SELECTING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT AND FABRIC

To make your sewing experience most enjoyable and your finished projects as useful as possible, you need to have the right equipment on hand and know how to select the most appropriate fabric, one that will stand up to the functions it is expected to perform. In this chapter, you'll learn everything you need to know to acquire the right materials and get set up. I suggest reading through this chapter before you begin and then returning to it as you prepare to create specific projects, particularly to learn more about the types of fabric you will need for each.

SEWING MACHINE

A special machine is not necessary to create these projects, since they do not require any fancy stitches (although you can, of course, use them for embellishment, if you wish). Since only straight stitching is used, a good basic machine is all you need.

Machine Requirements

Your machine should have forward- and reverse-stitching capabilities. The sewing in these projects often requires going through many layers of upholstery-weight fabric, which can be hard work for your machine. Therefore, a heavy-duty machine is a plus: It gives you more flexibility, allowing you to sew light-, medium-, and heavy-weight fabrics. Most machines made prior to the 1960s are considered heavy duty by today's standards.

My local sewing sales and service man estimates that the cost of purchasing a good, basic used machine is between $150 and $300; new machines range from $150 to $5,000. If you have an older machine that you've inherited or haven't used in a while, it can be brought up to speed with a tune-up service, which costs about $50 (not including parts). If properly maintained, an older machine can sew as well as a new one. Many of the new, inexpensive machines on the market are light duty; pushing them to their limit can result in broken gears and lots of time at the sewing service center. So if you are planning to buy a sewing machine and don't want to spend a lot of money, consider a reconditioned used machine instead of a new one.

In terms of the machine's accessories, you will need both a standard presser foot (the metal piece that drops down to hold the fabric in place, and helps feed it through the needle area) and a zipper foot. The zipper foot allows you to stitch much closer to raised edge or thicker areas of fabric, and is used to attach zippers and make welting, as well as to do other applications.

Tuning Up Your Machine

It is important to keep your machine properly tensioned and well oiled. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's the value of an annual sewing machine tune-up. If your machine hasn't been oiled and tuned for a while, have it done before you embark on these projects.

There are also several maintenance tasks you can perform at home to keep your machine functioning properly. First, be sure to store your machine in a dry place at room temperature; cold or moisture can cause the machine to malfunction. Second, guard against improper tension and excess lint, the two most common and troublesome machine problems.

Adjusting stitch tensions. Proper thread tension is critical in any sewing project, because too little or too much will weaken your seams or cause your fabric to pucker. Be sure to learn how to adjust both the upper and lower tension controls. The upper tension control on your machine regulates the underside loops of stitching; the screw on the bobbin case regulates the top loops: If the stitch loops appear irregular on the underside, adjust the upper tension control; if the stitch loops appear irregular on the top surface, adjust the screw on the bobbin case.

Tension can also be thrown off by the use of poor-quality thread, which can be fuzzy and have inconsistent thickness. Be sure to buy new, mercerized, high-quality thread for use in your sewing machine; and if you have old wooden spools of thread, use them only for hand sewing.

Removing fiber lint and dirt. Lint that accumulates under the machine's needle plate (the metal plate that the needle passes through) causes the plate to rise slightly. This, in turn, throws off the mechanism that feeds your fabric into the machine. Sewing then becomes more difficult, as the motor and gears compensate for the poor fabric feeding. You can clean this area (and the rest of the bobbin case) yourself by frequently removing the needle plate and vacuuming out as much lint as you can. A lint brush with nylon bristles, or an old toothbrush works well, too.

SEWING SUPPLIES

The sewing supplies and equipment you will need to undertake the projects in this book can be found at any sewing supply store. The following are some recommendations regarding specific supplies.

Needles and Pins

Purchase high-quality sewing machine needles to fit your brand of sewing machine. You will notice that there are different needle sizes for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty fabrics. The heavy-weight fabrics used in many of these projects will require size 14, 16, or 18 needles. Keep extras on hand — you may break a needle stitching through some of the heavier fabrics. Ideally, needles should be replaced after three hours of actual sewing time.

For hand stitching, embroidery needles are best, since they are heavy and sharp. A combination pack of needles will contain most of what you'll need. However, for stitching closed a welted (piped) seam, you may want to have a curved needle.

For pins, I like to use the ones with ball heads, because they are easy to find if dropped. When working with thick fabrics, pin length is an issue; extra-long pins are best for holding thick or layered fabrics together.

Thread

Your thread choice depends on the weight and fiber content of the fabric being stitched. Standard cotton-wrapped polyester thread is recommended for medium-weight projects, and is generally a size 40-60. You can use 100 percent cotton thread, if you prefer, but make sure it is mercerized to give it the strength it needs to run at high speeds through the sewing machine. For some of the heavier cotton projects, heavy-duty, quilting, or button and carpet thread is best, as they are stronger and abrasion resistant.

For heavy nylon projects and for padded items, I recommend using nylon upholstery thread. It holds up under the pressure of your body (when used to make mattresses or kneeling pads, for example) or under the added weight of clothing or tools (which you may put in sewn containers such as a duffel bag or a carpenter's apron). Heavier threads are also necessary when sewing leather or vinyl laminates, since the abrasion caused by the needle passing in and out of the fabric wears on the thread. It is also a good idea to use heavier thread when sewing gathers, to make sure that it doesn't break as you pull the stitches to gather the fabric.

Scissors and...