If one has to list down the essential life skills that everyone should learn, then Sewing will be among the top five. Read on for why sewing is one of the most essential life-skills and steps on how to sew, to make your first stitch. Also, check out the basic types of hand stitches and their uses.

Now let’s imagine a situation…

You have a very important meeting to attend, you are already running late and all of a sudden the stitch out of your crisp ironed white shirt comes off. In such a crisis situation one definitely needs to have a basic idea of how to sew, in-order get the shirt fixed. Therefore, it becomes imperative to know the ABC of Sewing.

Having a basic knowledge of sewing definitely saves you in times of emergency but also cuts down on your expenses. There is no need to rush to the tailor’s shop for getting some basic easy stitches done, and in-fact having a basic-moderate level of skill-set in sewing also allows you to stitch apparels, some décor pieces, handmade crafts, etc. With technological developments, today sewing is done using various kinds of machinery on a large scale at factories or shops. However, the traditional old school knowledge of a seamstress still prevails both in the commercial and personal spheres of life.

Let’s get into the basic tools needed to sew at home, and an easy guide on how to sew your first stitch.

What are the different types of stitches?

Now, Sewing is an essential skill-set and there exist various kinds of stitches. Some of the popular kinds of stitches are listed below-:

• Running Stitch, the simplest and basic of all the different kinds of stitches
• Back Stitch
• Basting Stitch
• Blanket Stitch
• Shadow Stitch
• Slip Stitch and many more types of hand stitches

These stitches again have various utilities, meaning the purpose of the different types of stitches varies from simple hand sewing to embroidery. For example, backstitch is used in hand sewing for its strength and durability in holding the fabric together, but in embroidery, it is predominantly used either for outlines or for adding definition to embroidered lettering.

A BEGINNER’s GUIDE TO SEWING

a) Tools  Needed

As a beginner, you need to have certain tools with you for you to perform the most basic stitches. These are:

1. Sharp Set of Needles.
2. Sharp Scissors
3. Spools of Sewing Threads
4. Fabric.
5. Ruler for Measurement/ Measuring Tape 

b) How to do a Basic Stitch – Running Stitch

Beginners do not worry about how to sew your first stitch, we have got you covered. Here are the steps you need to follow to do your first stitch and have all your worries sorted-

• First of all, take the needle and insert the chosen thread through the eye of the needle. This is perhaps the most difficult and time-taking part of sewing.
  
• Once the thread is inserted into the needle, figure out how you would prefer to have your thread— single-threaded or double threaded.
  
• In single-threaded, the thread is simply inserted through the eye of the needle, and a knot is tied onto the longer side of the thread. In double-threaded, once the thread is inserted through the eye of the needle, both the ends of the thread are brought  together, ensuring they lie adjacent to each other. A knot is tied to join both the ends of the thread for them to form a loop.
  

What are the necessary steps for a running stitch?

STEP 1

Take the chosen fabric, and insert the needle through the wrong side of the fabric (the side which won’t be visible), and make way for the needle to the top, i.e. the right side of the fabric.

The needle is first inserted through the wrong side of the fabric ensuring the knot is not visible on the outside. 

STEP 2

Now the needle which has already made its way through the right side of the fabric now should be inserted towards the wrong side of the fabric again, through a short distance away. If you are a beginner and practicing for the first time, make sure the distance should be around 5-6mm (1/4 inches)

And there you go, you have your first stitch ready. Now that the needle is again underneath the fabric, the above steps need to be repeated till the end of the fabric. The motion of the needle should be essentially Down-Up-Down-Up-Down-Up.

