This summer, I had the pleasure of visiting Helsinki, Finland and doing a bit of fabric shopping while I was there. Fabric shopping on vacation is a great way to experience the local culture and bring home a really special souvenir. I brought home six amazing fabric souvenirs from Helsinki and I love that when I sew with them and then wear the garments, I’ll be remembered of my trip.
A week or so ago, I posted a photo of my sewing room on Instagram with my relatively new cutting table in the very center. I got a few questions about the table so I decided that I would do a video review of it. I give you my thoughts and experience with the table over the last couple of months and show how easy it is to lift and collapse the “wings” aka table extensions.
So why did I JUST get a cutting table recently? Well, I’ve been cutting my fabric on the floor for years and it’s always worked fine. And in my last house, I had a dining room with a table that I’d occasionally use for cutting. When I moved to my new (smaller) place a couple of years ago, I had to give up the dining table and I’ve been cutting exclusively on the floor since then. The only problem really with cutting on the floor is that it’s hard on the body and sometimes my back will start to hurt.
In today's video, I show how to finish a neckline or armhole using bias tape to create a facing that is flat and won't peek out on the right side of the garment. Bias facing can be used to finish the raw edge a neckline, armhole or even a hem. This is a technique that is commonly used in a lot of garments including my Lou Box Top pattern so it’s a great method to practice and perfect. The benefit to bias facing over a traditional facing is that it has less bulk and if you have particularly thin fabric, it won’t create a ridge under your garment at the end of the facing.
