SIO Tips no. 74 - Sew and Sew: Keeping it trim!

Getting to the end stages of a project is exciting but it is important to take the time to finish things off properly so your work looks polished no matter what you are making, whether you are sewing up a new dress or making a soft toy.

My number one tip is to trim your seam allowances after sewing, making sure to snip around corners and curves as you go. Press the seams out once you've finished trimming so that the fabric doesn't bunch up or look bulky when you turn it the right way out.

This makes the most of your careful pattern cutting and gives you professional results every time.

SIO Tips no. 73 - Sew & Sew: Using your pins

One nifty trick has seen me through many sewing projects (thanks Mum!); it's very simple and makes sewing using a machine so much easier.

When sewing by hand most people pin their project together with the pins pointing away from them running parallel to the edge of the fabric. This can mean they get in the way when machine sewing and slows the whole process down. 

Try pinning at right angles to the fabric edge instead, this means that you can sew right over the pins and pull them all out easily once you're done. 

Make sure the heads of the pins are on the outside so that they don't go under the foot of the machine, you only want to sew across the thinnest part.

SIO Tips no. 69 - Embroidery tips

New to Embroidery? Here are a few useful tips to keep your work at its best:

1. Choose your hoop carefully. Make sure you get a hoop where the inner and outer rings meet snugly.

2. Cover the face of your work with a scrap of thin material before inserting into the hoop; carefully cut a hole to reveal the working area. This covers the rest of the fabric, protecting it from oils on your hands and keeping it clean

3. Always take your work out of the hoop when you've finished for the day. This will prevent the hoop from leaving marks.

SIO Tips no. 68 - Care for your Sewing Machine - Part Two

Keeping your Sewing Machine running nicely takes a little input on your part.
Here are a few more tips on keeping yours at it's very best, simply:

 
5. Be sure to keep your machine covered when you're not using it to keep it dust free.

6. Give your machine a clean up before you put it away if it is going into storage.

7. If you haven't used your machine for a while or it has been in storage, run it for a bit without any thread to get the parts all moving nicely again. It's also a good idea to practice on a scrap of fabric before sewing your final project.

Click here if you missed Part One.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time. 

Magic Heat Mark Removal - Wooden Furniture

It happens to everyone at some point; a hot mug of coffee or a cold glass gets put down onto a polished wooden surface leaving a dreaded cloudy mark. 

This happened to me recently, but not just a small ring on the table. I had been making roman blinds and used the table to press the seams; of course I had used a thick folded cloth to protect the surface, as I have done before, but my new iron is a little more ferocious and a very keen steamer. The resulting iron prints down the length of the dining table simply couldn't be regarded as 'characterful'.

I had a small panic and tried to polish it out to no avail. So, Google became my best friend. There were a few suggestions mentioned: Iron a damp towel over the affected area (too scary for me), use WD40 (I didn't have any to hand) and then I saw the suggestion of Mayonnaise, whole egg not fake stuff.
Well, I had that in the fridge so I decided to give it a go. I dabbed a test area thickly with the mayonnaise using kitchen paper and put the kettle on. After half an hour I went to check on the progress and to my utter amazement, found the less obvious marks had disappeared; I whipped out the jar and dabbed the whole table with it. The table was already well used and had various battle scars which could benefit from a little treatment. 

The magic mayo trick is so simple all you need to do is wipe it off with a warm slightly damp cloth after about an hour. I don't know the science behind why this works but all the heat marks had vanished and the wood glowed with a renewed lease of life. I left the table to dry really well before polishing with beeswax polish and I must say, it hasn't looked so good in years.

So, no need to panic! This simple, quick and inexpensive trick really does work wonders.

SIO Tips 66: Easy seam allowance guide

Keeping an even seam allowance can be tricky especially if you need a wider one than normal. This simple trick helps guide as you sew: stretch a rubber band around the base of your sewing machine to the width you are want to sew. It's easy to follow and stays in place securely; it's also really easy to move for wider or narrower seams.


SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time. 

SIO Tips 64: Maintaining a Wooden Board

Wooden or plastic chopping boards are the best to keep your knives sharp but wood can harbour bacteria so it's important to keep them clean. One great, natural, way to do this is to sprinkle the board with salt and use half a lemon to scrub all over; then rinse off with hot water. 
Once the board is dry simply wipe with a little olive oil or similar on a piece of kitchen paper to keep in tip-top condition.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

Wonderful Dog Deodoriser

Dogs are mans best friend but certain breeds have a stronger doggy smell than others. Now that the weather is warming up your dog may be outside getting hot and jumping in and out of water. This all can lead to a less than lovely odor.

