by Sarah Veblen
Sewing – what a creative process! For those who enjoy sewing apparel, what could be better than combining an interesting pattern with the perfect fabric? And no matter what current fashion trends might be, you can choose styles that you like the best and flatter your figure the most. For most people who really love garment sewing, the more you sew, the more creative you become.
Although the finished garment itself and the whole idea of sewing are all about creativity, getting there is all about accuracy and control. The key to gaining accuracy and control is to take charge of your sewing skills. If you consciously develop good sewing habits, you’ll have fewer sewing snafus and more sewing successes.
Mark notches and other match points. Whether you notch your pattern by cutting the “V” inwards, leaving an outward “V” of cloth, or making a small snip in the middle of the “V”, marking notches is important. Sewing is like putting together a puzzle, and those notches are the guide to correctly putting the pieces together. Also, carefully mark all other match points whether you use chalk, fabric pen with disappearing or removable ink, dressmaker’s carbon, or tailor tacks. When sewing, line up all notches and match points exactly. 
Pin when necessary – or when it will speed up your sewing in the long run. Pinning is a way to keep two pieces of fabric together (you’re actually pin basting) that prevents the fabric from shifting or sliding out of position. Start by placing pins at the beginning and the end of the seam as well as at any match point or notch. If you’re working with slippery or hard-to-control fabric, chances are that using more pins will speed up your sewing time – and decrease your frustration level.
Divide and conquer. For better control, use the “divide and conquer” approach when pinning a seam. For example, on a long straight seam such as the outseam of pants: place a pin at each end; then half-way between the first two pins; next place a pin midway between one of the end pins and the half-way pin; continue pinning in this manner. Or, when sewing a facing on a neckline: place a pin at each shoulder, one at center front, another at center back; then pin half-way between each of the first four pins. “Divide and conquer” is also an excellent method to control gathering, pinning up a hem, or distributing ease evenly. 
Match all intersecting seams. Imagine sewing a pair of pants or a skirt with a yoke. When attaching the yoke, match the side seams exactly – this will give your garment a more professional look as well as a continuous visual line. Precision here also helps you avoid creating a problem. In this case, if the side seams don’t match exactly, one part of the yoke will have too much fabric and the other will have too little fabric in relation to the body of the garment. The “divide and conquer” approach to pinning the yoke to the pants or skirt helps eliminate this potential problem.
Thread baste for the ultimate in control and accuracy. If pin basting doesn’t give you the desired results, or if you’re having a really hard time controlling the fabric, consider thread basting. You’ll want to pin baste first, then take a hand needle, thread it up, and sew the seam using a short running stitch. In couture sewing, silk thread is used to thread baste exactly along the seam line; then the seam is sewn with the sewing machine; and finally the basting thread is removed. Some people get good results thread basting 1/16 inch to one side of the seam line, then machine stitching along the seam line; the basting threads are easier to remove since there is no machine stitching on top. Although it may seem like a time-consuming extra step, thread basting can save time in the long run compared to stitching and ripping out a seam four to five times. And it can totally eliminate the frustration of sewing hard-to-handle fabrics like velvet.
Ease in and shrink fabric that has stretched. There’s some natural to give to many fabrics, but when a curve is cut, the bias grain of the fabric is exposed, and any bias grain tends to stretch. When pinning two garment pieces together, if one has stretched in relation to the other, control the section that has stretched out of shape. Sometimes you can ease in the excess with your fingers, pin basting as you go to keep everything in place. Steam works wonders to shrink excess fabric. First, have your work pin basted using the “divide and conquer” method and carefully matching all seams, notches, and match points. Then, working at the ironing board, lightly steam the area that has stretched. Try holding your iron an inch or so above the work and giving it a shot of steam. Use your fingers to gently pat the fabric back into place. If the stretched bias threads shrink up some but not quite enough, just repeat the process. 
Stitch smoothly, especially on curved seams. It may seem like stating the obvious, but machine stitching should look smooth and continuous – not jerky. Curved seams should look like a consistent and even arc, not like a series of straight segments one after the other. Smooth stitching will result in a more professional looking finished garment, and your garments will hang better.
Stitch using a consistent seam allowance. Unless you’re constructing your garment using couture methods, seams should be sewn with the exact seam allowance specified on the pattern. The majority of commercial patterns available to the home sewer call for a 5/8” seam allowance. Sewing with a consistent seam allowance will help your seams look smooth and even – if your seam allowance varies along one seam, the seam will look bumpy rather than fluid. Sewing with a consistent seam allowance will also ensure that your garment will fit true to the pattern. If you were to sew a princess line dress with 1/2” seam allowances rather than the specified 5/8” seam allowance, your dress would be approximately 1-1/2” bigger in circumference!
Press as you go. Pressing is an essential part of sewing. Seam allowances are usually pressed open, sometimes to one side. It’s handy to keep your ironing board right next to your sewing machine so that pressing is convenient. Even if you sew several seams before you get up to press, never sew an intersecting seam unless all seam allowances have been pressed first. Pressing controls the seam allowances as well as flattens the fabric along the seam line. But it also melds the thread into the fabric, which will always give your work a more finished look.
Clip seam allowances when needed. If a seam allowance doesn’t want to lay flat when you’re pressing it, the edges of the seam allowance probably need to be clipped to release the tension or to allow the excess to overlap. Curved seams always require special attention. And there are times – imagine a curved neckline that has a facing – that the seam allowance must be both trimmed out and clipped.
Whether a garment is simple or complex, it’s really just a sum of all its parts – the complex garment just has a lot more parts. If you fudge a seam or make a mistake and decide to keep forging ahead, chances are you’ll get to some other part of the garment and that mistake or inaccuracy will come back to haunt you. If you take control of your sewing, it’s easier to be accurate. Increased accuracy leads to a more beautiful finished garment. Put both accuracy and control in your sewing repertoire, and you’ll be heading for wider horizons of creativity.
