Owl & Drum's Sew Very Modern — beginning sewing

Welcome to another installment of Sew Very Modern's Tuesday's Tip! This week we will focus on some more sewing terms that may not be self explanatory. It is so useful to be familiar with these terms, especially for all of the self learners out there. Back Stitch - as used in sewing, is the initial and final step when hand-stitching or sewing on a sewing machine. After a couple stitches, do a couple of reverse stitches. This reinforces your stitches and prevents your seams from falling apart. Cross Grain - also called the "bias," the cross grain runs diagonally across the grain...

  Topstitching - to make a row of stitches on the top of a sewn item, or the right side of the fabric. Usually used as a decorative stitch, or to stabilize the seam. Topstitching is widely used and can be tricky for lots of beginning sewists. It's the one stitch that is on the outside of your item, so it can be seen. Like most things, you can excel at topstitching by lots of practice but here are a few tips to make your first attempts your best. Use a similar colored thread that matches your fabric. For example, using...

When you start your sewing journey you start to see a lot of words that may seem like a foreign language to you. So, I would like to help you out and give you the meanings of some of the most basic sewing terms out there.  Baste - either by hand or machine, long stitches that are used, temporarily, to hold together two pieces of fabric so that they stay in place while you sew them together. Bias - diagonally across the fabric grain. In woven fabric, this is where there will be the most stretch. Bobbin - the spindle that...

As simple as it sounds, sewing a straight line can take time and practice. While most sewing machines will have seam allowance lines these lines can be short and often hard to see. Our solution? Washi tape!  First, you will want to find a bright, fun and cheery printed washi tape or masking tape. Second, determine your seam allowance. Next, cut off a piece of tape that is around 2-3 inches. Following the seam allowance guide on your machine, lay the piece of tape along that line. Make sure the tape is as straight as possible - this will now...