Sewing Out Loud

From extension tables to kitchen tables and floors and more, Zede and Mallory share how important sewing surfaces can be.

Zede and Mallory continue their in-depth machine conversation focusing on throat plates.

Zede and Mallory delve into the next set of stitches - zig zag and overcasting stitches.

Building on the previous episode Mallory and Zede delve into which stitches you should familiarize yourself with when starting to sew as well as how the stitch selector can function.

Zede and Mallory delve into Debbie's question about what skills a beginner sewer should know.

Zede and Mallory actually answer Dana's questions about when it's ok to deviate/take a more efficient approach to sewing instructions and how to store sewing projects that might get interrupted for a bit before they get finished.

Mallory and Zede break down what a hem facing is, multiple ways to construct one and also how to grade and under stitch to get really nice finish.

Mallory and Zede answer a listener's question regarding making a t-shirt quilt which includes a must do step to keep frustrations at bay.

In this episode Zede and Mallory revisit the Made to Measure Leggings drafting pattern to answer some questions about body measurements, proportions and drafting for them.

In the second installment of the sequin dress Mallory shares her lining trials and tribulations and how she arrived at her finished garment.

Mallory shares how she constructed the outer mesh sequin part of her t-shirt dress for a formal wedding she attended. She was able to finish right on time but there may have been some carnage along the way.

In this episode of the podcast Mallory and Zede share some of their more recent projects they've been stitching on.

Bobbie asked the Facebook group for machine buying input and Mallory and Zede use their machine dealer knowledge to help her navigate the differences in machines.

Mallory and Zede explain why you might find fabric knit in tubes versus flat and how to keep your pressing cloths clean.

Mallory and Zede dedicate a whole episode to one Facebook group question and maybe some tangents. What is couture and more specifically does it exist in the knit garment realm?

Zede shares how she distinguishes which Gentle Leader fits each of her dogs. Her and Mallory answer a Facebook group member's question about how to orient a buttonhole on the back of a dress.

Zede and Mallory answer more SewHere group member questions concerning PDF patterns and fabric shrinkage.

What's the Golden Rule of Sewing and the most commonly missed step when getting ready to sew? Threading with your presser foot up!!!

Zede and Mallory explain why it's so important and why you should tell all your friends about this rule!

Zede shares how she embroidered her new life jackets she got for paddle boarding.

Bunched fabric, your machine stitching in place, fabric getting caught under the feed dogs - the struggles can be real when trying to start a seam on knit fabrics. Mallory and Zede offer helpful tips and tricks to make this process more successful.

Mallory and Zede pick up where they left off last episode and give their advice/expertise on how they upsize t-shirts.

Zede and Mallory share how they downsize larger ready to wear T-shirts.

Mallory and Zede answer Melissa's questions about sewing with linen.

Zede and Mallory share some of their favorite podcast memories and some listeners favorites too.

Find out what material Zede and Mallory like and recommend to use for swimsuit lining as well as how they line their suits.

Mallory and Zede answer more questions from the Facebook group including best practices for suit longevity, how to accommodate full busts, bellies, and fupas and what is and where to get board short fabric.

Mallory and Zede answer group questions regarding swimwear.

Questions like where can you purchase swimwear fabric, what is the best type of elastic to use, can you dye swim fabric?

Zede and Mallory talk about the three areas of a sewing machine that have/hold tension and how important each is.

Zede and Mallory share their legging woes!

www.sewhere.com/leggings

Mallory and Zede walk you step by step through the process of embroidering on ready to wear knits.

What types of fabrics are used for linings, can you add or omit a lining to a pattern, why do you line garments? Zede and Mallory answer these questions and more.

Zede and Mallory take more Facebook group questions regarding zippers. This time they touch on how to insert a zipper anywhere and how to replace one.

Zede and Mallory share their own sewing goals as well as SewHere Facebook members sewing goals.

Frustrated or intimidated by zippers? Installing one for the first time or just want to learn a new technique well Mallory and Zede describe the parts of a zipper, how to lengthen and shorten them and the insertion process in a muslin.

Zede and Mallory poll the facebook group to see what sewing mistakes people make repeatedly. They are here to listen, commiserate with, and share ideas on how to avoid those mistakes.

Zede and Mallory share how they organize and store ongoing projects.

Zede and Mallory share why they love when patterns include finished garment measurements and how they use this information.

Zede and Mallory make a whole podcast out of a tangent about odors, fabric and the stink of Febreeze.

