What is a Seam Allowance?
“A seam allowance is the area between the edge and the stitching line on two (or more) pieces of material being stitched together. Seam allowances can range from 1/4 inch wide to as much as several inches. Commercial patterns for home sewers have seam allowances ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch.â€(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) All garment, quilting, home decorating, hand bag or craft project will have a designated seam allowance. When reading through a pattern before starting (always recommended), look for what the seam allowance is. This measured distance is the width between the ragged edge and where the seam is to be stitched. Sometimes the type of pattern, design, or fabric requirements determines which size seam allowance will be used.
When looking at garment patterns with multiple sizes, the printed lines on the tissue paper are the cutting lines and the seam allowances have already been added.
There are a few garment pattern companies that do not include seam allowances. Burda sewing patterns now include seam allowances on all patterns shipped to English-speaking countries like the UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Burda patterns purchased or shipped from Europe DO NOT come with hem or seam allowances.
Sewing industry seam allowances range from 1/4†for curved areas like a neck line or arm hole or hidden seams like facing seams, to 1†or more for areas that require extra fabric for final fitting to the wearer like the center back.
Why is 5/8†(1.5cm) the standard seam allowance? A 5/8″(1.5cm) seam allowance provides enough “extra†between the seam line and the cut edge of the fabric to make sure that the fabric will be safely caught as they are being joining together. This is particularly important when working with fabrics that ravel easily. A 5/8†(1.5cm) seam allowance is also easier to work with when pressing a seam open or topstitching it for a finishing touch. Finally, it also provides a small amount of “letting out” space if a garment needs to be just a little bit looser.
When using a serger to construct the seam, seam allowances are cut off. If the pattern may need fit adjusting later, it is a better to serger each of the fabric pieces individuality with a 3-thread overlock. Keep the entire seam allowance in tact by running the edge of the fabric right along the edge of the serger knife. Then seam together the pieces with a regular sewing machine. This way there is still fabric within the seam allowance if the item needs to be adjusted further.
Remember that if the seam allowance is adjusted in one place, it will also need to be adjusted in the corresponding sections. For example, if side seam allowance at the underarm on a bodice is adjusted, the underarm seam allowance on the sleeve or armhole facing will also need the same adjustment.
Check to make sure the seam lines on the throat plate of the sewing machine are accurate to the position of the needle. If you have had trouble with pattern pieces fitting together, it might be in how the fabric is being guided. You can sew on a piece of paper without thread in the needle along the guides on the sewing machine. Measure to see how accurate your sewing is in relation to how you guide the fabric. Make adjustments as necessary to perfect your seam allowances.
© 2007 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
The Perfect Straight Stitch
Are you ready to take your sewing to the next level? Let us examine what it takes to make the perfect straight stitch. Whether it is for adding the final topstitching on a bag or creating perfectly square corners on a pillow, this perfection can be enhanced with a straight stitch throat plate. A sewing machines throat plate or stitch plate covers the stitching area exposing the feed dogs and leaves an opening for the needle to travel down to the bobbin. Stitch plates are removable for ease in cleaning the feed dog area. Each machine comes equipped with a stitch plate that accommodates the widest stitch available on that particular model. Additional throat plates like a straight stitch throat plate is an optional accessory and is available for most machines.
A straight stitch throat plate promotes perfect stitch quality when working with very delicate fabrics (fine batiste or silks). The small single center needle position hole provides fabric support all around the needle as the stitch is formed, preventing distortion in delicate or cotton fabrics. This specialty throat plate is also favored by quilters for piecing and free- motion machine quilting. Combined with a 1/4†foot, it facilitates the piecing process, especially at the beginning and end of seams. The straight stitch plate may only be used with a straight stitch in the center needle position.
Examine your sewing machine’s throat plate. Notice how much room the needle has to move from side to side when bulky quilts or projects are being sewn. By using the needle down function and a straight stitch throat plate, the needle will be held in the center needle position while the fabric is being arranged and tugged into position around the sewing machine.
