May Martin’s Sewing Bible: 40 years of tips and tricks. May Martin

If in doubt about whether your fabric has a nap, pin all all pattern pieces so that they are lying in the same direction. Cut out the individual pieces of fabric for your garment with care, using sharp scissors and following the line of the pattern pieces as accurately as possible.

       Remember to cut notches outwards so that they don’t steal your seam allowance.

       If you are right-handed, place your left hand on your pattern piece to hold it flat while cutting out (photo 2). This will be the other way round if you are left-handed.

       Take care when cutting two garment pieces out of a single rather than a double layer of fabric. Cut one piece with the paper pattern print right side up, then turn the paper pattern over to cut out the second piece. You will then have a right and a left piece!

       Practise your machine stitching on a double piece of fabric before you make a start on your garment.

       Place garment pieces right sides together before you attach them, carefully matching the notches together on each seam.

       When you’re pinning seams together, always pin at right-angles to the fitting line. This makes them easier to pull out when you’re sewing the seam.

       As you construct your garment, remove pattern pieces one at a time, matching to the adjacent piece. This avoids confusion when you have lots of pieces. Where there are many sections of the garment to cut out, it may be helpful to label each one with a slip of paper attached with a pin so that you can identify which section it is once you have removed the paper pattern.

       Don’t screw up your garment in between sewing sessions. Lay it over a hanger so that it is kept flat for the next stage.

       Press every seam as you make it, to bed the stitches in, and then press the seam open or to one side if that is indicated in the pattern.

       Neaten each seam as you construct it. The minute you trap one seam in another with a row of machining, it is very difficult to get at it to neaten any raw edges.

       Trim, clip and press at every stage of your project.

       Measure, measure, measure! Be as accurate as possible when you sew. I sew with a tape measure on a lanyard around my neck!

      Top Tip

      Measure twice, cut once!

      Hand Stitches

      Here I’ve listed all the basic hand stitches that you’ll need for the various projects in this book.

      Overstitch or oversewing stitch: This is a small, even diagonal stitch that can be worked from either the right or the wrong side of a garment or other item being sewn together. The stitches will usually show, but give a very secure join.

      Overcast stitch: This stitch is used to neaten edges. Take a diagonal stitch over the edge of the fabric.

      Running stitch: I often use this as a tacking or temporary stitch. It is secure and several stitches are worked at the same time.

      Backstitch: This is a really robust hand stitch that can be used to make permanent seams.

      Catch stitch: I have used this to catch the side hems on my curtains. Don’t pull too tight or it will show through on the right side of the fabric.

      Slip stitch: This is another stitch that’s used in hemming, for attaching a double fold of fabric to a single layer.

      Even slip stitch (ladder stitch): I use this for catching two folds together. When pulled apart, the stitches look like the rungs on a ladder.

      Blanket stitch: This can be used as a decorative finish for the edges of seams or appliqué motifs. The thread is looped around the needle each time it is inserted.

      Diagonal tacking: This is really useful for holding pleats in position. When underlining a garment piece (i.e. attaching lining to the wrong side of the main fabric to help support it), as I’ve done in the Boned Bodice, diagonal tacks help to hold the layers together.

      

      Sewing Machine

       A sewing machine is an essential piece of equipment for most projects. Ideally, you want one with three controls – stitch width, stitch length and stitch selector – to give enough flexibility. There is a huge range to choose from and it’s best to do a bit of research before you buy, rather than plumping for a cheap model from a catalogue or supermarket, which may be low spec and unreliable. I’d recommend visiting your nearest sewing-machine shop, where they will be able to give you a demonstration and advice on the different models so that you can select the best one for your needs. They will also provide back-up should you require it. Alternatively, is there one in the family that you can use? If it hasn’t been used for a while, clean and oil it or have it serviced before you start sewing.