Once the end of the fabric is reached, then you insert the needle with the remaining thread again towards the wrong side of the fabric. Now that the needle is underneath the fabric, a tight knot is tied to the previous stitch, to ensure the stitches aren’t loose and come off. Congratulations! Your first endeavor with hand sewing is an absolute success.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND

Hand Sewing isn’t a very difficult task to do, but to ensure that the experience with learning this skill turns out to be a smooth ride- here are certain tips one should take note of. These are

• In order to ensure that the thread is easily inserted into the eye of the needle, make sure to dip it into some water. This makes it easy for the thread to be inserted into the eye of the needle. You can also take the help of a tool called threader for this process to be hassle-free.
• If you are a beginner and want to practice before you actually start sewing, instead of fabric you can practice on craft felt sheets. It’s a great material for practicing and very easily available
• Make sure you have two pairs of scissors- a small and a big, to cut threads and fabric respectively.
• As a beginner, if you do not want to invest in too many different colors of sewing threads, make sure you at least have two basic colors- white ( for light-colored fabric or buttons), and black for dark-colored fabric.

Following these tips is definitely recommended for your first experience with hand sewing to be absolute bliss. Showcase your creativity and start beautifying each clothing piece that you own, that too using your own hands! 

Checkered Patterns: 17 Best known types of Checks

Checks are a type of pattern which can blend with all sorts of seasons. Maybe a winter evening, or a summer daylight outing or in a fall season, checkered patterns are always to opt for. Regardless of any trends or styles, the different types of checkered patterns were always there. But you have to know them first accurately, their types and the occasion type in which the particular type of checkered pattern can be worn.

Not all checks are the same. Even though they look similar with crisscrossed lines perpendicularly crossing each other, the patterns are different from each other if you look closely.

Here are some examples of checkered patterns that you can understand before choosing a particular type for a particular occasion. From buffalo check to the checkerboard pattern, there are various checkered pattern types.

1. Buffalo Checks

Just like apple pie, it is also an American famous checkered pattern. A lumberjack initially wore it, and due to its catching visibility, the two-toned type of pattern resembles the household checkboard of your house or maybe a chessboard. One of the two colors is black. For maybe a casual outing or attending an official event, this pattern suits.

2. Gingham Checkered Patterns

• 

• 

Gingham is maybe one of the most iconic check designs, for the most part comprising of a white background and one other color and shading. Vertical and horizontal stripes are always a similar shading lying on a white background. Dorothy’s notable blue and white checkered dress in Wizard of Oz is a significant example of gingham. The patterns can be transparent depending on the color which is used.

3. Shepherd’s Check

• 

• 

This pattern almost resembles the gingham, Shepherd’s Check is effortlessly recognized by its twill weave. Shephard’s Check usually is produced in a flannel or fitting material, and settling on it is an excellent decision if you want to go for light outerwear. This is a stunning classic pattern for wearing it in any official event.

4. Houndstooth Checkered Pattern

• 

• 

Sweden being the origin, houndstooth is a subsidiary of Shephard’s Check. Except for the squares have a notch and point, taking after a canine tooth. This check is traditionally found in black and white during fall seasons, but it’s currently in assortments of colors that you can use in all overwork outfit.

5. The Mini Checkered Pattern

• 

• 

Mini check is a pattern having small checks which almost resemble the gingham pattern, but the checks here are much smaller. Great for fabrics in suiting, and you can use it as a casual outing pattern as well as in the official events. It is a beautiful pattern which, if you wear, will attract some eyes definitely on you.

6. Pin Check

Pin checks are a similar idea as small-scale checks yet considerably even smaller. The squares that make in this pattern are so little that they look like small dots. This subtle example makes a phenomenal complement as pin checks are relatively understated or downplayed, yet sophisticated. This is an excellent suit checks pattern and the best choice for office outfits and casual outfits.

7. Graph Check

• 

• 

The Graph Check looks like a graph paper. This example comprises of pencil-thin, single-hued lines that cross equally, framing singular squares. This check, alongside window pane and tattersall, has such slim lines that the boxes in the pattern seem open rather than “filled-in” like the checks listed beforehand. This is a great casual outing pattern when you are going for a daylight outing with your friends or family.

