Sewing Answers.com
 
 

Learn To Sew
Like a Pro
with these expert resources.

Secrets Of Sewing

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.

Secrets Of Sewing Workbook

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 and software helps 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 Guide enables you to learn how to sew quickly and easily.

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.

 

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.

Site Search

Top Ten Sewing Answers
Sign Up Now!
Get Your
Free Ebook
"Top Ten
Sewing
Answers"
how to sew button
Click Here!

 Little Fingers Needlework

 School Needlework

 
 Needle Arts
 Irish Crochet
 Book Of Needlework
 History of Lace Making

 

David and Donna How To Sew
David & Donna Trumble
Sewing Pros & Authors.

 Secrets of Sewing
 My Magnificent Sewing Machine, Secrets Of Sewing Machine Repair
 Rotary Cutting
 My Sewing Dictionary
 Words Of Americana
 7 Steps To Peak Performance For Your Sewing Machine
 Top Ten Sewing Answers