{Keyka Lou Patterns}

Top Stitching Tips

Neat and even top stitching (or topstitching if you prefer) makes a huge difference in how your finished project looks and lasts. 

Here are some ideas for improving your top stitching:

1. Lengthen your stitch.  Often when it is time to top stitch you are going to have multiple layers of fabric to sew through, so you are going to need a longer stitch.  If your stitches are too small they won't look good, they can start to distort the fabric and if they are really little they can make the fabric prone to ripping.

2. Slow down.  Unless you are using a machine designed for industrial production, your machine is probably not made for speed. Slow down and try to sew at a gentle steady pace.  Give it a try and see if you notice an improvement in your stitches. 

3. Use the hand wheel.  Anytime the fabric is extra thick--like at the side seams--take your foot off the pedal and use the hand wheel to drive the needle.  Gently pulling the fabric while you turn the hand wheel can help too.  The feed dogs have less momentum without the motor so pulling (gently) can help keep your stitches even. 

4. Use the edge of the presser foot as the allowance.  It is very  stable, accurate and easy to follow guide.  Using the edge of the presser foot as my guide has by far made the biggest impact on the quality of my sewing--for both straight stitching and top stitching. 

5. Try a top stitching needle.  There are special needles available for top stitching.  They have a large eye and a very sharp point and are helpful for top stitching on very thick layers of fabric.  I find the universal needle works pretty well as long as I have a nice long stitch.

6. Top stitch from the lining side of the bag.  Even if my bag will go around the machine arm, I still top stitch from the lining side (see photo at top).  When you open your bag, the first place your eye goes is to the  back wall of of the lining and often this is where the most erratic and wobbly stitching ends up!  Then if your thread is not the same color as the exterior fabric, you end up with an even more visible mess.  By top stitching from the lining side you can avoid these problems.

More Cotton Batting

 
I'm getting a little obsessed with lining everything with cotton batting.  It is so easy to work with and it adds some structure without a lot of weight. 

This weekend I made a Dewdrop Handbag and substituted cotton batting for the interfacing on the focus fabric pieces.  It worked out really well and didn't seem to add any extra difficulty to sewing the handles. 

I just cut the handle outline from the batting piece and then fit the batting around the handle after pulling the D piece to the wrong side of the fabric.  Then I tucked it behind piece D and then sewed around the handle.

Iron-Off : A Sewing Staple

Over the weekend I was sewing and watching Encounters at the End of the World (which was AMAZING) and while ironing I dropped the iron! 

It was really more of a badly executed set down, but the iron bounced off the ironing board, clunked around on the floor for a bit and then landed next to a plastic bag.  Time slowed down for a moment while I had an internal freak out.

Some of the bag melted to the iron plate, but I immediately ironed a rag and most came off.  Then I used Iron-Off to really clean the iron. 

If you don't have Iron-Off you might want to pick some up.  The times I've needed it have always been sewing emergencies that were best handled as quickly as possible.   

Tacking Down Linings

If your linings seem to be too big and don't fit all that well inside whatever you are sewing, one thing you can do is to tack them down.  I know it seems like linings should be smaller than the exterior, but if they are smaller then the lining can start to pull on the exterior fabric and distort the shape of your bag/accessory.  Rather than trying to make a smaller lining, try tacking it down instead. 

To me this is really a couture technique and I don't think it is always necessary, but taking the time to do this can take your finished items up a notch in quality. 

Here is how to do it:

1. Thread a needle with thread matching the exterior fabric. 

2. From the lining side, insert the needle directly in the side or bottom seam and then come out right through the seam on the exterior side.  It is important to be right in the seam or the stitches are going to show on the outside. 

Once your needle is through both layers of fabric pull the thread until the knot disappears into the seam. 

3. Make one small stitch by inserting the needle in the exterior seam in between the existing machine stitches. Basically what you are doing is weaving the thread through the existing machine stitches. 

4. Continue all the way around the lining and then tie off on your thread on the lining side when you get to the end.  To make it go faster I make the hand stitches on the lining side span about 2-3 of the machine stitches.  In other words, on the lining side is one longer hand stitch and on the outside is one small hand stitch.

 

Where to Turn

Many of you have probably noticed that in my patterns I rarely leave the opening for turning in the lining and it is often somewhere along the top.  If I remember correctly, many other patterns have you leaving the opening in the lining. 

I thought I'd tell you why I don't leave it in the lining (unless there is no other option) and offer a quick tip for making the turning hole in the lining if that is your preference. 

Holes in the Lining - If you've ever lost something in your bag between the lining and outer fabric it is likely that the opening for turning has come undone.  It is nearly impossible to hand sew the opening closed as well as machine stitching.  A hole in the lining can be mildly annoying if it is your own bag.  If it is something you sold the customer might not be so pleased. 

