Miss Prissy - Question re: sewing / pinning

[HennysMom]

Okay, now that I've spent from 10:30 this morning until 5:30 cutting fabric (and I'm still nowhere finished - I dont think it's ever going to end

) I am taking a break now, however earlier I started to pin some of the strips together...but then I started to wonder something.

If I'm allowing a 1/4 inch for the seam - which is built into the cut - do I place the pin BELOW the 1/4 inch seam I'm going to sew or right on it and remove it as I sew?

Boy oh boy is this alot of work! My knees hurt, my hands hurt, my wrists hurt - those rotary cutters are nice, but OUCH! Crawling around on my hands and knees for hours isnt what my body had in mind I assure you

I just dont know how else to cut a 24 inch long 3.5 inch wide strip of fabric all at once other than to kneel on it to hold the ruler down LOL.

I'm well ahead of the game though - all I have left to do is a few more suits and to take apart about 50 more ties then back the silk ones so they're more firm to cut/sew - then we're off!

Thanks Miss P

 

[MissPrissy]

I don't measure - I eye ball it.

I just put in pins to hold the pieces together and remove them as I go if they are in the way of the needle and foot..

 

[dragracer]

I usually pin the opposite direction I am sewing. The pin would be horizontal with you and you would be sewing vertically towards you. (like your pin makes the t in the stitch--horizontal line). Can you cut more than one layer of fabric at a time? This cuts your cutting time in half.

 

[MissPrissy]

Good point. I cut 6 or 8 layers at a time.

 

[dragracer]

I hate to cut. I try to cut multiple layers at once. If only cutting was as easy as sewing!

 

[HennysMom]

I was cutting 2 layers at a time - that rotary was scaring me

Its hard to cut more than 2 because I'm cutting apart suit pants and jackets...so think trouser legs ... I can get 4 cuts out of 1 leg (a full 24 inches each pass)

Okay..so pin the opposite way I'm going to sew - got that part - but do I pin further IN towards me, meaning away from the 1/4 allowance? I have the measuring guide on the machine so I can keep a pretty straight line on that, I just dont want the fabric to move at all, so I was wondering if I could pin it behind (or adjacent to) the allowance.

Am I making sense?

So like here is my 1/4 in. _____

and here is my pin _____

is that okay to do?

 

[MissPrissy]

Just pin it to hold the fabric together. It doesn't matter if you pin it at the edge or further in. Take it out as you approach the presser foot.

 

[SewingDiva]

I always sew over pins, unless it's a fabric like silk charmeuse or silk chiffon and then I hand baste instead of pinning. Clotilde glass head pins are much finer than the usual Dtriz plastic head pins and they don't distort the fabric as much.

The only time the pin really needs to come out right at the seam line is when you're easing fabric for something like setting in a sleeve.

Phyllis

 

[HennysMom]

Okay, then I'll pin it opposite the way I'm sewing - its how I was taught to do it wayyyy back when *wracking my brain now* like 26-27 years ago, the last time I ventured into actually sewing something *home-ec*

I just wasnt sure if it mattered if I did it the other way or not. Seemed to hold the fabric more secure...

Next question - silk. I have a bunch of silk ties and I have to cut them. Based on taking them apart and how frail the fabric is, I dont want it to fray so I was guessing I have to back it with something before I cut it. Was planning on sewing it to something first, THEN cutting it to the size I needed (but sewing it inside the cut mark so it stayed together).

Do I need to do that or do you think the silk will hold?

Thank you to everyone for helping me, I'm so afraid I'm going to mess up and I cant afford to as these are the only suits/ties I have so every one of them count. I'm being overly cautious I'm sure, but...given the circumstances

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
The silk should be backed with something because tie silks are soft fabrics. There are couple things you can do:

1) Back it with with silk organza. You can just quilt it to the silk organza. Pre-wash the silk organza. Silk organza is a wonderful fabric that has many uses (it makes a great press cloth because you can see through it). Thai Silks in LA has it for $5.75 a yard.

2) Back it with cotton batiste and quilt it.

3) Back itwith a tricot knit fusible interfacing. If you block fuse the entire tie you can cut it without fraying. No need to quilt then.

Phyllis