using an old door and two trestles – you can get these at any hardware store selling timber. A pegboard mounted on the wall near
your cutting table is ideal for hanging scissors, rulers, rotary cutters and so on. Make your own by buying masonite with punched holes (available per metre at most hardware stores).
Lighting Plan your lighting carefully, keeping in mind that you need general lighting to illuminate the room and task lighting such as lamps to highlight the work areas. Always check that lights don’t shine down on your head, which will create shadows on your work.
Colour Create a peaceful, creative ambience in your work area by making sure that the walls are painted in pastel shades. Dark colours absorb light and light colours reflect it. If you plan on using dark colours, you will need more lighting in your room.
seam, trims it and binds the raw edge, all at the same time. Overlockers are especially useful when working with stretch knits, sheer fabrics and fabrics that fray easily. For example, a machine with three or four threads will give your seam a bit of stretch. This is a great way to protect the seam and to make sure that it doesn’t come loose or unravel. However, keep in mind that an overlocker isn’t essential for everyday use or, for example, sewing bedding or curtains (when you can use your zigzag stitch on your sewing machine). But it will come in handy if you’re selling clothes and want a professional finish. There are many overlockers from which to choose and, like sewing machines, their prices vary according
to the brand, model and the over- locker’s capabilities.
Your work area Whether you’re using a corner or
a whole room, you will benefit from having a dedicated sewing space. Keep the following in mind when setting up your area:
Furniture The most important pieces of furniture are your sewing table, a cutting table and a comfortable, adjustable chair. Select the largest table top that your space can accommodate, ensuring that it is the correct height for you and that the counter’s surface is smooth and durable. Make your own table by
Pressing station You will need a place to iron your projects as you work. Make sure the room has an electricity point to plug in your iron and that there is sufficient space for an ironing board.
Good ideas • Invest in one pair of dressmaking shears and opt for an ordinary pair of scissors for cutting out patterns. Cutting paper dulls shears, which makes it difficult to cut fabric. • Trimming scissors are used for more delicate cutting and trimming and range from 10 to 15cm in length. • Invest in a seam ripper. Mistakes happen. This makes this handy tool your best friend. It has a tiny extended blade at the end, with a protective cover that can be removed as needed. Slide the small cutting blade at the base under the stitch to cut the thread. Various sizes are available to cut through light to heavyweight fabric seams.
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