is actually quite easy and can be fun. 

The purpose of understitching is to keep the facing from rolling to the outside of the garment.  Because I sew a lot of girl’s dresses, I use this sewing technique a lot.

After the facings have been sewn on to the bodice and the seams trimmed, the next step is understitching. When you understitch, you will have the right side of the fabric facing you.  The seam allowance is turned toward the facing and you will be sewing very close to the stitch line, but remember that you will be sewing on the facing itself and not on the garment. 

Understitching on the straight area is quite easy, but the curved neckline seam is a little trickier because the seam has been clipped to the stitching.  Just remember to make sure the clipped seam is all turned toward the facing when you’re understitching.

In the picture above, the facing is to the right and the main body of the garment is to the left.  The seam allowance has been turned toward the facing .  I can feel it with my fingers. When I understitch a garment, I place the sewing machine needle to the left because it allows me to sew closer to the seam line.

When you understitch, you start sewing the straight part of the facing and sew until you get to about an inch before the corner (where the curved neckline begins) and then stop.  Cut the threads and then start understitching the curved neckline about an inch from the “corner”.  Make sure you place the seam allowance toward the facing.  When understitching around the curved neckline, take your time and sew slowly.  You may also have to keep the needle in the fabric , raise the presser foot and adjust the facing a bit while understitching in this area.  Sew until you get to an inch from the “corner”, cut the threads, and then starting about an inch down, understitch the other straight part of the facing/garment.  Turn the garment to the right side, use a point turner to create nice corners, and then press well. 

I like to press on the wrong side of the garment and also on the right side, and most of the time, I press the curved neckline area over a tailor’s ham. 

All of the above pictures were from previous sewing projects, when I actually had time to sew.   One of these days, maybe I’ll have a new project to show you.  In the meantime, I’ll keep talking about past projects. 

Sewing facings to a bodice: www.sewseamless.com/Page6.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Understitching ( detailed instructions and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page7.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I’ll really be glad when real life stops interfering with my sewing time.  Because we are in the process of moving to another state, we are trying to update our master bath and that takes lots of time.  In fact, it is taking way too much of my sewing time!   Oh, well…..someday, I’ll be able to sew and sew and sew.  Well, I will, wont I?!

At least I can share some previous sewing projects with you here.

The last thing I mentioned was sewing the facing together at the shoulder seams and then serge finishing the outside edges of the facing.  After that, the facing is pinned to the bodice, right sides together, and then sewn all the way around the bodice.

Sewing the facing is the easy part; just make sure to take your time sewing around the curved neck edge.  After the facing is sewn to the bodice, trim the seams and clip the curved neckline seam (clip to the stitching line).  Also, make sure to clip the corners diagonally (where the straight edge of the facing and the curved edge of the neckline facing begin) so that you will have a nice corner when it is turned right side out.

This really is the easy  part, and although understitching isn’t complicated, it often confuses beginning seamstresses.  I’ll show you just how easy understitching is in my next post.

Bodice sewing instructions, complete with pictures: www.sewseamless.com/Page5.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html

Facing sewing instructions, complete with pictures: www.sewseamless.com/Page6.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I’m having to face the facts here; my sewing lull is going to last a while due to real life.  That real life just always seems to have other plans for me these days.  Of course, I can talk about sewing facings, while I’m facing my sewing lull.

Facings are quite easy to sew.  There is usually a back facing piece and two front facing pieces.  After fusing the interfacing to these pieces. sew them together at the shoulder seams and press the seams open.

When I have the facing pieces sewn together, I finish the raw edges.  I serge finish the raw edges, although you could choose to overcast or zigzag around the raw edges as well.

Applying fusible interfacing: www.sewseamless.com/Page4.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html

Sewing facings: www.sewseamless.com/Page6.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

Due to our upcoming move, I will soon find it necessary to clean out my sewing room.  The good news about this is that I may give myself a little more room to sew, but the bad news is that my sewing time is going to be severely limited for a while, especially while our house is on the market.  I’d really rather be sewing.

