May Martin’s Sewing Bible: 40 years of tips and tricks

Fabrics are usually grouped in weights: lighter-weight cottons and silks and heavier-weight woollens. Information about the fabric is usually given on the end of the roll: the fabric type, width and content (the proportion of natural and synthetic fibres), along with care instructions. If you are making clothes for small children or are in constant contact with small children and their sticky fingers, it’s best to go for a washable fabric – you don’t want a huge dry-cleaning bill!

When you’re shopping for fabric, apart from your paper pattern and what’s written on the end of the roll, it’s your eyes and hands that are your best tools. Cast your eyes along the shelves, homing in on colours or patterns that appeal. Now use your hands – this is where you will gain the most information about a piece of cloth. These are the important factors to bear in mind:

Comfort: Feel the cloth: is it rough to the touch? If so, it may benefit from a lining so that it does not scratch your skin.

Modesty: When you hold the fabric up, can you see the outline of your hand through it? If so, other people will be able to see your silhouette through the fabric when you stand against the light! You will either need to line the sections of your garment before sewing them together or drop in a loose lining.

Creasability: Take a small amount of the cloth in your hand and squeeze it gently. How well does it bounce back? If it retains a crease when you crush it with your fingers, it will crease when you wear it.

Stability: Is the end of the fabric on the roll unravelling? If so, the cloth will fray like fury and may be tricky to handle.

Mobility: Does the fabric move about if you drape a couple of metres over your arm? This could be a good thing if your pattern requires drape in the design. It could be a nightmare if the fabric is so mobile that it stretches in every direction!

Fabric with a nap or one-way pattern

Another factor to bear in mind when choosing fabric is whether it has a nap – a slightly raised or textured surface that looks different depending on which way up the fabric is. Fabrics with a nap (#ulink_f9730865-b9bb-5658-b477-f2ee1d45885c) need to be cut out with pattern pieces all laid in the same direction. How do you tell if a fabric has a nap? Take a length of the fabric and fold it back side by side against a piece going in the other direction. If there is a difference in sheen or colour, you will need to position pattern pieces in one direction. If in any doubt, treat as a napped fabric. There is nothing more heart-breaking than nearing completion of a garment and noticing that a section is not quite right. Other factors to bear in mind are:

Pile: Velvet and corduroy both have an obvious pile, which can be challenging to sew as it creeps on seams (one bit walking on top of another). As with any fabric with a nap, it needs to be cut out with all the pieces of the garment lying in the same direction.

Sheen: Silk, satin and other fabrics with a sheen all need to be handled with care and pattern pieces cut out in the same direction.

Pattern: Does the fabric have a distinctive pattern? If so, you may need to allow more fabric as you’ll need to consider the positioning of the paper pattern on the fabric (#ulink_4a952fd6-45c7-5a61-b751-ef98e288bf20) when you cut out your garment (#litres_trial_promo). Just as you would for fabric with a nap, you will also need to position your paper pattern with the pieces all laying in the same direction.

Lining

If you’re making a garment out of a heavier-weight fabric, especially one with a rough texture such as wool, then it’s best to line it. Lining also gives a better drape to a garment, and you’ll see I’ve suggested inserting one in my Pencil Skirt (#litres_trial_promo). For either purpose, you’d select lining made from a silky polyester or acetate. Garment pieces can also be underlined – where you attach lining to individual sections of a garment before sewing it together, as I’ve done for the Boned Bodice (#litres_trial_promo). Polyester and cotton curtain lining is ideal for use in craft projects, as it does not shrink or change shape when it is washed. I have used it in the the Patchwork Place Mat (#litres_trial_promo) and Christmas Stocking (#litres_trial_promo). For curtains, I prefer to use cotton lining.

Interfacing

Interfacing is used to add body to a garment to give firmness and stability. It is applied to the wrong side of certain parts of the garment during construction, typically collars, cuffs and bands where buttonholes are worked. Interfacing should not overpower or change the natural character of a fabric; it should support and enhance without making it rigid.

Many different types of interfacing are available, from ultra-fine for use in dressmaking to heavyweight buckram for crafts and curtain headings, so how do you choose the right kind for your fabric? It’s best to select a similar weight of interfacing to the fabric you are using – feel the texture and drape of the interfacing compared with that of the main fabric. If you can, test a small piece tacked or fused on to your fabric. When there is a choice between a heavier or a lighter weight of interfacing, choose the latter. It is possible to add more than one layer of lighter-weight interfacing.

Types of interfacing

There are three main types of interfacing:

Non-woven: This type is made from bonded fibres and has a felt-like appearance. It has no grain line and can be cut out in any direction.

