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From: TSM2004
Date: 06-15-2004, 10:09 PM (1 of 6)
| Hello, I'm rather new to sewing, but I have a little bit of experience. Iwas going over a pattern today for a shirtdress, and it has the term top stitching. What is top stitching, and how does one do it? I'm attempting to attach the yoke back to the back. It's a a Simplicty 7162 pattern. I know it's a silly question, but I really need to know since I'm at that part in the project. |
User: TSM2004
Member since: 06-15-2004 Total posts: 1 
|
From: Raine
Date: 06-15-2004, 11:15 PM (2 of 6)
|
Hi! Top stitching is just a straight line of stitching. In comparison to sewing the seams, top stitching usually can be seen by everyone. It usually looks best if you lengthen your stitch length to "3" (if your machine has a scale of 0 to 5). Good luck on your project! Raine |
User: Raine
Member since: 04-19-2000 Total posts: 259 
|
From: marianne_hess
Date: 06-16-2004, 09:42 AM (3 of 6)
| It's usually closer to the edge of the material though, not your normal seam allowance! Check your instruction sheet, it should define all of the terms somewhere near the beginning, probably where it lists all the pattern pieces included. |
User: marianne_hess
Member since: 07-10-2001 Total posts: 48 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 06-16-2004, 11:34 AM (4 of 6)
|
On a shirt dress I would expect topstitching to be the decorative stitching around the collar, cuffs and perhaps down the center front opening. Use your presser foot edge as a guide and go slow. I felt much better about my top stitching after reading an article in Threads by a designer and teacher known for her top stitching. "If you examine ready-to-wear," she said "you will realize it's never really perfectly straight." It's not hard but you might want to practice and use matching thread the first few times you try it on a garment. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: MaryW
Date: 06-16-2004, 06:56 PM (5 of 6)
Hi TSM2004, welcome to Sew Whats New. 
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New |
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005 Total posts: 2542 
|
From: paroper
Date: 06-17-2004, 08:59 AM (6 of 6)
|
Topstitching is usually 1/8-3/8 inches from the edge. Most decorative topstitching is 1/4 inches. It can be in the same color or in contrast. When we were growing up, we used the edge of our presser foot as a guide but an easier method is to use your blind stitch blade as a guide along the edge or seams of your garment. When the pattern calls for, or you just want two rows of top stitching, don't forget that you can use a double needle...that way the irregularities of your sitiching are duplicated...something that is hard to do with two passes.
pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
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