Tag: pattern-review

Gathering fabric, sometimes called adding ease, helps fabric curve into shape. You’ll use it on the top of sleeves, on curved hems, and on gathered skirts and collars.

How to gather fabric on a sewing machine

1. Set your stitch length to long, 4 to 5, and loosen the tension right down, to about 0.5.
2. Stitch two rows along the edge you want to gather, 0.5cm apart, inside the seam allowance.
3. Tie the thread ends together at one end only.
4. At the other end, gently pull the two bottom threads. The fabric will slide along and gather.
5. Spread the gathers out evenly.

Every machine is different, so test on a scrap and adjust the settings if the gathers are too tight or too loose.

Easier option: a ruffler foot or shirring foot gathers the fabric as you sew. The gathers are stitched in place, so they can’t be adjusted afterwards.

How to fit a sleeve the easy way

When you’re learning to make clothes, it’s tempting to sew the whole top together and then try to fit the sleeves into the armholes. That’s fiddly! This way is much easier.

1. Sew only the shoulder seams. Leave the side seams open.
2. Add ease to the top of each sleeve, between the notches.
3. Pin the sleeve to the armhole, matching the single notch to the front and the double notch to the back (see what are notches).
4. Pull the gathers in or let them out until the sleeve fits, with the ease spread evenly. Then stitch.
5. Sew one long seam from the end of the sleeve, up and down the side of the garment.
6. Hem the sleeves to the length you need.

Top tip: it’s easier to add a cuff or hem the sleeve before you sew it into a tube. The same goes for waistbands: attach them before you sew the skirt or trousers together.

Stretchy garments may not need any ease at all.

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Interfacing is a soft fabric added to parts of clothes and bags to give them body and support. You’ll find it in cuffs, collars, waistbands and neck facings, and in bags, purses and coasters.

Types of interfacing

• Iron-on (fusible): has glue on one side and is ironed on. I recommend this for beginners, as it doesn’t move while you sew.
• Sew-in (non-fusible): stitched in place around the edges.

Which weight should I use?

Interfacing comes in different weights. Choose one the same weight as your fabric, or a little lighter.

• Light-weight interfacing works for most dressmaking.
• For bags, a few layers of calico can work better than heavy interfacing. It gives weight without creasing.
• Stretchy clothes usually aren’t interfaced.

How to iron on interfacing

1. Cut the interfacing using your pattern piece. Make it a fraction smaller than the fabric, so glue doesn’t get on your ironing board.
2. Lay the fabric wrong side up.
3. Put the interfacing on top, glue side down. The glue side usually feels rough or shiny.
4. Cover it with a pressing cloth.
5. Press the iron down firmly for about 10 to 15 seconds, then lift it and move to the next section. Don’t slide the iron, or the interfacing may shift.
6. Let it cool, then lift a corner to check it’s stuck. If not, press that area again.

Top tip: always check the instructions that come with your interfacing for the heat setting, and test on a scrap first. Some interfacings shouldn’t be used with steam.

Ironing tips: read when to iron when sewing. You’ll use interfacing in the coasters.

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Stretchy fabrics like jersey need to be sewn differently to woven fabrics like cotton. Sew them with an ordinary straight stitch, and the thread will snap as soon as the fabric stretches.

Use zig-zag stitch

Zig-zag stitch stretches with the fabric instead of snapping. Use it for seams and hems.

• The zig-zag doesn’t need to be wide. Experiment with the width and length on a scrap first.
• A thinner, longer zig-zag can look neater on hems and bias binding.
• Straight stitch is fine on parts that don’t stretch, like top-stitching a neck facing.

Use a ballpoint needle

Change to a ballpoint or jersey needle. Its rounded tip slips between the threads instead of piercing them, so it won’t make holes or ladders.

Seam allowance for stretchy fabric

Stretchy clothes often use a smaller 0.5cm seam allowance. Check your pattern. An overlocker is ideal, as it joins the seam and finishes the edge at the same time.

What stretchy clothes don’t need

• No darts: the stretch shapes the garment instead.
• No ease: sleeve tops may not need gathering.
• No interfacing: it may rip when the fabric stretches.
• No facing: bias binding is often used instead.

Top tip: for a really professional finish on hems and necklines, sewists use a coverstitch machine. It’s a treat, not a must.

New to sewing? Start with woven cotton first. Read where to buy sewing fabric in the UK, and see the stitches in types of sewing stitches.

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A hem is when the bottom edge of a skirt, trouser leg or sleeve is folded up and stitched flat. It finishes the garment and protects the edge.

What is a hem allowance?

The fold line is called the hemline. The gap between the fabric edge and the hemline is the hem allowance, written H.A on patterns. To get a straight hem, the hem allowance needs to be even all the way round.

• Straight hems usually have a 3.5cm hem allowance.
• Flared and A-line skirts usually have 3.5 to 5cm.
• Circular skirts are best with a tiny 0.5cm hem.
• Always check your pattern.

How to sew a straight hem

1. Overlock the raw edge (see how to stop fabric fraying).
2. Fold the hem up to the hem allowance, then pin and iron it flat.
3. Stitch along the overlocked stitching. It looks neater and stops the hem flipping back when you wear it.

How to hem an A-line or flared skirt

A slightly curved hem needs gathering a little before you fold it, or it won’t lie flat. Add a row of gathering ease along the edge, gently pull it in to fit, then fold, iron and stitch. Here’s how to add gathering ease.

How to sew a rolled hem

Very flared circular skirts don’t need gathering. Use a rolled hem instead:

• Use a small 0.5cm hem allowance.
• Fold the edge over gradually as you stitch.
• A rolled hem foot can do the rolling for you.
• A slight zig-zag stitch holds it securely.

Top tip: sew the hem last. Try the garment on first, then pin the hem to the length you want.

See my free Hems card, Curved Hems card and Hemming card. You’ll hem the elasticated waist skirt and pyjama trousers.

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Nanna Betty Sewing School teaches you one skill at a time, with simple sewing cards and short videos for your phone. Every make takes 2 hours or less, and it’s all free.

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Before you sew pieces together, it’s important to stitch over the raw edges so they don’t fray. This is called overlocking the edges, and you don’t need a special machine to do it.

How to overlock edges with zig-zag stitch

The simplest way for beginners is zig-zag stitch on your ordinary sewing machine.

• Set the stitch length to 2 to 3.
• Set the stitch width to 3 to 4.
• Stitch close to the edge of the fabric, without going off the edge.
• An overedge or overcast foot can help, if your machine has one.

Should you buy an overlocker?

An overlocker (also called a serger) trims and stitches the edge in one go, for a really tidy, professional finish.

• Pros: quick, neat, and it can join and finish stretchy seams at the same time.
• Cons: overlockers are expensive and can be tricky to thread. They’re a good investment once you’re sewing a lot, but you don’t need one to start.

Other ways to stop fraying

• Pinking shears: zig-zag scissors that slow fraying. Good for fabrics that don’t fray much, like felt.
• Hand-stitching: blanket stitch over the edge. Slower, but relaxing.

Overlocking stretchy fabric

An overlocker can join two pieces of stretchy fabric and finish the edges at the same time. If you do this, the seam allowance usually needs to be reduced to 0.5cm. Read more in how to sew stretchy fabric.

Practise on my free Overlocking card. You’ll use it on the tote bag, cushion cover and pyjama trousers.

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Nanna Betty Sewing School teaches you one skill at a time, with simple sewing cards and short videos for your phone. Every make takes 2 hours or less, and it’s all free.

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Sewing machines come with all sorts of weird and wonderful feet. Yet you can sew most cushions, bags and clothes with just three.

The 3 machine feet every beginner needs

• Standard foot: the foot that’s usually already on your machine, for straight stitch and general sewing.
• Zig-zag foot: this has a wider hole, so the needle can swing from side to side. It can be used for straight stitch too, so some machines come with this one fitted instead of a standard foot.
• Zipper foot: narrow, with a notch on one or both sides, so you can stitch right next to the teeth of a zip.

Extra feet to try later

As you get more confident, you may find these useful:

• Buttonhole foot: stitches buttonholes to the size of your button.
• Rolled hem foot: rolls and stitches tiny hems, perfect for circular skirts.
• Elastic foot: stretches elastic as it stitches it on.
• Gathering foot: gathers fabric slightly as you sew.
• Ruffler foot: my favourite! It’s big and costs more than a gathering foot, but it makes beautiful ruffles. You can make nearly anything with a length of ruffled fabric.

Feet fit machines in different ways, some snap on and some screw on, so check yours before you buy. Sew Essential has a helpful guide to presser feet with photos.

See my free Machine Feet card, and for more about stitches, read types of sewing stitches for beginners.

Learn to sew with Nanna Betty

Nanna Betty Sewing School teaches you one skill at a time, with simple sewing cards and short videos for your phone. Every make takes 2 hours or less, and it’s all free.

Start sewing, it’s free