8. Window Pane Check

Windowpane checks take after window panes, but at the same time, they’re similar, like the check of a graph yet somewhat bigger. Both window pane and graph checks convey a moderate appeal or intrigue—this pattern you can use in your winter outfits or dresses for an official and casual outing with your family and friends.

9. Tattersall Checkered Pattern

• 

• 

These checks are the same as a graph or windowpane, aside from the lines alternate in colors, making it somewhat more visually compelling. This pattern got its name from Tattersall’s horse market in London, where this type of cloth pattern was sold and used to blanket the horses. Additionally, tattersall stripes are generally darker than the base shading. This is an incredible example of summer and spring patterns, typically seen in lightweight fitting textures.

10. Argyle Checks

• 

• 

This is an all-over example of diamonds (or Lozenges). More often, the diamond themes or motifs will be overlapping with each other in this pattern. Most popular pattern in men’s sweaters and socks as well as woolen wears. The simple colors in this pattern make the garment very elegant.

11. Dupplin Checks

• 

• 

This is a combination of simple checks and windowpane checks. The checks look similar to a dog’s tooth and hence a check pattern within a check pattern. This pattern usually appears in casual outfits that you wear at home as well as outside. You can use this pattern when you want to go for a casual and straightforward pattern type in your wear.

12. Glen Checkered Pattern

• 

• 

This pattern is a blend of large and tiny checks (like a dog’s tooth checks), making a pattern of random checks. For the most part, suiting textures have glen checks – usually with dark and light stripes substituting with dark and light stripes in a subtle checkered pattern. Also popular as Prince of Wales check. This pattern has a sporty yet polished appeal for using it in suit jackets and office-wear as well.

13. Madras Checkered Pattern

• 

• 

This pattern example with uneven checks will form by groups of different attractive colors ( of fluctuating thickness ) crossing each other ( not equally divided) in vibrant shades. It is a shirting design but also used in casual outfits. This is an attractive option to go for if you are going out for casual outings.

14. Plaid Checks

This pattern example has brilliant stripes mismatching one another, like Madras checks yet in progressively muted colors. In contrast to Madras checks, you will find that the checks are all the more evenly or symmetrically positioned. It is likewise, a Tartan and can be used in your winter wear as well as workwear. The word “plaid” came from a Gaelic word, which meant blankets; that is why you’ll see this pattern mostly in the blankets.

15. Glun Club Checks

This is an example of a pattern of double checks. In this type of pattern, different bands in two or more shades or colors cross on a light background making beautiful checks. The traditional black, red-brown, and pine green colors go well with this pattern. You can wear this type of patter in-home outfits or casual wear sometimes workwear shirts as well.

16. Ichimatsu Checks

This is a pattern example with two squares of colors, on the other hand, to frame the checks. It is equivalent to a chequerboard design, the thing that matters is that this example may have different designs inside the checks. Kimonos are one of the famous Japanese examples; The Kabuki entertainer Sanokawa Ichimatsu utilized this plan for his Hakama in front of an audience; in this way, this example got its name.

17. Checkerboard Checkered Pattern

The equal-sized checks are crossing each other in the checkerboard pattern. It is the pattern just like a checkerboard game or a chess game. Different colors with contrasting color combinations such as grey and blue, black and white, red, and black look good. This is a pattern which you can use in the simple outfits as well as work wears.

These are the different checkered patterns from which you can choose the types and colors of your choice and flaunt it on any occasion. You can never go wrong with the different checkered patterns as they are never out of style. Catch some eyes by slaying it gracefully.

8 Ways To Sew On A Patch

Whether you are a parent, who one day suddenly saw a tear or a hole in your kid’s cloth and panicked that how you can handle the situation. Throwing away the fabric is not the preferred solution. Or giving it to some shops to repair, which might even cost you a lot of time and money. So, be an enthusiast and learn different techniques on how to sew a patch on the clothes on your own and your own house with different designs, colors, and unique patches. 

