My sewing tip No. 1

 Today felt like Spring has arrived, and for the first time this year I have managed to get out into the garden and tidy it up.   It is still very water logged so I wont show the pictures of our grass the looks like a penalty area on a football pitch.  However here are the first flowers at No. 23 of 2013

The garden is a hive of activity with buds sprouting everywhere, so nice to see after all the snow



Now onto "Louise's Sewing Tip No. 1" apologies if you know this already.

I have been sewing a very long time and  back in 1992 I used to go to a sewing class.  It was a marvelous class,  mostly very experienced sewers who came along while their husbands were probably playing golf.  We had 2 overlockers (I hadnt never seen one before)  and a professional steam press.  Here is my tip that I learnt from there and have used ever since.

If like me you use the actual pattern tissue it can be very hard to get it to lay smooth on the fabric when cutting it out, you run your hand across as you pin it and it springs back.  But If you iron it first you will find it lays smoothly and clings to the  fabric.

         

See  perfectly smooth, ready to pin or weight down.

Why do I do this?  It irons out an creases  in the  pattern  pieces from when they were stored.   Also it enables more precise cutting out , which makes matching up pieces, notches  easier. Every centimetre counts.  Hope you give it a try, and see what you think.