Zede and Mallory walk you step by step though the process of embroidering a terry cloth towel.

Zede and Mallory answer member questions from their Self Sewn Wardrobe Facebook group.

Zede and Mallory wrap up their stabilizer series with a description and use discussion of wash away stabilizers.

In this second stabilizer installment Zede and Mallory explain what tear away stabilizers are and how you can use them in numerous applications from embroidery to making the perfect buttonhole.

Zede and Mallory explain what stabilizer's are and when and why you may need them. They focus on Cut Away stabilizers in this first installment of the series.

As Mallory went through the process of taking apart, degreasing/re-greasing, and replacing parts in her mixer, she just couldn't ignore the similarities to the sewing machine world, and we just had to podcast about it!

This post may contain affiliate links. When you click through and make a purchase, SewHere receives a commission at no cost to you. You buy the right stuff and we continue to make AWESOME sewing media- wahoo!

Using a rotary cutter and tracing sewing patterns are things Zede and Mallory do almost every time they are in the studio. These are non-negotiable processes for us- but they take some getting used to!

As we mentioned in our "Adjustment Periods: Knee Lift and Serger" episode, sew however you like and do what makes you happy, but after decades and decades of sewing and teaching others, we're confident that these two things can make your sewing life better! So, let's get started!

How to Get Used to Using a Rotary Cutter

Rotary cutters are fast and accurate. If you're afraid of cutting incorrectly or cutting yourself- let us put your mind at ease!

What you need to use a rotary cutter

In order to successfully use a rotary cutter, you must have a cutting mat and a place large enough to accommodate it! If you've got the space, we think this is one of the biggest time savers you will implement while cutting out garments- and we find it to be more accurate!

We don't pin our pattern pieces to our fabric, we use pattern weights- and this is preferable when rotary cutting, because you don't want to roll over a pin!

Advantages to using a rotary cutting instead of scissors

The biggest advantage of using a rotary cutter instead of scissors is accuracy and lack of distortion. When you use scissors to cut garment pieces, you distort the yardage as the lower blade goes underneath the fabric. You just do! so, we find it so much more accurate and simple to keep our fabric in contact with the table as we cut with our rotary cutters.

Rotary blades are cheap and easy to replace. It's easier to keep your cutting equipment super sharp when you use a rotary cutter, because you don't have to go to a special place to get them sharpened, and you can replace the blade yourself if you do make some kind of mistake (going over a pin or bead) or you gut through a bunch of carpeting (Zede).

In order to be successful, secure your fabric and pattern pieces with weights or tape- that's right, tape! If you have a particularly slippy fabric, you can tape it to your cutting table. And don't underestimate weighting the yardage outside of your pattern pieces, it can help keep things stable as you progress through the cutting process.

How to practice with a rotary cutter

In general, there are two ways to use a rotary cutter- with a ruler and without. If you are cutting a long strip of fabric or a pattern piece with a straight edge- get out a ruler!

Hold the ruler in place with your non-dominant hand, and attempt to keep this hand behind the rotary cutter as you cut. Keep the rotary cutter close to the ruler. The ruler should be place on top of the pattern piece and the fabric that is uncovered should be the fabric you are cutting away from the pattern piece- so, just in case you do mess up and veer away from the ruler, you aren't cutting into your pattern piece.

Get out some pattern pieces with gentle curves and cut them out of one layer of stable fabric. See how it goes. Theoretically, it should be easier to cut curves with the curved blade of your rotary cutter than with the straight blade of your scissors. Practice keeping your non-dominant hand behind the cutter and out of its path.

Find the right rotary cutter for you

We love the Olfa ergonomic handle, and own several. You may try out a few different kinds before you find the right one for you.

You can also buy different sizes. We use the 45mm rotary cutter most often, but the size 60mm is popular with quilters cutting big strips and the size 28mm or 28mm is popular with people cutting small, curvy pieces for lingerie or doll clothes.

How to use a rotary cutter safely

Rotary cutters are sharp! That's why we like them and that's why they can be intimidating. A lot of people feel that rulers keep them safe, and only rotary cut with a ruler- ruling out curved garment pattern pieces. However, I have seen overzealous cutter jump the ruler!

There are protective gloves you can buy and use while rotary cutting, and some people swear by them! In fact, I learned on the set of Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting that they always use a glove, because when they didn't wear one, they got lots of emails from nervous viewers!

