| Match Patterns Perfectly with Slip Basting |
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By Susan Khalje
DIY-Do It Yourself Network It is always so much fun to spend some time with a sewing colleague, and get a bird's-eye view of someone else's way of doing things. I was recently with a friend as she put together a beautiful wool plaid coat. She prepared her seams with slip basting, a technique that guarantees the proper alignment of seams that really do have to be very, very carefully matched. Nothing is more jarring than a plaid seam that is slightly off -- and it happens all too easily without the right preparation. Careful pinning is an essential first step, but I find that it is not enough to guarantee success. The pressure of the presser foot is usually enough to cause the layers to shift, spoiling the exact placement that makes matched plaid seams and carefully lined up designs so striking (two perfectly matched halves of a flower, for example). Slip basting is a hand basting technique that is worked from the right side of the garment. It uses slipstitches to join two layers of fabric in preparation for machine stitching. The seam allowance of one of the two pieces of fabric is turned under along the stitching line, forming a fold. Then, with the right sides of the fabric facing up, the folded edge is lined up along the stitching line of the other piece of fabric. The two layers are pinned together (place your pins perpendicular to the stitching line); you will notice that the seam allowances are temporarily facing in the same direction. A row of slipstitches is then applied by hand along the fold line, working back and forth between the two pieces of fabric. Of course, the smaller the stitches, the firmer the join and the less chance of the layers shifting. You will be able to determine the right stitch tension -- it has to be tight enough to be firm, but not so tight that it distorts the seam line. With a little practice, you will be able to determine the best stitch length and tension. Once you have finished, you will notice that the stitches are fairly invisible from the right side of the garment, but they are very visible on the inside, clearly and accurately marking the stitching line. Once the seam has been machine sewn, the basting can be removed and the seam can be pressed as usual. (Susan Khalje is an author and host of DIY-Do It Yourself Network "Sew Much More" which airs weekdays at 2:00 P.M. ET. Contact her at skhalje@aol.com or Box 51 Long Green, MD 21092. For more information, visit www.SusanKhalje.com or www.diynet.com.)
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