Sewing Quick Tips

For clipping seam allowances, try using a craft knife instead of scissors. Place the item to be cut on a cutting mat and cut from the seam to the raw edge of the seam allowance. Since you’ll be cutting away from the seam instead of toward it, you’ll reduce the risk of accidentally cutting into the seam.

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There’s debate over whether interfacing needs to be preshrunk. Some recommend it while others believe it’s not necessary. If you choose not to preshrink your interfacing, steam shrink the piece just prior to application by holding your iron over it and steaming it for a few seconds.

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If you find yourself without enough interfacing for a larger piece you need, feel free to piece smaller pieces of fusible interfacing together.

You can slightly overlap the edges of light to medium weight interfacing, but with heavier interfacing, butt the edges of the pieces together.

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To keep the hem on your knit garment from curling to the outside, try applying a strip of lightweight fusible knit interfacing to the bottom edge of your fabric before hemming (cut the strip the width of your hem and cut it on the cross-grain so it stretches). Then turn up the hem and stitch into place.

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Try using a different color thread – one that contrasts with your fabric – for any hand or machine basting you do. This will make the thread easier to see and therefore easier to remove later.

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