Pincushion is an essential tool to have when you're sewing. You need them next to your machine so that you won't lose your pins after use. And because of this, your pincushion is most likely to look like a paper between the teeth of a wild dog. For this reason, you need to have more than one pincushion at your disposal. This post will teach you how to make a classic pincushion from scraps of fabric. 

 

Materials Required:

Fabric scraps
Cotton stuffing /sponge stuffing
Scissors
Thick thread
Long needle
Buttons (for classic look)

 

1. Outline on the fabric.
First of all, decide the size you want the pincushion to be. You can draw the circle either by using a compass or by tracing the outline of some round thing.. It doesn't even need to be round; any shape will do the job.
Keep in mind that the size of the pincushion should be appropriate for the amount of stuffing you have. 

2. Cut two fabrics of same size. 

If you are using the same fabric, just pin them together and cut them together. Otherwise if you're using bits and scraps then cut them accordingly.

3. Sew 3/4 with right sides of fabric together. 

Once we've two pieces, place them face to face and sew them all the way leaving one fourth of gap for putting the stuffing. 

Now, pinker all the way through the seam allowance. Be careful not to cut the stitches too.

4. Turn the fabric inside out and start stuffing. 

Now put the stuffing in. Try not to use cloths or fabric scraps for stuffing because it may blunt the pins and also we'll be stuck halfway when we try to create the classic look with the threads later on...trust me.. you don't wanna make the same mistake ;)

5. Seal the opening. 

You can either seal the one fourth of the opening by hand stitching or you can go wild and do a zigzag stitch all over the circle (whatever your shape is) like I did. It is easier (if you're lazy like me) and also makes it more beautiful.

6. Thread and needle work is up next. 

Let's get the thread around the needle and start working on. Try to use thicker thread and appropriate needle. 

Make a knot at the end and push the needle from the bottom towards the centre of the front part. Now pull it out and take it under and out the same holes to bring it back up. Follow the pictures if you're confused. 

7. Add buttons for classic look. 

With the thread and needle out of the front's centre, add the buttons you want for the classy look and also you can show off your vintage button collection. 

There you have it. The perfect pincushion for a few months use ;)

 

If you feel like I've missed anything, please do leave them in the comments. Please follow me if you like my blog and enjoy The Sew Show.

pin cushion pinking pins your own make

03:07

 

A smooth neckline always completes a beautiful dress. If your dress is all perfect and you end up with a not-so-perfect neckline, then it will simply result in you paying a hefty price for your hardwork. In other words - your hardwork goes in vain.

This post is all about creating the perfect neckline. We are going to make the smooth neckline using a lining under our fabric. Follow the steps to a beautiful and clean neckline.
                                            

1. Keep the fabric and the lining in such a manner that once you flip them, you should have the right side of fabric upfront and the lining at the back. Keep the right side of the fabric facing you on the table and on it keep the right side of the lining in such a manner that the right sides of fabric and lining are together.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Pin the fabric and the lining in place with the help of pins. (I really need to buy some glass headed ones, they look so boring) Keep in mind that you must always start pinning from the centre and go all the way to both sides. This evens out the fabric and makes our CENTRE of attention look great (see what I did there...puns for life :))
   
   
   
   
3. Now stitch only the neckline through the stitching line. Now that it's done, it'll look something like this.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Next comes the most important part to have a clean neckline. Get a normal scissors (and a pinking scissors if you have them); or we could just do with the small scissors. So what we need to do is, cut halfway through the lining (note that only lining) and pinker (is that even grammatically correct?) the seam allowance of both the fabric as well as the lining. Pinking is just cutting a V through your fabric so as to reduce the bulk of the fabric.Personally, I feel pinking is such a good technique that every sewer must know. Trust me it's a lifesaver. Pinking not only reduces the bulk but also helps you fold over the fabric without any tension and unevenness.
   
   
   
   



5. Now that you're done with pinking let's flip the lining over the fabric and get the pins up starting at the centre as always and working all the way to both the sides. Now stitch over it and don't forget to remove the pins as you stitch or you'll end up breaking your needle (and I really don't know what that is like... Hopefully, I won't have the chance of finding out what it's like)
   
   
   
   
   

There you have it. A few extra efforts and you have a lovely and perfect neckline. Happy sewing!!

If you feel like I've missed anything, please do leave them in the comments. Please follow me if you like my blog and enjoy The Sew Show.

perfect Neckline pinking sewing smooth neckline

23:07

Today's post is all about how to cut using measurements. Well, this one's a general top instruction so you can try using it with any pattern (with some adjustments of course!). 

STEP 1: Measurements

 So first of all, we need measurements of the following:

• Across shoulder
• Bust / Chest
• Waist
• Hip 
• Length of top

If you don’t know how to take the measurements, then click on this link.

STEP 2: Folding

Fabric should be folded carefully. You need to note the following things:

To cut front bodice and the back bodice, you need to fold the fabric into four layers. Two layers will only give you front bodice. So for front and back bodices, you need to fold it twice to get four layers. The following figure will help you.

