Saturday, May 3, 2014

It Is Always Nice To Have A Full Seam Guide Handy

By Eloise Hewitt


Sewing is a fun and creative way to keep you entertained and relaxed. Sewing has great benefits that go from making and mending your own clothes to helping cloth the kids' dolls. This is a very cost effective exercise as clothes are becoming ever more expensive. When sewing you want a straight line, the way to achieve that is with a seam guide.

The guide allows you to line up your fabric and run a straight line while sewing. If you do not have one, you will find it is very easy to zigzag across the material. You often only notice this once you've finished sewing your master piece. Just about all sewing machines have one, but if yours does not, you can make your own.

This is the role and importance of having and using the guide. After all, what's the point of having something if you are not going to make use of it? Perhaps the question is, most people see it there but what is it and how does one use it?

The guide is more often than not made out of steel. You fill find it just under the needle on the bed of the sewing machine. It has multiple measurements form the left and right of the needle. These measurements are taken from the point the needle and marked out on most common seam sizes. If the measurement you want is not showing or there is none at all, you can simply make one yourself.

The function of the guide is to keep the seam straight. You do this by running your material on the edge of the chosen measurement or line. This will ensure a consistent straight seam of the same measurement all the way. If your machine is lacking a guide then you can make one yourself with a ruler, marking pen and tape.

Now that you have your marking in place you are ready to get sewing. Line up your material on the chosen measurement and start sewing. Remember to keep an eye on the material and the guide to make sure you do not go off line. Go at a speed that you feel comfortable with, just remember that too fast and too slow is also a problem, you will learn as you practice.

If you are really struggling and you just cannot keep that line straight there are multiple attachments that can help you. You may consider purchasing a more rigid one. One that is not flush with the sewing machine bed, instead a raised edge as to form more of a lip that the material can run against. These come in different forms, from plastic to steel each with its own benefits and durability.

If you are finding you are still going skew, you can go to your local sewing shop. There are multiple attachments and methods they can help you with. These attachments have been designed for everyone, so don't feel that you're the only person struggling. The point is to have fun so go ahead and try it out today.




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