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Sew What!



There was an interesting article by Genie Dickerson in April 99's edition of Highways Magazine. The people at Good Sam have quite a reputation for knowing just about everything there is to know about RVing and camping. I thought I'd share their suggestions with you! So....

Sew What

You don't need a sewing machine to sew, and you probably haven't room in your rig for one anyway. For small jobs, a needle works fine. A single needle - a tool that many RVers don't carry - can provide you with the means to complete hundreds of dollars worth of repars. It can also save you the inconvenience of shopping for new clothing or upholstery. It can make your trip more luxurious. Or safer. Or just help pass the time.
One needle, you say. What about thread and other sewing notions? Who has space for everything?
You do have room for one needle, and you can improvise with thread and everything else.
Let's say your shirt button pops off, a seam opens, the front pocket of your jeans springs a hole or your big toe sticks out of your sock. Why should a vacationer put up with irritations that can be fixed in five minutes? Double that time if you have no thread (see Improvise Improvise) Compare shopping time to replace items with the few minutes it takes to make a repair. Compare the convenience. Compare the cost of a needle with the cost of anything.

Editor's note:I'm going to skip the basic sewing instructions here - how to sew on a button, fix a hole in a pocket, fix ripped seams and holes in socks, sweaters, and gloves...how to fix zippers and how to patch. Maybe I shouldn't assume anything about my readers here, but I figure you know this basic stuff...and I'm skipping right to the Improvise Improvise part of the article...with a quick nod to "Don't Forget to Pack..."

Improvise ImproviseWhat if you didn't bring thread and you're miles from the nearest town? There are at least four emergency sources of thread inside your vehicle. For many travelers, the easiest, least expensive and strongest sewing thread is on your head - if your hair is long enough. Although slippery and springy, human hair works great. What's more, any color hair blends with any background color.
Other sources of thread are edges of blankets and towels, side seams or hems of garments and doublesewn seams on jeans. Most jeans have the back pockets sewn with two rows of stitching. You probably don't need that much strength in your back pockets and could easily undo the inner line of stitching, providing yourself with a nice length of sewing thread.
Also, you can separate yarn into individual plies to use as thread. Dental floss works great too, and even fishing line will do as a fix for many problems.

Don't Forget to Pack...

                    1.   A needle
                    2.   A few yards of thread, wound
                         around cardboard for easy storage. 
                    3.   A few pins
                    4.   Extra buttons
                    5.   Scissors
                    6.   Iron-on patches
                    7.   Fusible bonding web
                    8.   Self-adhesive Velcro hook
                         and loop fasteners
                    9.   More needles, thread and pins
                   10.   A thimble, for those who like
                         to use one.


(From Highways Magazine, the Official Publication of the Good Sam Club; April, 1999)

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Fabric Fundamentals


It never hurts to review the basics:
Wool (cleaning) Although wool is a stain-resistant fiber, you still need to treat a stain before it sinks in. Use a clean, damp sponge and blot - don't rub. Dry-clean as little as possible; once a season should be fine unless heavily worn. (tips) Retains its shape if folded carefully or hung on padded hangers. Needs air and space to breathe. A steamy bathroom will remove most wrinkles.
Cotton (cleaning) If you're worried about shrinking, wash cotton in cold water; otherwise, it can withstand very hot temperatures. Avoid overbleaching because it can wear down the fibers; every other wash is fine. Or try using white vinegar as a milder alternative to bleach. (tips) Takes longer to dry than most fabrics, so use a hot dryer setting and touch-test until dry. Responds well to a hot iron and doesn't easily scorch.
Silk (cleaning) Many "washable" and colorfast silks can be gently washed in lukewarm water. Keep the wash cycle short and rinse quickly. Never use chlorine bleach, and don't let garments soak for long periods in water. If you dry-clean silk, be certain that the label recommends it; some silk dyes react to solvents. (tips) Hang-dry if woven; dry flat is knit. Protect from light, air and insects.
Polyester (cleaning) Dry-clean or machine wash. (tips) Dries fast. Use permanent press cycle and remove as soon as possible to prevent wrinkles. If needed, iron on low setting only.
Cashmere (cleaning) Hand-wash in cold water with baby shampoo or detergents formulated for delicate fabrics. If high quality, the long, soft hairs in cashmere actually become more luxurious with each hand washing. (tips) Lay flat to dry; use cool iron if necessary. Fold, never hang. Store in cedar.
(from Family Circle 9-1-98)

