Saturday, July 18, 2009

10 things I have learned about sewing.

I have been costuming for around eight years now and these are some of the things I have learned.

1) Don't sew when sleepy or you will sew things to yourself.(blood is hard to get out of white fur)

2) Bias tape makers are worth their weight in gold.

3) Irons need a good bath now and then too. (Hot iron cleaner is lovely stuff.)

4) Make sure you have all the pins out before wearing something.

5) Label your mock ups well it will save you a lot of time. (Sewing things upside down and then figuring out why they don't fit later is embarrassing)

6) Make absolutely sure you are cutting the pieces the right way up.(Midnight fabric runs because you messed up and are hitting a deadline are not fun.)

7) Remember your seam allowances they are the difference between having a fantastic fit and a lovely thing that is too small.

8) Take things one step at a time ot you may find yourself skipping important steps. (like trying to do the bust darts after sewing the sides together)

9) Pre-wash and iron your fabric. Having your new lovely red shirt turn you a matching shade is not fun.

10) Buy extra fabric when you can. It may just save your soul. (Or your sanity whichever comes first.)

3 comments:

  1. Sewing gets easier as you go along but lack of attention can lead to some interesting mistakes.

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  2. #5 - make a really BIG mistake once and never forget it. I did that when I cut the vinyl for my first bathroom floor. We could only afford to do it once and I carefully marked out the pattern round the toilet pedestal and sink, then marked it on the back of the vinyl and cut it out.

    Laid it down and realized I had the pattern right-side up when I marked it on the underside of the vinyl. >:(

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