On a slightly different note, I owe my friend, Michelle, of Sleep Cat Hollow (www.sleepycathollow.wordpress.com ) a “thank you”.  Some time ago, I noticed that she nominated me to receive The Lemonade Award.  I don’t remember all the particulars of that award, although I do recall something about attitude.  I’m sure my husband would say that I have more “attitude” than necessary,  but I’m pretty sure that Michelle was giving me a very nice compliment.

Thank you, Michelle!  There are several people that I can think of who truly have an award winning attitude in life.  One of those people is Lisa, of The Domestic Diva’s Disasters (www.thedomesticdiva.wordpress.com)   Lisa has had a most stressful year this past year, and yet, through it all, she remained cheerful and optimistic.  Her beautiful 15 year old daughter, Marielle, was very ill and desperately needed a kidney transplant.  She finally got that new kidney in December, although some challenges have remained.  Lisa was also in the midst of launching her new boy’s clothing line, so she was under tremendous stress at the time.  She truly has the ability to “make lemonade out of lemons”.

I can think of a couple of other people who deserve this award, but I’ll mention them another time. 

Thanks again, Michelle!

Even though I am going to have a “sewing lull” for a while, I can still talk about sewing here.  Yesterday, I showed you the technique for sewing a bodice.  After sewing the shoulder and side seams, the next step was to sew the facing.  Prior to sewing the facings together, these pieces needed to be interfaced.  I like to use a tricot type fusible interfacing, such as Fusi-knit, because it gives stability to the fabric, while still allowing the fabric to be pliable.  Both the fabric and the interfacing should be pre-shrunk.  Some sewing enthusiasts put the interfacing in warm water for a few minutes, and then hang it over the shower to dry.  Because I usually work with small pieces, I spray the interfacing, glue side up, with water, hold the iron over it and steam it.  Then I lay the interfacing aside to dry.  Also, I usually give the interfacing a shot of steam, but I’ve learned to be very careful not to shrink it too much.  One note here: it is very important to make sure that your iron doesn’t touch the glue side of the interfacing when using this method to pre-shrink!  You will have a major mess on the soleplate of your iron if this happens.  Ask me how I know this one.

When the pre-shrunk interfacing has dried,  I use Sandra Betzina’s method to fuse the interfacing to the fabric pieces.   Place the fabric piece on the ironing board wrong side up,  place the interfacing on the piece, glue side down on the fabric, place a presscloth over this, and lightly spray with water.  Using firm pressure, hold the iron down on a portion of the piece you are interfacing for about ten seconds.  Lift the iron, and slightly overlapping where you just fused the interfacing, hold the iron down firmly again for about ten seconds.  Repeat this process until the entire piece has been interfaced/fused.  Turn the fused piece over so that it is right side up and repeat the above process.  It is best if you allow the interfaced piece to cool before removing it from the ironing board. 

The only pattern pieces that I needed to interface, using this particular sewing pattern, were the back and front facings.

After fusing the interfacing to the fabric pieces, the next step is to sew the facings together and then sew facings to the bodice.  More about that in my next post.

Instructions for applying fusible interfacing: www.sewseamless.com/Page4.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html

Instructions for sewing facings(pictures included):  www.sewseamless.com/Page6.html , www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I’m calling this post a sewing preview because it’s a preview of some sewing that I hope to do before the end of this year. Real life just has a way of getting in the way of my sewing time, and it’s really being a pain right now.  At some point in the near future, hubby and I will be moving to another state, so that means getting this house ready to put on the market and sold (hopefully!) so we can move.  I’d rather be sewing.

In spite of real life’s plans, I did manage to get a little sewing done before Christmas and I’m almost finished with this project.  I had some left over fabric so I sewed a little girl’s dress.  I used the same pattern that I used to use to teach beginning sewing.  The reason I like this particular pattern (which is out of print, unfortunately) is because most of the basic sewing techniques are used, so this made it a useful tool for teaching beginning seamstresses.

