Repairing Rips in Pattern Pieces

There's nothing more annoying that cutting out a purchased sewing pattern with great care and ending up with a rip while you're pinning the pattern piece to your fabric. Or when you're removing the pattern piece from the fabric. However you end up with a tear, torn pattern pieces can be easily repaired in very little time.

The first instinct of many people would be to grab the nearest roll of tape and just tape up the tear. This works, but only as long as you don't apply any heat. Traditional tape melts when ironed, ruining the pattern, your iron, and and fabric the melted tape happens to touch. Instead of using any old tape to repair rips in sewing patterns, purchase paper bandage tape. This tape will hold your pieces together, but it can also handle heat. You can iron the taped areas just as you can the rest of the pattern. Keep a roll of paper bandage tape handy for repairing tears in pattern pieces.

Building Your Own Ironing Board

This week I was ironing fabric by the masses. I have a lot of sewing to do as graduation season approaches. A lot of girls need their grad dresses. But I quickly found myself frustrated by the small size of my oversized ironing board. I never can get enough raw fabric on the board to save myself any amount of real time. I also can't find an ironing pad large enough.

So I deciding to make my own ironing board. I took a large piece of plywood and layered wool on one side to create a 1-inch pad. I covered the entire thing in a solid cotton fabric that was large enough to stretched over the wool and around to the underside of the board. I secured the cotton with hook-and-loop tape. This would allow me to remove the cotton and wash it if necessary.

Finally, I took the board and positioned it on two large construction sawhorses. I could have used anything, but I had two sawhorses that weren't being used for anything. I didn't attach the board to the sawhorses, simply because I wanted to be able to take it down and store it when I wasn't using it.

Now I have a large ironing board that accomodates most of my fabrics and really any pattern piece. Problem solved. Crisis averted. Ironing large pieces of uncut fabric is no longer a cause of frustration while I'm working. And it didn't cost me anything, because I had all these things around the house somewhere.

Steadying a Moving Serger

I was over at a friend's house the other day, talking about sewing and demonstrating projects, when she pulled out her serger. As she used it, it virbrated and jumped all over the table. Mine never does that. It took me a moment to notice the difference. My serger is steadied with ... kitchen sponges.

So I shared my tip with her right at that moment, just like I'm sharing it with you now. To keep your serger from vibrating and boucing on your work table, get two rectangular kitchen sponges and cut them in half so you have four squarish pieces of sponge. Wet the sponges and wring them out until they're dry. Place one piece of sponge under each corner of the serger machine. The sponges will cushion the vibrations and keep your machine steady. No more bouncing!

This is a simple but effective tip for keeping a serger steady. It can also be used to steady other types of machines, including your everyday sewing machine.

How to Organize Your Sewing Supplies, Part 1

It's finally spring around here and I'm doing my annual spring cleaning. In  my sewing area, this means tidying up and organizating any sewing supplies and materials that have migrated over the past few months. Buttons kept in odd locations. Scissors left on the table just because it's easier to leave them there. Fabric that ends up piled instead of stored properly. All of these things need to be put away and organized properly.
Everyone has their own unique was of organizing a sewing room. But there are a few tips that can make the process easier and help you to find what you need when you need it.

1. Keep buttons in clear jars according to color so you can find them in short order. Also consider organizing fabrics and thread by type and color. I also use binders and expanding folders to hold patterns and magazines that relate to sewing. It's better than keeping all these things scattered around the room. I also like to keep those little pieces that came with the sewing machine in little plastic bags so nothing gets lost.
2. Fabrics are best stored out of direct sunlight to prevent fading and other damage. But don't seal them in plastic containers or you could allow mold or mildew to grow. Instead, choose something that allows air to circulate, such as a cabinet. Or consider hanging them on dowels or towel rods, but keep them out of the sun.
3. If you have an old entertainment unit that you're not using, considering converting to hold your sewing supplies and fabrics. Most of them already have drawers and cabinets, so very little has to be done to use it for sewing materials. Also consider plastic drawer units on rollers. These are versatile and handy to have around.
4. Try to put everything back in its place at the end of the day. Put all your sewing notions and supplies in their bins or cases and make sure everything has a regular storage space. This makes things easier to find the next time.
5. If you like to hang things, invest in some brackets for the walls. You can hang whatever you need for however long you need to hang it. This work especially well if you like to store sewing materials in tote bags.
6. Keep a tray or basket on your work table to hold the items you're currently using. This way, if you stop mid-project, these items will be readily accessible the next time you sit down.

There are many other things you can do to keep your work space organized. Use a method that works for you and try not to be constantly changing everything or you'll never remember where you put anything!