Show WOMANS WOMAN'S WORLD Use Proper Sewing Techniques To Make Professional Profession 1 Garments By Ertta Haley if HAVE A FLAIR for far styling I 1 1 clothes but my sewing tech tech- technique technique is really very poor The clothes just dont don't seem to stand up upwell upwell upwell well after a little wear says a neighbor who really enjoys making her ber own wardrobe What should she and others like I her do They cant can't go out to at at- attend attend attend tend sewing classes neither should they be advised to give up some some- something something something thing they like so well Can technique tech tech- technique technique be learned after sewing haphazardly hap hap- haphazardly for some time Yes sewing techniques can be Improved with just a few tips in inthe inthe inthe the right direction and a bit of patience to do the proper things The rewards are clothes that you'll be proud to wear and also clothes that will withstand laundering bard hard wear and cleaning Actually its it's fun to do things ac ac- according according ac- ac according cording to methods that consistent consistent- consistently ly give good results Your pleas pleas- pleasure ure is not just in a scam seam well sewed but a garment that a good tailor would admire That well we'll all admit is a goal toward which Its It's worth working No one can do a good job of home borne sewing without having the equipment as well as the space Few have a sewing room and so they must at least have a space that can be converted quickly to sewing needs This means a large table that's firm of correct height i 4 r rand iI I i ii Pre shrunk materials and level If necessary essarY use a dining room table with composition tion pads Have your sewing machine as aswell aswell well as all the other aids for cut cut- cutting cutting cutting ting basting and finishing close at hand and These may be placed in a large box that can be conveniently carried about I I An ironing board and iron with a pressing cloth should be part of basic equipment too Bring them out when you do sewing Straighten Fabrics Before Cutting Have you you ever had a garment look slightly lopsided after cutting and sewing it No it didn't slip i while hile you were doing the cutting or sewing probably but it just wasn't straight to start with Make certain the grain of the I fabric Is true before you place the pattern on it for cutting This is done by clipping the selvage and catching one crosswise thread and pulling it out gently Cut carefully en on this line Sometimes after tearing fabric I f it may be necessary to stretch it to toi i f get the material back in line l I I II and pressing yield better garments garment Grasp opposite ends at points some distance apart stretch and sew- sew saw it diagonally until the fabric is in line Repeat the above process along the toe length of the material If this does noes not straighten the fabric dampen it and stretch again Dampening a piece of material fr for or straightening is done by wet- wet wetting wetting ting bog a piece of muslin and placing Over ver the fabric until enough mois mois- moisture moisture ture has been absorbed to make it Pliable Cottons and linens may be sprin- sprin sprint t kd as though for ironing then rolled oiled until the dampness has I pread spread through evenly Shake out wise length over a door to let them dry Only Shrunk Pre Fabrics Should hOuld be Used Imagine spending several hours 1 to J several days on a dress only to find that after the first laundering it has shrunk to a size that does not fit tI Unless the material is labeled it may very well shrink Some materials materials which are not so labeled or guaranteed may not shrink but you dont don't know unless Youve You've J u ve actually tried out the fab- fab fabIts rc Its It's simple enough to clip off oU Ch a Piece ife launder dry an and i press it Check eck Ck with original measurements I Which Ich were taken right after cutting cut- cut ting g the piece of goods In this Way Y you'll know how it behaves With laundering l j j l IL i For materials which do shrink do the shrinking before making the he garment Straighten the fabric first Wring out a piece of muslin or r an old sheet in warm water and lay on a flat surface Place the new lew material over this being care care- careful careful careful ful to avoid wrinkles in either the muslin or new material Make a newspaper roll covering it with muslin Roll fabric with damp cloth over this and let stand for 12 hours After it has been rolled the re re- required reI re- required required I length of time unroll the I material and hang over a door to dry Hang fabric as straight as possible and avoid wrinkling After drying drying- the material may maybe maybe be pressed carefully if it it requires this his treatment Pressing During Sewing ving Yields Good Looks Pressing during the sewing of a garment will yield better finished results and actually makes the whole sewing operation an easier one It will give you a pretty good idea dea too of how the garment will look ook when its it's finished Pressing does not mean ironing the garment Hold the iron so it slides lightly over the fabric rather than han pressing down into the ma- ma material material erial in long sweeps as you do dowhen dowhen dowhen when ironing All seams darts and tucks should be pressed after you finish them with the heat of the iron set for forthe forthe the he correct temperature for the fabric abric Synthetic materials require the least heat and you might insulate what little heat you you do use by placing a dry pressing cloth over the material before the iron glides over it Do not dampen the ma ma- material material material in any way as it may cause the material to behave strangely by wrinkling or puckering Woolens require slightly more heat than synthetics but they burn easily A commercial pressing cloth or a heavy piece of material slightly dampened is recommend recommend- ed If It the outer seams are likely to show the mark of the seam place a piece of paper under each side before pressing Materials which have a raised de design de- de design I de-I sign or embroidery of any kind should be pressed face down into a I heavy turkish terry cloth towel to prevent flattening Metallic materials require little iron heat Velvet or deep napped fabrics should be steamed rather than pressed Place a damp cloth against a standing iron and when steam rises move the material through the steam moving fingers carefully so as not to leave marks markson on it Observe Sewing Directions For Best Results Pattern marks and other directions directions directions have been carefully car fully tested to give the best results Those who ignore notches in the patterns seam allowances and other such markings regret them in the long longrun longrun longrun run for all have a reason for being there Only the very experienced seam seam- seamstress seamstress seamstress stress can take liberties with pat pat- terns Others would do well to fol fol- follow follow fol- fol follow low all aU directions explicitly If you want to alter a pattern slightly make it up first in a cheaper ma ma- material material material to see that it works properly With expensive or hard to ma ma- manipulate manipulate manipulate materials its it's a good idea to make the pattern up first in muslin and check for fitting and details at all aU points In this way you dont don't waste material and too you can sew much better having gone through the garment once Other techniques which will yield good results for for home sewing in in- include include include clude knowing how to stitch a straight seam scam You can practice with paper until you have the knack Adjust stitches to to the material with which you work Match ma ma- material material material to thread you use not just in color but in weight Finish seams with pinking shears or with hemming or by overcast overcast- ing and you'll have a garment that's neat and better be ter wearing j J f J |