SEWING TECHNIQUES ZIP
INSERTION
For furnishing items, use metal zips where there will be considerable
strain, on a loose cover, for example, and nylon ones on cushion covers.
To center the zip, as on the
welt in a boxed cushion, tack the seam and press open. Pin the zip in place,
face down over the center of the seam, and machine or hand stitch. Unpick the
tacking stitches. Turn to the right side and top stitch to secure and strengthen
(1). If the zip is enclosed, before inserting it, stitch the zip tapes at the
top of the zip together by hand and sew across both ends by machine when the
zip is in place.
INVISIBLE ZIP INSERTION
To
insert a zip along a piped seam or where no stitching is to be seen on the
finished article, open the zip and place the teeth right side down against the
piping or away from the raw edge. Sew the zip tape to the seam allowance with
the zipper foot about 3 mm (t in) from the teeth. Close the zip and open out
the seam allowance on the other piece of fabric. Place the folded edge against
the teeth as before and pin. Sew 3 mm (t in) from the fold and then sew across
the end of the zip to the piping (2). If you are inserting a zip in sheer
fabrics or in a nap fabric such as velvet, sew it by hand, using a prick-stitch.
For a lapped zip, use the same method, but adjust stitching position as shown
(3).
MACHINE QUILTING
Before you
begin to quilt you must decide on the quilting design.
There are many traditional
designs; equally straight or wavy lines worked with a machine can be just as
effective. Mark the design with dressmaker's chalk, or decide on the widths of
the panels - for a traditional eiderdown, for example - or use the pattern on
the fabric. Quilting is always done on a sandwich of layers, varying in
thickness, so the first thing to do is to join these layers with tacking
stitches so all your quilting work isn't ruined because the layers drift and
pucker. Press the fabric pieces (not the padding).
The lines of tacking should
run in a different direction to the lines of stitching: for diagonal quilting,
tack the fabric in a grid along and across the grain of the fabric, spacing the
lines of stitching about 10 cm (4 in) apart. Use the same technique for outline
quilting. For striped fabric, tack across the strips.
If you are quilting by machine, mark the lines
of quilting using dressmaker's chalk. Most machines have a quilting foot which
holds the fabric flat as you sew. Always sew in the same direction to prevent
puckering.
Select the appropriate needle for the work. Use a loose, long
machine stitch and reduce the pressure on the presser foot. Guide the fabric
through the machine, keeping the layers together and taking care not to make
any tucks where the lines of stitching cross. Roll up the fabric so that it
will fit under the arm of the sewing machine as you work across the fabric. To
quilt by hand, use a sharp or crewel needle and a thread similar to the top
fabric. The stitches should be about 2-3 mm (-to- in) long and as even as
possible.
You can use different
stitches; the most common are back stitch and running stitch. If the layers are
thick and bulky, stab the needle through vertically, not at an angle. The
stitches must be neither too close nor too far apart; the padded effect will be
lost if the stitches are too close together, and the layers will not be held
firmly if the stitches are too far apart. If you prefer to work in small areas
and join the work after the quilting has been done, butt the wadding layers
together and secure with a herringbone stitch (1).