I used a solid color for the bodice and a print for the skirt.  (The following pictures are from a different project, using the same sewing pattern.)  After I cut out the bodice and the skirt and pressed all the fabric,  I serge finished the raw edges and then sewed the shoulder and side seams together, and pressed the seams open over a seam roll.

After sewing the shoulder and side seams, I sewed the facing together.  Prior to sewing the facing, I had fused the interfacing to the fabric. 

Here is a preview of some of the sewing techniques used in the sewing construction of this dress:

Applying fusible interfacing: www.sewseamless.com/Page4.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html

General bodice sewing directions (and pictures): www.sewseamless.com/Page5.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page15.html

Sewing facings: www.sewseamless.com/Page6.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page16.html

Sewing set-in sleeves: www.sewseamless.com/Page8.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page17.html

Sewing buttonholes: www.sewseamless.com/Page10.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page19.html

Sewing a gathered skirt with in-seam pockets: www.sewseamless.com/Page9.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page19.html

Hand hemming (skirt and sleeves), using the blind hem stitch: www.sewseamless.com/Page20.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day.  Hubby brought me a nice card, some beautiful pink roses, and another gift card to JoAnn’s.   He had forgotten that he gave me a gift card to JoAnn’s for Christmas and due to my illness and other circumstances, I haven’t been able to go get some much needed fabric therapy yet.  Now I can engage in a really long fabric therapy session or in several shorter fabric therapy sessions.

When I talk about fabric therapy, I always think of the social worker who gave me that little piece of advice when my dad was in a rehab hospital for a couple of months.  Because I went to visit my dad daily, this social worker knew that I was exhausted and she began to encourage me to take a little time for myself by doing something that I enjoyed.  She gave me hope that things could get better and that I could take a little time for myself, even in difficult circumstances.

Recently, someone else gave me hope, although she probably didn’t realize the impact that her kindness and her words had on me that day.  Life has been stressful recently, and part of that stress has been my mom’s situation.  The nurse/receptionist at the physical therapist’s office has always been very kind to me and we have developed somewhat of a friendship.  Last week, after visiting my mom, I was feeling very frustrated, so a couple of days later, I called and asked this lady if I could come to the office to meet her in person.  When I walked in, we hugged and chatted for a bit, and I began to voice my concerns and frustrations about my mom’s particular situation.  Even though, this woman had work to do and other responsibilities, she took the time to encourage me.  I doubt that she even realizes the impact her kindness had on me that day, but it made a huge difference for me.  I left the office feeling better and feeling hopeful, all because one person took some time to encourage me, give me some tools to work through a difficult situation, and give me hope that things could get better.  What made this even more special to me is that I learned that this wonderful woman is currently undergoing chemotherapy.  When she told me that, I was stunned!  And even in the midst of her own difficult circumstances, she could take the time to give me hope that day.  I will always be grateful to her.

Even though my circumstances have been a bit difficult lately, they are minor compared to problems that many of  the people of Appalachia face each day.  One of my favorite charities is Mission of Hope (www.missionofhope.org ) because they help provide familes in that area with food and clothing, but more importantly, they try to give them hope.  And hope can be a powerful force in someone’s life.

Last Friday night, a tv show (A Hidden American: Children of the Mountains, hosted by Diane Sawyer)  profiled the children of Appalachia.  As I watched this show about the children of the region, I was struck by how courageous and even hopeful these children are, even in the midst of great poverty.  Some of the children have parents who are addicted to prescription drugs.  Others live in run down houses with ten or twelve people in the same house.  They often have very little food to eat.  What really struck me about these children is their unique ability to make the best of such difficult circumstances.  For some reason, they have hope and continue to dream that their futures will be brighter.  And while they are continuing to hope and dream for a brighter future, they also seem to be very grateful for the simple things in life.

