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Show Woman's World Amateur Can Sew With Ease If She Selects Right Fabrics B;y Ertta Haley ALL of us cannot be expert seamstresses seam-stresses without some practice, and we must all take the first few steps In sewing carefully. Of course, there are lots of aids, and even an amateur can turn to professional, practically, in just a few lessons. If you have sewed little or none at all, select only simple, straight line patterns withqut too much intricate in-tricate detail. There is no sense in tackling a job too hard because it will only discourage you. The choice of fabric is another Important point for the beginner to bear in mind. The type of construction, construc-tion, rather than the kind of fiber, determines the easy handling of a fabric. Spun rayons and cottons are good choices for the beginner. However, she docs not have to feel the dresses will not look professional just because be-cause she is sewing on simply constructed con-structed fabrics. If the garment is ivell finished, it will look attractive, jnd no one need know it was her !irst project. A fabric that feels firm and has very little lengthwise stretch will be easy to cut and sew. Check the fabric where the yardage was cut and see how it frays. If it has raveled much, don't pick it as a first ' project, because you'll get too tan- j gled in thread. I Sheer fabrics are a problem to the inexperienced because they pull and slip easily. The stitching, too, must be well finished so that no raw I edges show through the fabric. Fab-) Fab-) rics such as these are best left to I 1 j An amateur sewer should choose . . I those who have sewed more because they handle the material deftly and quickly with nimble fingers. Heavy fabrics arc just a bit too bulky for the amateur to tackle. They worry too much about the difficulty dif-ficulty of cutting and of sewing, so these, too, should be left to the more experienced. Medium Weight Is Guide For Amateur Seamstress Even though sheer and heavy fab rics are out of the question for the beginner, there is still a wide field of textiles available. Look for medium me-dium weight fabrics like gabardines, broadcloths, shantung (raj-on), faille, flat crepe prints, novelty dress weight rayons, twill, et cetera. They are easy to cut and your fingers seem to work magic with them. If you worry about the stitching, choose materials that will show little lit-tle of the actual sewing. Of course, you can avoid such details as tucks and pleats, but if you find a mate- Easy-to-scw fabrics. rial that hides stitching, little errors j of technique will not show. I Fabrics such as faille, broadcloth and gabardine are easy to sew because be-cause they have a definite texture and they do not slip while cutting and sewing. Smooth fabrics with glossy surfaces, such as satin and taffeta, slip easily and are hard to guide while stitching. Stitching Flaws Are Lost on Prints All-over prints which are so wearable wear-able during the warmer weather are a good starting fabric for beginners because stitching flaws are inconspicuous. incon-spicuous. These prints usually do not have up and down sides so that j you have to use special care In cut-j cut-j ting and fitting the pieces. Large prints, stripes and plaids, and even checks have to be matched in cutting and should be avoided by the amateur. Luxurious fabrics with nap such as velvet and some of the fancy woolens are to be avoided because this type of fabric slips 'and slides during cutting cut-ting and sewing. In cutting fabrics with pile, you must be certain that a gored skirt is all cut the same way or it will look as though one part of the skirt had pile running up it while another portion may have pile running down It Pile fabrics, too, are rather bulky, and this is another feature which makes them somewhat difficult for the amateur to handle. Select Suitable Material For Different" Articles Broadcloth is a practical cloth and is wonderful for slips, blouses, dickies, dick-ies, children's playclothing and doilies. doi-lies. If you want a simple suit or jumper, tailored dresses, skirts, pads or cushions for chairs, choose gabardine or twill. Linen textured materials of rayon or cotton are excellent for simple sport dresses and useful household articles such as luncheon cloths, chair-back sets, guest towels, place mats, samplers and pot holders. The novelty dress-weight rayons offer excellent serviceability when used for dirndl skirts, collar and cuff sets, plain and fancy aprons, beach clothes, placemats or pillows. The flat crepe prints are suitable for wearing apparel such as simple summer dresses, blouses, hpdiar- kets, handkerchiefs and lingerie cases as well as scarves. Easy-to-sew rayon shantung has many uses as youngsters' sun suits, bedspreads, crib spreads, children's aprons and bibs, and slip covers for hand bags. Rayon faille is a popular fabric right now and may be used for two-piece dresses as well as belts, cosmetic bags, knitting-needle cases and card table covers. Look for Service Quality In Household Fabrics In addition to the easy handling qualities, there are other features to check when selecting household materials. Curtains, lor example, have to have shrinkage resistance. The curtains cur-tains in any household require frequent fre-quent laundering, and, unless they are to be a total loss, they must launder easily and not shrink. Draperies must be resistant to sun-fading . because they are expected ex-pected to last long and look well. Draperies also should be reasonably reason-ably color-fast to washing and cleaning, as well as shrinkage. |