I have to be honest and say that I injure myself more in the kitchen that the sewing room, and I don't feel the need to wear the glove, personally.

Always keep your hand behind the rotary cutter, whether you're using a ruler or not (see paragraph above). You will use your non-dominant hand to stabilize your body and your fabric, and if it's behind the path of the cutter- it should be safe!

Keeping a new, sharp blade in your rotary cutter will keep you from having to struggle to cut and securing your fabric in place properly will help prevent any slipping mishaps.

Sponsored by National Sewing Circle!

You can never have too much sewing knowledge!

Get a year-long premium membership for just $3 when you click here to sign up!

How to Get Used to Tracing Sewing Patterns

Ok, this is our most controversial position (other than the 3-thread narrow). We REALLY believe you should trace your multi-size sewing patterns. We admit, this is an entire extra step in the sewing process that you could theoretically skip- and who doesn't want to save time??? However, if you cut the wrong size or wish to return to the pattern when you change sizes or make it for a different-sized wearer, you'll be glad you took the time to trace!

What you need to trace patterns

You need tracing paper! The best tracing paper is the tracing paper you like. We use medical-exam paper- the stuff you sit on at the doctor's office- but you can use swedish tracing paper, interfacing, or even vinyl shower curtains! You just need to be able to see through it and to mark on it.

We also recommend tracing in a bold pencil. We love these chunky mechanical pencils for tracing patterns. You might also like to use color coded sharpies for some things, once you know your pattern is accurate and finalized.

Why should you trace sewing patterns?

I wrote a very passionate blog post about why you should trace your patterns. The main tenet is: you don't want to lose information. When you cut out one size from a multi-size pattern, you lose the other sizes (sometimes even the smaller sizes, depending on how the pattern is nested). Plus, many sewists regularly blend between sizes to accommodate their bodies.

As I say in the blog post above- it's sheer hubris to cut and be sure that's exactly the information you'll need for the entire extent of your sewing life. You wouldn't cut out a paragraph from a book you like- right? Leave the pattern intact!

Trace some patterns!

Get used to it! Think of it as Sewing Out Loud boot camp! When you trace your patterns make sure to include

• Pattern Name/Number/Company
• Date
• Name of wearer
• Size (and note if you blended between sizes at any point)
• Darts, notches, gathering/pleating notation
• Seam allowances/hem allowances

I'm the queen of wishing to cut corners. If there's a good shortcut- I'll take it- but this is the one place that I don't take short cuts. In fact, the one time I cut out a pattern (I was so sure it was the right size), I made it through cutting to learn that some of the cutting lines were mis-labeled. So, even though I had done everything properly- the company had lead me astray.

I have a feeling that you may get converted to #teamtrace after you have some kind of mishap, like I did- but hey, you never know!

Trace. Just do it.

Have you taken the time to get used to rotary cutting and tracing? Let us know how it went!

Mallory and Zede love their knee lifts and sergers which is why they dedicated a whole podcast episode on adjusting to using these amazing tools.

This post may contain affiliate links. When you click through and make a purchase, SewHere receives a commission at no cost to you. You buy the right stuff and we continue to make AWESOME sewing media- wahoo!

Diff- What? Differential Feed!

Let's get started. First of all, you need to know that your serger has two sets of feed dogs- see? This is a side view with the foot on the serger and a bird's eye view without the foot.

Differential feed is literally that- it changes the speed of the feed dogs so that they "feed differently". More accurately, the back feed dogs stay constant, and the front ones change speed according to how you set the differential feed. Keep reading to find out about the settings.

Your serger has a place where you can set the differential feed. We've got a scale with N in the middle for "Normal" or "Neutral", then we have numbers above 1 up to 2, and numbers below 1 but above 0.

Also, there are little pictures to go with the numbers.  Up above 2 we see a symbol that means the serger will gather up the fabric- the front feed dogs will move faster than the back.

Then below 0.8 we see a symbol that means the serger will stretch the fabric out- the front feed dogs will move slower than the back feed dogs.

Why ever would we want to do this?

Well, it can be fun. You can gather fabric up to make ruffles or you can stretch fabric out to make a "lettuce edge".

These are the samples that retailers often show to demonstrate Differential Feed, but I think that a more practical application gets lost in the excitement.

Sometimes Differential Feed is used to correct stretching or gathering of fabrics as they are fed through the serger.

This is so important, because it gives you another tool in making your sewing the best it can possibly be.