These methods are easy and need things which you have in your home. Maybe a needle, some shades of threads, and the needed patch to sew on. And if you have a sewing machine, then it will be much easier for you to dry a variety of these methods. It is a convenient method one should learn.

Not just learning but also applying it on the clothes, making it look exquisite, neat, and professionally built. Different types of patches are there like sequin, fabric, or even beaded. But it depends on which patch to choose for which piece of cloth you want to patch on. So, be creative to make your patches at home and learn how to sew a patch. Check out the following ways to sew on a patch.

1. Sew On Patches

Sew-on Patches can be done in mainly two ways, either you can do it by hand sewing or using a machine. To sew a patch on a cloth, you will first require a patch to sew on, a needle and a thread or maybe a sewing machine if you do not want to sew with hands. 

• In the sewing machine, attach the piece of fabric to sew the patch on. This method is very much durable if done with sewing machines. 
• You place the patch on the cloth on a flat surface and then sew it with a sewing machine or maybe with hand. 
• You can surely use a variety of thread colors to sew the patch on the clothes, and you can even sew in a spiral way, which adds elegance to the completed work makes the cloth very fashionable.

3. Applique Patches

In this sewing type of method, the patch is directly made on the cloth using and embroidery machine or a sewing machine. This technique allows you to be creative and unique on the fabric you are sewing. 

• You will need the necessary cloth you want to sew, the embroidery machine or the sewing machine, or even you can do it with your hand with the help of needle and thread alongside the patch.
• If you place the cloth on the sewing machine directly while trying to make a design on the fabric, then form the applique patches. 
• By the hand-sewn blanket stitch, you can also apply this method. 

Be creative, and make your patches beautiful and attractive.

3. Heat Seal And Sew Patches

Heat seal and sew patches are a substantially more reliable technique for joining or attaching a patch to the cloth. It is a mix of the heat seal and sews on procedures for applying the patch. 

• To accomplish this, you need to initially heat the seal the patch on the fabric or the cloth you want to use. 
• You, at that point, sew on the patch to guarantee it sits well on the material. 
• Along these lines, the patch has an exciting and unique finish. 

For a proper and robust patch sewing method, this method can be considered.

4. Reverse Applique Patches

If you want to tear on clothes or cover a hole that may be accidentally occurred, reverse applique patches are an excellent method for this. 

• This method is also achieved using an applique, which will further enhance the cloth’s beauty while sewing the patch.
•  It is done by cutting the holes to the applique shapes and then sewn on the back of the cloth’s tear. 
• You can also use a zig-zag stitch as a form of designer stitch to the fabric making it more attractive. 

After all the procedures, the result of the product is an elegant finish and has a very different appearance.

5. Darning

You can easily cover any holes or tears, especially in your denim, using the Darning method. You’ll just need a sewing machine to apply this kind of process in your clothes. 

You can use the same material as your patch or opt for no patch usage. Sewing machine and cloth is a necessity in this method. It is tough to do darning by hand sewing. 

• You have to start by making straight line stitches repeating it around the area of the tear and also on the patch. 
• Keep note to not make the stitches far from each other because the results won’t be right. Make the stitches near to each other to hold the patch while giving it a completed, sophisticated finishing touch. 
• You can also use a darning machine to perform this method. 

This way, the cloth or the fabric can be rewoven without the use of the patch. It even does not seem like it again has been worked on or has been gone from some changes.

6. Set In Patches

This method is totally up to you that you want to perform it with your hand or with the sewing machine’s help. It can be done or can be achieved in the best way if you use a fabric of the same cloth or the different materials to add sheen to the fabric you are sewing on. 

For this method to perform, you can choose various types of stitches depending on how you want to make the cloth or the finished product to look. 

• Firstly, cut the fabric in the shape which you desire to create. 
• Then around the tear, cut the material to the same way you cut previously in the fabric or the patch. 
• Now, place the patch under the hole or tear the fabric with the right side up. Stitch the patch finally with a sewing machine or by hand. 
• Finally, hem the cloth properly on both the sides to give it a great finishing touch.

