Like or Loathe it: stitching in the ditch

Like or Loathe it stitching in the ditch

Stitching in the ditch is a line of stitching used to hold down a seam onto the fabric behind it.  The stitching is done on the right side of the garment and doesn’t show because it’s hidden in the “ditch” of the seam line. The stitching sinks into the seam and is indiscernible. You might…

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Like or Loathe it: stay stitching

Like or Loathe it stay stitching

This is a true confession: I never do stay stitching. Just to clarify, if you’re not familiar with the term, stay stitching is a row of machine stitches (long or regular in length) made to the edge of a garment to stop it from stretching during construction.  It’s often the first step in sewing a…

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Like or loathe it: topstitching thread

topstitching thread reels

Topstitching is an great way to emphasise a construction detail, hold seam allowances flat, hold interfacing in position, or to add interest to plain fabric.  It also reinforces seams, and I heard that  topstitched garments require less ironing! I’m a bit of a topstitching evangelist these days -I really love the look of it- but…

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Like or loathe it: tailors chalk

I would say that most home sew-ers don’t use much tailors chalk, because generally we use paper patterns that are pinned to the fabric, not cardboard patterns that need tracing around. I would also say that most home sew-ers don’t like using tailors chalk, mainly because it’s hard to get a fine line.  There are…

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