Woven: This has a grain line and needs to be cut out with the grain going in exactly the same direction as the garment piece to which it will be attached,. The garment will hang better as a result

Knitted: This type of interfacing has a knitted structure that enables it to stretch with the garment.

All of the above types can be purchased in sew-in and fusible (iron-on) forms:

Sew-in: This is good to use on fabric with a pile or a texture that may not be able to cope with the hot iron required to melt the glue on fusible interfacing. It needs to be cut out and tacked onto the wrong side of the piece that it is supporting. It is caught into the seams during construction.

Fusible: Fusible interfacing is very convenient, as you effectively ‘glue’ it on to the parts of the garment that need reinforcement without needing to tack it in place. Here are some basic instructions for applying it:

1. Cut out the interfacing using the pattern piece of the shape to be stiffened.

2. Trim most of the seam allowance from the edge of the piece. This will reduce bulk during construction.

3. Place the garment piece with the wrong side facing you. Position the piece of interfacing glue side down on top of the fabric.

4. Press into position. Lift the iron up and down, working from the centre of the interfacing outwards. It will take a few seconds in each place for the glue to melt.

Top Tip

Fusible interfacing needs to be handled with care. I put an oven liner on the ironing board to protect it from the sticky deposits that sometimes escape from the interfacing when I’m ironing it into position.

Thread

Having selected your fabric, you’ll then need to choose a reel or two of thread to go with it. Thread comes in varying thicknesses and types and is graded: the higher the number, the finer the thread. Standard sewing thread is size 50 and will suit most projects.

With a rainbow of different hues to choose from, selecting the right colour can be tricky: if in doubt, choose a shade darker than your project. I’m always amazed, however, at how well certain neutral shades go with almost any colour of fabric. My quilting friends swear by shades of grey thread, as they blend with a multitude of coloured fabrics.

Buying good quality and new

It’s important to buy good-quality thread. If the thread has no details of any kind on the end of the spool, it is probably inferior quality. If you can, examine a strand of thread against a piece of white paper. If it looks fluffy, it is probably a cheaper type of thread made with insufficient twist so the fibres do not hold together and therefore it will tend to break and deposit fluff between the tension discs of your sewing machine.

Granny’s sewing basket is not the best place to go hunting for cotton reels. Thread is one of the items of haberdashery that does not age well. Over time it deteriorates, losing elasticity and becoming brittle so that it breaks easily. Sadly, old thread is only good for tacking.

Types of thread

In the sewing projects you’ll see that I’ve recommended reels of all-purpose sewing thread. Designed to be used on a domestic sewing machine, these come in different fibre types, so you can find one to suit most projects and fabrics.

Cotton: Cotton thread has little or no give and hence is best used on stable or natural fibres. If you use it to sew knitted fabrics, such as cotton jersey, your machine needle may skip and the thread may break.

Polyester: This type of thread has strength and elasticity. It won’t fade or shrink in the wash. Most polyester thread has a silicone coating that helps it glide through the machine and the fabric. Ideal for sewing knitted fabrics.

Cotton-wrapped polyester: This thread has the elasticity of polyester and the heat resistance of cotton. It can be used on both knitted and woven fabrics.

Silk: A beautiful lustrous thread, great for tailoring as it moulds when pressed. The stitches sink into the seam lines and become invisible.

Rayon: This type of thread was originally developed as a cheaper alternative to silk. Like silk, it has a sheen and produces fine stitching. Although not as strong as polyester or cotton thread, it is good for sewing embroidery and more delicate fabrics.

Notions

These are all the additional items you will need to finish your garment – zips, buttons, binding, decorative trims and braids etc. Once you have found the fabric that you think suits your project, you can ask an assistant for guidance. A good fabric shop will be able to help you choose the right interfacing and all those little bits and pieces that will aid successful garment completion.

Paper Patterns

There are many different brands of paper pattern and the choice available is huge, not just for dressmaking but for craft and home-furnishing projects too. Once you’ve chosen your pattern, everything else will fall into place as the pattern not only provides the template for your dressmaking or other project, but offers advice on the type of fabric to choose, along with all the other bits and pieces you’ll need.

Choosing a Pattern for your Dressmaking Project

When I first started sewing, I loved popping into my local fabric shop to perch on a stool at what was called the ‘pattern bar’ and flick through the pages of various catalogues. It was wonderful to look through the many styles on offer and make my choice. Today I tend to use the internet and a site specialising in paper patterns. Seated by my computer, instead of a pattern bar, I explore the many pages of patterns on view before making my choice. My students often ask me how to choose their first project. Build your skills gradually, is what I advise them, and choose one within your capabilities. Dressmaking takes you on a voyage of discovery and there are many techniques to learn. I am there in the class to guide my students and help them on their journey. Here are a few pointers that I would give anyone just beginning: