Sew — Issue 103 — Xmas 2017

of your FREE

pattern

Discover

the

potential

your free

pattern

We used Gütermann

sew-all thread in

colour 495 to match

our fabric. £1.85,

minervacrafts.com

pop in a PIN

Using regular pins on sequin fabrics won’t do

any harm, but you might find that the surface

becomes cluttered as they get in the way of

sequins. Sequin and bead pins are a little

shorter and don’t have a bulky head, which

allows you to prepare embellished fabric

for stitching more neatly.

take a NAP

Sequins are often arranged on fabric in a

one-way design because of the way the discs

are layered over one another. If a fabric changes

appearance from different angles, you’ll need to

follow the fabric requirement and cutting layout

for fabric that has a nap to ensure all pieces look

consistent when sewn together.

love that DRAPE

This garment will look best when made up with

drapey fabrics, but working with these for the

first time can be daunting. A little prep will be

a big help – snipping large fabric lengths into

smaller pieces before cutting the pattern and

temporarily stiffening the fabric with starch

spray will prevent distortion.

pick a THREAD

If using a sequin fabric, use the same thread

you usually would with the base fabric the

sequins are attached to – most commonly

this will be organza, tulle, mesh or jersey,

so sew-all thread is a safe option. However,

if working with delicate fabric and

small sequins, you might like to use

an extra-fine thread.

need a NEEDLE

Don’t sew through large, thick sequins

• it can potentially damage your
  machine – remove them along the seam
  allowance before sewing with a regular
  needle. Fine sequins can be sewn over
  cautiously using a brand new needle that
  is very strong and sharp, such as a leather
  needle. Have extra to hand in case of
  any breakages.

feel GOOD

Check the wrong side of your fabric

• if it is uncomfortable you may need
  to create a lining. The sequin side
  may scratch against the skin, so encase all seam
  allowances in simple bias binding to avoid
  irritation. To reduce bulk, trim the
  allowance, press it open and
  slip single-fold binding
  on top.

Our Christmas gift to you, your FREE PARTY TOPS PATTERN

worth £8.95, will get you ready for festivities with its fab

CROSSOVER BACK with a choice of lengths. The simple designs are

a great introduction to inserting sleeves and working with a CHOICE

OF FABRICS, including drapey materials and sequins. With no

fastenings to contend with, you can START RIGHT AWAY!

We used Prym

leather sewing machine

needles to avoid breakages.

£2.69, minervacrafts.com

Prevent unwanted ravelling

after removing sequins

from the seam allowance.

Prym fray check, £5.99,

minervacrafts.com

Prym sequin and bead pins,

£3.09, minervacrafts.com

20%

*

off

Prym

with code SEWPRYM

Valid from 20/09/17 to 31/10/17 on Prym sewing

products at tinyurl.com/MinervaPrym.

Discount cannot be used in conjunction

with any other offer.

Prym cotton bias

binding tape, 69p per metre,

minervacrafts.com

10

(^) sewmag.co.uk
Comfy crossover back!