(this post was origially published on my temporary blog at blogspot on tuesday, 7 april, 2009. i'm migrating those posts to this blog for those who might have missed them.)
i know what you're thinking: is that tim gunn? why yes, it is. tim gunn, and me. but i'll get to that later. for now, let's talk about you and how to improve your sewing TODAY.
those are just some of the things that make it possible for me to make a dress in an afternoon. these are presser feet for my sewing machine, they make sure everything is accurate, neat, and consistent. the accessories that came with your machine--or that are available to purchase--may be different from the ones i have, but all of them serve the same purpose: to help you do your best work.
3--make a test sample first.
1--iron more than you sew.
i use a sussman industrial iron, which has a gravity feed water tank and makes steam on demand--this iron is so heavy that i don't have to press on the project at all, i can just lay the iron down and the weight does the rest. most likely you are using a domestic iron, which doesn't get as hot and is made of plastic to keep it lightweight. consider going to your nearest thrift store and picking up the oldest metal iron you can find. it will be heavier, it will get hotter, and if you keep it full of water it will weigh almost as much as mine does.
2--use your accessories.
did you ever wonder what this is for?
supposedly "nobody" likes to iron. well i do, i LOVE to iron. it satisfies the one standard american craving i will publicly admit to: instant gratification. it transforms a crumpled piece of fabric into a smooth field of fiber, right before my very eyes. order out of chaos. and it works on your sewing too.
just iron every seam--EVERY SEAM--before you cross it with another. that's it. i guarantee this one tip will elevate your sewing at least three levels, instantly, or your money back. :)
i use a sussman industrial iron, which has a gravity feed water tank and makes steam on demand--this iron is so heavy that i don't have to press on the project at all, i can just lay the iron down and the weight does the rest. most likely you are using a domestic iron, which doesn't get as hot and is made of plastic to keep it lightweight. consider going to your nearest thrift store and picking up the oldest metal iron you can find. it will be heavier, it will get hotter, and if you keep it full of water it will weigh almost as much as mine does.
2--use your accessories.
or this?
how about these?
those are just some of the things that make it possible for me to make a dress in an afternoon. these are presser feet for my sewing machine, they make sure everything is accurate, neat, and consistent. the accessories that came with your machine--or that are available to purchase--may be different from the ones i have, but all of them serve the same purpose: to help you do your best work.
now don't fall into the thinking of someone who recently asked me, "is this just cheating? is relying on a foot (he was asking about a flat fell foot) just a lazy way and i should do it properly?". my response is this: if it is cheating, then brooks brothers is cheating all the live-long day. how do you think those factories turn out shirts by the hundreds and all of them so well made? they certainly aren't stopping to fold each seam by hand. use whatever accessories you have or can get, that's what they're for! BUT, make sure to follow point #3:
3--make a test sample first.
anytime you come across a technique you don't know how to do or a tool you don't know how to use, STOP, and make a test sample first. do it as many times as it takes for you to become confident that you can do it well. i know it seems like a time suck, but think about it: the last time you just plunged ahead without first learning how to do something, you had to go back and take it apart and fix it--and maybe go back to the fabric or craft store to get more supplies because you had just enough and no more--and how much time did all THAT take? (how do i know you did that? because i've done it too--but i don't do it anymore--i make test samples).
there are other things you can do to improve your sewing, but these are all things you can do TODAY.
this is just one example of a dress i've made in an afternoon, using the above advice to make it turn out beautifully. this dress has been blessed by the aforementioned tim gunn as "adorable", and "exceptionally well made". i'm glad i took my own advice. :D
now it's your turn. what would you add to this list?