• The fabric should be properly aligned end to end and corners to corners.
• Be sure to note the selvedge and raw edge of the fabric.

• The fabric should be laid out smoothly. If you want you can iron the fabric to remove the creases.

STEP 3: Marking 

All the markings are done in the fourth fabric folded form (that's a lot of words starting with 'f').

Now follow the markings accordingly and you'll end up with an outline. The pictures will tell you the measurements and markings. So just follow them.

Now draw a one inch extra on your outline for seam allowance. Cut the fabric through this new outline. There you have it. The cut fabric with your own measurements is at your service. Now all you need to do is stitch these pieces. Happy sewing!!

If you feel like I've missed anything, please do leave them in the comments. Please follow me if you like my blog and enjoy The Sew Show.

cutting fabric folding raw edge selvedge sewing sewing measurements take measurements top

09:00

The selection of sewing machine is a complicated task if you are a newbie. You get questions like should I stay with my grandma's old sewing machine or take a huge step onto the new and lofty automatic one? Or which one gives you an advantage over other? Have no fear cause this post is all about solving this dilemma and I assure you that by the end of this post you'll end up choosing one of them.

Before I go in deep and make a mess of this awfully simple topic, I'd like to say that you have two choices. Either you can read my blabbering all the way while I make points here and there or you can skip by unbearable blabbering till the end where I have created a table comparing the two sewing machines. The choice is all yours :) 

Let's bring in the first impressions. 

Here're my two lovelies. The manual one's my mom's but I took my first sewing steps in it so kudos for my manual baby. The other one, the automatic, which I recently bought when I realised that I have fallen for sewing. 

Manual sewing machine: Usha Champion. 

Automatic sewing machine: Janome Allure. 

The sight of a manual sewing machine cannot be good for a beginner's sore eyes. There are millions of reasons why you hate that wibbly wobbly antique -ish thing. For starters, who would like to pedal continuously for more than 3 hours? The thought of it makes me sick. By the end of the sewing, you'll end up with blisters or atleast with a sickening pain in your legs. My feet found heaven in the automatic one but I'm not saying that the pedalling was completely useless. Manual definitely felt more controllable when compared to the other. You have to pedal faster to increase speed in manual while you have to press it harder in auto. We could always use the extra exercise (if you are an exercise freak, which I'm not). Another thing to keep in mind is that pedalling is not easy as one thinks. It takes atleast an hour's practise to get a grip of smooth pedalling and if you're learning how to pedal, I'll advise you to remove the needle of its holder otherwise you're likely to break it in your attempt to learn. 

Moving on to the stitches (suddenly I see Shawn Mendes singing) Anyway, the straight stitch is available on both but if you are looking for fancy stitches like zigzag then manual is not for you. Even back stitch is not available which I think is really important. One thing you must keep in mind is that your automatic will not give you overlock stitch (if you thought it will then welcome to the club, I was once a fool myself); for that you need to buy a serger (it's another type of sewing machine which took it's master's in overlocking). Anyway, if you are just doing the simple straight stitch, then you don't necessarily need to buy the automatic one, you can stick with your grandma's wobbly one. 

By now, you must have decided on buying the automatic sewing machine. Well, read on cause here is where the twist comes (atleast for those who have fluctuating electricity). The manual one works on your power. You pedal, the machine works but automatic needs electricity and it only works on that. So there's kinda money involved too. If you're a hectic sewer or does sewing for others, then your electricity bill may have bigger numbers. With the manual, you can sew nonstop; no storm can stop you. If you don't mind the numbers, then there's nothing else to know. Just grab the nearest automatic and start sewing.

If you feel like I've missed anything, please do leave them in the comments. Please follow me if you like my blog and enjoy The Sew Show.

automatic comparison manual manual vs automatic sewing sewing machine

03:03

Measuring is the first step to sewing. It must be done accurately otherwise your dress would turn out to be Zombie size and we definitely don't want that.

First things first, make sure you have a friend to help you take the measurements.
Secondly, a measuring tape has both inches and centimetres (one on each side). While using your measuring tape, be sure to take your measurements using the 'inches' (") rather than the centimetres (cm) as it will be more easy to mark on your cloth.
Finally, while measuring do breathe! Don't stiffen up your body and don't tighten the tape. Take relaxed measurements.

BASIC MEASUREMENTS:

Across Shoulder: From one shoulder point (the point of dimple at shoulder bone when arms are raised to shoulder level) to the other.
Bust: Measure all around the body over the bust.
Waist: Measure the narrowest part of your waist.
Hips: Measure the widest part; just below the waist.

ADVANCED MEASUREMENTS:

Waist height from floor: Measure from waist to the legs touching the floor.
Shoulder length: From neck base (the area where you circle measure the neck) to shoulder point.
Front waist length: Measure from the neck base over bust and vertically down to waist.

If you feel like I've missed anything, please do leave them in the comments. Please follow me if you like my blog and enjoy The Sew Show.

basic measurements sewing sewing measurements take measurements tape measure

03:02