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Serger Tips


There it sat, just out of the box, my brand new, Singer 14U34 Ultralock!
WOW!
Now what? I read the little book that came with the machine, and it didn't tell me a whole lot. How to thread the machine. How to adjust the tension. A certain amount of troubleshooting. But that was about it! So I got my feet wet and plunged right in making.....napkins. and tablecloths. and more napkins. I was the envy of all my neighbors. I had the best dressed table on the block. The ladies coming over for brunch? Whip up a new set of napkins. *sigh* But that wasn't why I had bought my serger. I wanted to do more!
I got braver with time. Now after I sewed a seam on my "real" sewing machine, I finished it by moving to my serger and making the seams look professional and clean. But still not brave enough to use all four spools of thread.
The motivation came when my oldest daughter went shopping for a bathing suit. Now, I hadn't ever had much luck using my regular machine for bathing suits. But I remembered the demo lady saying that it was great for bathing suits and lingerie...."I found the cutest suit Mom, and it's ONLY $65.00!!" (she should be shot for using the word 'only' to describe $65.00!) I looked at the cute suit, I looked at the price tag. And I headed for the pattern books at my Fabric Store. $4.60 (with a coupon) for the pattern, $14.95 for 'The Serger Idea Book, $6.00 worth of fabric and notions, and four hours later - VOILA! one cute bathing suit. The oldest was happy, her sisters immediately started planning what they wanted 'their' bathing suits to look like, and I was off and serging!
If you're a long time serger, you can probably skip the rest of this article. I'm just going to cover the very basics.
Think first about what it is that a serger does. It trims, stitches and edges the fabric with thread. It prevents raveling and gives a very professional look to the inside of whatever you are sewing. Since the machines loopers go over and under the fabric - not through it - you can use just about any kind of thread, yarn or ribbon on your garment.
The first thing you have to discover about your machine is the various tension settings. Knowing which dial does what is key to taking full advantage of your serger. If you never learn to adjust the tension correctly, you'll be stuck using one stitch all the time. And that's no fun!
The perfect stitch is one where the upper and lower looper threads meet at the edge of the fabric and there is a slight overhang. Upper and lower widths are the same....they are balanced.
You're just going to have to play with it...experiment. And after all this? My main tip for the month. Use a different colored thread for each of the stitchs...that way you can easily tell which it is that needs adjusting. Gosh! That was a long way to go for that little tip. But you'll find...it's an important one!

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Sew for Baby


My first bit of advice, take advantage of their age, dress your baby the way you choose to dress him (or her!) Before you know what's happened, they are old enough to decide for themselves how they want to be dressed. In fact, if my teens are any indication, the clothes that Mom makes can't possibly be any good! But until that age of independence, you can dress them according to your taste and your imagination!

Sewing for Baby is fun and easy! There are a few things to take into consideration though. First, the design must be simple. Second, the garment should be loose fitting, not constricting. And third, the fabric should be easy to care for.

Be extra vigilant about pins. Check it once, then check it again. The other thing you want to be careful of is threads. Make sure you snip all the loose ends. It is so easy for Baby to wrap a bit of thread tightly around a finger or toe! Turn the garment inside out, and double check!

For a first project... Let's sew a crib sheet!
A crib sheet is very easy to construct. A soft cotton knit fabric works best, although I've made several in soft flannels too. Prewash the fabric to remove the sizing and to preshrink. You will need a piece of fabric 45" wide by 70" long. This will fit a standard American crib 28"x52". If your matress is a different size, measure the mattress length, width. Add 3" and the thickness of the mattress completely around all four sides.

Fold each corner in half, creating a triangle. On the raw edge, measure 8 3/4" from the point. Stitch a seam across to the folded edge. Cut off excess fabric.

The easiest way to finish the edges of the sheet would be to use elastic all the way around. Stitch a hem or serge the raw edges, and using a narrow zig zag stitch, sew the elastic to the finished edges. You will need a piece of 3/8" elastic 90" long. It is also possible to merely attach 12" of elastic to each corner. That's what is so wonderful about sewing. Any pattern or project can be adapted to suit your budget and your needs.

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