Three Simple Sewing Machine Hints

I am constantly amazed by tiny things that make a huge difference. Here are 3 to decrease sewing machine frustration.

1. Change your needles often. I usually change with each project. Not only should you be using the correct needle for your fabric; you need a fresh needle. Bad needles cause countless problems, including snarls, sluggish sewing and damaged fabric. Small things affect your needles. Sewing polyester creates tiny burrs on the needle. Pushing through thick fabric or multiple layers can bend the needle. And let's not talk about what happens when you nick a pin.
2. Stop with the takeup lever in the highest position. This makes sure your needle & bobbin threads are in the correct orientation to be pulled out of the machine. If you can't see your takeup lever, the top of the path is when your needle is in the highest position. Easy, but so important for avoiding snarls and messing up your tension.
3. If it makes a funny noise, STOP! I've done it. Powered through that strange noise. It takes a lot of determination to break the habit, especially when you're in a hurry. The funny noise is telling you something's wrong. Ignoring it only causes trouble. You can damage fabric and seriously mess up your machine. Just STOP!

And on another note, Craftsy has a holiday gift for you. Starting today and running until December 24th, all classes are up to 50% off. Give yourself a gift or buy a class for a Crafty friend!

Look What I Found!

Great selection of all things crafty, and a super affiliate program. Check them out!

Craftsy Black Friday - All Classes $19.99 and Under!!!

I am a great fan of the Craftsy platform for learning about sewing, and I'm sure that the other classes - knitting and cake decorating and quilting and painting and you-name-it - are just as good. High production values, good customer service and lifetime access are other reasons to choose Craftsy. I haven't bought any of the yarn or fabric; but it's on sale,too.

Time to go shopping. And remember, Craftsy classes make great gifts for your like-minded friends and relatives.

Three Tricks to Make Your Hand-Sewing Easier

It takes a while to accumulate tricks of the trade. Here are three I've picked up over the past couple of years that have saved me considerable time and stress.

1. Struggling with threading that needle? Eyes bugging out trying to get the thread through the eye? I'll bet you're holding that needle up and poking the thread in the direction of the hole. You may even be licking the thread to smooth the ends in the hopes of making your task easier. That's the way my mama taught me to thread a needle. It wasn't until I acquired eyes of a certain age that I found this trick - Hold the thread still and move the eye of the needle over it. That's it! You may find it helpful to hold the thread so just a tiny bit peeks out between your thumb and forefinger. Go give that a try.

2. Tired of those little tags of thread hanging out of your finished stitching? I was always sure all my work would come undone if I didn't leave a long enough thread after my knot. Neaten up the back of your work by hiding your knots. Secure your thread the way you normally would - a figure-8 knot or a couple of backstitches. Now, don't clip the thread. Put the needle in right next to your knot and push through the seam allowance or into an inconspicuous area. Bring the needle out 1/4" to 1/2" away. Tug gently to shorten the thread you're going to leave behind and encourage the knot to sink into the fabric. Clip close to the fabric and smooth away the small pucker. Voila! No loose ends!

3. Tired hands from all that basting and thread tracing? (This is really for the couture geeks, but it does apply to the rest of you.) This trick requires some practice and determination, but the accuracy and relief for tired, cramped hands is well worth the effort. First - Lay the fabric on a solid surface, not your lap. This was a hard habit for me to develop. I've always been a lap person. Now for the crazy part. I'll bet you're holding the fabric still in your left hand and moving the needle up and down with your right as you push through the fabric. Reverse the process. Hold the needle still and control the fabric with your left hand, using the right only to push the needle through the accumulated stitches and pull up the thread. Your control and accuracy will improve dramatically. And your right hand will thank you.

Steampunk Jacket Update & Flash Sale at Craftsy

For today only, there's a huge sale at Craftsy. I'm putting up the banner that they say will update today. I don't know what's on sale; but they promise it will be terrific.

Meanwhile, the race to the Grand Opening continues. I'm picking up a huge mirror for the fitting area today, meeting with my event planner tomorrow and moving the last of the stuff essential for the party on Sunday. I continue to work on the Steampunk jacket.

Even though this is "only an unlined jacket," you know I can't resist those extra flourishes. Rather than go straight from moulage to pattern to fashion fabric, I opted to add a muslin of the jacket at my own expense. The customer was tough to fit and I wanted to make a few design tweaks that had to be done on her body. Muslin fitting went great! I made some minor changes to the angle of the princess seam in front, set up the collar the way I wanted it and placed the pocket.

I've drawn the sleeve and am ready to try it in the new armhole. Then cutting & basting the real fabric for a quick try before the final stitching. Right now, my camera doesn't talk directly to my computer, so I have to take several steps to get pictures published. There will be pictures! I promise!

Here's the Craftsy Sale:

Why I've Been Away So Long - Great News!

It's been quite a while since my last entry, mostly because I promised myself that this would not become only a place to put my Craftsy links. There will be a couple of irresistible ones down at the bottom of this post,though.

On to the great news. Historical Fashion by Barbara Anne is moving out of the basement and into the world of commerce. We've been working our tails off getting my new studio space ready for the public eye. It's been an adventure - from replacing outdated light fixtures to laying a (supposedly) easy wood laminate floor. Did that twice because the directions didn't include the helpful hint about how to get the boards to engage properly.

The walls are painted, the curtains are hung, the floor is finished, my incredible cutting table is in place and the tools and equipment are starting to migrate. There's even a beautiful sign on the door. Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep up a hellish schedule for Halloween and Ohayocon. And to top it off, I've been asked to judge a cosplay workmanship competition in a couple of weeks!

Nonetheless, the Grand Opening is scheduled and the first wave of invitations has gone out to my Facebook friends. Google contacts are next in line. Then flyers at local businesses and passed out by friends and associates. If you're reading this blog and you are within reasonable driving distance of North Olmsted, Ohio, I'd love to see you there!

Join us Saturday, November 9, between the hours of 11 AM and 8 PM for an Open House celebrating the opening of Historical Fashion by Barbara Anne's new location. There will be refreshments, studio tours, in-process and finished work to look at, a prize drawing and special offers. We invited current customers to attend in Historical Fashion clothing, so a fashion show is possible.

Special Guests include RTD Design Collective presenting their newest jewelry offerings and VCW Concepts, a videography, photography and digital transfer service. Historical Fashion shares space with VCW and will be offering courtesy discounts for the occasion.

We are located at 23792 Lorain Road in North Olmsted, Ohio with easy access from I-480 and I-90. If you are interested in attending, leave a comment and I will get back to you with better directions. Google Maps will not be descriptive enough.

I look forward to seeing you!

Craftsy links follow - FREE CLASSES and one I just have to take - Vintage Sewing Techniques!




Vintage Sewing: The Flirty Day Dress with Laura Nash

Craftsy 75% Off Sale Ends Today

Sorry for the short notice, but this is too good to pass up my crafty friends. I promise I will do more than sell stuff in the next entry!