TiPs!

1. Sewing Tip: For accurate cutting of fabric, always rest the lower blade of the scissors on the work surface. Raising the blade off of the work surface will result in jagged cut edges.


2. Sewing Tip: When sewing with plaid fabrics, choose styles with simple, straight lines and few pieces or seams. The dual feed foot works great while matching plaids on seamlines and for quilting!


3. Reducing Shrinkage: You can reduce shrinkage of most fabrics by not "cooking" washable fabrics in the dryer on the hottest, cotton setting. Fabrics also last longer and don't shrink as much when you dry them on your dryer's perma-press setting.


4. Taking On Small Tasks With a Seam Gauge: A tape measure suffices for most measuring jobs, but for measuring small and narrow things, such as hems and buttonholes, use a seam gauge. This 6-inch, stiff ruler has an adjustable slide. When you measure a hem, you use the slide to see how deep the hem s as you move the seam gauge all the way around the hemline. When measuring buttonholes, simply set the slide to correct length and mark away.


5. Removing Dust Bunnies: Because removing dust bunnies from your sewing machine sometimes involves taking pieces of the machine apart (and then putting them back together), learn how to clean the machine by taking the after-purchase lessons offered by the Stitching Post. For really heavy, once a year cleaning and tuneup, bring your machine to any Stitching Post location.


6. Quick-Fix Hemming with Res-Q-Tape: You're getting ready for work and reah in the closet for the only suit that isn't at the cleaners. With one leg in the trousers, you slip and catch your big toe in the hem and rip it out. You really don't know one end of the needle from the other, so you grab the Res-Q-Tape. The hem is fixed, and you're out the door in five minutes. Res-Q-Tape is a very sticky, double-faced tape that won't harm fabric. Find it on the notion wall at the Stitching Post Super Store.


7. Wrong side of fabric: If you can't tell the right side from the wrong side on a piece of fabric, make a decision and mark the wrong side with tape or fabric marker. Protect your Edges Always sew or serge the cut edges of your fabric before pre-shrinking, this will keep the edges from fraying.


8. Care information: When making garments, embroider care info onto a small piece of fabric and stitch it into the seams.


9. Protect your Threads: Use a press cloth when pressing designs stitched with decorative or metallic threads. This will help prevent melting the threads


10. Quick Fix: Use a fabric glue stick to temporary hold fabric together before sewing. Works great for holding pockets or buttons in place before sewing.


11. Create unique custom buttons by stitching decorative stitches on an interfaced piece of fashion fabric and use to cover a button. An elegant idea!


12. All Wonderful Ideas should be forwarded to Amanda along with a crisp $100 bill. Let's just see who is really reading all of these tips and tricks!


13. Sewing Tip: Pressing Fray Check until it is dry will keep it soft and pliable


14. Sewing Tip: A tape measure is 5/8" wide and can be used to gauge a seam.


15. Sewing Tip: To determine the wrong side of fleece, pull along the crosswise grain, the fabric rolls to the wrong side.


16. Sewing Tip: Make Earrings With buttons to match your blouse


17. Sewing Tip: Stitch your decorative stitches on your machine onto a piece of fabric and you will always have a ready reference of how each design actually looks stitched out.


18. Sewing Tip: When sewing two rows of top stitching, use a double needle for perfect placement and sew them in half time!


19. Sewing Tip: After finishing a garment, make a note on the pattern of any alterations that you made