How to Use a Seam Ripper

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I know, I know, we all know how to do it, right? Well, there is a more efficient way to use it if you know how. And I did it less efficiently for a long long time. So, let’s see if maybe I can help some more people out.

How to Use a Seam Ripper

What is a seam ripper?

There are lots of reasons we might need a seam ripper. Ever sewed the wrong pieces together? Sewed a seam too soon? Added a sleeve on backward? I’ve been guilty of all of that (and more!) during my sewing career.

I’ve used a LOT of seam rippers in my day. And there are SO many different kinds of seam rippers out there! But they all have a few things in common. They all have a pointy end that curves into a (hopefully) sharp blade for cutting threads. Your ideal seam ripper should always be comfortable to hold in your hand, so keep that in mind.

Using your seam ripper.

Always cut stitches from the top side of your work. I promise, it matters. Ideally, you will cut through your back stitches at the beginning and end of the seam and then cut a stitch every inch or so. This is particularly useful information if you are cutting long sections of straight stitches.

With that done, you can typically flip your fabric over and pull on the bobbin thread, releasing the whole row. It isn’t always going to be that easy though. With stretch and zigzag stitches, you’ll have to cut almost all of the stitches individually, unfortunately. The upside is, you’ll get to know your seam ripper really well!

What NOT to do.

There are a couple of things you will want to avoid doing in order to preserve your project. First, do not try to just pull on a thread without cutting stitches. You’ll only gather the fabric up and make the stitches harder to get out. Second, under no circumstances should you try to just yank the fabric pieces apart by sheer force. This will likely only cause you to rip your fabric, rendering it useless.\

The super secret method.

Check out this video. But before you try it, keep in mind your seam ripper needs to be REALLY sharp. And it will ONLY work on woven fabrics, so don’t try it with knits.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to correct any sewing mistakes relatively quickly and painlessly. I hope this helps someone out there! And we hope to see you over in our Facebook group for fun and friendships!

Clear Elastic and the Sahara

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We’ve heard some questions lately about adding the clear elastic to Sahara. And while we have a great clear elastic tutorial here, we do realize that seeing it with a specific garment can be helpful, so we’re gonna do it again, only with Sahara!

Clear Elastic and the Sahara

The most important places to add clear elastic to Sahara are to the shoulder seams and to the waist seam. Also, for the adult version (especially for those with larger breasts) you will want clear elastic in the armhole on sleeveless options. I will say, that this isn’t strictly necessary in the smaller child’s sizes, but the larger it gets, the more the elastic will help. Since we start with the shoulders in the pattern, that’s where I’ll start here!

Prep

Clear Elastic and the Sahara

Grab your bodice pieces and elastic. We’re going to cut a piece of elastic to the with of the shoulder seam. Figure out whether you will be pressing the seam to the front or back and plan to sew the elastic to the opposite side. I.e. If you’re pressing the seam to the back, you want to sew your elastic to the side with the front bodice piece.

Now, you have an option. You can either mark the seam or eyeball it. You want the clear elastic to lay so that it is centered over the stitch line. Then you sew.

Pressing

Clear Elastic and the Sahara by Bella Sunshine Designs OMG! I've been struggling with this! I;m SO glad I found this tutorial! Pinning for later!!!

Once you have your elastic on both shoulder pieces press the seams from the right side of the garment. (This prevents heat from damaging the elastic.) If you placed your elastic on the opposite side as stated above, it should lay nice and flat without being folded.

Skirt Elastic

When attaching the skirt, you will use the same method described above. I place my elastic on the skirt side because I like my seam to press up towards the bodice.

Armhole Elastic

I hate to say there isn’t a “flat” way to sew the armhole elastic. So my best advice there is this: Try to get thinner elastic that will fold easily. The thicker stuff is a little more difficult to get to lay right once everything is all closed up (but not impossible!). You’ll still want to sew it through the center like in the other instances, so it will be folding on that seam.

I really hope this helps to clear up some Sahara confusion for you all! If you have further questions please feel free to leave a comment below, ask in our Facebook group, or message our Facebook page directly!

Essential Cutting Tools

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Sewing means cutting. Cutting patterns, cutting fabric, cutting interfacing, cutting thread… There’s a LOT of cutting in sewing. So, what cutting tools do you want/need? We’ll do a quick rundown of the best and the brightest and why you want to have them in your sewing arsenal!

Essential Cutting Tools

Scissors

This one seems like a no-brainer, I know, but it needs to be on this list. I would just like to stress here that you will want 2 pairs of scissors. An inexpensive pair for paper, and a quality pair for fabric. And NEVER use your fabric scissors on paper! It will dull them and cause ragged edges and very difficult cutting for you. It also is worth it to get your fabric scissors professionally sharpened when you feel like they’re losing their edge.

