These last few weeks have been like swimming in jello, moving, but getting no where fast. Do you have weeks where your projects and goals feel out of reach? I have been feeling very stuck without my iron and camera. The rest was good, but I sure missed blogging, sewing and you! My Rowenta iron came back from the factory this week. The diagnosis was a faulty water holding tank. The manufacturer recommends not overfilling the water tank. I have been known to overfill my iron at times. Although this didn't break the iron it's a good measure to keep in mind against overfilling.
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I have been sewing two skirts this week, I wanted to pause and look at the inside of these garments. Over the last 6 months, part of the joy of sewing for me has been to create a clean looking garment. One that I could wear inside out. Some of the things I do are simple, but to me make a garment look more couture. I don't have a lot of finishing tips, but I thought I would share the ones that have served me well with you.
1. To reduce the overall mess, I clip every thread after sewing a seam. I use thread cutters, they are wonderful. Doing this really helps me keep of top of those loose thread.
2. This sounds like a given, but finishing all seams at the right time creates a beautiful garment. There are many ways to finish a garment. I use my serger a lot. Sewing is like a Chess game is some ways. You have to know the moves you are going to make while sewing up a piece. I am finding mapping this out ahead of time very helpful. Sometimes you should serge a pattern piece by itself, other times it's necessary to wait until you have made a seam. Mapping out your seams, results in less wasted thread and a better looking garment I am finding.
3. There is a little game I play when sewing my facings to make them look good. I try to sew them as straight as possible, doing my very best work. Yes, it's silly but my stitches are improving because of this game and I smile when I see them!
4. Iron every time, every seam, a garment won't come together without ironing and it will look wonky on the inside. I iron the seams after sewing from both sides and steam them in place. This makes a huge difference with the finished seams.
What are you sewing this week?
Have a wonderful vintage day!
Gina