Snap Positioning - If there is a flap with a snap, it is best to insert the final snap half as late as possible so you can make sure the flap doesn't end up crooked.  Leaving the opening at the top usually offers the easiest access to where the second snap half needs to be inserted. 

Efficiency - By leaving the opening hole at the top you can just do a quick slip stitch and make sure the hole is closed.  The top stitching will reinforce the area where you turned.  When I have to leave the opening for turning in the lining I noticed it takes a lot more time trying to close the hole REALLY well so it doesn't come open later.  Some people don't even slip stitch the opening closed if it is along the top.  They just make sure they catch the fabric with the top stitching to close it up.   

But if you want to leave the opening in the lining instead of at the top it can be done very easily:

• After you've sewn around the top of the bag to attach the lining and focus fabric bag shells, pull the lining and focus fabric bag shells apart as shown in the photo below. 

• Then decide where you want the opening.  Along one side towards the top is best (#1).  The bottom (#2) is ok, but that seam gets the most stress and it is best to avoid leaving the opening in the bottom if at all possible. 

• At the begining and end of where your opening will be back stitch about 0.5".  Then press the seam open and remove the stitches between the back stitching. 

Turn the piece right side out and proceed with slip stitching the hole closed and finishing up your project.

Protecting Magnetic Snaps from Scratches

It is easy to scratch magnetic snaps if you have some machine sewing to do after they are inserted.  All it takes is one drag across your machine plate to add a few scratches. 

They sometimes aren't perfect to begin with and will get scratched a bit over time just from use, but if you are selling finished goods you will want to keep them in the best shape possible for your customer by not adding any additional imperfections. 

To protect the snap cover it with a medium weight fabric scrap or batting scrap using two pins to hold the scrap in place while you finish sewing.  This usually only needs to be done on the female snap half for the Curvy Clutch, Box Wallet, Business Card Wallet & Pyramid Pouch patterns (or any other project where the snap will pass over the machine plate). 

Remember to make sure the pins won't get in the way of your machine needle...:0] 

Pinning Fabric

Whenever I'm taking pictures to make a new pattern I sometimes catch myself pinning my fabric pieces with the pins running parallel to the edge of the fabric.  This is how my mom always pinned her fabric so it is just kind of ingrained in my head that way.  Then I take them out and put them in perpendicular to the fabric edge because they show up better in photos and in some respects is is easier to sew with the fabric pinned that way. 

There is really no right way to pin--at least in my opinion--but here are three different ways to fasten fabric together while sewing and when you might want to use each method.

1. Pin Parallel (Vertical)

When you are cutting a pattern out this is usually the way you want to insert the pins on the pattern pieces so they aren't in the way of the cutting edge.  But there is also a very good reason why you might to use this method to pin your fabric pieces together--to avoid pin holes! 

Some fabrics never really heal from having a pin stuck in them and the pin hole can be surprisingly obvious.  By pinning parallel to the fabric edge and close enough to the edge so you are within the seam allowance you can avoid permanent pin holes.

2. Pin Perpendicular (Horizontal)

Inserting the pins horizontally will make it fast and easy to remove the pins while sewing.  If they are inserted fairly straight you can also just sew right over them.  Some people say not to do this, but my high school sewing teacher advocated sewing right over them.  I do remove most of them just out of sheer habit, but the times that I've sewn over them it has worked fine. 

3. Use Binder Clips

I blogged about this last year right here.  This is my favorite way of holding together thick layers of fabric or things that need to be kept really flat while sewing.  For example on the Business Card Wallet & Checkbook Wallet patterns the pockets work best if they are kept as flat as possible against the lining piece while sewing.  Pinning bunches up the fabric and just that small amount of give can make the pocket not lay perfectly flat. 

When using binder clips they sometimes catch just a little on sewing machine as the fabric feeds and they come up onto the sewing machine arm.  I've never had one get stuck but sometimes it gives me a start if I'm zoning out and mindlessly sewing along.    

Favorite Fabric Stores

Lots of people ask about the fabrics I use so I will share my favorite online stores.  I buy almost all of my prints from the following stores: 

:::::: Purl Soho ::::::

Lots of beautiful fabrics and the categories are nicely broken out and cross referenced.  The shipping is always very fast and the customer service is friendly.  Buying here feels like buying in person minus the in person part. 

:::::: Reprodepot ::::::

The thing I really love about Reprodepot (besides the fabric, of course) is the "new" category.  Sometimes I go on fabric watching benders and it is great to pop over to their site and just cruise the new stuff. 

:::::: Fabric Tales ::::::

This Japanese online fabric store is a real treasure for finding unusual prints. They also carry lots of dobby fabric, which is my favorite type of fabric to use for accessories.  Their prices are generally very good too.  There are a few prints for sale here that I've seen at other online shops for $5-$6 more per yard!  The shipping can be quite expensive but if you are buying a lot of fabric it ends up costing about the same as any other order and your package arrives pretty quickly.   The last few times I ordered my package arrived in less than five days.  I was amazed. 

