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| I'm not sure why one of the pins sits diagonally? It was supposed to sit straight like the others |
Are you a
beginner? Do you want to sew but don't
find it easy to get started? You fire up
your machine and begin your first seams, but they could be nicer and better?
Here is a
tip aimed at very new sewers: using your sewing machine so you
get good results which in turn motivates you to sew more.
I still
remember how difficult I found guiding my fabric straight through the
machine. I did my best but my stitching line would still wobble from right to
left and folds from the fabric would somehow get pulled under the needle and caught up in the stitching it was driving my bananas.
Here's my
tip:
For your fabric to move smoothly through the machine, the two layers of fabric have to run up as flat and even as possible. It all starts off so well but then things go wonky. To make the fabric lie flat: put your left hand under both layers of fabric (I am attempted to demonstrate this in this photo: try and spot my hidden hand! That's why my thumb is showing) while holding the edge in your right hand (I would love to have three hands available for taking pictures!). You can make the layers lie flatter by moving your hand up a bit (towards you) and then in a big sideway sweeping motion swoosh it all over to your left. I bit like a 'that's enough' gesture - if that makes sense.
Moving your material in this way makes sure that the stitching process hasn't dragged your fabric up in folds that will pull another layer into the path of the needle. A really big aside motion will smooth out your fabric the best. I have tried pulling at it from the left, or pushing from the top but neither of these work as well as letting the fabric layers run over your left hand.
Try it
out, see what works best for you.
Some dressmakers swear by extension tables: the entire area around the machine's stitching area is flat and that makes it easier to move your fabric as a flat piece (thank you Pia for this tip!)
Some dressmakers swear by extension tables: the entire area around the machine's stitching area is flat and that makes it easier to move your fabric as a flat piece (thank you Pia for this tip!)
PS: my
other tip about keeping the seam wobble-free: experiment with where you look to
check in order to keep your fabric run through evenly. Do you look at your fabric only, or where
it moves under the sewing foot? See if changing where you look makes a
difference.
~ ~ ~
Do you
find this a useful tip? Is this
something you already do, do you do this differently? Please let us know in the
comments!
Or tack the seams before you sew! When I learned to sew at school, we tacked everything. Many years later I still always tack sleeve inserts, zips and anything else that might wobble.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip! I hand baste anything that moves - and I tend to do this mostly with fabric that I consider 'live'. This counts as slippery lightweight fabrics such as satin and chiffon.
ReplyDeleteAround 5 years ago I invested in a sewing table that folds out and enables my sewing machine needle to sit level with the table. It acts as an extension. However I have seen lots of cheaper extensions for sewing machines that look really handy too.
And if you're not yet ready to commit to an extension table you can try big books or any flat box that will make the area next to the needle the same height. BTW, even with flat sewing surface iT can be difficult to control very large pieces...like a curtain!
ReplyDeleteAnd if you're not yet ready to commit to an extension table you can try big books or any flat box that will make the area next to the needle the same height. BTW, even with flat sewing surface iT can be difficult to control very large pieces...like a curtain!
ReplyDeleteI will try this out next time I am sewing. I find it is when I am doing small fiddly bits, such as turning tight angles, that I get fabric that I don't want stuck under the presser foot, even if I have basted. What I need is X-ray eyes so I can see what is going on under the top layer but smoothing out from the underneath like this is a good tip.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara, that's exactly the problem: sometimes fabric slides up and under the needle that you had no idea was there. Basting is good for keeping two layers together, but like you said it doesn't stop a third layer sneaking in.
ReplyDeleteHi Pia: I am really beginning to think like you on the extension table idea. I was sewing a heavy jacket and got very annoyed when it repeatedly pulled away from the needle. I would probably need a very big extension table to solve that issue though, or perhaps something to stop my fabric from slipping off the front edge of my sewing table, that would help a lot already. Maybe I can come up with some kind of temporary barrier...
Thanks for all your thoughts! It's wonderfully motivating, thank you!