Monday, January 31, 2011

Sewing Machine Needles!

our good friend, Joe... and owner of Capanno's Pizza on Ladson Road in Summerville, SC was nice enough to send over this reference guide!    it is well worth spending some time to look at it... and perhaps keep for future reference.

 personally, I like a universal 90/14 for everyday projects and use Coats & Clark dual duty "all purpose" thread ... I do recommend that you have a supply of various size needles on hand. check the back of the package of Singer needles for appropriate sizes for your specific fabric you're working with ... sometime no matter how many times you re-thread your machine, the only thing that gets it working is a new needle!

1.  Needle Basics.  A package of 80/12 universal needles will get you through most sewing projects and 75/11 and 90/14 embroidery needles will do likewise for machine embroidery; however, proper needle selection will help you get the best results with different fabrics, stabilizers, and threads.  Always remember:   
Match the needle point to the fabric, needle size to thread size, and use the smallest needle consistent with the fabric.
a.         Selection.  Universal needles perform adequately on most sewing tasks but don’t perform any extremely well.  All other needles are designed to provide best results for specific tasks, so needle selection is pretty much up to you and must meet your needs and expectations.  Remember that:
·         It is hard to differentiate between similar needles, but using the wrong needle can damage the bobbin hook, throw off timing, lead to puckering, break or shred thread, punch holes in fabric, or leave a project that is short of expectations.
·         The size of the needle and eye changes top thread tension and the needle point design changes the way the fabric is penetrated.
·         Sewing machine manufacturers provide samples of needles that they know work well in their machines, and it’s always safe to follow such recommendations.
·         You may need to change needles when changing fabric, thread, backing, or even different digital designs, and it is a good idea to keep detailed “needle” notes.
b.  Needle Replacement Criteria.  There is considerable guidance on when to replace sewing machine needles and few provide supporting logic.  They actually last from one minute to several months and their service life ends when the needle is damaged, breaks, or simply wears to the point where it doesn’t function as intended. 
·         One problem with determining service life is that your eyes and fingers can’t normally tell if your needle is worn or damaged.  Worse, you probably don’t know what a new needle is supposed to be like in the first place.
  Fabric, stabilizer, thread, sewing speed, feed rates, needle pressure, fabric coatings, type of needle used, etc. all impact needle service life, no one knows what you are using, so you have to figure out needle service life based on your own and often varying sewing or embroidery conditions.
o       Another problem is selection of service life criteria.  Do you use hours of sewing time, number of garments sewn or serged, stitches formed, designs sewn-out, or linear feet sewn or serged?  I chose hours for sewing, number of designs for embroidery, and number of garments for sergers. 
o       You see needle change recommendations for 4, 6, 8, and 10 or more hours of sewing.  Schmetz recommends 4-6 hours and 8 is popular.  My advice is to replace home sewing machines after about 8 hours of stitch time, 10 very large designs on embroidery machines, and after 12 garments on sergers or whenever there is any doubt that the needle is not functioning as designed.    Keep it simple and remember 8 – 10 – 12.
·         Conversely, you can forget all of this, use your own criteria or none at all, but the 8 – 10 - 12 is fairly easy.  Chances are that you’ll break it before it wears out.

Butterick $3 Clearance Sale Starts Today

The Butterick site is having a "pattern clearance" ... you can find them at ...  butterickpatterns@butterick.com

The pattern we're currently using in class is Butterick #5391. I checked & they do have it online for $2.99 in case you can't find it locally.  It has five views, one shirt and four pants that can also be converted to shorts.  I love the classic style of the pattern that can be used to dress up or down depending on your fabric.  The pattern is easy to fit and sew... I've changed the zipper to the side or back based on my fabric. Give it a try!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Anita Dean Sews: recommended reading!

Anita Dean Sews: recommended reading!: "thought you might want to know... I have subscribed to 'Threads' magazine for many years. It is a valuable source of tips, techniques,..."

Anita Dean Sews: Charleston Fashion Week - March 22 to 26, 2011

Anita Dean Sews: Charleston Fashion Week - March 22 to 26, 2011: "Charleston Fashion Week presented by the Art Institute Of Charleston will be here soon! They will have 5 nights of runway fashion, l..."

a little of this & that today! stay safe, keep warm & be well!

It's Sunday!  the day of rest?  and a day to be mindful of our Creator! 

that being said... I've finished sewing & then pressing all the interfacing onto my jacket pieces & it's all ready to sew!  with everything cut & pressed, it should be a snap!  except I'm looking to Chanel for decorative sleeve option... it will take some planning but I have time til I get to that step!

getting ready for my "Intro to Sewing" class this week ... it's such a treat to see the excited faces of the students when they finish their first project on the first day of class!  it just makes my day!  can't wait til Tuesday..

and yes!  I will have photos for you... the camera died!  :(  ... so after some research & we're waiting for the postman to arrive with a new one sometime this week!

hope you're enjoying some sunshine today.. I know it's cold in parts of the North East & you're again "digging out"... stay safe, keep warm & be well...  hope you have a great week! Tuesday is February already!

Friday, January 28, 2011

sewing essentials for the budding seamtress!

just a quick list of essentials.. for your sewing kit!

scissors (that you only use for fabric!), pins, seam ripper, small (tiny) screw driver, small brush to clean the machine, tape measure, yard stick, 6" ruler, 12" ruler, pinking shears (optional but helpful), pencil,  sewing machine needles, thread...

and a decent sewing machine that sews... straight and zigzag stitiches, machine bound buttonholes (I like a 4 step buttonhole) and has a free arm and zipper foot!  you should be able to make anything with your basic machine!  if it has a few decorative stitches even better!

remember to keep your "fabric scissors" just for fabric... guard them from everything else... only fabric!

hope you all get to do one thing you love today!  I'm off to cut the lining for my new jacket & then sew all the interfacing!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

welcome to my sewing blog!


today I finally made a decision to blog!  ... I'm asked "what are you working on now?"...

a day doesn't go by without a project being thought of or executed!  today I taught a "button, snap & repair a hem" class to the sweetest young ladies then came home & cut the interfacing for my "Chanel style" jacket..  the fabric is already cut & waiting for a complete interfacing... tomorrow I'll cut the (black) lining! 

after much reading... Chanel (& many Couture Designers)  interface the complete jacket with varying types of interfacing!  a chore!  ... but the end result should be worth it!  will let you know..

I'm using McCalls pattern#M4972 - view A without the tie in black with black sequin trim...  as much as my life has changed, somethings always stay the same!  I still love to wear black!