You’ve probably not heard of Alfa sewing machines. But you will have heard of Smith & Wesson revolvers. That’s what the Alfa Hogar company used to make before they turned their hand to more peaceful and creative tools – thankfully.
When it was time to buy a new overlocker for the studio, there was only one place I was going to go. And that of course was Pembertons, my trusted specialist supplier for almost 30 years. So after considering my requirements: Andrew recommended the Juki MO-644D. I then spent a fun 90 mins putting it through its paces.
I’m asked lots of questions during every teaching session in the studio, and most of them start ‘this may be a stupid question but….’. Well do you know? I’ve never heard a stupid question yet! They have all been excellent questions, and I’m always happy to answer them. Chances are the person asking isn’t the only one who doesn’t know the answer. So if you don’t know, then please ask. Because the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask.
A question I’m asked frequently is what is the best way of marking fabric for dressmaking? Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to that as there is a variety of fabric-marking tools available, and each has their pro’s and cons. My advice is to have a selection of fabric marking tools available to cope with every situation. Here’s a list of the most common:
Probably the most common sewing problem is getting correct sewing machine tension. By thread tension, we mean the amount of thread that can pass through the machine to create the stitch. The more thread in the stitch, then the looser the stitch. The less thread, then the tighter the stitch.
Modern sewing machines (made in the last 30 years or so) will produce a variety of basic machine stitches including straight stitches, zig-zag and other utility stitches. If you learn what these stitch types are used for, it’ll make your sewing easier and more enjoyable.
