I have chosen my fashion fabric. A cranberry babycord and a multicolored paisley. I plan on making the dress and vest out of the cord and the yoke and sleeves out of the paisley.I prepared my fabrics for sewing by straitening the grain using the technique I was taught years ago during a class I was participating in. I am not sure anyone uses this technique any more, but I have done it for so long I cannot sew without first following these steps.
On the cut edges I clip one end about 1/2 to 1 inch from the edge. This is usually enough to get a strait edge all the way across, but if it is not just repeat the process. I then careful tear the fabric and it will tear easily and strait along that cut edge. (some fabrics will not tear, with these you must pull a thread, very carefully, and then cut along that line the missing thread leaves, if the thread breaks, cut as far as you can then pull some more of the thread).
As you can see from the photos on the left, this is pretty easy to do and it gives you a very strait edge and makes lining up both ends of the fabric for the next step a lot easier.
After straitening both ends of the fabric, you will fold the fabric along the lengthwise grain, strait of grain, selvedge, what ever the term is you use. This will put a cut edge on each end of the strait of grain. Take this to the sewing machine and stitch each end, edges together with a wide zigzag stitch( or strait stitch, either will do). This will hold your fabric, keep it from fraying and straiten any off grain fabric while it is in the washer. ( according to the lady that taught this technique, the agitation of the washer will help straiten the grain if it is off grain.) After washing and drying ( I wash exactly by the fabric directions or how the completed project will be washed) I give the fabric a quick pressing and then hang lengthwise across a pant hanger.
This may seem like a lot of trouble and that it will take way too much time, but you will be surprised at how quickly it can be done and I think you will be very pleased with the outcome.
These are steps I always do, usually I do these as soon as I get home from my fabric shopping. It makes it nice to have everything done and know you can just go into your sewing room and start on a project. Also when you get in the habit of doing this, it becomes faster and easier.
Well that is it, I have prepared my fabric and I am ready to start on my sewing project, and that is the fun part and makes everything else worthwhile!
Happy Sewing!
http://sew-a-longs.blogspot.com/2011/08/simplicity-project-runway-sew-long.html
