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Carolyn's Top 5 Sewing Tips
I learned how to sew when I was just 10 years old. That summer I made a whole wardrobe of shorts. I loved sewing right from the start and have made clothes for myself, my kiddos, friends and family. Let me share my top 5 sewing tips with you that I have learned over the years.
Bug needed some new PJs. Fortunately, even though she’s 11, almost 12, she still lets mommy pick out her clothes. Or, in this case, fabric. I didn’t have a shorts pattern in her size, so I was going to rip apart a pair that she already had to use as a pattern. But she only has Jean shorts and leggings type shorts and who wants to put those back together? No thanks. So I picked up a pattern at Joann’s. It went up one more size, so I didn’t want to cut up my pattern. I had this tracing paper in my stash. I’ve been sewing since I was ten years old, so my stash is huge.
I trace the pattern, cut it out, and sew the pieces together. I added a bow to the front so that she knows which is the front and the back.
Carolyn's Top 5 Sewing Tips
1. Always pre-wash your fabric.
2. When putting your fabric together, place the pins so that the needle will glide over them, and not hit the tip. That way, you can sew right over it and take all the pins out when you're done. Instead of taking them out as you so.
3. This should be tip number one because I genuinely believe that the key to sewing is ironing. I try and iron as I go. See my post about my ironing station. You can't always do this if you are surging as you go.
4. I add a safety pin on the back pieces of shorts; this way, I don't get my pieces mixed up. This step can be avoided if you cut out the little notches on patterns. I tend to leave those out.
5. I'm not ashamed to say that I occasionally use blue painters tape to mark my sewing machine to make a straight seam. Another option is to place a large rubber band around the arm instead of tape.