7. Beaded Patches

Beaded patches are the decorative patches which can be made at home or even brought from a store. They come in different types of designs and a beautiful gleam to the cloth. 

• You have to start this method by choosing the beaded patch the way you like and going with your piece of fabric perfectly. 
• It would help if you now had a thread and a needle, put the thread in the needle and sew the beads on the clothes. 
• You can play around in the cloth, be creative and innovative, and make your unique designs and finish when you are satisfied. 

This method completely displays your creativity on the patch, which you want to sew on the cloth and make your fabric attractive.

The art of sewing patches on clothes is essential for everybody to know. Whether you are sewing the patches to cover up the tears or holes or want to beautify the fabric to make it look very classy, these are some great methods you can apply. 

So why waste time thinking about the tear you or your kid made accidentally, where you can repair it quickly, giving it a great look.

Fabrics With Texture:

The fabric texture is a textile surface of an item with different threads, fibers by stitching, or other methods. Different fabrics have different textures. You can largely see in clothes as well as other materials, the fabrics with texture. The buyer buys the type of fabric based on the occasion and which fabric texture can give the look required. There are also different types of fabrics to know before you go to the textures.

1. Pre-Pleated Fabric

This is a fabric texture which is pre-pleated with synthetic compounds and heat. The pleats might be made randomly or in ordinary spans.

The pleats form with chemical application assistance in conjugation with heat and pressure in cotton fabric texture and polyester by heat and pressure alone. Hand pleating, machine pleating, and structure/paper pleating are various techniques for pleating texture. Extraordinary pleating paper can decorate the pleating design on the texture by utilizing heat and pressure. 

2. Shirred or Smocked Fabrics

These allude to fabrics with the exceptional surface with whirls, pinwheel designs, etc. made because of being made/sewed with elastic string. Spandex mix yarns make the texture, which contracts to bring about the fabric crinkling. There possibly accumulates, swirls, pinwheel shapes puckers, and so forth on a superficial level because of this specific sort of sewing. Smocking makes little pleats on fabric texture, and stitches of embroidery on top to hold the pleats set up and for adornment.

3. Ribbed Weave Fabrics

Rib glossy silk or satin forms by weaving rib fibers in a satin weave. There are rotating rib and silk stripes that are exceptionally appealing—Crepe de chine, which is a fine rib surface, which is radiant and lovely.

4. Pre-Quilted Fabrics

Quilting includes sewing together two textures with padding or batting kept sandwiched inside the external fabrics. Prequilted fabric texture has all the padded characteristics of stitching and is top picks for making coats and bags.

5. Crepe

Crepe has fabric texture; however, not all crepe textures have articulated texture. Canton crepe has an intensely finished texture with a transverse rib noticeable on its surface. Satin crepe has a unique crepe texture on the back, which can be utilized as the essence of the fabric texture on the off chance that you need your piece of clothing to have this texture. Moroccan crepes have a wavy weave.

6. Hammered Satin

This is a kind of satin crepe decorate to give the texture a one of a kind pebbly surface suggestive of hammered metal. It is similar to as a dress fabric texture and upholstery material.

7. Net Fabrics

Net is an open-weave sheer fabric texture form with yarns sewing, knotting, or curve together to furnish surface with square hexagonal or octagonal meshes. A fishnet is by knotting networks like a fisherman’s knot.

8. Lace

There are many human-made or machine-made laces with lovely textures. Repausse ribbon or lace has an embellished surface with raised patterns.

9. Fur Type Pile Fabric/ Fake Fur

These textures appear as though they are from using the fur of creatures like a panther, sheep, and so forth. These fabrics have a thick heaped surface effortlessly to animal lives and budgets. They ordinarily have a knit foundation.

10. Chinchilla

These specialty textures (wool or cotton) have a delicate irregular surface fabric texture with little adjusted twisted tufts. The chinchilla machine treats the float yarns to make this nap.

