a list of 15 tips on how to improve your sewing - (Nos. 3 and 4 repeats points made by Kathleen Fasanella, cut to the line and cut cleanly/accurately)
I think No. 10 is key -
Perform similar operations at the same time and sew flat.It helps to take a step back, look at all the steps and organise (and write down) your own sewing plan/assembly process so that you can perform similar operations at the same time.
I think this idea of similar operations includes some of the earlier points eg. do the cutting and marking, do all the interfacing and so on.
For Point 12. Learn to sew without pins (or use as few as you can)
See this
video by Janet Pray it includes - the benefits of a flat surface, how to line up and control fabric for sewing without pins and also techniques for how to stitch around inside and outside curves. Try it and practise, it really does work even if it may feel a bit strange at first.
About No. 1, Change Seam allowances.
for Dressmaking, I am a great believer in using different seam allowances for different parts of the garment, it makes assembly so much easier.
Also, depending on what seams will be used where, I adjust the seam allowances accordingly, for example:
- on a shirt where I will use flat fell seams, I use a smaller allowance on the side that will be trapped inside the seam and larger allowance on the side that will provide the folded wrap. (In effect. I don't see the point of cutting pieces the same size, sewing the first pass and then trimming away the edge of one layer. Really I'm just cutting away that excess before stitching.
Different widths of Flatfelled seams need different sized seam allowances.
- on collars, stands, necklines etc. I use 0.5cm as my standard allowance.