A reader recently e-mailed me asking about how I cut fabric. When you first start sewing it sometimes seems difficult to get a nice polished look to your projects & most of them end up looking a bit wonky. This will go away the more that you practice, but here are a few tips that will help in achieving a great end product. Because you don't want to spend all that time working on something just to be disappointed in the end, right?
* Cutting - Invest in a great pair of scissors. I am in love with my Gingher dressmaker's shears (photo above). My mother-in-law gave these to me as a birthday gift when I was new to sewing. They are amazing. Nice & heavy & sharp. They're "like buttah". They are pretty expensive, but go on sale quite often at Joann's & there's always those 50% off coupons. I also like to use my rotary cutter when I'm cutting lots of straight lines, like quilt squares. Be as precise as you can. It will make a difference in the end.
* Ironing - Be sure to run an iron over your fabric before you get started on a project & keep a hot iron nearby while working. Do take the time to iron as you go. Again, makes a big difference in the end.
* Pinning - I know sometimes it seems that you don't need to pin your fabrics, but do it. Pins hold the fabric in place & keep it from shifting when you run it through the machine. This is a major step that will help your projects look great.
(My pin cushion was crocheted by my grandma a few years back. Cute, huh?)
I hope this helps a little. You may be a wild, creative type that wants to speed through your project, but slow down, do these steps & I promise your work will look better in the end.
5 comments:
thanks for all these little hints, they will really help me, I know. I do the cutting and pinning, but I am not so good at the ironing part, I will try harder...and i LOVE your pin cushion...isnt it the best thing to get from a Grandma? I got mine from my Grandma and it looks like a tomato made of different pieces of scrap material, totally funky, and I LOVE it...I think I may have cried when she gave it to me for Christmas one year....cause it is just like hers, and she is the one who taught me how to sew!
Just a quick note...I got some Gingher pinking shears on Ebay recently and found a pair of dressmaker shears for a friend there also. Very affordable...cheaper than I have found them elsewhere (we don't have Joann's.)
Ruthanna
You are completely right. I need this reminder because I get lazy and then frustration ensues. I have the same scissors and adore them.
Thanks - I am actually going to attempt to teach myself to sew this weekend - so I will add good scissors to my shopping list! BTW - I blogged about your work the other day - love the new 8x10's!!!
www.brokenbutgood.blogspot.com
Great explanation for cutting fabric straight! Everything is easy to understand, especially with your clear photos! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Zia
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