For example, I made my Copy Cat shirt the other day. I was using high quality knit fabric and correct settings on my serger (which are so easy to achieve with a Baby Lock!), but my seam waved a bit.

Now, this isn't a huge problem, it would have probably looked fine when I wore the garment, but I wanted a smooth seam. I knew what was happening- my fabric was being stretched out as it went through the serger. So, I bumped up my Differential Feed to 1.3- just one notch- and ran the fabric through again. Perfect! Now, even though I bumped the differential feed up toward 2 and toward that "gathering symbol", I didn't get a ruffle (and I didn't want one).  I just got a corrected, smooth seam.

This is why it's important to do a little test before sewing your garment. If you've threaded your Baby Lock serger correctly, you won't be testing for tension or stitch balance- those things are automatic. You'll test for aesthetic purposes and to see how the fabric is reacting to the feed dogs. I recommend testing with a curved seam, so you can tell what's going to happen as you go over the straight, crosswise and bias of the fabric.

When you make something like a flannel baby blanket, most of the time you're stitching on the straight or crosswise grain, then on the corners we have bias as we make a curve- you may adjust your differential feed during just that part of your sewing, and then reset it when you're back on the straight.

Have you ever used your Differential Feed? What other questions do you have about sergers?

See Full Show Notes with Images Here:

https://sewhere.com/podcast/sewing-out-loud/can-you-grade-between-sizes-on-all-patterns/

This post may contain affiliate links. When you click through and make a purchase, SewHere receives a commission at no cost to you. You buy the right stuff and we continue to make AWESOME sewing media- wahoo!

Self Sewn Wardrobe Member Susan Low posted this picture in the group a couple of weeks ago:

Photo courtesy of Susan Low[/caption]

It's a picture of a small section of a tissue pattern from the Kwik Sew brand. The text on the pattern reads:

"WHEN CUTTING OR TRACING THE PATTERN PIECES, ALWAYS FOLLOW THE SAME SIZE ON ALL LINES AND PIECES.

NEVER CUT BETWEEN SIZES OR "BLEND" SIZES BY CUTTING FROM ONE SIZE TO ANOTHER.

Visit www.kwiksew.com/support for more information"

Well, did that all cause a stir! In fact, even 2 weeks later, people are still commenting!

So many people commented with hilarious sarcasm, and I can't recreate it all here- so go to the Self Sewn Wardrobe Facebook Group and check it out. There was lots of mentions of the sewing police and hopes that one would be forced into "sewing jail" (hours of continuous sewing) if they broke the rules.

Of course, there were a few more practical and serious comments along the lines of "If I never blended between sizes, I'd never make clothes that fit".

So, can you- should you- always/never/maybe blend between sizes?

Blending or Grading Between Sizes on a Sewing Pattern

First off, I believe this warning exists as a COA (cover our ass) for the pattern brand. If you incorrectly blend two sizes together and ruin your $75/yd fabric- they don't want you to come crying to them. Understandable. That's ok- you'll make a test garment, won't you?

People blend between sizes, because they are one size in one area (say the bust) and another size in another area (say the hips). This is normal. In fact, a lot of pattern companies instruct the user on how to properly grade between their sizes (something this Kwik Sew pattern clearly does not do). So, if you make a t-shirt and decide you need a size Medum in the bust and a size X Large in the hips, you might be tempted to blend between sizes.

We would be tempted too. No, we wouldn't be tempted- we'd just do it.

There are indeed ways to do blend incorrectly- but let's talk about how to avoid those!

Trace Trace Trace Your Sewing Pattern!!!

Before we go too far, I'd highly recommend you trace your pattern when blending- don't cut it out. You could be right, you could be wrong- but tracing will make sure that you don't eliminate any important information you might need later- in case you change sizes, want to make the garment for someone else or find out that your adjustment was incorrect or unnecessary.

Make Sure Your New Seam Lines Line Up

When you change the shape of a pattern out of the envelope, you need to be cognizant of how the whole thing fits together. Blending between a bust/waist difference on a tank top with two pieces is different than blending between sizes on a princess seam dress with 6-7 pieces that go around the body.  

Is Your Pattern Nested Properly?

Some patterns are not nested properly in order to grade them. This may have even been true about the Kwik Sew pattern that Susan posted- but, probably not. Anywho, see if the way the pattern is nested "makes sense" for blending. This means the pattern would grow out from a common point, like the crotch point on a pair of trousers, or the bust level of a shirt.

