When I looked around online, I can’t find much information about the difference between the Stretch and Jersey machine sewing needles. Both are supposed to be used when sewing knit type of fabric. My impression is that the Stretch needle is used to sew seriously stretchy fabric such as bathing suit or dance wear, but the Jersey needle is […]
Are you sewing with knit fabrics? Here are some tips and tricks for twin needle hemming that will give your garments a professional finish.
Hi Itch to Stitch Readers! Last week we talked about how to sew bias bound seams in just three easy steps. This week, I’d like to show you another seam finish you’re going to love using in your garments: French Seams. French Seams work by “trapping” the raw edges of your seam in another seam. […]
Topstitching adds a professional-looking finish to any sewing project, and it’s simple to do if you use the right tools and techniques. Use the information and topstitching tips in this comprehensive guide to help your topstitching look top-notch every time.
There are many tutorials out there on how to create a narrow hem. The problem is they mostly demonstrate on a rectangular piece of fabric, which makes the process deceivingly easy. With a few exceptions, that usually is not how I use a narrow hem. If I need to hem something straight, a wide hem of 1″ or […]
Learn everything you need to know to finish your t-shirts and other knit garments with a flat, professional looking t shirt neckline.
Hello my crafty friends! In today’s post, I will show you how I install end caps to my zippers. It will be a very short tutorial, but it is definitely worth learning if you want to bring your bags to the next level and make them looking even more professional! I used this technique on […]
Today's make is the Maggie swim top by Seamwork. I know, it's not exactly "in season" for November (in the Northern Hemisphere) but I needed to share it before I forgot all the details. I made this swim top last month to take on a trip to Hawaii. The trip was lovely, very covid safe (thank
Today it’s all about seams. Learn how to make seams that are strong and professional looking with these six seam tutorials from our archives.
Learn everything you need to know to finish your t-shirts and other knit garments with a flat, professional looking t shirt neckline.
Are you sewing with knit fabrics? Here are some tips and tricks for twin needle hemming that will give your garments a professional finish.
In this sewing tutorial you will learn all about sergers sewing machines. Find out what a serger is, how to sew with a serger and what types of stitches sergers have. What does it do? What sewing techniques to look for in a serger/ overlock machine? Learn to use a serger for your sewing projects.
ROUNDUP: 20 Essential Sewing Techniques. Learn how to sew with professional finishing and great fitting with this 20 sewing tutorials and sewing techniques
Some patterns call for these automatically, and there are also good reasons to use them in zipper bags of all sorts, to keep the teeth of the zipper out of
Lazies, Properly pressing your bag creations can make such a difference in how your final project looks. The bag below was pressing during construction,
More Learn to Sew Tips and Techniques: Before there were sergers, people who sewed knew how to Finish Seams without a Serger. Learn How to Finish Seams.
In sewing, turn of cloth can affect a garment's center-front edges, cuffs, pocket flaps, and other areas.
French seams are widely used to sew delicate fabrics. I always used French seams for my silk chiffon and organza garments. They give very nice and neat finish. Actually, I like them on any lightweight and mediumweight silk. And recently I used French seams to sew 100% silk pillowcases. You can find many good online tutorials how to sew French seams. But it seems to me that something is missing in those tutorials. So today I am going to add some tips on how to sew professionally looking French seams.
5 ways to achieve a professional seam finish for the interior of your sewing projects - using the Luna Loungewear Pattern Collection.
When it comes to a seam that conceals all raw edges, French seam and Hong Kong seam finish seem to be first that come to people’s mind. But I think the flat felled seam deserves equal accolade. Flat felled seam is, well, flat. Unlike French seam and Hong Kong seam, there is nothing that sticks […]
Hem tape is a great way to quickly and easily create a clean looking hem. Hem tape is a popular form of hemming that can be used on clothing, curtains, or other items. Hem tape is often used to make the hems on your clothes look more professional and finished. This sewing tutorial will explain what hem tape is, how it works, when you would use it and some other tips for using hem tape.
Learn how to add bust darts to any sewing pattern .It is suitable for beginners and you can apply it to any pattern that you have.
