Tips for Handsewing

[Greyhaunt]

Ok, yea, I'm a freak and even though I have a perfectly good sewing machine, I like to hand sew a lot of what my dolls wear. I find it relaxing and fun. Anyway, along the way I have accrued some helpful tips so I thought I'd share those and others can add on

1. If you are like me and cannot get used to using a thimble, flex-fabric bandaids will go a long way to protecting fingertips without losing your ability to "feel" what you are sewing. They aren't perfect, mind you, but much better than nothing.

2. To do a straight line of top-stitching (such as a hemline) I use some 1/4" wide tape (purchased pre-cut so I know the edges will be perfectly straight) and a seam measure to stick down the tape so its edge is the exact distance from the edge of the fabric to where my hem should be. The tape becomes a guideline that I follow as I sew and I get a really nice straight line of stitches!

That's it for the moment, I'll add more as I think of them

[Shinku_Rhapsody]

Why didn't I think of tape...
Thanks!

[Princess_Sarah_Em]

Nice idea of the bandaids, I feel clumsy with thimbles and I'm constantly stabbing my fingers.
All I can add is, PINS, PINS, PINS! They are a seamstress's best friend.

[dhawktx]

One of my favorite tips is using a third hand or sewing bird to hold the stuff - that frees up one hand to control the fabric and one to stitch...this item is unique in that the harder you pull, the more firmly it grabs the fabric.

http://www.clotilde.com/detail.html?pro ... &cat_id=96

When using the bird isn't viable, you can also pin the fabric to the knee of your jeans...

[Gift_in_Edge]

For knotting I pin the needle in the fabric, wrap around the thread that's still in the needle 3 times, and pull it through.

[Greyhaunt]

Oh, I didn't think about knotting

Actually I don't use knots at all anymore. I've picked up the couture method which is to do the first stitch three times. It makes for an awesome tight start and finish with no bumpies

[dhawktx]

Reference chart of hand stitches:
http://www.fiber-images.com/Free_Things ... tches.html

Project Gutenberg: Public Domain needlework books (the first one includes hand stitching instructions) with illustrations -
Encyclopedia of Needlework Thérèse de Dillmont http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20776
Beeton's Book of Needlework Mrs. Beeton http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15147
Art in Needlework Lewis Foreman Day and Mary Buckle http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/28269
Ladies' Work-Table Book Anonymous http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29382
Handicraft for Girls Idabelle McGlauflin http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34854

[Jobee]

For small projects, like 1/6 scale stuff, I recommend selecting a knit fabric instead of a woven fabric. It stretches and you don't have to hem it. This won't look good for all projects, but quite a few.

If you have to use a woven fabric for something small, cut it a little bit bigger and go over the very edge with clear nail polish. This will prevent fraying. It does show, so fold it in or trim it off after when it's time to do the hem. Or, you can just cover it with a lovely ribbon or trim and no one's the wiser!

[OkamiKodomo]

I prefer Dritz Fray check to clear polish, because it's soft enough to sew through, and not as visible once it dries. Cut your pattern pieces, and before you do anything with them, go along each raw edge with Fray Check, and let it dry. It's also great to seal off the edges of ribbons, and hair wefts.

Bias-tape can sometimes be too wide or not pretty enough to trim some fancy doll clothes... so I like to use satin ribbon. Sew one edge to the right side of the fabric, then fold it over and sew it down. It covers your raw edges, and makes it look like sewn piping. AND! Most satin ribbon has a sort of "edge" that works great for a guide to make a nice, even stitch. It's easiest with 5/8" ribbon, but I've made it work with 1/4" and a little patience.

This isn't so much a hand-sewing tip as an embellishment tip... But if you're putting eyelets in a fabric that normally frays, in addition to whatever support you've sewn in, I find it helps to put a drop of fray-check where you're putting each eyelet. Once it dries, it's much easier to punch a hole, and insert the eyelet without the fabric snagging and getting messy.

[dhawktx]

Eyelets: If you use an awl (long pointy thing) to poke the hole instead of cutting it, the eyelet will be much more secure. It's also good to sandwich a bit of leather or pleather under the fabric to support them.