1. SEWING EQUIPMENT Laura VanWaardhuizen Waukee High School

2. NOTIONS  Collective term for a variety of small objects or accessories. Notions can include items that are sewn or otherwise attached to a finished article, such as buttons, snaps, or other closures.  The term can also includes small tools used in sewing, such as thread, pins, marking pens, and seam rippers, but we will discuss those specifically.  FIND:  Velcro  Buttons  Zippers  Appliques

3. MEASURING TOOLS  TAPE MEASURE  Made of plastic or strong fabric, it is flexible and used to take body measurements  SEAM GAUGE  6 inch ruler with a sliding marker, used to measure short distances like seam allowances  FOUND WHERE?

4. CUTTING  SHEARS  Scissors with extremely sharp blades made for cutting fabric and ONLY fabric. Ours are Gingher Chrome Plated. Lefties are designated with a teal ribbon tied around the handle.  SCISSORS  Plastic handled; used for all other purposes, including cutting pattern pieces.  SNIPS  Small scissors for trimming threads  FOUND WHERE?

5. CUTTING  PINKING SHEARS  Zig Zag cutting edge, used to finish “raw edges” after sewing. The zig zag prevents raveling and is decorative.  ROTARY CUTTER, MAT, & RULER ROTARY CUTTER, MAT, & RULER  FOUND WHERE?

6. TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ROTARY CUTTING  Never leave the blade open when not in use!  Take care of the mat- don’t roll it up or store it on it’s side or leave it in the sunlight  Only use it to cut fabric!  Replace the blade when it’s dull  ONLY cut on top of a cutting mat!  Don’t try to cut more than four layers.  Hold the cutter in your dominant hand; the blade should be towards the middle of your body.  Don’t X your arms when cutting  You can clean up some uncut bits with shears  Cut away from you.  DON’T saw!!!

7. TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL ROTARY CUTTING  NEVER cut without a cutting mat underneath!  NEVER leave the blade exposed when not in use!  Cut in a slow, steady pace.  Take care of the mat- store it flat and away from sunlight  To change the blade, unscrew and carefully remove the blade (don’t touch the edges), then reassemble with the new blade. This is also how you change for left/right.  Cut in a single stroke away from you. DON’T SAW!!!  Holding the cutter in your dominant hand, the blade should be towards the middle of your body.

8. CUTTING/MISTAKES  SEAM RIPPER  Used to undo mistakes. Has a sharp pointed tip to pick up stitches. Slide the stitching into the sharp cutting grove and it will cut. Be careful cut the stitches only, NOT the fabric.  FOUND TWO PLACES

9. MARKING  Tailor’s chalk  Talc-based colored chalk squares that make temporary marks on cloth. Come in a variety of colors; broken pieces can still be used.  Marking pen  Marker with ink that washes out with water. Come in blue or purple. DRIES OUT QUICKLY! If you use this, PUT THE CAP BACK ON!!!  Tracing wheel and paper  Paper that is coated with chalk dust on one side. Place the chalk side down on the fabric, then lay the pattern piece on top. Trace the makings you want with the wheel and they will be transferred to your fabric.

10. PINNING  BALL HEAD PINS  Sharp pins with a ball on the end to make placing and removing them easier.  When pinning to cut out pattern pieces, pin PARALLEL to the cutting line.  When pinning to sew, pin PERPENDICULAR along your sewing line. Remove as you stitch. DO NOT SEW OVER PINS!  SAFETY PINS  Used for quilting, hemming, or other temporary applications. Two can also be used to guide a drawstring or elastic through a casing.  FOUND WHERE?

11. GATHERING PINS  PIN CUSHION  Stuffed cushion that you insert pins and needles into. Make sure it is thicker than the pin is long.  The “strawberry” is usually filled with sawdust; you can “sharpen” the tips by running them briskly through.  MAGNETIC DISH  A more “modern” way of collecting pins; major advantage is that you can wave it over the pins and it will collect them from the table.  FOUND WHERE?

12. HAND NEEDLES  HAND NEEDLES/SHARPS  Necessary for hand sewing/finishing work (i.e. buttons, blindstitch, etc.)  NEEDLE THREADER  Put the eye of the needle down into the hole. Drape the thread across the slit. Press the black button and VIOLA!  Another type looks like a coin with a wire. Put the wire loop through the eye of the needle. Thread the thread through the wire loop and draw both through the needle’s eye.  FOUND WHERE?

13. MACHINE NEEDLES  UNIVERSAL  General use; great for medium weight woven fabrics  BALLPOINT  Used for sewing on knits; the rounded tip allows the needle to pass between the fabric threads by separating them  TWIN  Two needles create two perfect rows of parallel stitching; requires two spools of thread.  OTHER SPECIALTY TYPES  FOUND WHERE?

14. PRESSING  IRON  Heat & steam press seams flat or open and wrinkles out. ALWAYS USE DISTILLED WATER. Tap water builds up minerals on the plate.  PRESS CLOTH  Protects the fabric from gunk that may have built up on the sole plate of the iron. White fabric is a good substitute.  TAILOR’S HAM  SEAM ROLL  Creates body when you can’t make something flat to press it.  FOUND WHERE?

16. MEMORY GAME!