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- Measure once, measure twice, then cut. This is the most important tip, unless you want to buy more fabric.
- Invest in sharp scissors - they don't have to be dressmaker's scissors, but sharp is essential.
- Iron up hems before sewing - sometimes you can avoid having to pin and tack if you do this - and the resulting finish is neater.
- On a similar note - press the finished garment with a damp cloth between the iron and the fabric - unless it's velvet! Steam, don't press velvet.
- If you're in a hurry, and don't want to tack seams, pin using pins which are at right angles to the direction of sewing and sew straight over them. Note: one day, you will get a broken needle when it hits the pin square in the middle, and doesn't slide off, but it's only happened to me twice in forty years of sewing.
- It's quicker and neater to line a sleeveless top or bodice than it is to use facings.
- If you're sewing fine fabrics, use a strip of Stitch & Tear between the layers of fabric to minimise pulling and gathering.
- Always use a ball-point needle when machine sewing synthetics - it slides around the threads in the weave rather than trying to cut them.
- Don't wait for your needle to break before changing it - they do wear!
- Know your machine, look after it, clean it, oil it and it will last for years.
Guide created: 03/07/06 (updated 20/08/08)
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