Rotary Cutter/Mat

These two things go hand in hand. A rotary cutter will make short work of cutting your fabric (see this post for tips!), but if you don’t want to damage your table or floors, you’ll need a cutting mat to go with it. The mat serves as a safe surface under the sharp blade, kind of like a cutting board in the kitchen. While not absolutely necessary for sewing clothing, I personally find I save a LOT of time by using these particular cutting tools.

Embroidery Scissors

 

These are a much smaller version of your fabric scissors. They are typically 4-6 inches in length total and are perfect for things like reverse applique, clipping curves and points, and cutting open buttonholes. Their smaller size makes them much easier to control and get into tighter spaces.

Thread Clippers/Nippers

These little tools are one of my favorites. They might be small, but they are mighty. And they see a LOT of use in my house. These little spring-loaded beauties are the perfect tool for clipping threads as you sew. And, if I’m being honest, I use mine to fix my mistakes more often than I use an actual seam ripper. Mine can always be found sitting directly to my right in front of my machine for easy access. Another great thing about them? They’re really inexpensive, so replacing them is a drop in the bucket (unlike a good pair of fabric scissors), which means this is something you really shouldn’t be living (sewing) without!

Can you think of any essential cutting tools I’ve missed? Please let us know in the comments below! And join us in our Facebook group for more tips, giveaways, and to find new sewing friends!

The Hem to Skirt Correlation

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Do you make skirts? Or plan to/dream of it? Then I have some information that might just come in handy! Did you know different kinds of skirts need different hem allowances? If you did (or didn’t but do now), do you wonder why? Because there is a reason! Let me share and add another little pocket of information to your sewing knowledge!

The Hem to Skirt Correlation

A hem is the bit of fabric folded back to the inside of a garment and stitched down. It not only adds to a professional look, but it also plays a role in the ultimate durability of that garment. Many people don’t know this, but the silhouette of a skirt plays a large role in determining its correct hem allowance. For example:

Straight skirt:

Skirts that are straight up and down (like a pencil skirt) made with a medium to heavy weight fabric will typically have a wider hem. This 1 1/2 to 2-inch hem actually helps keep the skirt straight with the weight of the hem.

A-line skirt:

With its wider silhouette, an A-line skirt needs a slightly narrower hem to cut back on the bulk and keep it from looking too clunky. But leaving it at 1 1/2 inches will help add a little bit of structure to keep its shape looking good. Our Sophia in dress length offers this great shape!

Flared skirt:

A flared skirt, such as a half circle skirt, will need a narrower hem yet, for the same reasons. Basically, the wider the bottom of the skirt, the narrower you will want the hem to be. So for this silhouette, you’ll want about a 1-inch hem. Many Bella Sunshine patterns use a flared skirt. Pictured is our lovely Felicity without the ruffle option.

Circle skirt:

This is about as full of a skirt as you can get. As such, it will have the narrowest hem allowance. This will allow it to drape and flow (and twirl!) the most freely. The recommended hem would be 1/2″, but you can go even narrower or omit completely if you’re sewing it in a knit fabric (like if you’re sewing up a Sahara!).

There you go! Another skirt mystery solved! Are there any other mysteries you’d like us to shed some light on? Share your ideas in the comments below! And join us in our Facebook group for fun and support!

Why You Should ALWAYS Pay Attention To Seam Allowances

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When you’re ready to sew, you just want to get to it, right? I know I do! But there are important things you never want to ignore when you’re sewing up a pattern. And one of those is seam allowances. They can make or break a garment. Ready to find out why?

Why You Should ALWAYS Pay Attention To Seam Allowances

Seam allowances are extremely important in garment construction. Designers take a great deal of time and care to do the math required to make sure you end up with a perfect fit. So we should always pay attention to and follow seam allowances!

What is a seam allowance?

A seam allowance is the space between the raw edge of your fabric and the stitching line you should follow. The measurement of this space will inevitably vary between different designers. And can vary between patterns as well, although most designers will be fairly consistent with their seam allowances. Bella Sunshine typically uses a 3/8″ seam allowance. So always make sure you check the instructions for the correct seam allowance before beginning to sew.

What is the function of a seam allowance?

A seam allowance has a few functions. The first (and probably most important) is to protect the stitches from fraying. You can further this function by finishing the edges, especially when working with woven fabrics. Another function of a seam allowance is to allow tailoring/adjustments for particular person post-construction. A seam allowance will allow you to ‘let out’ a seam to give the wearer a little more room. Or you can ‘take in’ the seam allowance, making it wider and fitting it tighter to a smaller person.

