Double Sided Headband!

Hello again!!
I have been so busy with work lately that I have not been able to spend time sewing which I missed so much!! :-( ...but anyways to shake off some of the rust of my hands I found this great tutorial from www.happytogetherbyjess.com on making headbands. What I love about these is that they are double sided so you can get creative with the fabric combination.
www.happytogetherbyjess.com/2011/07/double-sided-fabric-headband-pattern.html
Here a picture of the ones I made... Enjoy!!

Sew Single-Fold Finished Seams

To continue with the topic of Seam Finishes, here are one very simple and  clean looking. This one is also from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!!

Two Great Seam Finishes

To continue with the topic of Seam Finishes, here are two awesome techniques bound edge and Hong Kong edge. Both are simple and very clean looking. This one is also from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!!

How to Sew a Single-Fold Clean Finish Seam

Hello friends!!

I have been looking for the different finishing techniques and collecting all the information so I can have it all handy whenever I need to review the concept.

Here is the technique for sewing a single-fold clean finish seam. This video is from Threads Magazine.

Enjoy!

How to Sew a French Seam

Hello friends!!

I just wanted to share with you this great video tutorial I found in YouTube from Howcast about how to sew a french seam. It is simple and very easy to understand.

Enjoy!

Pre-Shrinking your fabric

It has happened to all of us, you buy a garment that fits perfectly then you wash it and it shrinks. Well that is why I am bringing this topic, to talk to you about the importance of pre-shrinking the fabric before you start working on your sewing project.

It is important to preshrink your fabric, especially when using natural fiber fabrics and blends because they tend to shrink when washed and dried regardless of the temperature used in the washer and dryer. This process will allow you to understand how the fabric behaves regarding shrinking, color running, wrinkling among other things.

What I have learned from multiple sources (books, websites) is that the guideline to pre-shrink your fabric is to use the same method you expect to use for washing and pressing the finished garment. In another words, if you expect to wash your garment in hot water, use the high heat in the dryer and use a medium temperature when pressing it, then you should do the same with or without detergent for the fabric. If it is dry cleaning then have the fabric dry cleaned before you start your project.

When drying, if you are not using a drier machine, lay the fabric flat when drying, this will prevent the fabric from stretching of its own weight when hanged.

Pre-washing woven fabric can cause your fabric to get frayed on the raw edges resulting in a messy mix of knots and strings. To avoid this you can sew a length rolled hem on the two raw edges or fold the fabric and put it in a lingerie bag as well.

Do you have any good tips on preshrinking fabric? Feel free to comment!

Understanding the Grainline

Before you start laying out your pattern on fabric, it is important to understand the concept of the grainline. The way you lay your pattern pieces on fabric will have a direct impact on the garment construction.

Grainline is a term used in the textile industry that refers to the position or the orientation of the yarns in woven fabric.

Selvages: These are the finished edges where the fabric comes off the looms; the selvages are parallel to the lengthwise grain.

Lengthwise grain or grain line: The grain line runs the length of the fabric, parallel to the selvages. The lengthwise grain is usually the most stable and less stretchy than the crosswise grain.

Crosswise grain: This grain runs across the width of the fabric, from selvage to selvage and perpendicular to the lengthwise. Usually the Crosswise grain has most of the stretch.

Bias: 45 degrees between the crosswise and lengthwise grains. The bias is very stretchy and malleable. This is used for trims and bias tape because it is easily shaped to follow a curved edge.

Now that you have an idea of how to identify the grainline, you need to know that when you are laying your pattern on fabric, the arrows in the patterns must be in parallel with the fabric grainline. This way you ensure the fabric is being used appropriately when constructing your garment.