Recommended Needles and Threads for Sprout Fabrics

Getting the right notions together for your Sprout sewing project can be confusing at times, so our friends at Spoonflower came up with a handy chart to help out!

Also, check the links below for more tips and tricks to make your best project ever.

• How thread tension works and should be adjusted
• How to sew with knits
• How to sew with fleece
• How to sew seams

If you need a quick conversion on stitches per inch to the settings on your machine, here they are:

Stitches/Inch………………..Stitch Length Setting

5 ………………………..….. 5.0

6 ……………………………. 4.5

7 ………………………..….. 4.0

8 ……………………..…….. 3.5

9 ………………………..….. 3.0

11 ………………………..…. 2.5

14 ………………………..… 2.0

19 …………………………… 1.5

28 …………….………….… 1.0

 

 

 

The Secret to Mitered Corners

Guest blogger Katie shows us a simple sewing tip to make any project look top notch.

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Have you ever found it tricky to get a neat-looking corner where two hemmed edges meet? It can look like this sometimes:

Why not try mitering your corners instead!  It’s a really simple way to get a crisp, clean effect.

I used this technique on the sleeves of the Asaka Kimono that I made in Poly Crepe with the Design Challenge winning design by Judit Gueth.

1. Pin a rolled hem along one edge by folding the fabric over twice.

2. Fold up a corner, using the full seam allowance of the other edge.

3. Fold over the second edge.

4. Fold it over again, press, and pin.

5. Sew, taking your pins out before you get to them

The finished corner! It’s neat and clean and very professional looking!

The finished Kimono – perfect and elegant!

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Katie is an artist, an engineer for Sprout Patterns, and a developer at Spoonflower. Her latest adventure has been learning Ruby on Rails. With a background in sculpture and costuming, if she isn’t sewing, she’s building dovetail boxes in the wood shop. She also loves hiking, contra dancing, Iyengar yoga, and mindfulness meditation.

Bow Ties Made Simple

It’s true, Sprout has a bow tie pattern! Ours is from Natty Neckware, an up and coming designer from Durham, NC. No joking, this is a very easy pattern to sew and looks dapper on adults and ridiculously cute on kids. Maybe you even want to dress up a pup for a special occasion? Make one today!

One part of making a bow tie is turning it right-side out after sewing. It can be a bit labor-intensive, but Sprout team member Katie came up with a solution, which you can see in this video. Thanks Katie!

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In case you didn’t catch all the tips in the video, here they are, step-by-step.

Turning narrow tubes of fabric right side out can be tricky!  Sometimes it can be easier to use thread instead of a sharp point that may poke through.  Katie tried this method and was turning bow ties in less than half the time.

1. After clipping curves, trim seam allowance close to the stitch line (leave about 1/8″).
2. Cut a piece of sturdy button thread that is over twice the length of your fabric.
3. Use a large hand needle to guide the doubled thread into the opening and all the way through the bow tie.  Leave a long tail hanging out of the opening.  Wiggle the needle back and forth to ensure that it does not poke into the fabric until the very end.
4. Take about three stitches that wrap around the stitch line at the bottom, and tie a knot onto one of them, so that when you pull the thread, it is pulling on itself instead of your seam.
5. Guide the needle back through the bowtie and out the opening, again being careful not to poke through once it is inside.
6. Hold both ends of the thread and push the end of the tie fabric so that it starts to pull inward.
7. Pull on the threads as you pull down on the sides of the tube to guide the bowtie through the tube.  Once the end with the thread reaches the opening, you can hold onto the tie itself instead of the thread.
8. Pull on the tie until it is all the way right side out.
9. Use a knitting needle to turn the short end on the other side of the opening.
10. With the knitting needle, push out the corners of the bow tie.

The tie is now turned right side out and ready to be pressed!

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Katie is an artist, an engineer for Sprout Patterns, and a developer at Spoonflower. Her latest adventure has been learning Ruby on Rails. With a background in sculpture and costuming, if she isn’t sewing, she’s building dovetail boxes in the wood shop. She also loves hiking, contra dancing, Iyengar yoga, and mindfulness meditation.

Mother’s Day Outfit Inspiration

No matter how you’re celebrating Mother’s Day this Sunday, we have some outfit inspiration for you! Each outfit centers around a different pattern from Sprout, showing you that home sewing is definitely the way to go.

Love pink? So do we! Laurel Blouse from Colette Patterns.

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Sweet options to stay cozy this chilly Spring. Anna Dress from By Hand London.

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Bling it out in style. Archer Button Up from Grainline Studio.

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Happy Mother’s Day to ALL the moms out there!