Why is a seam allowance so important to follow?

If you are making a garment with a specific person in mind, seam allowances are SO important. You should have that person’s measurements so that you know what size you are sewing and can do any necessary grading between sizes to ensure a perfect fit. Which is where a seam allowance comes in.

If you use a smaller seam allowance than the pattern calls for, the garment will be too big. Likewise, if you use a larger seam allowance, the garment will end up too small. And yes, fractions of an inch on a seam allowance can make a HUGE difference in the overall fit of a garment. So just be mindful and make sure you follow the pattern’s directions!

What tidbit of sewing wisdom do you wish we would share? Leave your suggestions in the comments below? And consider joining our amazing community of fans on Facebook! We’d love to have you!

Stitch Lengths And Why They’re Important!

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Do you ever change the stitch length on your machine? Or do you just hit a button and go with it no matter what you’re doing? I used to be the latter. And for the most part, things worked out for me. But when I figured out that a little tweak could make a HUGE difference? Total game changer. So let me take a few minutes to explain some different stitch lengths and why they can make all the difference.

Stitch Lengths And Why They’re Important!

We’re going to go over 5 basic stitch lengths and what they’re good for, starting with:

Basting Stitches (5mm)

These are typically the longest stitches you are likely to use. You will want about 5-6 of these stitches per inch. We use these stitches to temporarily hold things in place. Like, for example, if you’re sewing in a zipper. You might use basting stitches on that side seam before installing the zipper. The reason for the long length is to ensure that those stitches are easy to pop right back out when you’re done with them.

Ease or Gathering Stitches (3.5mm)

Gathering stitches will be about 7-8 stitches per inch and are the perfect length for gathering or for an ease stitch when doing things like setting in sleeves. This is long enough to allow the fabric to gather relatively easily, but short enough that the integrity of the thread holds up so that the line does not snap on you while pulling. Do remember, though, that there are many ways to gather fabric… you can find our favorite methods here.

Permanent Stitches (2.5mm)

You will want about 10-12 stitches per inch when sewing seams or permanent stitches. This length promotes the most durability during construction and will also keep your seams from looking puckered, which can happen if the stitch length is wrong. Most machines will default to this length.

Staystitches (2mm)

Staystitches are used often in garment construction around necklines and armscyes. The purpose of them is to keep the fabric in the same length and position that is necessary for the piece to come out looking right and not warped. As such, staystiches are typically shorter stitches and will usually run between 13-14 stitches per inch.

Top or Edge Stitches (3mm)

The final stitch length we’ll discuss today is topstitching or edgestitching. These are always visible from the top (or outside) of the piece you are sewing, so you want it to be aesthetically pleasing. The recommended length for these stitches should be 8-9 stitches per inch. At that length, it adds both durability and beauty to your garment.

All of these stitches have their place and function, so it’s never a bad idea to practice with them if you are not accustomed to them. Are any of these new to you? Share your stories in the comments below! Also, please consider joining us in our Facebook group for fun, for friendship, for help, for games and contests… we have it all! 

Understanding Fabric Grain: Pattern Layout

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Now that we have a better understanding of how fabric grain works, we can apply that to your prep for getting ready to sew. Primarily, in how to lay your pattern out on your fabric for the best results. For some, this is second nature already, but I remember being new to sewing and having no idea how huge an impact this can have on your finished product. So, if you are like the me of the past (or even if you aren’t… you never know what you might learn), please follow along!

Understanding Fabric Grain: Pattern Layout

Fabric Prep: Pre-Shrinking

When preparing to sew a new garment, it’s important to make sure you have all of your prep work properly done to achieve the most successful results. The first step is to pre-shrink your fabric. This is important because if you do not do this and you sew a garment to fit perfectly, it might not fit the same (or at all) after laundering.

For most things, this means running the fabric through a rinse cycle and then the dryer. (It’s also a good idea to finish the raw edges before pre-shrinking!) If your fabric is wool, lay it on a flat surface that fully supports the full piece, hover an iron a few inches above it, and continually release steam onto the fabric. Allow the wool to dry completely before moving or cutting it to make sure it is fully through with the shrinking process. alternatively, you could finish the raw edges and have it dry cleaned. If your fabric is synthetic, you don’t necessarily need to do any pre-shrinking, as these fabrics do not shrink. But if you plan to sew a silk garment that you intend to handwash in the future, you might want to handwash the fabric first.