:::::: Superbuzzy ::::::

Superbuzzy has a nice selection of fabric and you can spend a lot of time just looking around.  The categories are nicely laid out and cross referenced.  I have love/hate feelings about the fly-out windows that pop-up when you point at a fabric.  They can be very distracting, but it is also nice not to have to click through to see a larger image. 

:::::: Etsy ::::::

The etsy supplies category has more and more fabric as time goes by.  The prices are almost always very competitive so it can be a great place to find some of the more widely available prints.  I've had great buying experiences with My Eclectic Mess and Fabric Shoppe and Lucky Kaeru Fabric and Supplies. 

Interfacing (aka stabilizer) Information

Interfacing is a used to make fabric firmer and to help the fabric hold its shape where structure is needed.  It is generally applied to the wrong side of the exterior fabric of accessories and in clothes is often used in cuffs, collars and shirt facings.

There are two types and styles of interfacing: woven/non-woven & iron-on (fusible)/sew-in. 

:::: Woven Interfacing :::

This type of interfacing has visible threads and looks much like regular fabric.  Like fabric woven interfacing has a grain that should be followed during cutting.

I prefer woven interfacing because it generally has a firmer hold and doesn’t tend to bubble and wrinkle as much as the non-woven type.  My favorite woven interfacing is Form Flex All-Purpose.  I find it works well on most quilting cottons.  If Form Flex isn't available I use Pellon Stacy Shape Flex. 

:::: Non-Woven Interfacing ::::

This interfacing is made from fibers pressed together and has a gauze-like appearance and usually has a stippled texture.  I think this interfacing is really useful in clothing construction, but I never use it for accessories.  It is very easy to melt into a useless mess of wrinkles and it separates from fabric easily.  I've also never encountered a non-woven that gives much structure. 

:::: Iron-On/Fusible Interfacing ::::

This type of interfacing is applied to the fabric using an iron to melt the adhesive side of the interfacing to the fabric. The adhesive side is the shiny side and it needs to be placed with the adhesive facing the wrong side (back side) of your fabric.  When you purchase iron-on interfacing the fabric store will include the manufacturer instructions regarding iron temperature and how long to press to adhere it to the fabric. 

When applying iron-on interfacing don’t move your iron around like you are pressing wrinkles from fabric.  Simply heat up your iron to the recommended temp and place the iron face down on the wrong side (non-adhesive) of the interfacing in one spot.  Leave the iron in place for the recommended time and then move it to the next section.  Continue until you have adhered the interfacing to the entire fabric piece and then leave the fabric in place (as in don't move it) until it has cooled. 

When using iron-on interfacing I usually cut the pieces about 1/8" smaller than the fabric piece.  This gets rid of some bulk in the seams, but most importantly it keeps the edges of the interfacing from creeping past your fabric edge and adhering to your ironing board.  It might not seem like a big deal but as time goes by the interfacing adhesive collects on your ironing board and ultimately transfers to your iron.  This black gunk then ends up on your fabric when you are ironing and can leave black stains on your fabric, which of course isn't very fun or attractive.

:::: Sew-In Interfacing ::::

Sew-in interfacing does not have an adhesive side.  It is less expensive, has fewer chemicals, and doesn’t separate from the fabric creating wrinkles and puckers and holds up to washing much better than iron-on interfacing.  It is placed on the wrong side of the fabric and pinned in place rather than adhered with adhesive. 

Sew-in interfacing is generally woven (though I think non-woven is available) so it has a definite fabric grain that should be followed during cutting.  Launder sew-in interfacing before use.

I'm becoming a big fan of the sew-in interfacing, especially for bags and larger accessories.  Sew-in interfacing doesn't offer quite the firmness of iron-on but its redeeming qualities make it a very attractive option.  For bags that might be laundered more than once or twice during their useful life sew-in interfacing is the very best option. 

Washing New Fabric

 

New fabric has a nice crisp look and feel and it can be tempting to jump right into a project once you get your fabric home, but taking the time to wash your fabric is an important prep step in sewing. 

When you bring home your fabric it is full of sizing and who-knows-what kinds of chemicals.  It might look nice but all that extra stuff just attracts dirt and can irritate people who are sensitive to chemicals.

All cottons and cotton blends can be washed in warm or cool water and then dried.

My favorite tip for laundering fabric is to wash it and then dry it until just slightly damp. Then while the fabric is still damp press it well.  Drying fabric until it is totally dry can often lead to wrinkles that are permanently set, but if you take the fabric out when still damp you won't end up with those terrible wrinkles that just won't come out later!

If you don't have convenient access to a washing machine and dryer and really want to use your new fabric you can hand wash your fabric and then hang it to dry overnight.  Try to remember to iron it while still damp if possible.