This simple trick is great if you don't have time to wash your dog or you don't want to bath him too often.

What you need:

1/2 cup baking soda
2 cups warm water
1 bandanna sized to fit dog

What to do:

Simply mix the baking soda and water in a bowl and soak the bandanna thoroughly. Once saturated, dry in the sun; then it's ready to tie around the pooch's neck. He will look very smart and the baking soda absorbs the doggy smell without irritating his skin.

SIO Tips 63: Snipping Corners and Excess

If you are sewing something that needs to be turned inside out when finished, make sure you snip the corners before you turn it right side out. This will make it easier to push the corners out and a neater final project because there won’t be so much excess fabric making lumpy edges. The same applies if you have excess fabric on the seam; trim some of it off, avoiding clipping the stitches before turning the fabric right side out as well.

 

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 62: Keep your Kitchen Sponges clean

Keeping your washing up or cleaning sponges bacteria free is really simple with this handy tip. Just wring out the excess water and zap the sponges in your microwave for one minute on high; this kills any bacteria growth.


SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

No more ugly glue from labels

Empty jars from jams or preserves make wonderful storage for little bits in your craft room but removing the glue left behind after soaking off the paper labels can be a nightmare and very irritating when it comes to re-using them.





Here is one easy way around the problem; you will need - Baking Soda, Vegetable Oil and a brush.

Mix together equal parts of Baking Soda and Vegetable Oil and simply brush onto the gluey areas; leave for around 10 minutes and then wipe off. 

 






I like to then run them through the dishwasher to remove the oil and beautiful, clean jars come out ready to re-purpose! 


 


Thrifty Tip: To save some pennies use veg oil that has already been used once for frying. Invest in a wide funnel with a removable mesh filter that you can strain the oil through once cooled. Keep in a plastic bottle and store in the cleaning cupboard ready for jar cleaning duties.

SIO Tips no. 58 - De-odorise your wooden spoons.

Wooden Spoons are one of the most used items in the kitchen. Some people may have separate ones for baking or for stirring a savoury pot but this isn't always ideal and who wants onion or garlic tainting your Victoria sponge mix?

Here is a simple way to care for your spoons to revive them and have you cooking with confidence.

Mix together 1 Tablespoon of Baking soda to 1 Cup of warm water. Adjust the quantities depending on how many spoons you're treating; you want to fully cover the bowl of the spoon. Leave for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse well. Dry as normal before using.

SIO Tips no. 57: How to measure a Zip

 Measuring a zip might seem like a simple task but you need to remember one important thing; measure only the zipping part, from the top stop to the bottom stop (or retaining box on a zip that opens all the way down) it's important not to measure the tape part of the zip otherwise you'll end up coming short.
 

SIO Tips no. 54: Choosing the Right Needle

Always use the right size sewing machine needle for the job, don't just consider the fabric consider how thick the thickest piece will be.  You might be using thin cotton but if six layers thick it changes the needle to use.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 53: Felting

Felted wool, knitting and then felting.  Dry as quickly but as naturally as you can, suggest a baking rack on a tray in a warm kitchen. Tease into shape very gently.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 52: Sewing Machine Needle Care

Sewing machine needles should be changed reasonably often to ensure crisp sewing stitches and the smallest possible puncture marks.  Will look less unsightly if you have to unpick.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 49: Sewing

Leave a length of thread in a needle before storing it in a pincushion. You'll be able to see it more easily, and the needle will be less likely to slip inside the pincushion.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 48: Freshen up outdoor furniture

Making seat pads for outside chairs; use oil cloth cotton to enable you to wipe clean plus it's hard wearing. Lots of fab non shiny and soft oil cloth fabrics available.

SEEKITOUT: Changing the world a stitch at a time.

SIO Tips no. 47: Stale Bread

Instead of throwing away crusts use them to make bread crumbs. Keep for later use in coating fish or making old fashioned style treacle tart; store them in the freezer in a sealed bag or box. Much nicer than the bright orange crumbs you buy.

SIO Tips no. 46: Easy draw scents

When you have nice soap, keep the wrapper and pop in your undies draw to leave a lovely smell. Ensure you shake out any loose bits of soap before doing this.