Fabric Prep: Alignment

Another important step that often gets overlooked is to make sure your fabric is properly aligned. This means that the lengthwise and crosswise grains are perfectly perpendicular (or at right angles) to each other. To tell whether the fabric is properly aligned, fold the selvage edges together and take a good look at it. If the fabric is laying completely flat, you’re good to go! If not, fold the fabric together along the bias grain. Take hold of the opposite corners and tug on it gently a few times. Then repeat the folding the selvages together to check if the fabric lays flat. If not, repeat the above until it does.

Pattern Layout

Before you plan your pattern layout, look at your fabric. Make sure that when you lay out your pattern that you will not have an upside-down design if your print is directional. Or that you will not have an unfortunate pattern placement. (This is especially important if the design in your fabric includes large flowers or circles). The same applies to napped fabric. You’ll want to make sure the nap lays the same way across the whole garment.

One of the most important rules of pattern layout is to make sure you follow the grain (or stretch) lines. If it’s a woven pattern, your pieces should have a grainline that should be placed exactly parallel to the selvage edges. With a knit pattern, you will more likely see a stretch line, it will run parallel to the cross grain.

The reason following these lines is so important is because the way you lay out your pattern will affect how that garment will hang off of a body when it’s finished. 

Checking Yardage

My next tip is the best advice I was ever given. Make sure you KNOW you have enough fabric before cutting a single piece. The most effective way to check this is to lay out your fabric. Gather all of your pattern pieces. Lay them all out on the fabric with their proper orientation (following grain/stretch lines). This is to make sure it will all fit on the piece of fabric you intend to use.

If you have pieces that need to be cut on a fold, you can fold the fabric up enough to get the piece on a fold in its proper alignment. In the picture above, I laid the top piece down right next to the bottom. I then flipped it up one more time to make sure the whole piece would fit when placed on a fold. Now, to cut this, I will need to unfold the fabric. Then fold it up just enough to fit one piece. And then repeat that for the second piece. Hopefully, that’s clear enough that you get the idea.

That should be all you need to know to get started! I hope you learned something new today because learning is good! And if you ever have any questions, please feel free to ask them in the comments below or join our Facebook group!

Understanding Fabric Grain: The Difference with Knits

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Yes, we’re still talking fabric grain today! And if you sew, then you are probably aware that it’s a whole new ballgame when you switch from woven fabrics to knits. If you’re less familiar with knits, you can swing by this post to learn a little more about some of the different kinds of knits and what projects they might be useful for. But in today’s post, we’ll give you a brief rundown of how grain works in knit fabrics.

Understanding Fabric Grain: The Difference with Knits

Knit Grain Terminology

Much like a woven fabric, knits also have straight and cross grains, but the terminology is a little different. It’s important to keep in mind that some knits will behave at least a little differently than others. All knits are NOT created equal. 

That said, knits are mostly made up of a bunch of loops that are “knitted” together to create the fabric. On a knit, the straight grain is a series of loops that are also referred to as the wales, or ribs. These ribs will form lines that run parallel to the selvage edge. Now, some of these knits are like wovens in that this direction of grain will have little to no stretch from selvage to selvage. And some (like cotton lycra blends) will have a great deal of stretch.

The cross grain of a knit fabric is made up of a series of loops called the courses, or loops. This is also where you will find the majority of stretch in any fabric, but in knits especially. Like wovens, a vast majority of your garment sewing will put the cross grain going from side to side on your pattern pieces. But we’ll talk more about that next week.

Finding the Grain

Thankfully, finding the grain of a knit fabric is usually relatively easy. If you don’t have a selvage edge, look at the fabric closely.

With most knits, you should be able to see the ribs that run parallel to the selvage. If you can’t, just tug on the fabric a little. It should help you to see the ribs better. Like this:

Once you have that figured out, you’re on your way! Join us next week when we talk pattern layout! It’ll be fun! 

In the meantime, please join us in our Facebook group for fun and sharing! And I’ll see you next week!

How To Cut Patterns With a Rotary Cutter

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We’re always looking for a quicker and easier way to get things done, aren’t we? From laundry, do dishes, to cleaning the bathroom… But how about a way to streamline something more fun? I absolutely LOVE to sew (obviously), but I think my least favorite part of sewing is cutting the pattern pieces out. I used to do it the old school way of pinning the pattern to the fabric and using scissors… or tracing my pattern onto the fabric and using scissors. But then I learned how to use a rotary cutter and my life has never been the same. So let me share my wisdom so that you can get to the fun stuff faster too!

How To Cut Patterns With a Rotary Cutter

Tools

This may seem self-explanatory, but for the sake of full disclosure…

You will need:

pattern

fabric

cutting mat

rotary cutter

pattern weights (recommended, but not necessary)

Cutting straight pieces

First thing’s first. ALWAYS use a cutting mat! Rotary cutters are sharp and will mess up anything else you try to cut on! Also, make sure you change out your blades fairly regularly. A dull blade makes for sloppy and ragged cuts, which is something you don’t want.

