2010 Sewing Club - the basics and beginnings

**mauimagic** · 04-11-2010, 07:49 PM

We are so fortunate to have very active monthly sewing clubs already going strong!! My thoughts for the 2010 Sewing Club are to go back to the basics to learn and enhance the skills that allow us to be so creative. For any skill level - please let me know if there are any skills you would like to see addressed or would like to share.

Next weekend (not sooner because I am currently tied to my sewing machine creating hula costumes for next Saturday) I am going to show you how to create a placket zipper using no pins - a perfect zipper everytime!!

Hope you'll join us!!

**Luckybustert** · 04-11-2010, 08:03 PM

Thank you, MM - this is wonderful! I'm looking forward to learning from you and improving my sewing skills

**mauimagic** · 04-11-2010, 08:07 PM

Glad that you are joining us LB!! Looking forward to learning from everyone here!!

**nuisance26** · 04-12-2010, 07:48 AM

~Yey! Can't wait!~

**mauimagic** · 04-12-2010, 12:23 PM

please think about some things that you would like to learn or to know more about. We'll find the answers together!!

**nuisance26** · 04-12-2010, 08:53 PM

~I've got one! I want to learn how to use elastic thread to smock the tops of baby-doll tops and dresses. I could make myself some cute maternity tops if I knew.....~

**monkeywrangler71** · 04-12-2010, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by nuisance26

~I've got one! I want to learn how to use elastic thread to smock the tops of baby-doll tops and dresses. I could make myself some cute maternity tops if I knew.....~

I think it was mommy4ever that posted instructions for this one time, but it was at least 2, maybe 3 years ago. I believe the thread title was something about a summer wardrobe for little girls.

**mauimagic** · 04-12-2010, 09:45 PM

Should be easy enough to find and to share!!

**Luckybustert** · 04-14-2010, 12:33 AM

I would like to learn tips on how to make sewing faster and easier without compromising the end result. Know what I mean? I'd like to be able to do things as efficiently as possible but I also want it to look great?

**frugalfranny** · 04-14-2010, 01:18 AM

Always up for learning new things......and better ways of doing things........will watch this.

**mauimagic** · 04-14-2010, 12:02 PM

LB - I know exactly what you mean - that's how I sew. While I loved Vogue Patterns for all their detail and tailoring, now my sewing is centered on what details are really necessary for look, fit or longevity of the garment.

We'll talk more later, but want to leave you with one example:
The hula skirts that I sew often have five rows of sewing to make casing for elastic around 4-6 yards of skirt. I had noticed that some sewers used a short/tiny stitch for these rows, greatly increasing the sewing time. I use the largest stitch that my machine has.

My reasoning: these casings do not have any stress of weight on them so are not supporting the function of the garment......and skirts that I made for my daughter 18 years ago are still being used - look fine and are holding up just great.

Simple things like that really speed up my sewing with no loss of integrity to the garment. Hope this helps someone and sparks some new ideas!!

**nuisance26** · 04-20-2010, 08:45 AM

~I had another idea but I'm not sure how you'd do a tutorial on it. I learned from library books but hand sewing techniques are really important to have! I can't tell you how often I use the invisible stitch, gathering stitch & blanket stitch and how grateful I am that I learned hand sewing techniques before I ever had a machine to use. Maybe just a simple gallery of the type of stitch and how it's done and when it's generally used?
Ooo, and a tutorial on adding darts to garments for better fit would be fantastic!~

**mauimagic** · 04-20-2010, 01:05 PM

Great ideas Nuisance!! Think You'd be just the person to work out the hand sewing techniques!! Let's think on it.

Funny you should mention darts - while I was sewing the hula costumes for the last three weeks, I was thinking about darts and how would I teach that.......darts on an orange came to mind!! Shall work on it.

The only thing on my list today (other than to get rid of this cough and the germs) is to photograph the placket zipper and write up the directions. So I shall see you all here later!!

**mauimagic** · 04-23-2010, 04:11 AM

I took pictures tonight of how to put in a placket zipper - simple, with good results every time. Shall put together the tutorial tomorrow. Mahalo for your patience.