Emporia Fabric & Craft have put together a very helpful list of Top Sewing Tips exclusively for Hochanda, from washing your fabric correctly, to using your unpicker, we’ve got you covered for all your sewing needs! Remember to check out Emporia’s fabulous collection and also shop all sewing here with Hochanda.
Wash your fabric!
Always pre wash your fabric and iron it at the appropriate setting before you start your project. It’s essential that your brand new fabric is washed on the setting you will be washing the completed garment so that any shrinkage that’s going to take place happens before you sew up your pattern. The last thing you want is that gorgeous newly sewn dress or skirt to suddenly be too tight when you’ve only worn it once! You will also need to iron your clean and dry fabric carefully so that it is nice and smooth and flat before you start to lay out your pattern pieces on top of it ready for cutting out.
Cut out your pattern carefully!
Take great care when cutting out your pattern from your fabric. Make sure to use good quality scissors that are sharp enough to cut the fabric cleanly, and ensure you have enough pins or pattern weights attaching the pattern pieces to the material so that you can cut as close to the desired line as possible. The more accurate your cutting is, the more accurately you will sew your garment. If you are sewing with stretch fabrics, you can always cut out large, smooth curves and straight lines with a rotary cutter and a cutting mat.
Make good use of your pins!
As you sew, make sure you use enough pins to attach the pieces together before you put them through the sewing machine – good quality pins will hold your fabric together and stop it from slipping and causing you to sew off the stitch line and into the seam allowance. Try out different pins for different projects – light weight and slippy fabrics need thinner and sharper pins, and more of them. Make sure you pin your pieces at right angles to the stitch line as you sew, as this means you can take them out more easily before they go under the sewing needle.
Use your Unpicker wisely!
If you make a mistake – take your time to unpick and start again. Don’t get frustrated! Unpickers are an invaluable tool that you will end up using more than you think – a nice sharp cutting edge and a thin point make sure you can rip through incorrect stitches without damaging the fabric. It’s always better to redo a section midway through the whole process rather than wait until you are nearly done and then go back – even if it feels like it’s taking too long, it will take even longer to unpick three or four stages rather than just one!
Press as you go!
The thing that really makes the difference to the finish of a home sewn garment is how much and how well it is pressed during the construction process. Taking time to press seams, darts and the fabric as a whole to ensure it lays flat while you sew, is really important – not only does the heat and pressure from the iron set the stitches but it also encourages the fabric to stay it its newly formed shape. If you don’t have space for a full size ironing boarding in your sewing area, try an ironing mat or a sleeve board to make sure you can still get that more professional looking finish on your garment.
We hope that you have enjoyed these Top Tips from Emporia Patterns!
For more handy Tips on sewing, check out our recent Back To Basics with Hayley from Craft Yourself Silly.