Check the Vertical Measurements on Your Body and on the Sewing Pattern

This is actually something you should do all the time, but it's important in this case especially. One SSW member cautioned that blending could result in "disproportionate" pattern pieces. Well, that's kind of the point- right? Our body may be "disproportionate" to the formulae used by the pattern company, and that's why we modify. Heck, that's probably why we're buying a sewing pattern in the first place. I think if you check on the nesting and find that things are grown from a common point, but you need to double check!

When you really look at the distance between sizes on a sewing pattern, you'll find them to be subtler than you expected. There are normally about 2 to maybe 4 inches difference between sizes. Divide that by 4 and you get small incremental changes between the 2 sides of front bodice pattern and 2 sides of a back bodice pattern- but we know it makes a difference! The same is true for length.

You will find that larger sizes are generally longer. Sometimes people misunderstand this as pattern companies thinking that if people have a larger hip size, they are suddenly taller. There's a little bit of that going on, but we also need to remember that we are not just x and y axes- and if someone has wider hips that another person, they may very likely need a longer rise in a trouser. 

Tangents

-The KwikSew.com domain has not been maintained by the new company who now owns Kwik Sew, Vogue, Butterick and McCall's. One commenter spoofed the warning and said "NEVER VISIT THAT DOMAIN, THE SECURITY CERTIFICATE IS OUT OF DATE..." That gave us a good chuckle, but also made me sad that the new brand hadn't maintained the domain.

-Speaking of domains- we own a lot of domains. We can't stop coming up for names for things. Do you have a good idea for what "StitchSlapped.com" could be? Let us know- we own it.

-Speaking of domains again...we decided to start a podcast and kept brainstorming names until we landed on the PERFECT ONE! "SEWING OUT LOUD"!!! We checked the domain and someone already owned it- luckily it was US!

Zede and Mallory talk needle felting which stirs up old feelings Mallory has about an ornament from Christmas past.

Zede and Mallory explain what seam allowance discs are and how to use them.

Zede shares her philosophy about dyeing and Mallory and her also answer a question about how to take in a side seam on a pair of jeans.

Mallory gets inspired to be a sewing star and Zede shares how she made her crazy quilt stockings.

Mallory and Zede are feeling free to be complimented on some recent sewing makes that include using materials in unexpected ways and curved needles.

Zede takes a trip down memory lane and shares how she created the costumes for Hello Dolly over two decades ago.

Zede and Mallory discuss considerations that go into pattern adjustments and why preserving seams is important.

Mallory and Zede share some of their current sewing achievements that they are feeling rather impressed by.

Zede and Mallory share listener's spooky sewing stories and have some tricks and treats for listener's in this special Halloween episode.

Zede shares her favorite uses for ribbon.

Mallory answers a listener's questions about PDF sewing patterns.

To stretch or not to stretch? Zede and Mallory share their philosophy on this question that often pops up in the sewing community.

Mallory shares her recipe for creating a bread proofing bowl.

Mallory shares her experience costuming a virtual theatre show.

Zede and Mal re-release the SewHere box and share some of the fabulous goods that you can expect to get.

Mallory shares how she used the M2M leggings pattern for maternity leggings and Zede explains why they are great for her intermittent medical belly.

In this weeks episode Mallory and Zede discuss in depth what their RhapsoTee Drafting guide is and how it can be used.

Mallory and Zede share some project ideas for middle to high school age kids as well as how in depth to go with directions and learning sewing machine parts and functions.

Mallory and Zede share how to get kids started with sewing.

Zede and Mallory take you on their journey of altering a friends wedding dress.

Zede and Mallory discuss what a muslin is and how they can be used.

Zede and Mallory discuss Lettuce edges and fishing line edges

Zede and Mallory discuss using sewing supplies in real life situations.

Zede and Mallory discuss sewing for money and money for sewing!

Zede and Mallory discuss outdoor furnishings and fabrics.

Zede and Mallory discuss tracing ready-to-wear garments

Zede and Mallory answer questions from the group.

Zede and Mallory discuss what to do with knit scraps!

Zede and Mallory discuss seam guides.

Zede and Mallory discuss three different types of iron.

What to consider when upgrading your sewing machine or serger

Zede and Mallory answer questions from the community.

The post FFTCM: Sewcial Distancing Rashguards and Masks appeared first on sewhere.com.