MY SEWING ESSENTIALS for the GCP PROJECTS and more
. Fabric covered piece of foam board (about 30 x 30 cm) -used to temporarily fasten pieces with glass-headed pins)
. Blending Thread 200 – very fine Polyester thread I use for most hand sewing. It is very strong and almost invisible.
. Disappearing Adhesive Spray - I could not do without this one any more! Essential! A spray that will temporarily hold fabric, lace ribbon etc. in place and will disappear after a couple of hours or after pressing without steam. It cannot be shipped by air so please purchase this in your country. Just google: Disappearing adhesive spray and lots of entries will come up. My favorites are Madeira SA 1100 and Gunold KK 100
. Erasable Pen (like Frixion) and push-button pencil
Erasable pens work on friction and are excellent for marking fabrics. Just iron over the marking and it disappears instantly. It can only be recovered if you put the fabric in the freezer! Very useful – much better than Magic Pens (wash-out marker pens) for these garments. I still use a push-button pencil a lot, though –it glides more easily on the fabric.
. Strong-hold hairspray (to temporarily stiffen fabric, lace or ribbon)
Use any make – it doesn’t matter. Spray liberally on one side of the item (use a box so the spray doesn’t go everywhere). Let dry a little. Lay the item, sprayed side down, between 2 layers of greaseproof paper (fold the paper) and iron without steam until dry. If you iron afterwards, press on the non-sprayed side. Rub vigorously if it is too stiff. Spray again if it is too soft.
. STS – Paper (sheer tearaway-stabilizer) – please check in the online shop www.gildebrief.de under “Hint of the Month January 2020”
. Tweezers SUPER-PICK – these very fine tweezers with a curved tip are a must; they help thread needles, pick up fine items, pick out lint from the sewing machine and lots more!
. Sharp scissors, glass-headed pins, fine lace pins, tape measure, ruler, roller cutter, white glue, firm paper or thin poster board (for the patterns), # 12 sewing needles, Quick-Unpick, Awl, thread-snips
. Good light, magnifying glasses, sewing machine, patience and time.
. A length of about 20 cm x 15 mm dowel, one with padding and one without. For pressing and pinning sleeve seams.
. Madeira Cotona # 80 – All stay stitching was done on the machine using this very fine cotton thread. It is about 30% finer than the EKA #80, although the size number is the same.