11. Embroidered Fabric

Embroidery includes firmly woven nonfinished textures. Eyelet fabric texture(Broderie Anglaise) is such an embroidered texture with all over weaving done. Embroidery practically a wide range of textures like net, velvet, chiffon along these lines.

12. Waffle Cloth

This has a raised square or diamond molded example (honeycomb) made by skimming warp and filling yarns that structure edges along the line of the floats.

13. Metalesse Fabrics (Double Knit Fabrics)

This is a fabric texture with a puckered surface, which appears as though it has padded or stitched with textured designs on a superficial level (metalesse effect). The delicate, puffy texture is a twofold material, making it look like it has batting cushion batting inside. It is utilized for the most part as a suiting texture or bedding. The wonderful raised surface uncovers puckered examples, for example, florals, geometrics, and medallions.

14. Wool

Fabric texture produced using fine, delicate curly or wavy hair framing the layer of a sheep, goat, or comparable creatures. The hair changes over to woolen filaments, which then weaves into textures with excellent surfaces – from fluffy to chunky to delicate as silk.

15. Felt

Felt is a thick and exceptionally fabric texture made by rolling and squeezing wool/some other natural fiber by applying moisture or warmth and loads of pressure.

16. Leno Weave Fabrics

A leno weave consistently makes little gaps in the texture. Mesh Fabrics in this weave is for commercial uses like in the clinical business. The enriching design weaves on cloth ground texture with lappet weaving.

17. Tweed

This is a rough, heavyweight texture with blended colored impact. The weave of the texture (twill/herringbone) likewise makes a finished look. A few tweeds have vivid slubs on them.

18. Velvet, Velour And Plush

Velour alludes to knit textures with a cut heap. Velvet is a woven texture with similar development. Both have crushed textures with a crinkled crushed finish. Crushed velvet has varieties in shading because of the distinction in light reflection that brings it more surface. Burnout velour or velvet has been printed with acid, so the base texture is noticeable in particular zones.

19. Sweater Knits

These sweater knits utilize a cumbersome yarn, which makes it finished. Exceptional sorts of stitching designs are utilized in these knits for the added surface.

20. Chenille

This is a type of fabric texture which has a velveteen type of bulky cut pile texture and luxurious fabric. For interior design purposes, it is very popular.

21. Terrycloth

This type of fabric texture is generally used for towel materials. Terry material is a bulky texture with loops everywhere throughout the fabric surface. Generally, the loop is on the two sides; however, there are terry garments with the loop just one side.

22. Crinkled Finished Cotton

This crinkled surface is an aftereffect of heat and chemicals applied to the texture while it is compacted. At the point when the texture is discharged, the crinkle is shaped, which is practically changeless. This almost like pleating. Percale, the fabric is cotton textures which are crinkled along these lines 

Seersucker texture is a cotton texture that has an articulated puckered appearance. This texture is typically having a striped example and has to some degree medium weight and is utilized to make jeans and overcoats and explicitly to make summer garments.

23. Jacquard Woven Fabrics

Jacquard fabric texture has complicatedly variegated or raised pattern on the texture Brocade, an assortment of jacquard is a rich woven texture with a raised example, commonly of strong or multi-shaded silk threads (with some gold or silver thread).

24. Ribbon Knit

This is a knit texture with a delightful surface with loops made of strip or yarn – limited acetate or rayon lace is utilized rather than spun yarn to make the texture. Cotton sew texture is the foundation over which this effect is made.

25. Slubbed Silk

Tussah silk/silk shantung is a wild silk texture made of coarse lopsided silk fibers of uncultivated silkworms. Its irregular surface because of the sporadic slubbed yarns utilized in the development. The overwhelming unpleasant yarns will run across in the texture, shaping a delightfully rough matte surface. Spun silk shantung has irregular slubs. Waste silk is harsh finished silk created from short fibers from damaged cocoons.