Sewing is the process of stitching pieces of fabric together with a needle and thread, by hand or using a sewing machine. Many people enjoy sewing their own clothes and such household articles as bedspreads, pillows, curtains, and slipcovers. Clothing and other items sewn at home may cost less, fit and wear better, and have more individuality than ready-made products. Sewing also plays a vital role in the clothing, home furnishings, and textile industries.
People in western Europe and central Asia began to sew, using bone needles, more than 17,000 years ago. Most sewing was done by hand until the 1800’s. In 1846, an American inventor named Elias Howe patented the first practical sewing machine. Today, most sewing is done by machine.
Kinds of stitches
Many kinds of stitches can be used in sewing. The kind used depends on whether the sewing is done by hand or by machine.
Hand stitches.
There are six main hand stitches: (1) the running stitch, (2) the basting stitch, (3) the slipstitch, (4) the blindstitch, (5) the overcast stitch, and (6) the catchstitch.
The running stitch
is used for gathering, pulling a piece of fabric together into small folds. These folds, called gathers, add fullness to necklines, sleeves, and waistlines.
The basting stitch
is a temporary stitch that holds two or more pieces of fabric together. Basting stitches serve as a guide for permanent machine stitching.
The slipstitch
provides an invisible finish when permanently attaching flaps, linings, and pockets to a garment. It is used on folded edges because the lengths of thread can be concealed within the folds.
The blindstitch
holds hems and facings in place. Facings are pieces of fabric that cover edges of a garment. This technique keeps the stitches from showing.
The overcast stitch
is a slanted, evenly spaced stitch used on the raw (cut) edges of a seam. Overcasting prevents the edges from fraying.
The catchstitch
is a flexible stitch used to hold two layers of fabric together. It is often used to secure hems in knit garments.
Machine stitches
include straight, zigzag, and decorative stitches. Straight stitches are used for basting and gathering and for sewing seams. Zigzag stitches may be used for finishing raw edges, making buttonholes, or attaching elastic to a garment. Attachments, dials, or levers on some machines can be set to produce decorative stitches.
Preparing for a sewing project
Choosing the equipment, fabric, and pattern.
In addition to a sewing machine, sewing requires five basic groups of equipment: (1) hand sewing equipment, including a needle and thread; (2) marking tools, such as chalk or pins; (3) a tape measure or other measuring tools; (4) scissors; and (5) an iron and ironing board. The proper equipment is essential for successful sewing.
Sewers may work with a wide variety of fabrics. Some fabrics, including cotton, linen, silk, and wool, are made from plant or animal fibers. Other fabrics consist of manufactured fibers, sometimes called synthetics. They include polyester, nylon, and rayon. See Textile (Sources of textile fibers) .
Beginning sewers should avoid plaid or striped fabrics or those with a nap. Napped fabrics have soft, short threads on the surface. Plaid, striped, and napped fabrics require extra skill and time to cut out and sew. The design of plaid or striped fabrics should be matched at the seams. Napped fabrics, such as corduroy and velvet, must be laid out so that the nap runs in the same direction on all the pieces.
Cotton-covered polyester thread can be used for most sewing tasks. Fabrics made from certain synthetic fibers require the use of a synthetic thread. Fabrics made with natural fibers with little or no stretch may be sewn with mercerized cotton thread. Mercerization is a chemical treatment that increases the luster and strength of thread. Silk thread should be used to sew silk fabrics.
Only highly experienced sewers design their own patterns. Most people select patterns from catalogs. Most such catalogs have patterns for sewers of varying skill levels, including easy-to-sew patterns for beginners.
A pattern consists of pieces of paper shaped like the various sections of a garment, plus sewing instructions. Information printed on the pattern envelope suggests suitable fabrics. It also indicates the amount of material required and the necessary notions (such items as buttons and zippers). Generally, several different garments can be made from one pattern. A layout guide tells which pattern pieces to use for each garment.
Fitting the pattern.
