Yamneko's Sewing Adventure

Most pattern instructions advise setting a sleeve into a garment with the side seams sewn. There’s another way to sew a sleeve which is helpful to know: sewing a sleeve flat.

This method is frequently used in factory sewing. Before you begin, make sure all the markings are correct on both the sleeve and the garment.

First, baste the sleeve head, and place your finger behind the machine foot. The fabric will gather up between your finger and the foot. This crimps the fabric simplifying the easing process.

Second, since neither the garment nor the sleeve have the sides sewn, it’s harder to accurately pin the pieces together. Instead, you align the two pieces at the seams and gently ease the sleeve as you sew it to the garment. Make sure to match all markings.

Once your sleeve is sewn, finish the seam allowance as you like then sew up the side seam!

Coletterie: Tutorial - How to sew a Blind Hem

This is one of my favorite little tricks for turning a perfectly even hem quickly, without busting out the seam gauge or chalk.

When a pattern tells you to turn a hem under 1/4 inch or 5/8 inch or any other amount, do you carefully measure that distance from the raw edge, painstakingly mark the hem, then press it into place? An easier way to do it is to let your sewing machine do the measuring.

Simply sew a line of basting stitches with your machine at the distance you want for the hem. Turn the hem along the basting, press, and remove the basting. The guides on your sewing machine will allow you to get a perfectly measured hem, and the stitches act as little perforations, making it easier to turn even curved hems precisecly and easily. 

New post about learning about fabric. 

Read More

Here are a few tips we’ve picked up to help the clothes we make (or buy) last longer:

• Hand wash delicate fabrics such as silk or cotton lawn gently in soapy water without agitation.
• Use cold water whenever possible. One of the main things that makes clothing look old is color fading, and hot water will accelerate fading and bleeding of dyes.
• Don’t overload the washer. Large, tightly packed loads means the fabric is rubbing more, increasing wear and pilling.
• Use garment bags for delicates or fabrics that tend to pill. This will help decrease the friction.
• Hang dry garments to extend their life.
• Use a steamer for wrinkles. A steamer is gentler on your fabric than repeated use of an iron.
• If you must dry clean a garment, remove the plastic bag it comes in, andreplace the metal hanger with either a padded or wide shouldered hanger. Thin hangers can result in stretching and weakening fibers.
• If your garment is too heavy for a hanger, such as a thick coat, consider using an acid-free archival box for storage during the summer. This will protect the garment from dust, bugs, dirt and damaging light.

Coletterie: Year in Tutorials

A Blog post from them with links to their tutorials from throughout the year. A good few of them should already have been posted here, but I’m sure there are some I missed, or haven’t felt like I wanted to post.

Hand Rolled Hem from Coletterie. I’m not sure where I would want a rolled hem on any of my projects though.

Read More

Coletterie: Hand Stitch Buttonhole

A small guide on how to hand stitch a button hole. !! 

Coletterie: How to put a Garment Together

A leaflet photo of how to put a garment together from some sort of vintage pamphlet. Gives an interesting alternative to what I normally do.

Coletterie shows us how to make Bound Buttonholes using the Dritz tool.

Read More