Summer Tunic from Love Sewing Magazine Issue 3

Hello again!

Here I would like to share with you my latest project.

I was going through my stack of magazines looking for a quick project that will lift my sewing spirits again. Then I found Issue 3 of  Love Sewing Magazine. The Summer Tunic seemed like the perfect project to do since I am lately craving to go to the beach and luckily  I live in Puerto Rico where we have beach weather all year long! I went to a local fabric store and picked a turquoise gauze fabric (or how we call it here in Puerto Rico "Tela India") which I think is perfect since I want to wear it on top of my bathing suit.

But before I started my project I made sure to do some research about this fabric since it was the first time I was working with it. I used a round tip needle which I understand made my life easier.

The pattern had the tunic with pockets but I am not a fan of how the pockets looks in the tunic so I decided to skip them.

One observation I have about the pattern is that the instructions were not included so you need the magazine for the instructions. It is very easy to made and I am happy with the results.

I am planning on making another version with a linen fabric I bought that I think looks very nice for a garment to wear at the beach.

Here is the final product!

Thanks for reading!

Simplicity 1589 A Learn to Sew

Hello again!
Don't be surprised that after a long time without new posts I am publishing two today! Well when it comes to sewing I've had my ups and downs but now that I have spent some time to create a nice space at home for all my sewing tools and materials, I am feeling very inspired lately to sit and get back to my favorite hobby.
So I have been working on Simplicity 1589 A pattern. It is a nice pattern for a beginner like me. I got to practice the seam finishes  for the square cutout which was nice.
I used a rayon fabric with black/ivory polka dots. The rayon fabric made kind of difficult handling the neckline and armholes sections. I added a black bias tape to the neckline because I accidentally did a hole on the fabric while using the seam ripper!! The hem was challenging too, but I am proud to say that is done! Anyways here are some pics.

Thanks for reading!

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!

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.

Extend the life of your commercial patterns!

Problem: You got that awesome pattern that you want to use over and over again but after the second use you noticed is hard to keep the pattern in a reusable state. After pinning and tracing multiple times the patterns paper has become a wreck and you will not be able to reuse it.

Solution: Go to a local medical supplies store and buy an exam table paper roll. What is that? The piece of paper they spread across the exam table at your doctor's office every time a new patient lays down in it. The good thing about this paper is that you can use it for making your own patterns but also for tracing your commercial pattern.

This way you can reuse as many times as you want your commercial pattern without damaging it with all the pinning and tracing. Also if you use the commercial pattern to sew for someone other than you, you can trace individual sets for each pattern size.

I paid about seven dollars for one roll so it is pretty cheap.
Do you have any other ideas? Let me know by posting a comment!

Found a great book!

I do like to get books when  I am in self learning process. I found this great book from Singer full of photos with everything you need to know about sewing! I highly recommend it not only if you are a newbie like me but also for experienced people who wants to learn helpful techniques or to improve theirs.

Here the information:

• Title: Singer Complete Photo Guide to Sewing - Revised + Expanded Edition: 1200 Full-Color How-To Photo


• Paperback: 352 pages


• Publisher: Creative Publishing int'l; Original edition (January 1, 2009)


• Language: English


• ISBN-10: 1589234340


• ISBN-13: 978-1589234345

Knowing your pattern size

Hello!

One of the problems I encountered when I tried sewing my first blouse was choosing the correct pattern size. After almost done with my first disaster (I meant blouse) I realized that the armholes and the chest section was too big for me.

I thought the way to pick the pattern size was for your size overall and I always picked the one that matched my hips size. I know it sounds silly picking a size for a blouse based on the hips size but to be honest at that moment was not obvious for me.

Please see this awesome free guide provided by Simplicity, I assure you it will be very helpful.

http://www.simplicity.com/Classroom/Tools/TT14_SimplicityFitBrochure.pdf

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!