Patterns are made to fit general figure types and sizes. The pattern pieces have markings that indicate where to shorten or lengthen the pattern, if necessary. More extensive adjustments may require adding inserts or making tucks in the pattern pieces.
Laying out the pattern.
The layout guide shows how the pattern pieces should be arranged on the fabric for cutting. It also tells whether to cut the pieces in a single or double thickness of the fabric. Most pieces should align with the lengthwise grain—that is, the vertical threads of the fabric. These threads run parallel to the selvages, the finished edges of the fabric. Bias pieces are laid out and cut diagonally across the grain. Cutting with or across the grain affects the way a garment will hang when worn.
After the pattern pieces are pinned to the fabric, the pieces are cut out along the cutting line of the pattern. All buttonhole locations, center markings, and darts (short, tapered folds that give a garment its shape) should be marked on the fabric using chalk, pins, or a tracing wheel and paper. A tracing wheel is a small wheel with a handle attached. It is used with tracing paper, or waxed carbon paper, to mark the fabric.
Sewing the item
Most patterns give step-by-step instructions for sewing a garment. The sewing process may include making seams, darts, fastenings, facings, linings, and hems.
Seams.
Seams are the basic element in garment construction. Most seams are formed by sewing the right sides of two fabric pieces together. Seams are usually sewn5/8 inch (1.6 centimeters) from the edge with a straight machine stitch. The length and tension (tightness) of machine stitches can be adjusted using special dials. Most seams require a stitch length of 10 to 12 stitches per inch (4 to 5 per centimeter) and a medium tension setting. But stitch length and tension should be adjusted based on the type of fabric and seam. Incorrect tension may cause the seam to pucker or pull out. The sewer should use the settings recommended by the machine’s guidebook.
When sewing curved seams, one section of fabric may be slightly longer than the other, and easing is necessary. When easing, the sewer keeps the longer section uppermost and constantly adjusts the two pieces while stitching to match the markings and avoid gathers.
The edges of seams should be finished (treated to prevent fraying). The sewer may cut the edges with pinking shears (sometimes called pinking scissors), which trim the edges in small scallops, or overcast the edges by hand or machine.
Some sewers make seams using a machine called a serger. This machine sews the seam, finishes the edges, and trims the fabric at the same time.
Darts
are placed at the shoulders, elbows, bustline, and waistline of a garment in order to shape the fabric to fit the body. To make a dart, the fabric is folded with right sides together along the center of the marked dart, and pinned. The dart is then basted and stitched from the wide end toward the point.
Fastenings
include buttons, zippers, snaps, and hooks and eyes. Buttons are attached with small stitches. Buttonholes are made by hand with a buttonhole stitch or by machine with a zigzag stitch. Bound buttonholes are made with small folded strips of fabric. The strips are stitched to form “lips” around the opening.
Zippers are usually applied by the slot, (also called centered) method, the lapped method, or the fly-front method. The method used is based on the garment and the location of the zipper. For example, the slot method might be used for a neckline zipper, the lapped method on a skirt, and the fly-front method on slacks.
In all three methods, the zipper opening is basted closed and the seam pressed open. The zipper is basted facedown over the seam on the inside. The sewer stitches around the zipper and then removes the basting. Invisible zippers, which look like seams from the outside, must be inserted using a special machine attachment. Zippers may be handsewn to garments made from such delicate fabrics as crepe, chiffon, or velvet.
Snaps or hooks and eyes are used to fasten neck and waistline openings. They are handsewn to the inside of the garment.
Facings
finish off a garment’s raw opening edges, such as necklines and armholes. Self-facings are extensions of the garment that form a fold at the opening edges. Shaped facings are separate pieces of the fabric that are sewn along the edge and turned to the inside. Special fabric called interfacing may be used between the facing and the outer garment to add firmness.
Linings
cover the inner surface of a garment. Lining pieces are stitched together and then sewn by machine or hand to the inside of the garment.
Hems
are used on the bottom edges of garments and sleeves. First, the edge is finished. Then it is turned to the inside and sewn in place, usually by the slipstitch, blindstitch, or catchstitch.
