~Tips On Organizing Your Supplies and

      ~Setting Up Sewing Space~

It is good to have a personal place to sew and be organized.  Also it gives a chance to be surrounded by your hobbies.  You can run in a and sew ten minutes with everything all open and not have to be concerned about cleaning up.

All sewing rooms need a place to--

1.  Cut

2.  Stitch

3.  Press ,and

4.  Storage

1.  Cutting area is of prime importance. A  30'' folding table is what I use with mats for rotary cutting.  You should be able to work easily without excessive bending and back strain or upward arm movement.  It is good to have a 48'' long surface cutting to accommodate fabric of long lengths.  An island in the middle of room is ideal because you can move all around the unit.   Also it can be used to make craft items, such as flower arrangements stuffed dolls, wreaths, baskets etc.  Several ready made cut surfaces are available.  Many  will collapse into smaller units for storage

Cover the table with a large cutting mat ( a forgiving surface designed for use with a rotary cutter and ruler)  Mats will protect the surface from being marked by either the rotary cutter or shears

A bulletin board is a good thing to have nearby for penning pattern pieces etc.

All cutting tools should be kept nearby for easy access in  a basket   A basket for waste fabric is handy too.

Storage area is a must .  I use a small file cabinet with shelves to store my fabric.  Know what you have and where to find it.

Lots of electric outlets are nice to have. and good lighting is a must.  Also a good chair. I use a rotating chair.

Thread racks are good to put thread on  It keeps them from getting tangled.

Rotary cutters are one of the greatest tools for quilt-making.  A cutting mat protects the surface of the cutting table and the blade.

~Hints and Tips for the Sewing Room~

Attach your tape measure to the sewing table so that you won't have to rummage through all your equipment to find it.

Keep small magnet in your sewing basket. When needles and pins drop on the carpet while you're sewing.

retrieve them quickly with the magnet.

Sewing needles can get rusty and dull. Tub off any rust with an abrasive soap pad or steel wool.

To keep you thread needles, keep a magnifying glass in your sewing basket.

Make a habit of leaving a length of thread in a needle before storing it in a pincushion (or whatever you use as a pincushion). You'll be able to see it more easily, and the needle will be less likely to slip all the way into the pincushion.

A bar of soap makes a perfect pincushion. As well as storing pins and needle, it lubricates the tips so that they slide easily through stiff fabrics.

to keep scissors from damaging other items in your sewing basket, cover the points with the rubber protectors sold for knitting needles.

Use a chair that is adjustable and designed to support the back when sewing.

File your clothes patterns by storing them upright in a shoe box.

Egg cartons make convenient storage containers for spools of thread.

Store tiny buttons in empty pill bottles or a decorated old fashion quartz jar. Also spools of thread can be kept in a see thru gallon jug, and it quite attractive for your sewing room.

When throwing out clothing you no longer wear, first stock up on notions by saving any usable zippers, buttons, or decorative trim. These can come in handy when you're trying to replace a fastener.

Thread looks darker on the spool than it will on fabric. Choose a thread a shade darker than the material you'll be using it on.

 SEWING MACHINE TIPS

Take care of your machine. Keeping it clean, well oiled, and protected will extend its life. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for oiling.

Always keep a supply of replacement needles on hand.

Use a small paintbrush to clean dust and loose threads from your sewing machine.

After you've oiled your sewing machine stitch through a blotter to soak up any excess lubricant that might remain in the machine and leak onto your fabric.

Rejuvenate a blunted machine needle, at least temporarily, by carefully rubbing it at an angle across the fine side of an emery board.

If the foot control of your portable sewing machine creeps on the floor when you sew , glue a piece of foam rubber to its bottom surface.

When you embark on a large-scale dressmaking protect, fill a number of bobbins before you start. Then you won't find that just when you've gotten into the swing of it you have to stop to rewind the bobbin.

      Hints For Quilting

~When life gives you scraps make quilts~

If you prefer not to mark up your quilt face with a pencil, "draw" in the straight lines with strips of masking tape.

Cardboard templates become worn quickly. Edge templates with tape so that repeated use won't change the size.

Keep track of patchwork squares by storing them in large-size coffee cans. Note the number of pieces on the lid.

Make a sturdy master pattern for patchwork pieces from an iron-on mending patch. it won't slip or fray, and it will hold its shape for a long time.

Iron some fusible bond onto the backs of lightweight quilting appliqués. They'll stay flat and keep their shape. You can get the same effect by treating them with spray starch and then ironing.

After sorting patchwork pieces, slip a doubled thread through a pile of patches. leaving the knotted end of the thread at the bottom of the stack. With the top end left unknotted, you can peel off each square as it is needed.

