Learn To Sew
Like a Pro
with these expert resources.
Secrets
Of Sewing
is a comprehensive
sewing instruction program with over 300 pages
of vital sewing information. To help you
maximize your learning, it comes with a helpful
work book designed to guide you step by step to
learn to sew.
In addition to the core
textbook and work book, there are several very
useful bonuses that you will treasure for years
as you learn to sew.
My
Sewing Dictionary
is a vital tool for you as
you learn to sew. There are many specialty
terms used in sewing, quilting, and crafting
that have special meanings. My Sewing
Dictionary provides both a PDF ebook format and
an easy to use sofware that makes it easy to
acces the definition and explanation of each
sewing term.
The Rotary Cutting
Guidebook
Many beginning sewers
overlook the special skills and details
involved in laying out patterns as well as
cutting out patterns and fabrics. The Rotary
Cutting Guidebook reveals the vital secrets you
need to learn how to sew and cut out your
projects.
To learn more about this
special instruction course CLICK
HERE.
For more learning
opportunities explore the complete sewing
education package.
CLICK
HERE.
To Learn about hand sewing
and needle arts CLICK HERE.
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Three
Keys
To Fabric Selection
There is so much variety
available in fabric shops, on-line, and in
mail-order catalogs that it's almost difficult
to choose.
Often, I end up buying
fabric whether I need it right now or not.
After all, a quilter must always have fabric on
hand.
The "magic" comes when you
find a fabric that you fall in love with.
Finding a suitable fabric usually isn't
difficult for a project you're working on.
Settling on just one fabric is the hard
part.
Here are some criteria to
keep in mind when making fabric
selections: colorfast quality; fiber content;
surface design. If you stick to some guidelines
about these criteria, then you're sure to be
pleased with the final result of your
project.
Surface Design:
The printed or woven surface
design and, of course, the color, is very
important.
1) Try to pick fabrics with
the same color value so one doesn't stand out
in the finished quilt.
2)Check to see if there is a
one-way direction in the design; you may need
to purchase extra fabric to allow for cutting
fabrics with plaids or stripes.
3) The size of the design
and the background spaces are also important
considerations. Are the designs large, medium,
or small? Is the background area prominent? How
will this particular fabric look when cut it
into small quilt pieces? If the design is too
widely spaced, it may be lost in the cutting of
the fabric.
Take a few minutes to
analyze fabric and keep these questions in mind
when purchasing fabric. It is far better to
have left over fabric than be working on a
project and run out of material.
I've run out before only to find that the
fabric is no longer in stock.
Colorfast Quality:
Avoid fabrics that fade.
Pigment-dyed fabric resists light 40 hours.
Wet-printed resists light 20 hours. The best
thing to avoid having your quilt fade is to
keep it out of direct sunlight.
Fiber Content:
The fiber content is
especially important when purchasing fabric for
quilts. The way fabric responds to manipulation
is determined by the fiber content. The
standard 100% cotton fabric sold for quilting
is easy to work with and this is the best
choice.
Cotton blends are harder to
work with; they tend to shift while cutting or
sewing them. 100% cotton is strong when wet,
absorbs moisture, creases easily, irons nicely
at high temperatures and wears well.
Beware of Discount
Fabric:
For a good finished product,
quilters need to purchase good-quality,
colorfast cotton fabric from a reputable
supplier.
I've bought fabric from discount stores because
I liked the print. Then I had trouble
manipulating the material; it would shift and
bunch as I sewed it.
The finished product usually
reflected the problems I encountered while
sewing. No matter how much money I saved on
material, my time was wasted by producing a
less than satisfactory quilt.
In order to be happy with
your finished product, I recommend that you buy
what appeals to you... as long as it is
good-quality, colorfast cotton fabric that is
treated with finishes to control shrinkage,
resist soil, and resist wrinkling.
Janet Montie shares helpful
tips and discoveries from a lifelong study of
topics related to fabric and quilting. Visit
http://fcfabric.com or
http://quiltbox.com
your premier resources on-line for information
on fabric or quilts.
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