Get set, sew!: January 2013

Thursday 31 January 2013

Sewing lessons / Sewing classes - Perth

Sewing lessons / Sewing classes

The Sewing Room, Rivervale, Western Australia

Taking sewing lessons builds your confidence – once you get started sewing, there’ll be no stopping you!

So get out your sewing machine from where you have carefully tucked it, and bring it along to your sewing lessons with a qualified dressmaker!

Sewing class: Sewing for your daughter – beginner sewing lessons

Mums (and Grandmas) - would you love to sew clothes for your little girl, but are not sure where to start?

Learn to sew using your own sewing machine in your own home for your first sewing lessons with a qualified dressmaker - you’ll learn to sew as you make clothes!

Learn how to thread your machine, sew seams, hems, gathers and how to use a commercial sewing pattern.

You will learn to sew making simple clothes:
* a skirt with an elastic waist (class 1)
* a ruffle top (class 2)
* a pair of shorts with elastic waist (class 3)

What you will need:
* a skirt with an elastic waist (class 1)

      * fabric - 40cm x 115cm wide fabric for your 2 year old (+5cm for every year older)
      * matching thread
      * 50cm of 1cm wide non-roll elastic (this elastic has vertical ribbing on it).

* a ruffle top (class 2)

* fabric - 30cm x 115cm wide fabric for your 2-3 year old (+5cm for 4-5year old)

* matching thread

* 1metre of 1cm wide non-roll elastic

* a pair of shorts with elastic waist (class 3)

* 40cm x 115cm wide fabric for your 2 year old (+10cm for every year older)

* matching thread

* 50cm of 1cm wide non-roll elastic

For your first lesson, you will also need to bring along the following equipment:

* sewing machine (and instruction book)

* spare sewing machine needles (in case one bends or breaks)

* fabric cutting scissors
* thread cutting scissors

* sewing gauge

* pins

* safety pin

Sewing class: Skirt making sewing lessons – 3 skirts in 3 hours

Learn how to make quick and simple girls' skirts with elasticized waists.

You will learn to sew:

* a gathered skirt with elastic casing at the waist

* a gathered skirt with wide elastic as a waistband

* a circle skirt with elasticized waist

Sewing class: Zippers 1 sewing workshop

By the end of this class, you will no longer quake at the thought of inserting a zipper – you’ll LOVE zippers!

Learn how to insert

* centred zipper (topstitching from right side of garment)

* lapped zipper 1 (seam open)

* fly front zipper

Bring along your sewing machine and partly made skirt with a zipper closure, and leave with the zip inserted just like a professional!

Sewing class: Zippers 2 sewing workshop

By the end of this class, you will be so impressed with yourself at how professional your garment looks with a zipper – just like ready-to-wear!

Learn how to insert:
* exposed zipper

* lapped zipper

* invisible zipper

* separating zipper

Bring along your sewing machine and , if you wish, a partly made garment with zipper closure, and leave with the zip inserted just like a professional!

Sewing class: BYO pattern to the sewing lesson

Bring your sewing pattern, fabric and equipment along and make your garment under the watchful eye of a qualified dressmaker.

When you get to the fiddly or tricky part, I’ll be able to guide you through, teaching you how to use a paper pattern from cutting out to construction to your completed garment.

Sew with me - we can make your garment together!

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Start stitching

The trickiest bit about sewing is to be able to stitch in a straight or curved line.

Perfecting this only comes with practice.

To start with, don't worry about threading your machine or finding fabric to sew.

Fit a needle to your sewing machine – but no thread.

Set you sewing machine’s stitch length to 3 or 4 – not too small, or your stitching will just make holes in the paper.

Set your sewing needle to stop in the downward position when you stop sewing.

This holds your paper/fabric in place when you pause.

Print the patterns below – photocopy paper is a good thickness, as it won’t tear as you sew.

Sew along the lines, beginning with straight lines, then waves, then curves, circles and finally a combination of straight and curved lines.

At this stage, don't worry about starting and finishing right at the end of a line.

The point of this practice is to be able to follow a line.

Slow and steady is the way to sew.

Zooming along makes it difficult to control the paper, making your lines of stitching go wriggly.

When you get to sewing with fabric, you want to try and keep to the stitching lines first up, as unpicking is no fun!

As you sew along the curves and circles, use your knee lift (if your machine has one) or the lever at the back of your sewing foot, to raise the foot slightly and pivot the paper every few stitches.

Keeping your needle down will keep the paper in place as you sew.

You will be able to easily check your stitching, as you should have perforations along each of the lines.

Take a look at Ruffles and Stuff's The first few stitches and Sewing straight lines pages, as these have excellent images that show you very clearly how to start sewing.