The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-07-29
Can You Prepare and Enjoy Outdoor Meal Without the Usual
How Sew
A Fine
Seam
RY WILMA LAVTLLE

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One Of the greatest advan-
tages in making your own ward
robe is that you are not at the
mercy Of cheap fabric, sleazy
thread and insecure stitching.
It's your own fault if a dress
parts company at the armhole,
or splits at the center front, for
if it does, it's because you have
not learned the lesson in the
practical value Of a good seam.
There are intriguing secrets be-
hind smooth and successful seams.
Most. elementary Of all is your
choice of thread. It should be q
good thread, Of standard make,
and should be the right size for
your material. Too coarse q
thread will pull a delicate fabric
and make bunny and unsightly
seam; too fine a thread will be
worn down by the material and
you'll have gaps and splits in your
seams after one wearing. Thread
should always be chosen a shade
| darker than your material, too, as
it will appear lighter when 1t Is in
the garment. To make profeS-
sional-looking seams, be sure to
press as you go along.
TENSION ON THREADS
It Is always wise to test the
stitch Of your machine on a scrap
of the material for tension and
length, so that it will not pull the
fabric or sew it too loosely. A bias
seam requires a loosen tension
than a straight seam, as there
will be more pull on it when it is
pressed flat. Nap materials re-
quire a loose tension and a long
stitch, so that the nap will not be
mashed down along the seam line.
When your upper tension Is
too tight, that is the tension on
the needle thread, the upper
thread in your sewing will lie
along the top of your work, or
will even draw and pucker the
seam. When the lower or bobbin
thread is too tight, the bobbin
thread will lie along the bottom.
When the tension is correct. the
machine stitch looks exactly in
the center of the material and
there is no puckering.
FOR CURVED SEAMS
A curved seam may mar an
otherwise expert bit Of sewing,
because it requires a bit more
attention than a straight one.
When it is pressed upon, both
edges should be clipped at inter-
walls so that it will lie flat and
will not draw up. The seam will
be less conspicuous if pressed
open than if both edges are
pressed to one side. If you wish
to insure against raveling, the
clipped edges may be overcast.
If it is important to press both
edges of a curved seam to one
side, clip both edges and then
overcast them both at the same
time.
When a bias edge is joined to
a straight edge, be careful to
avoid either stretching or pull
ing the bias. Both the basting
and stitching should be done
with the bias material on the
top so that you can watch the
tension Of the material. When
plain goods is Joined to a nap
goods, keep the plain material
on top and use very close bast-
ing to avoid slipping.
To join a fulled edge to q
straight edge, as in a shoulder
seam, it is not always necessary
to gather the material. In pin
ming, baSting and stitching, keep
the full side of the joining to-
ward you. Pin with fullnesS
distributed as desired, and haste
with short careful stitches. Then
If you stitch very close to the
basting, the fullnesS can be
eased into a perfectly smooth
seamline.
This is the fourth of a series
of IL articles on home sewing.