One bright spot in my little cottage is that the former owners knocked out a wall of what was once a bedroom, creating an alcove off the main area of the house. It's too small to be of much use, so I've been able to turn it into my sewing nook. I can't compete with some of the lovely studios we've all seen on Pinterest, but it serves the purpose. It holds my regular sewing machine (A Viking #1+), a Damascus treadle machine that I plan to get into working order, a workbench, a sewing/cutting table made by my father, and my ironing board. I can't have them all out at once, mind! I'll share pictures when I can.
I'm a bit of a rare bird in my generation. My mother actually DID teach me to sew. And she taught me the vintage tailoring tricks that SHE learned. Cotton organdy to stiffen cuffs and collars, silk organza sleeve heads - Those little touches that you don't find in "Quick 2 hour Skirt!" patterns. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like a quick sew as much as the next girl. But there are plenty of places around the web for you to go find those projects. And most of the creative souls who put them out there are doing a better job than I could.
What I'm going to show you is how to sew, vintage style. (Mind - NOT to sew Vintage Style. We're not going to throw together a 60's cowl neck dress in an hour) I'm going to share my vintage sewing goodies with you, including new acquisitions as I find them. And my opinions, of course. We can't escape that! I think we'll start with this little gem:
I found this little gem in a local antique store. Copyright 1926, it's still a gem of a booklet, with lots of tips as useful today as they were when they were first written.
Before we just jump right in, though, let's go over the basics that you should have on hand.
1. Sewing machine
- this is a given, unless you've really got the patience of Job. And lots of free time. In a later post, we'll talk about sewing machine selection.2. Ironing board
- the one thing you can do to make your sewing better (other than sewing better) is to press well and press often.3. Measuring devices
- A tape measure, ruler, quilting rulers. It's good to have at least one good tape measure, preferably 120" long and at least one good straight-edge ruler. Frankly, you'll find it easiest if you have several in multiple sizes.4. Pins
- Get the best pins you can find. I prefer fine glass head pins. Yep, they're more expensive. But you can't melt the heads with your iron like you can the plastic kind. And they don't leave big holes in your fabric.5. Needles
- sewing machine and hand. Don't think for an instant that because I said you need a sewing machine that there will be no hand sewing. There will be lots of hand sewing. Don't worry, the more you do it, the faster you'll get. And it might even become a soothing activity - something you can do on the couch while your husband rents that latest explosion-packed movie that's a little thin in the plot department. Remember, too, that needles are a renewable resource. That is, they have a fixed life span. About 8-12 hours of continuous sewing for a machine needle. Hand needles will vary. But if you're starting to have to push, change needles. When your needle has reached the end of it's useful life - Throw. It. Away. Your sewing will improve when your tools do. Make sure you always use the right needle for the job, too. More on this in a future post.
6. Marking pens and pencils
- This is sometimes a personal preference. I have a blue water soluble pen, some chalk pencils in multiple colors, and a Frixion pen. The blue pencil is nice, as the marks wash right out - IF you don't iron them first. They sometimes heat fix, so be careful! The chalk pencils come out nicely, don't heat fix - but aren't as fine a point and can be brushed away inadvertently. The Frixion pen is my new love. This one erases with a pass of the iron. But the marks come back when you put the fabric in the freezer (not as dark, but legible). Given my difficulty in making up my mind, this is a great feature. I do wonder if they'd become visible again if I made a garment and wore it outside in the winter, though. Tailor's chalk is handing for marking things especially when they're on the model and you need to make adjustments. I found a whole box of vintage commerical chalk in an antique store. I love it!7. Good scissors
- I can't stress this enough. Buy one pair of really good dressmaker's shears. Care for them. Love them. And never let anybody (yourself included) cut paper with them. I recommend Ginghers. They're a bit of an investment, but they'll pay you back for it over the years. You can even return them to the factory for sharpening for a very small fee (basically postage). Have a second pair that you can use on paper, as well. You'll use these to cut apart paper patterns or trims you'd rather not use your good scissors on. It's very useful to have a sharp pair of embroidery scissors as well, for trimming threads, etc.8. Pincushion or other device for securing sharp objects
- Get a fun little pincushion. And consider also getting a magnetic pinkeeper. When you drop pins, you can hold the magnetic pinkeeper over the floor and pick them up without hunting for hours.9. Cutting Board
- mine is just cardboard. It gives me a large surface for cutting out fabric, it's marked in a 1" grid, and it has some helpful curves and scallops drawn on it.10. Seam ripper
- You will make mistakes. As ye sew, so shall ye rip.Nice to have but not absolutely necessary:
A mini iron for small projects
A seam roll, tailor's ham, and pressing board - for getting into tight places
A rotary cutter and mat - speeds up some jobs
Thread spool holder
Various bodkins, turners, or forceps - for turning bias tubing or other small pieces, threading elastic, etc.
Next time, we'll discuss sewing machine selection.
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