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Pressing Table, July 2022
Look at my new pressing table! I have been using the same narrow 14 inch ironing board since I started sewing back in the 80's, and have thought about this for years, but today it is finally here. The table top is 5/8 inch thick particle board, cut to size at 30 x 60 inches at Home Depot. How did I choose this size? Simple - this was the largest board that would fit in the car with the seats folded down and sliding in through the trunk. It is padded with an old wool blanket found at the thrift store, and covered with medium-heavy weight cotton twill fabric, all pulled tight and attached underneath with a staple gun. I made a drawstring closure, similar to my old ironing board cover, but that did not hold it taught enough. The table top rests on a folding table, about 2 x 4 feet, adjustable to 34 inches high, also from Home Depot. A layer of shelf liner placed in between protects the table. The particle board stays in place on it's own and is a manageable weight for me to carry it. If I need extra cutting space, my gridded cardboard cutting mat can be placed on top. The one leaning on the wall by the closet was a thrift store find, brand new in the unopened plastic cover.
Cleaning the Curve, May 2022
It's time to clean the plastic curve/ruler when my fingers start to turn blue and green. The markers I use to trace and make patterns builds up on the plastic and needs to be cleaned off periodically. A quick wipe with alcohol gets it off. This was a 3-cotton pad job today. TEST a spot on any item you are cleaning first with alcohol, or any other cleaner, to make sure it will remove only the marks you want removed, and not the actual markings printed on it. I have been using alcohol on this same curve (purchased from Joanne's) for many years, but inks and materials can change.
Marking a Hem by Yourself, April 2022
I am currently making a master fitted jacket pattern and wanted the hem even with the bottom of the sleeve on my muslin. Of course, you can't twist and turn while marking, or the hem will not be level, especially in the back. My husband helped by marking in pink marker with a yardstick from the floor (pink dots). Then, I had the idea to have the marker stay still while I slowly turned around. The marker is secured in a spiral bound notebook and placed between books on the table at the correct height. Place a very heavy book on top so the marker will not move. Slowly back into the marker and turn just a bit to leave a mark, then repeat around the entire hem. Do not twist back and forth or the marks will be slightly off (like on the left in the picture). I got better at moving just a little bit by the time I got to the front. This was the last step in the muslin. Make any needed corrections above the waist first. You can see here that I needed to take a tuck above the waist to make the pattern's waistline meet mine. This was done with a washable marker on a muslin. For a "real" garment, you may want to mark it inside out, or mark the bottom of the hem allowance, and not the actual hemline. Or, find something else to mark with that can be brushed or washed off - soap, tailor's chalk, regular chalkboard chalk (sharpened to a point), white charcoal art pencil, etc.
Buttonhole Cutter
Buttonhole cutter that came with small apple-shaped wood board, and wax to strengthen thread that I never use. This was purchased from Atlanta Thread amp Supply many years ago. They are now called Wawak in the US and Cleaner's Supply in Canada. For larger buttonholes, I use chisels from the toolbox (or just move the small chisel over and cut again) and an old cutting board. The cutting board also gets used for hammering on rivets on jeans.
Upgrade Your Sleeve Board
My very old sleeve board needed a new cover and padding and I had the idea to add some extra padding to replace my seam roll. Instead of just a couple of layers of padding over the base, I used many layers of cotton batting, small to large like making a shoulder pad, probably about 12 layers, but the batting was very thin. I steam pressed all the layers together with a lot of pressure to help compact it. Now the sleeve board has a nice curved surface to press seams open on and is almost twice as long (about 22quot) as the seam roll. Due to all the padding, I had to secure it a little tighter on the bottom, in addition to the drawstring cord around the perimeter. I'm sure the seam roll will still get used, but this has become my primary pressing notion for seams and sleeves.
