1. Teen Living Notes
Competency: Basic fashion construction procedures to produce personal clothing & home accessories.

2. Sewing & pressing equipment
Pins hold fabric together
Needles bring thread through fabric
If you spill a box of pins to the floor, the best way (easily & safety) to pick them up would be to use a magnet
Serger sewing machine trims fabric & overcast the cut edge at high speed

3. Sewing & pressing equipment
Press cloth is needed to prevent shiny marks on fabric
If stitches pucker when using the sewing machine, check the tension level
Tracing wheel: used to transfer markings from a pattern to fabric
Seam ripper: used to remove unwanted stitches from a seam

4. Sewing & pressing equipment
A presser foot keeps the fabric securely in place while stitching on a sewing machine
Thread take-up lever is a part on a sewing machine that controls the even flow of thread through the needle
A pin cushion is a small equipment piece item needed to store pins(hold pins) when removing them from your fabric pattern pieces before sewing them together

5. Sewing & pressing equipment
A sewing machine needle should be replaced when bent or damaged
The purpose of thread guides on a sewing machine is to keep thread from tangling
When ironing, use a padded adjustable ironing board

6. Sewing & pressing equipment
Reverse stitch control is the part of the sewing machine used to secure a row of stitches at the beginning & end of a seam
Ironing is when you glide a hot iron back & forth on a piece of clothing
To avoid a shine when ironing fabric, use steam and a press cloth

7. Sewing & pressing equipment
Use a thimble when hand sewing to protect your index finger
If the thread breaks while machine stitching, check first the machine threading to make sure you have threaded the machine properly
Dressmakers Pinking shears scissors(zigzag shape): is a basic necessary tool for cutting. The woven fabric has a finish edge.

8. Sewing & pressing equipment
Pressing: lift the iron and lowering it onto a garment
When not using scissors or shears make sure they are closed
After using the sewing machine be sure to unplug & cover the machine

9. Sewing & pressing equipment
The feed dog: two small rows of metal teeth that moves the fabric evenly through the machine
Tape measure: used to take body measurements to help in purchasing or making clothing. Ex: arms, neck, waist, chest, and ect.
A bobbin provides thread for the bottom side of the stitch

10. Basic Construction
When tracing markings from a pattern piece onto fabric be sure the tracing paper is on both of the wrong sides of the fabric and put enough pressure on the tracing wheel to transfer the markings
When forming a thread shank: sew on a button, then wind the thread several times around the stitches under the button

11. Basic Construction
Notches are diamond shape designs on pattern pieces that you are to cut around
Best place to find for information about your pattern is to look on the pattern guide sheet. It will tell you which pieces to cut out, how to lay pieces out on fabric, step by step instructions for cutting, marking, and sewing.

12. Basic Construction
To begin sewing - Place the fabric under the presser foot on the sewing machine. Always start to sew with the sewing machine needle down inside the fabric.
When cutting out pattern pieces, the cutting line is a solid dark line to cut on.
To change a stitch design (ex: from zigzag to straight) adjust the stitch width control.

13. Basic Construction
When sewing on buttons to a garment use 2 strands of thread
When pinning pattern pieces to fabric, place the pins perpendicular to the fold lines & cutting lines. Be sure to pin through both the pattern piece and fabric
Seam allowances should be 5/8 “of an inch

14. Basic Construction
To sew a simple seam, backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam to secure thread. This means you will not be able to pull the thread out
While sewing a seam on a sewing machine, watch for both items: the edge of the fabric and the guideline mark on the metal plate

15. Basic Construction
First step to take when hemming a garment is to mark where the new hem should be
To cut fabric use long even strokes
The shank on a button is there to allow room when the button is closed

16. Basic Construction Pinking shears are used to create a seam finish
Notches on a pattern piece are used to match pieces together with one another (right & left side of pattern)
“Care instructions” for fabric that you buy are found on the end of a bolt of fabric