~ Part One - Basic Sewing Basket Supplies ~ Part Two - Thread ~ Part Three - Presser Feet ~ Part Four - Walking Feet ~ Part Five - How to Tie a Knot Notable Notions Part One - Basic Sewing Basket SuppliesMany of you just starting your sewing adventures have asked for a complete list of the basic notions every stitcher should have. If you've ever been in my classes, you know I'm a major gadget nerd. There are so many great little tools to make sewing easier, so why not explore the potential there? But, so as not to overwhelm, I'm making a short list of the absolute basics. Do wait for good sales and coupons before you buy all this stuff if you can, cuz it can add up. Here's a picture of all the tools laid out in their glory. Click on over to our Flickr page where each item is individually labeled with the handy notes feature!
Others not pictured above:
Noteworthy Notions Part TWO - Thread
There's so much to think about when buying your supplies for a sewing project that sometimes you might end up with the wrong kind of thread by accident. Allow me for a second to geek out about thread because there is a difference in the varieties even though standing in front of the thread display they can all look alike. For most garment/home dec/accessory sewing I've always said that 100% polyester thread is the strongest (Metrosene and Gutterman brand) and general all purpose poly/cotton blend thread (Coats & Clark) was just fine. However, the all purpose thread can be problematic because the polyester core and cotton wrap can shred away from each other on finer weave fabrics and during hand sewing.
Last time I was at JoAnn fabrics I noticed that they have gotten rid of ALL the all purpose poly/cotton thread and have replaced it with newly designed spools (just like the Metrosene/Gutterman spool ends) of 100% polyester Coats & Clark thread called general purpose Dual Duty XP. That stands for "X-tra Performance", but I think it also stands for a shift in the thinking about thread quality and conceding that the blend thread that has been around since the late 60's is simply not the best quality thread. The new spool ends no longer have that bothersome little notch in the end with the thread tail tucked under the label. Instead, the thread end is wound into a spiral in a smooth groove around the spool's end and you can actually pull it out to take the strand, lay it on your fabric and check the match up close. Know that there are many types of thread beyond the basic general purpose threads above. Coats & Clark lists these as "Special Purpose" threads which cracked me up because it makes me think of the movie "The Jerk"--hey, I've never claimed to have a particularly sophisticated sense of humor, and I digress...
Those are the basic "Special Purpose" threads--here are some more from the Coats & Clark site. Whichever thread you're using, you'll be needing to match the needle to both your fabric and the thread type. Here's a chart from Coats & Clark: To further geek out to the maximum degree, visit a much beloved site--the Fashion Incubator and check out these posts on thread and needle sizes. Notable Notions Part Three - Presser FeetThis is Part Three of our Notable Notions series. If you've missed any of the other Notable Notions posts, just check our website!
This week's Notable Notions are all about presser feet. Most new machines come with an assortment of feet and these are the basics. Using the right foot for the job is really going to make your sewing much easier. I've heard many woeful tales of gals trying to stitch on a zipper with a zig zag foot. The right foot makes all the difference. Presser Feet: The basics
From left to right back row: Zig Zag Foot, Straight Stitch Foot, Satin Stitch Foot, Edge-Stitch Foot, Piping/Zipper Foot What style presser foot does your machine take?
From left to right: Slant Shank, High Shank, Low Shank and Low Shank Slant Shank is a Singer only type of foot and the needle on this model machine is also slanted slightly forward. High Shank models are being phased out it seems to me. I only see them on earlier models--pre-dating the late 1980's. High shank fits on the machine about an inch above the bottom of the foot. Low shank is more common. This foot fits on the machine about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the foot. The shank and the foot are all one unit. Low shank snap-on feet are the most common in all the newer models of machines. There is a standard holder with a red release button or a lever on the back so you can just snap on a different foot without removing the whole unit. Many Bernina and Pfaff machines have their own specially designed feet which are not compatible with other machines. Next week: Presser foot--the big guns! Everything you've ever wanted to know about special purpose feet but were afraid to ask Meet the Presser Feet: Walking Foot aka "Even Feed Foot"
The walking foot looks like a pretty complicated contraption, but it's relatively simple to use and life-changing when working with difficult to sew fabrics such as velvets, velveteens, vinyl, leather, slippery silky fabrics and fur. It's also very helpful in matching plaids, stripes, piecing quilts and working on long lengths of fabric such as roman shades or long hems. Why? Normal feet work with the feed dogs (those grippy teeth under the presser foot) by holding the fabric layers against the feed dogs which grip the under layer of the fabric and move it back in even increments based on how long your stitch length is set. The problem with this system for some fabrics is that the under layer is getting pulled back more by the feed dogs than the top layer which is getting pushed forward by the presser foot. This shifts the fabrics slightly away from each other. By the time you get to the end of a long curtain panel, you will notice that the ends no longer match up even if you've pinned them carefully together.
What's cool about a walking foot is that there are feed dogs built into the underside of the foot itself. So now you have a set of feed dogs on TOP of the fabric in addition to the feed dogs from the machine underneath. There is a little arm that you attach to the needle bar on the walking foot as you're connecting the foot to the machine. As the needle goes up and down, the foot "walks" up and down along the top fabric in unison with the lower feed dogs. Now your two layers are being fed at the same rate and your seams end up finishing where you want them. Because of the extra grip power on top, the walking foot helps tame fabrics with nap from shifting and helps move more easily across sticky vinyls and leathers.
Wanna see the Walking Feet in action, and see how to attach them to your machine? Watch our handy videos below! Attaching a Walking Foot Part 1 Attaching a Walking Foot Video Part 2 Watch the Walking Foot in Action Notable Notions: How to Tie a Knot!My grandmother showed me how to tie this simple knot in the end of my hand sewing thread when I was a kid. I teach it in my beginning I classes and I wanted to share it with all of you who might not know it. It makes a nice hefty knot that won't pull through your fabric when you're doing any hand sewing including embroidery. Practice it a few times and you'll have it down pat!
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Walking feet are usually around $25 or so, but are well worth the price if you're having issues with shifting seams. You can pick one up locally at Sew Much More, Sears if you have a Kenmore, Northwest Sewing Center if you have a Singer, The Quilt Store and Austin Sew & Vac. Some sewing machines even come with a built in walking foot such as the Pfaff.