Sewing 101

Newsletter #4

Good Habits To Get Into

By Mavis Cox, author of the book
'Sewing 101 A Step by Step Guide
to Sewing Basics'

Mudgee, Australia

Hello,

I'm so pleased that you are following my weekly newsletters, and very much hope that they are helping to start your sewing journey.

This really is an adventure for both of us, as I'm trying my best to keep the fire burning long enough so that you really do catch the bug that makes you want to sew things that you never thought possible until very recently.

Can I share with you these words that sum up just how I want you to feel about sewing. You may have found them previously when I asked you to contact your nearest Sewing Guild.

1. You love to sew and love to share your love of sewing.

2. You want to improve your sewing skills like others do their golf score.

3. You want to develop sewing friends; friends who speak your language -- know what a “stash” or a “wadder” is.

4. You need someone you can trust to take your measurements and not tell.

5. You want companions for road trips who experience the same “joy in the journey” of stopping at as many fabric stores as humanly possible in a given day.

6. You have uses for the money you will save utilizing ASG member discounts.

7. You could benefit from an appreciative audience for your sewing successes and helpful suggestions for your challenges (“How to save that disaster”)..

8. You want to attend a national conference where you can learn from the top national sewing instructors and eat lunch next to your favorite (sewing) TV personalities, give direct input to sewing industry representatives, shop an exhibit hall full of sewing products and experience unique tours with fellow sewing enthusiasts.

9. You believe that sewing is an art form as well as a valuable life skill.

And most important,

10. You make a difference!

- American Sewing Guild -

Having invested your time and money to get this far, can I suggest that you join and support your local Sewing Guild by becoming a member. You will come into contact with like-minded people, feel a part of a wider community of friends, and be
kept up-to-date with events coming to your area. Believe me, having friends along
the way is what makes this so much more enjoyable.

For my friends in America, you can join the American Sewing Guild, and in Australia
go to the Australian Sewing Guild. If your own national sewing guild is not one of these, please send me the web address and I'd be pleased to include it for reference.

Let's now turn our attention to some of the good habits that you want to be starting off with.

As you remember, I told you recently to to enrol yourself into sewing classes. What I didn't tell you, however, was that I was a home sewer for the first 13 years after learning to sew from my mother and to embroider from my grandmother. So, from first-hand experience, I can tell you that attending classes made a tremendous difference to my sewing habits.

Here are some of the good habits that I discovered:

Press Your Work As You Sew

This is especially important when putting seams together. With a teflon-coated iron, then shine is not such a problem.

Use A Home-Made Pressing Pad

This was something I was shown that was a very useful sewing aid on hard-to-press pieces like sleeves and darts.

To make the pad, simply cut 2 oval pieces of heavy cotton fabric, e.g. calico, 22cms
(10 inches) long by 10 cms (6 inches) wide. Sew the pieces together, but leave a small opening of 5 cms (2 inches) to fill the inside firmly with cotton wadding. Once filled, hand sew closed the opening just used to fill the inside of the pressing pad.

The Tissue Paper Technique

When sewing single pieces of lightweight fabric, a piece of tissue paper put under the fabric can make it more stable. When done, the tissue paper can be easily pulled away from the fabric.

Positioning Buttonholes

There is a correct way to position button holes according to the different size of button used on the garment. Did you ever notice that women's buttonholes are normally sewn on the right bodice front of the garment, whilst for men it is on the left?

As a rule of thumb, the perimeter of the buttonhole should be around 60 mms
(1/4 inch) from the edge at the front of the garment.

And Finally...

By getting into some of these good habits early on, and by mastering some of the basic sewing techniques, this is a lead into making some of your own home furnishings, like curtains, drapes, stools and cushions.

I was very pleased to be able to do these for my new home at the tender young age of 88 years old. For someone starting out like yourself, then I'm also confident that you can be doing something like this in no time at all!

Next week I will be talking about working learning the various sewing stitches, something which I cover in 'Sewing 101'. I look forward to speaking to you then.

Best wishes and God Bless,

Mavis Cox
www.i-sewing.com