Treadle Make Tuesday: Melvyna's Coat

Every Tuesday we share projects from Treadle Yard Goods employees (a.k.a. The Treadlettes) and our customers and fans!

Melvyna made this amazing coat in our Continuing On classes with Michele. She used an indigo dyed fabric similar to mud cloth in combination with a navy blue wool melton. 

She added godets for extra fullness and added a custom draped collar. We're so impressed with the beautiful job she did! 



Want to be featured on Treadle Make Tuesday? Send us a photo or tag us in your post! (We will always ask before we share.)

Friday Fun Fact: the quick-release ankle

You've probably noticed that some sewing machines have presser feet that easily snap on and off, and some need a screwdriver to change the foot.

Check out the comparison between the snap-on foot and the shank foot below - the shank foot (top) attaches to your machine with a screw, while the snap-on foot just pops on and off so you can easily switch between feet!

But did you know that the snap-on ankle is not actually part of the machine? In fact, you can make ANY machine a quick-release machine, just by adding a simple adapter!



You should know if your machine has a high shank, low shank, or slanted shank before choosing a quick-release ankle or any accessory. 

You still need to remove the ankle to use some specialty feet, such as walking feet or free-motion quilting feet.

But for switching between your all-purpose foot, buttonhole foot, zipper foot, and blind hem foot, the quick release is a real time saver!

Check out all our Friday Fun Facts in the archive here!

Treadle Make Tuesday: Laura's Linen Dress

Treadlette Laura made this gorgeous dress in one of our amazing linens!

She used Butterick 6729 with a few tweaks. She lengthened the bodice and skirt, and opted to fully line the bodice rather than use facings.

Laura loved the flouncy hem but felt the pattern's sleeve ruffles were a bit much. Instead, she drafted a simple cuff with a button and loop.

Love this fabric? There's a limited quantity left - get it here! 

Friday Fun Fact: Threading your tension

Do you know how to properly thread your sewing machine's tension? Are you missing this vital step? If your stitches aren't right, the majority of the time it's a threading problem.

Let's look inside our machine's tension device. (This is the inside of my vintage Necchi machine, which has a casing that swings open on hinges for easy access, but not all machines have their tension device visible.)

We're looking at the tension dial, but look a little closer. Your machine's tension device is made of two metal discs that press together with a spring. The higher the number, the tighter they press together.

Your thread passes between the tension discs when you thread your machine, and it needs to be fully engaged and perfectly in place to work correctly.

The trick to perfect placement? RAISE the presser foot before your thread your machine!

When your presser foot is UP the tension discs separate, allowing you to get the thread in between just right! Our favorite trick is to hold the thread like dental floss to really bring it in correctly.

If your stitches look wonky, uneven, or just plain crummy, try re-threading your machine with the foot up, making sure the thread gets nestled right between those tension discs. You'll probably see an improvement!

Check out all our Friday Fun Facts in the archive here! 

Treadle Make Tuesday: Phoenix's Klimt dress!

Every Tuesday we share projects from Treadle Yard Goods employees (a.k.a. The Treadlettes) and our customers and fans!

Phoenix made this gorgeous knit dress from the Klimt panel we had earlier this winter.

This is a great example of how pairing a simple style with an amazing fabric gives you a great impact that's easy to sew!

Looking for a comfy, cute knit dress?
Try our T-Shirt Dress class! 

Treadle Make Tuesday: Blackwatch Plaid Dress

Every Tuesday we share projects from Treadle Yard Goods employees (a.k.a. The Treadlettes) and our customers and fans!

Want more project inspiration? Check out the #mytreadlemake tag on Instagram. Anyone can use this tag to share something they're made with our fabric, buttons, or notions, in our classes, or just with our advice and support!

This week's make is from @twinsnneedlesevents on instagram. We love the classic silhouette she created with this amazing plaid! (See it here!)

Want to be featured on Treadle Make Tuesday? Send us a photo or tag us in your post! (We will always ask before we share.)

 

Friday Fun Fact: Dart Basting

Hey it's Elizabeth and today I'm showing you my favorite method for basting a dart!

This is a great technique for large, long, or curvy darts - any time when just pinning the dart is too unwieldy.

We're starting on the wrong side since that's where you want to have your dart marked.

First we're going to use a gauge to mark every inch on both sides of the dart. These markings have to be parallel.



Thread a needle with a long basting thread. Don't make a knot, just leave a long thread tail.

Sew across the dart from one marking to the other. 

Then work your way up the dart, going from side to side. 

When you get to the point, make a tiny stitch across.

When you're done, you should see alternating stitches going up the dart lines on the wrong side, and stitches that go across on the right side.

Now for the fun part! We're going to pull both ends of the basting thread to fold the dart. 



Grab each end of your basting thread and pull. You'll see the dart start to fold up on itself.

Once your dart is flat and aligned, it's ready to sew on the machine! You can sew right on your dart lines - it's okay if you sew over your basting.



After you sew, pick out any basting that's visible from the right side, then press your dart how you normally would. (I recommend using a ham!)

Check out all our Friday Fun Facts in the archive here!