Cutting and Marking
I must confess to owning 3 cardboard gridded boards, but for a good reason. 2 are on my cutting table, a relatively new one on top of a much older one that was worn and stained. The one in this photo was a thrift store find, brand new in the package for $5.99. I use it on the floor or dining room table when more room is needed, or the cutting table is too busy. The plastic cutting mat and rotary cutters do not get used very much, sometimes to cut bra fabrics, and it lives sandwiched in between the 2 cardboard mats on the table. The 9 inch Kai shears model 7230 were purchased from Cleaners Supply in Canada, Kai 7230 Bent Trimmers - 9quot - Cleaner's Supply (cleanersupply.ca), expensive at $94, but worth every penny. Of course, there are separate scissors for paper and thread clips. The tiny silver scissors were another thrift store find in a sewing grab bag and turned out to be very sharp surgeons scissors. The pattern paper is medical exam paper purchased by the carton from Amazon. Make sure it's smooth and not pebbled. 21 inches x 225 feet (75 yards), 12 rolls in carton. $63 Canadian. This supply might outlive me. For marking there are washable markers (test first - should dab out with water), scrap of soap, tailors chalk, regular school chalk sharpened to a point, tiny snip in seam allowance, or thread marking if all else fails. Various curves and tools for pattern drafting or adjustments. Marble coasters for pattern weights.
Dress Form and 3 Way Mirror
This is a Fabulous Fit dress form that is about 12 years old now. With a cast iron wheeled base, it is very heavy. I never bothered to re-pad it in all these years, and my body doesn't look exactly like that anymore, if it ever did. My current pattern adjustments include a forward shoulder adjustment, right more than left, and a slight high round back, so clothes hang differently on this than on me. A word of caution if you decide to purchase a dress form - make sure your smallest measurement matches. At the time, they were sold by bust, waist and hip measurements, and assume you are a B cup, with no mention of any other measurements. I was advised to go by the bust measurement and pad up everything else. Turns out, my upper chest and ribcage measurements are smaller than the dress form, and I should have bought the next size down and padded up the bust. My back is also narrower. This is only noticeable in very close fitting garments when I try to zip them up, and I always fit to my own body anyway, but this would have been nice to know. Some fabrics stick to the form's cover, but I solved this by slipping a dry cleaning bag over it, then the garment slides right on for photos or draping a design.
I was lucky when we had the basement finished and could design my sewing room with a wall of closets for storage and doors that swing open. After placing a mirror on 2 of the doors and 1 in between, I can see my front, back and sides without twisting my head or body.
I was lucky when we had the basement finished and could design my sewing room with a wall of closets for storage and doors that swing open. After placing a mirror on 2 of the doors and 1 in between, I can see my front, back and sides without twisting my head or body.
New Zipper Stop
I needed to replace a separating zipper in my husband's 20 year old fleece jacket since he refuses to throw anything out. A regular closed zipper is easy to shorten - whipstitch at the bottom to make a new stop and trim off the excess. A separating zipper is not so easy. I marked the new length at the top, then used pliers to remove the plastic teeth for 1 inch above that. This took the most time, but eventually they did come off. Next time I will get my husband to do this part. Now a new stop is needed on each side of the zipper. I could have just whipstitched on each side, but wanted more security and this part would be visible, just under his chin. I sewed a small bead right next to the last tooth each side. This serves as a secure stop and looks much nicer.
Awl and Other Handy Tools
I was looking for an awl after seeing a Japanese tailor on youtube using one while sewing, marking fabric, easing fabric under the pressure foot, straightening turned corners, etc. I bought mine at Walmart for around $9.00 Cdn, but its also on Amazon. The set I bought comes with other tools that can be used for various tasks like helping to pick threads out of a seam, or stray threads from inside the machine.
Double Your Thread Storage
A drinking straw, cut in half, can double the storage space on thread racks. Be sure to use straight straws, not the kind that bend. Unfortunately, the bobbins my machine uses are too small to fit over the straw, or else I would store them with the matching thread on the straw.
Pressing Equipment
My collection of pressing equipment has increased over the years. The gravity fed steam iron hooked up to an IV pole is from Consew and worked for over 12 years now. The steamer is from Steamfast and also still works after 12 years. Seam roll, ham, sleeve board, and clapper are all useful, as are a collection of press cloths and spray bottle. If I don't want steam, I spray a press cloth and use that to press seams or other garment pieces. Sometimes I fuse interfacing by covering it with a large press cloth, spraying, than pressing with the iron. Depending on the fabric, this can give a better bond. Off to the left of the photo is a plastic shelving unit that holds everything within reach.
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