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Sewing Definitions
Baste - To baste is to make temporary
stitching using long loose stitches that will be removed
once your garment (or other stitched item) is complete.
Bias - The diagonal direction of fabric.
Fabric stretches on the bias.
Gather - Gathering is a process used to fit a
larger piece of fabric into a smaller piece as in the
waist of a skirt. To gather you make two or three
loose rows of stitching then pull or gather the fabric
along these stitch lines. When done on a sewing
machine, set your stitch length to the longest stitch
and loosen the top thread so it will gather easily
without breaking the thread.
Right Side - The front side of your fabric.
The side that is intended to be seen when your project
is finished.
Running Stitch - A row of short even stitches
made by passing the needle in and out of the fabric.
Seam Allowance - is the distance between the
cut edge of the fabric and the line of stitching.
Selvage - The edge of fabric which is finished
by the manufacturer to prevent raveling. This is
cut off before sewing with this fabric.
Tension - The balance between the needle and
bobbin threads (how tightly they pull on each other).
An even balance or tension makes for a perfect stitch.
Top Stitching - A line of stitching done on
the right side of the fabric used to reinforce a seam or
add a decorative finished look to your project.
Wrong side - The back side of your fabric.
Not the side that you would normally see.
Sewing Tips
When turning a fabric
tube right side out - attach a safety pin to one end
of the tube and close the pin. Insert the pin,
while it is still attached, into the tube and push the
pin through to the other side. The fabric will
follow and your tube will now be right side out.
When teaching children to hand sew - I find it
helpful to use safety pins and place them all on the
same side. This way as you instruct them in sewing, if
they always keep the pins facing the ceiling, the piece
won't get all twisted and the thread won't get
knotted as often.
When hand sewing - if the thread (or yarn)
becomes twisted just drop the needle while holding onto what you are sewing and
it will unwind itself.
When kids want to learn to sew with a needle and
thread - Felt is the perfect
fabric to start with as the edges don't fray and the
needle glides through easily.
When threading ribbon
or elastic thru a casing - attach a safety pin to one end (be sure to close
the safety pin). The pin will be easier to push through the casing.
When
sewing with a sewing machine - to make a knot, take 3 - 4 forward stitches
then go backward 3 - 4 stitches and start stitching forward again. This
will secure your thread so it doesn't come undone.
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