Tips for Sewing Room

 

Make simple curtains to cover the front of wooden book cases. Use the long thin spring curtain rods attached to the inside of the top edge of the book case for hanging the curtains. You now have enclosed cupboards for storage.

Clear Boxes

Clear stackable boxes are great for storing sewing supplies. Clear shoe boxes are great for notions. Larger boxes are great for projects; keeping fabric, pattern, and notions stored together. Covered boxes are great because you can stack them up to save space and they keep the dust out.

Organizing Buttons

Plastic floss boxes work great for storing buttons and closures. There are several rows of small compartments for separating and storing buttons, snaps, etc.

Storing Patterns

Patterns can be stored in a filing cabinet or boxes. Cardboard file boxes work great for patterns. If your pattern collection is large, sort the patterns by style (dresses, separates, children, etc.) or by size. Be sure to clearly label the outside of the boxes.

Storing Thread

Thread gets brittle and breaks when it gets old. Storing thread in airtight containers, such as Ziploc bags, will keep it from drying out as quickly. Thread exposed to sunlight and heat will break down more quickly.

~When life gives you scraps make quilts~

Sewing Definitions - From Your Guide

Baste - a method of temporarily joining fabric using large stitches which are easily removed.

Bias Tape - strips of fabric which are cut from the bias of the fabric .. usually folded on two edges and sometimes folded again for edging... the bias allows it to smoothly follow curves.

Clean Finish - stitch 1/4" from the edge and press to wrong side. If the raw edge will not be stitched down in another step, stitch down.

Contour - with a curve - for example: a pattern may be described as having a contour waistline. This means that the waistband is cut on a curve verses cut out as a straight band. This usually lends it self to a better fit.

Ease - a way of making one piece of fabric fit on to another by evenly pulling in the extra fabric with out making any gathers or tucks in the larger piece of fabric .. this is necessary in may areas of garments in order to have proper fitting and ease of movement in the finished garment. Fabric diagonals - A fabric that is printed on a diagonal, many patterns state "not suitable for diagonal fabrics, this is means that due to the pattern design it will be impossible to match diagonal prints or designs.

Grade Seam - trim one layer of the seam allowance shorter then the other layer to eliminate bulk. For example: a facing seam allowance would be trimmed shorter on facing part of the allowance and longer on the body seam allowance.

Hair Canvas - a form of interfacing - high quality which lends itself to molding for areas such as firm blazer rolled collars. Hair canvas is a woven interfacing available at any quality fabric store.

Moderate Stretch Knit - usually found in the suggested fabrics area on a pattern envelope. There is usually a ruler type diagram on the same envelope which demonstrates the amount of stretch the fabric will need to have. For example: A lycra spandex fabric in comparison to a tee shirt type knit.

Notch - A small cut into the seam allowance which will allow fabric to bend at curves and corners.

Pile - the nap of the fabric - when the fabric is brushed in one direction it looks like a different color - velvet and corduroy are classic examples. Lay all pattern pieces so that the pile is going in it's natural direction... for example... the down pile would be down the leg.

Rolled Hem - fold raw edge under 1/4" and then 1/4" again, enclosing raw edge. Topstitch to hold hem.

Selvage - the edge of raw fabric which is unable to fray... usually has company info +/or color matching dots.

Seam Allowance - the area of fabric that is between the seam stitching and the cut edge

Separating zipper - A zipper which completely separates, such as for a jacket or sweater. The bottom of the zipper has metal tabs for starting the pull, while a regular zipper it clamped together to not separate.

Stitch In The Ditch - a method of under-stitching - press seam allowances to one side and top stitch as close to the seam as you can to hold the seam allowance down and cause the piece of fabric to stay folded under. For example: When you are attaching a facing, if you stitch in the ditch on the facing side of the seam, the facing will stay turned into the garment and give you a clean edge.

Top Stitch - A row of stitching, visible on the finished product. Can be functional or decorative.

 A little about  Cross-stitching.

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In the past few years people have once again become enthusiastic about needlecrafts.  Cross Stitch is the most popular one because once mastered any one can do it.

Cross-Stitch is a wonderful hobby.  It allows you to create unique designs using only a needle and thread.  The stitches grow quickly and you can watch the work develop before our eyes. 

  Manufacturers are supplying us with so many color ranges to work with. Besides working on linen, and mesh, plastic canvas is easy and fun to work with.  It is firm and ideal for three-dimensional projects.  

Cross-Stitching is an incredibly satisfying experience and a thrill when you can see your work in a frame. I urge you to-- Get started on our project today.  

Like most people , my hobbies vary from time to time.   I  like to Cross stitch and embroidery a lot and am now doing a sampler. I can crochet just a little bit.  It is so relaxing to go into my sewing room and work and expand my skills. I'm not that good, but I like the
results, so I guess that's all that matters. 

 

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