Use a straight stitch throat plate with any type of fabric when a perfect straight stitch is desired. Combined with a straight stitch foot or a 1/4†foot, it offers the most control and support of the fabric as the needle enters it to form a stitch.
Call Heirloom Creations with your machine brand and model number to have a straight stitch throat plate ordered or set aside for you!
© 2007 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
Sewing Machine Insurance
Have you ever had sewing machine act like it was possessed? It probably was just not receiving a consistent electricity supply from the outlet. When it comes to electronic and computerized sewing and embroidery machines, there are things we can do to protect them. Electrical disturbances and power outages caused by wind, storms and accidents can happen anytime. Eliminate the inconvenience of lost sewing settings or sewing machine circuit board damage with a UPS power supply battery backup system. All types of electronic equipment is vulnerable to finicky or sporadic power supplies and sometimes deadly voltage jolts.
Minor symptoms may include selection buttons not activating, screens not changing, or even erratic stitching. Though this does not happen often, it can be remedied easily by purchasing a battery backup. For those of you using embroidery machines, the most common symptom is that the design seems to jump and continue to embroider about 1†away.
Take time to evaluate how many items are drawing electricity in the sewing room. Most standard rooms have a 20 amp circuit. Sewing machines and embroidery machines draw 1 – 3 amps, but an iron draws close to 15 amps!!! Being that an iron is a heat source, it is continuously drawing lots of electricity to stay heated to the set temperature. Plug in a TV or a computer within the same room and before you know it you are about to max out the room’s 20 amp limit!
How do I know if I need a battery backup?
Battery backup products features premium surge protection for all outlets and phone/modem connections and a comprehensive connected equipment warranty.
1. Walk around your home or office and list the equipment you would like to plug into a UPS. Many items can be grouped in an area near one outlet where the UPS device will plug into the wall. For example, your home computer area might include the computer, external modem and the monitor. Another area might be your television, DVD player and stereo receiver (home theater equipment).
2. On the back of each piece of equipment is a nameplate that lists its power requirements in amps. For each item or group of items you’ve listed, total the number of amps for all the items that will be plugged into each UPS.
3. Multiply the amp total by 120VA (which is your input voltage). The result is the VA requirement you’ll need your UPS to supply for that item or group of items. For example: a computer is 2 amps, the modem is 0.3 amps and the monitor is 1 amp (a total of 3.3 amps), 120VA x 3.3 amps = 396VA.
4. Choose the UPS product with a VA rating that supports at least that total (or more if you want to add another piece of equipment later).
Note: The larger the gap between the VA requirement and the VA capability of a UPS product results in longer battery run-time in the event of an extended power outage.
Have you taken time to protect your sewing machine investment?
At Heirloom Creations we have our 50+ demo sewing machines and embroidery machines plugged into battery backups. And when you attend a class, every student is provided with a battery backup to plug into for safety. Battery backups can be purchased at local office supply or electronic stores.
© 2007 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.
The Perfect Sewing Machine
If you could have anything you wanted on a new sewing machine, what would be on your wish list? We polled members of the Sewtopia Sewing Club in 2007 and asked what three items on their current sewing machine would they not want to live without. I was surprised to find what topped the list! The next time you are out looking for a new machine, a second machine to take to class, or a machine for your son or daughter, consider this list of “Top Favorites” to make sure you are not without some of your favorite features!
Top 12 Items In Order of Importance:
1. Needle Stop Up/Down
2. Needle Threader
3. Presser Foot Lifter / Sensor Foot System
4. Stitch Regulator
5. Good Light / True Color Light
6. Automatic One Step Buttonholes
7. Variable Needle Positions
8. Auto Thread Cutter
9. Precision Optional Accessories
10. Low bobbin sensor
11. Ability to wind a bobbin while sewing and/or without having to unthread the machine
12. Large bobbins
Take a minute to think about three additional items you would not want to live without…Would it be perfect tension? A better looking blanket stitch? Or how about wider decorative stitches? Bring in your own list of “Must Haves” when selecting a new machine. There is no reason that us women should settle on anything less than perfection!
© 2007 SewSara, Sioux Falls, SD. All Rights Reserved.