,A change is as good as a holiday. So why not create a new fashion look for your home, your children or yourself. You can create a vibrant new season look by adding some simple finishing and decorating touches. Add that splash of color. Ribbons, rickrack, band, bias, ruffles, lace or buttons all can look great, when used correctly and at the right spot. For example, a lace trimming at the bottom of a skirt is very fashionable at the moment.
Some tips to keep in mind with finishing and decorating:
1. Trimmings must be suitable to the fabric, the sewing project or garment and of course the way it is cut.
2. Dont over trim. Too much decoration is often in poor taste.
Below different ways to create a new look with finishing and decorating touches.
Rickrack
Rickrack comes in an assortment of colors and sizes. It will launder and iron more easily if stitched twice (prevent curling). To join rickrack strips, match the scallops in a hem felled seam. Four ways of applying rickrack are described below:
Turn edge of fabric under, twice with very light weight fabrics, and baste rickrack to wrong side so that half extends beyond fold. Stitch close to fold on right side, and, if desired, stitch again below first line close enough to catch inside edge of trim.
Apply rickrack to right side with tips of scallops beyond raw edge. Stitch through center and turn on line of stitching to wrong side. Stitch lower edge of rickrack.
Turn in narrow hem and baste. Apply rickrack to the right side so that half extends beyond edge and stitch through center. Various decorative stitches may be used in place of machine stitching.
Where rickrack is not applied to edge, baste it to a marked line and stitch it through the center with one or more rows.
Ruffles
Ruffles are gathered strips of varying widths used as trimming. Fullness is most often 1½ times space into which ruffle is to be sewn. Cut out strips and seam short ends together to get piece of desired size. Finish lower edge of ruffle with narrow hand roll hem, lace, binding etc. With a little practice, marvelous results can be achieved with a machine ruffle, which ruffles and stitches the ruffle to the garment at the same time.
Double ruffle Both ends are finished and the ruffle is gathered through the center sometimes with ribbon stitched on over gathering.
Circular ruffle cut out ruffle in shape of s semi-circle. Hem longer edge or finish in desired way. Baste ruffle to garment, right sides together, with ruffle held straight. Clip edge of ruffle to prevent pulling. (A circular flounce is similar but usually has less fullness.) Sew with a plain seam or top stitch on the right side.
Button Up!
Use up those old buttons you have collected over the years. Sew buttons on your cushions, sew them at the shoulders of jumpers, on pockets or scattered on jeans. Buttons look really cute on kids clothing. You can make flowers or faces with them. Just use your imagination.
Now you have some of the tools enjoy creating a new look with finishing and decorating touches.
By: Lenie Riegman