Sometimes those of us who do not face the  same type of hardships that the people of Appalachia face think that there is not much we can do to help, but I believe that the simple things could make a huge difference in someone’s life. Those of us who sew, quilt, crochet, or knit could donate some handcrafted items, and even though this seems like a very small effort,  you never know how much a warm quilt might mean to a child who lives in poverty.  Sleeping under that new quilt, this child might be a little warmer at night during the cold winters, and as he or she continues to dream of warmer spring weather,  there may also be a little more hope for a brighter future.  The child who receives a new quilt or new winter coat just might grow up to be the doctor who discovers a cure for cancer, or becomes the President of our country.  Sometimes, the simple things can bring great hope to someone’s life. 

While we all need hope for a brighter future right now, I think we can learn some lessons from the people of Appalachia.  Many of them make the best of their circumstances and still remain cheerful and grateful, and the children remain hopeful. 

www.sewseamless.com

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow so I guess it’s time to finish any handmade gifts or go shopping  for something.  I’d rather sew.

After embroidering both sides of the pillow I made recently, I tore away the stabilizer, pressed the fabric and then pinned the right sides together, making sure to leave enough space for turning right side out.

Because this is a square (probably a bit more rectangular in this case) shape, the corners must be cut diagonally in order to get a nice sharp corner when the pillow is turned right side out. 

I also like to press the seams “open” by opening the seams and sliding the tip of the iron along the length of the seams.  Then I turn the pillow right side out and press again. 

When the pillow was turned right side out and pressed, I filled it with fiberfill and hand sewed the opening closed.  Although I sewed this project in somewhat of a hurry, I’m still fairly pleased with the finished product.

Sewing instructions (and pictures) for pillows: www.sewseamless.com/Page22.html , www.sewseamless.com/Page23.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page24.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you want to make a relatively quick gift,  sewing a neck pillow or a machine embroidered pillow is fun and easy.  I recently made a “Thank You” pillow for the kind woman who took care of my mom while I was on my trip over the holidays.

Once I had the stablizer in place and the fabric secured in the hoop, I set my sewing machine for embroidery by changing the presser foot to the darning/embroidery presser foot, and on my machine, the tension must be lowered.  I changed one setting on the machine, and then threaded the sewing machine with embroidery thread, which is a lighter weight and thinner than regular sewing thread.  It also has a sheen to it.  I also made sure that I had changed the needle to the correct size embroidery needle, and I placed the bobbin thread in the case.  I use white, although I think there are some colors available.  As I understand it, the bobbin thread for use in machine embroidery is specially designed for that function; I believe it is a different/lighter weight thread than regular sewing thread as well.

After making sure that everything was in it’s proper place, I secured the embroidery hoop on the machine, lowered the presser foot, and pressed the button for the machine to sew the first color in the design.  On my particular machine, the machine sews one color in the design, automatically stops when finished with that portion of the design, and then I change the thread to the next color in the design (bobbin remains the same), and press the button for the next design.

After the machine has finished sewing the design, I remove the embroidery hoop and start cutting the jump stitches.  These jump stitches are showing in the picture above (although it might be a bit hard to see them.)  These are the long threads that are created as the machine moves to sew different parts of the design.  I simply use my embroidery scissors to clip these threads, both on the front of the design and on the back. (This makes it easier to remove the stabilizer.)

I embroidered a different design on both sides of the pillow.  The picture above shows the  rainbow design that is embroidered on the back of the pillow.

I removed the stabilizer and pressed well, and then sewed the pillow together in the usual way.  I’ll share that with you in my next post.

Sewing instructions and pictures for neck pillow: www.sewseamless.com/Page52.html , www.sewseamless.com/Page53.html , www.sewseamless.com/Page54.html , www.sewseamless.com/Page55.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page56.html

Sewing instructions and pictures for sewing a square pillow: www.sewseamless.com/Page24.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com