Lazies, Properly pressing your bag creations can make such a difference in how your final project looks. The bag below was pressing during construction,
For this week's sewing 101, let's talk about facing. Facings are so easy to make and give your garment a professional finish, without a full lining. Of course you can face and line a garment,
In this YouTube sewing tutorial, I want to show you how to sew a shaped facing used to finish raw edges of a garment at necklines, armholes, and other front and back openings.
Let's talk about topstitching! learning how to topstitch like a pro will allow you to make super professional and high-quality sewing projects.
Once you've sewn gathers, the edge can be wide and messy. You've worked with this fabric so much that it often starts to fray before you're done gathering it up. It will only get worse over time. One of the more traditional ways to finish gathers is to trim the seam allowance to 3/8" and do a zig-zag stitch over the edge. This is fine, but it will look a little fuzzy over time. You can also use a serger if you have one and like to use it. I have one, and I actually almost never use it. This is the ruffle on a dress that I finished with this method about two years ago. It has been washed quite a few times, but not tons. I don't expect it to fray any more than this, but I don't love the fuzzy look. Yes it is on the inside, but if you really love making things look fabulous on the inside, keep reading. Step 1: Gather fabric and sew it onto whatever it will be sewn onto using a 5/8" seam allowance. You could do 1/2", but that may be a little trickier later on. See a tutorial on two methods of sewing gathers here. Step 2: Trim the gathered seam allowance only to 1/4". Leave the ungathered fabric intact, creating a flap. Step 3: Using your fingers, fold the flap over to meet the trimmed edge of the gathers, shown here with a mechanical pencil so you can see what's going on.... ...then fold it over again. Sorry this pic is a little fuzzy, I didn't realize it when I took it. I do this just a little at a time as I go, it would be extremely difficult and tedious to pin. Step 4: Sew in place. I use a zig-zag stitch because I don't have to think as hard about where the stitches are hitting, and it really flattens the bulk well. A straight stitch would probably well too, I just don't do it that way. Be careful that your zig-zag doesn't go over your straight stitching line--keep that to the left of the needle. As you continue around your gathers, use your fingers to tuck under the seam allowance flap as you go. With a little practice you can train your hands to convince the fabric to do what you want it to. Be careful that you don't allow the fabric underneath to creep up and get caught in your zig-zag. It happens sometimes. If it does, take a deep breath and get your seam ripper. Zig-zag stitches are longer than standard straight stitches, and actually pretty easy to remove if you need to. You can also feel with a finger underneath as you sew to keep track of what is going on down there so hopefully it won't happen, but if it does you'll catch it quickly. Here's the finished gathers. Pretty slick, I think. Just FYI, the judges at my county fair really liked this method on a dress I made last year. Here's what they look like from the outside. Much better than this, don't you agree? Another option: If you have a hard time folding the seam allowance over twice, or if you used a 1/2" seam allowance and don't have enough fabric, you can fold it over once and zig-zag in place. It will fray a little, as shown here, but still looks very nice and encloses the gathered seam really well. Good luck sewing and finishing gathers!
The 6 best seam finishes for beautiful sewing inside and out. Neatly finishing seams make your sewing look professional and prevent fraying.
10 Serger Tips for Beginners - For my Christmas, I splurged and bought myself a new Juki serger and I love it!Sergers sew, cut, and finish
The easiest way to do a sleeve seam is to turn to your serger machine. Once you have it all set up you can press toward the sleeve to make sure the look stays the way you want it.
Without a doubt, invisible zippers give a much cleaner and more professional finish to garments – particularly for side and back openings on all types of garments. Because they are a very different application to your standard zipper, they may...
Learn all about serged seams. Your serger can be used to sew simple seams or finish existing seams. Guide for beginners learning how to use their serger.
More Learn to Sew Tips and Techniques: Before there were sergers, people who sewed knew how to Finish Seams without a Serger. Learn How to Finish Seams.
Explore the technique of sewing a lapped seam, which is a type of seam used in many sewing projects. Watch our video tutorial too!
It's a super clean and neat seam finish to give your garment that little professional touch since it completely encases the raw edges!
Add a professional finish to your home décor projects with covered cord. It's easy, once you learn how it's done. Follow Linda's step-by-step instructions for beautiful piped edges every time. … More
This article provides two easy methods for securing short thread ends in sewing. The first method uses a simple knot technique, and the second method uses tweezers. Both methods are quick and straightforward, and they will help you ensure that your stitches are secure and your seams are neat.
