Flat Fell Seaming

As promised here is my second type of seam finish.  It is the Flat Fell Seam.  It is used all the time but maybe you are not really aware of it.

It is generally used on pants, jeans, and reversible garments.

The seam allowance can be sewn on the right side or wrong side of the fabric.  Then the raw edges are simply tucked under.

1.  Stitch a regular seam but with right sides together.  Press seam allowances to one side.

2.  Trim the under seam allowance to 1/8 inch.

3.  Turn under 1/4 inch on the upper seam allowance.

4.  Edge stitch close to the fold .  Press again.

5.  The finished seam will be on the right side of the fabric.  Take a look at a pair of jeans.  You can see this kind of seam sewn on the inseam. 

Sometimes when I sew a pair of dress slacks I like using this method but starting out with right sides of the fabric together.  This way the seam is finished on the inside of the slacks.

Let me know if you give this a try.  I would like to see your sewn samples.

Until next week!

All About French Seams

How much thought do we really put into seaming?

Seams do more than hold our garments together.  They are what gives us the shape of the garment.

There are many methods of seaming.  When using a serger we don't think much about it.  Sew up our seam and overcast using the serger and we are done.  At least this is what I have been doing for a long, long time now.

But I do have a few favorite methods that I think are worth considering.

My favorite one is the French seam.  A French seam may be used in sheer fabrics, blouses, children's clothing and in lingerie.

Before sergers a French seam was highly used.  In todays world a French seam is found only in higher end clothing.

I will take you through the steps for constructing a French seam.

When sewing a French seam the first thing is to sew a regular 1/4" seam.   Unlike regular

seaming you sew this seam wrong sides together.

 Trim to 1/8".    

Then press the seam as sewn.  Still wrong sides together.

At this point press the 1/8" seam open.  Right side of fabric will be facing upwards.

Place right sides of the fabric together.  Fold on the stitching line and then press again.

Now stitch on the seam line incasing the 1/8" seam inside.  At this point you will have right sides together.

This is what it will look like from the wrong side. You will have a wonderful clean finish on the inside.  Without ever serging.

The outside of your fabric will look just as wonderful.

I hope this helps to show you a little of what sewers used to do before we had sergers.  Of course I would not give up my serger yet!

Next week I will show you my next favorite seaming method.

Until next time happy French seaming!

    

Sewing Needles So Confusing!

I remember asking my sewing teacher. “How important is a sewing needle?”  When I first started sewing I thought sewing needles were all the same.  As I continued my sewing journey I learned how important needles are to sewing.

Using the correct needle can make or break your sewing project.  We want our finished project to look great!  I learned this the hard way.  The wrong needle can cause skipped stitches or puckers where you didn’t intend to have them.  The needles are what make your machine form the stitches.  

Needles are sold in different sizes and styles.  When you purchase needles for your sewing project you buy the needle according to the sewing and thread you will be using. Yes it all ties together---

I also have replaced my needle often.  I usually use a new needle for the one project I’m working on.  The tip of the needle will become dull with over usage.  Sometimes you may accidently hit a pin but still continue sewing.  If the needle does not break and you continue sewing you might not notice a difference.  But as you keep sewing your stitching may not look the same.  It is because you have chipped the tip of the needle. If this should happen while you are sewing change to a new needle right away. 

Here is a little guide on needles:

Fine fabrics need to be sewn with fine needles and also fine thread.  This would work on silk. The size for silk sewing would be size 60/8 needle.  When you are sewing with heavier fabrics such as heavy upholstery and canvas you would use heavier thread and size 120/20 needle.

I have added a link to the Schmetz Needle Guide to help you when buying needles. Take a look at this guide and even download it to keep as a reference. 

After awhile you will be able to buy your needles just by knowing what type of fabric and thread you are using.  It becomes second nature to you! 

Elite Pressure Cooker Chicken Stew

Not sure why I am posting this? But here goes!  

My Version of chicken stew using the Elite Pressure Cooker. 
I didn't have any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving day so I just used chicken breast. 
I cut up chicken, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions and I couldn't leave out the garlic. 

Right in the pressure cooker I set it to the "brown" setting and added a little bit of olive oil.  Cooked the  garlic and onions for about 30 seconds.  Added the chicken and browned the pieces for a little bit.  

I added the vegetables

Added chicken stock, bay lief, and pepper.  I didn't add salt because I figured the chicken stock would have enough.

Covered the pressure cooker and set it for "stew".   It automatically set itself for 25 minutes.  This is why I bought this pressure cooker from HSN.  It just has to be set on what you want and it takes it from there! Cool huh?

  Counting down now at 14 minutes left.

After cooking time was reached I used the rapid release valve.  This quickly let the steam out.  You can see the steam coming out of the valve.  This took a few minutes to complete.

I opened the lid once all the pressure was out and the stew smelled so good!

I couldn't help but spoon some in a bowl and dig in!

mmmmmm!  

Not bad for 25 minutes! Of course this was after it reached pressure.  

Tasting it I felt it needed some extra spices. I added additional seasoning like parsley and thyme and basil. I also through in a small can of tomato sauce. Then I set it to the "brown" setting and let it stew for another five minutes.  Reaching pressure took around 10 minutes.  This pressure cooker has an 8 quart capacity.  If I'm cooking a lot or a little it can handle it for me!  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Sewers and Crafting World!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our day was beautiful, spent with family and  friends!

We all have many blessings to give thanks to God for!

Let me know what you are doing? 
Where ever life takes you...make it a great weekend!