It's been a while since I've
had time to create like I've like to. I've been teaching Kindergarten for
2 years and then 2nd Grade for a little over 2 years. I'm taking a break
and getting back to my creative side. With that being said. Please
check out my ETSY shop or email me directly to get custom orders made. I
now have a Silhouette Machine and use Vinyl to monogram and make
t-shirts. I've added on ruffles to t-shirts and leggings for complete
outfits. Anything goes! I hope you enjoy some of the new creations
I begin to put out there.
So now that my youngest is going into Kindergarten I am going back to teaching full time. However I still LOVE my sewing, but will not be able to do as much in my shop as I'd like. In the past few years I've developed NUMEROUS patterns that I've used countless times for boutique orders and custom orders. So, instead of closing my shop completely I've decided to offer the patterns to the public on my ETSY shop for sale. Currently I am looking for pattern testers for the Peasant Twirl Dress Pattern with optional Bottom Band or Bottom Ruffle.
If you are interested please email me or leave a comment below and I will contact you. In the mean time, I am beginning to offer mini tutorials for things that would be helpful to the people purchasing the patterns.
1st up....How to tie the Perfect Bow on the back of these cute little dresses. I know some of you may know how this is done already, but for me, I actually had to look it up. My bows NEVER sat properly on the back of the dress right. It was all wompy and lopsided...if those are words. Anyways, I finally found a way to ENSURE that it is the same every time I tie it. And it always looks beautiful in photographs.
So this is my 1st video tut...please no judgements, but let me know if I can improve somewhere.
Scissors.Who would’ve
thought I would be so amazed by the amount of different scissors and cutting
tools out there.But if you have done
any sewing what so ever, you know that a good pair of scissors is an absolute MUST
in the sewing world.So when I asked my
husband for a couple new pair of good scissors for Christmas I had no idea what
I had asked him to do. I think he had an anxiety attach just looking for
it.So without further ado, here is a
quick list of some different scissors and cutting tools out there.
Shears
·Shears are the largest type of general sewing scissors. They are
generally 6 to 9 inches long, and have a bent handle, with one large hole for
fingers and one smaller one for the thumb. This angle in the handle allows you
to cut fabric while holding your hand above the table, to enable easier
cutting. Shears are extremely sharp, and should only be used to cut fabric or
threads to maintain their sharp edge.I
am using 2 right now.Fiskar’s 8” Soft
touch Titanium Mufti-Purpose Scissors are one of them that I probably use the
most daily.I got them a few years ago
at my local Jo-Ann’s store using a 50% off coupon.I have never used them for anything other
than fabric and they have stayed extremely sharp.I am having them sharpened for the first time
next week.However, my favorite shears
for fabric are the Gingher knife edge Bent Trimmer Shears.They are a little more on the pricey side,
but cut through fabric like butter!
Pinking shears
·Pinking shears are a
specialized type of shears, generally used to finish edges of fabric. They
create a zigzag edge on the fabric, as opposed to a straight line. Pinked edges
are less likely to ravel in a finished garment, so pinking shears are valuable
in garment sewing.I have one kind of
pinking shears that I use for trimming seam allowances and small things.The larger projects I use a rotary cutter
that has a pinking edge on it.The ones
I use now are the Fiskar’s Durasharp Pinking Shears.They aren’t all that bad, but they did dull
out pretty quickly.That is why I
usually use the rotary cutter instead.
Scissors
General scissors are usually
less than 6 inches long and have a straight handle. They are useful during
the sewing process for clipping corners of fabric, cutting excess seam
allowances and evening hems. General scissors can also be known as
embroidery scissors, and are frequently used in decorative needlework
projects.I have so many random
pairs of scissors in my sewing room it wouldn’t do this post justice to
list them all.Some are small, some
are longer, some are dull, and some are super sharp.Most of them I’ve had for years and
years, even before I was sewing.They just seem to keep collecting for some reason.
Applique scissors
Applique scissors are used,
naturally, in applique work. They have one regular blade and one rounded
blade. The rounded blade is held against the fabric, slipping in between
the layers to be cut, while the pointed blade stays above the fabric and
does the cutting. The rounded blade is less likely to cut the bottom
layer, making it easier to neatly cut the applique shapes smoothly while
maintaining a sharp and clean edge.These are my newest scissors in my collection.I finally got some really great ones for
Christmas and I have no idea how I have done any embroidery and applique
work without them.They are not a
must, but a really GREAT to have item when you are doing applique
work.I use Gingher Applique
scissors like these.Sometime they
are also referred to as spoonbill scissors.
Snips or Embroidery Scissors
Snips are very small scissors,
about the size of the palm of your hand, with blades about an inch long.
They generally don't have holes for your fingers. Instead, the snip is
held and squeezed to close the blades. Snips are used for cutting threads
during the sewing process. They can be straight or curved.I like using the curved ones for my work
and currently have 1 pair.I am in
the market for another pair and need to have these sharpened. I always have them on me because it has a lanyard on it and a cover so I don't hurt myself. Its kinda handy. :)
There are many many more different kinds, sizes, and brands, but basically this
is it.I hope that it helps a
little for a beginner sewer who is looking for the right tools to get
started.
Join me tomorrow as I briefly discuss rotary cutters and mats.
I didn't receive any royalties of products for this post, it is just my opinion and information that was taken from the following site to help with definitions.