Thankfully, cutting straight pieces is super easy and a good way to practice. I will most often use measurements and a straight edge (like my acrylic ruler) to get precise and straight pieces. Just make sure your ruler is straight (either parallel or perpendicular to the grain of the fabric). Hold it down tight so that it doesn’t move. And run your cutter straight down the edge, pressing down so that it goes through all of the layers you are cutting through. If you don’t have a straight edge but have a straight piece such as a neckband, then you will just have to be a little more careful to stay right along the edge of your paper pattern piece without cutting through it.

Cutting curved pieces

Cutting curves takes a little more care, but once you get the hang of it, you will never go back to cutting with scissors again! With a rotary cutter, I will only lay and cut one piece at a time. It makes it easier to see what exactly you’re doing and you are less likely to cut into something you don’t want to. 

Lay out your fabric. Make sure there’s a fold if you need one there. Lay your piece out flat on top. This is where pattern weights come in handy. Lining your piece with weights will help keep it from shifting and messing up your cut.

Once you have everything where you want it, carefully place your rotary cutter along the edge and cut SLOWLY. I cannot stress that enough. The faster you go (at least when you’re first starting to cut this way) the more likely you are to get off track and cut something you don’t mean to. The more you do it, the faster you will be able to go without incident.

When you first start out, you might want to practice on a few scraps to get the hang of it, but with practice, you’ll be cutting everything with a rotary cutter like a pro before you know it!

Have a rotary cutting success story to share? Please do! In the comments and/or in the Bella Sunshine Facebook group! We’d LOVE to hear about it!

How To Create and Attach a Knit Binding

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Knits are some of my favorite fabrics to sew with for so many reasons. Mainly, how comfortable the clothing is once it’s done! But when you live in a hotter climate and don’t want the double layer of a lining, or just want a slightly more sophisticated finish than a band at the neck of your garment, you might need a secondary option. That option is a knit binding and I’m going to show you how to create and attach one now!

 

How To Create and Attach a Knit Binding

Supplies:

Garment (unfinished)

Matching or coordinating fabric

Sewing Machine

Thread Scissors

(basically, the usual suspects)

Step One: Creating the binding

Thankfully, this is easier for knits than it is for woven fabrics. To create a woven binding, you have to cut on the bias in order for it to have the stretch it needs to be successful. For a knit, you just cut along the stretch. I will typically cut my binding 2″ tall which leaves my binding approx 1/2 inch when finished, but you can play with it to create your own personal aesthetic.

The length can be a little tricky. As a general rule, you want to cut a neck or sleeve binding at approximately 80% of the opening you are binding plus a seam allowance. So, or you have a neck opening of 20″ your binding would be 16″ long plus 1/2″ on each side for a seam allowance for a total of 17″ in length. This percentage can vary with your knit type but works well for cotton lycra in my experience. (Of course, if you’re replacing a band with a binding, you can always use the band length to make it easy!) Once you’ve done your math and cut your rectangle(s), it’s time to move on!

Step Two: Attaching a knit binding

Again, this (for me) is easier than dealing with a woven binding. First, you’ll want to sew the two short ends together to form a loop.

Then, it’s much like a neckband, only you will not fold the loop in half. Instead, you’ll take this flat loop and place pins at the quarters, starting at the seam. Do the same for the opening you are binding.

Now, with the RIGHT side of the binding against the WRONG side of the opening, match up the pins (with the seam at center back) and add a few pins between to make sure everything is all nice and even.

Once you’re all pinned, it’s time to sew! Sew at 1/4 the width of the binding (or just a smidge less). In my case, I sewed at about 3/8″.

Now comes the slightly tricky part. You’re going to pull the binding up out of the neckline.

 

Fold the loose raw edge in to meet the raw edges you just sewed together.

Then fold again so that the raw edges are all enclosed within the binding. Also, take care that the first round of stitches is hidden beneath this fold. Pin it well.

Then, being careful not to stretch as you sew, edge stitch around the fold to finish it off. That’s it! Beautiful bound edges!

One Other Idea

There is one other way to incorporate a binding into your project, and that is to bind your hem! If you want to do this, the instructions are pretty much the same. You’ll just want to adjust the length of your binding up to 90% of the opening.

I really hope you enjoyed this tutorial and found it helpful! As always, feel free to join us in our Facebook group for fun and support! And check out our sew along group to sew patterns as a group! We’ll be sewing up something at least quarterly, so come join us!

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