David Allen

All my friends practically disowned my husband when he told them he bought me an iron for my birthday. How sexist! How could he possibly expect me to like a gift like that? It’s like getting him a lawnmower on Father’s Day. “Here honey, now get to work!” Of course, what they didn’t know was he got me an amazing gravity feed professional iron which would probably never touch a piece of store-bought clothing, ever. This baby is kept up in my sewing room and only works on fabric in the process of becoming something else.

Naomoto is the Cadillac of gravity feed irons

Naomoto irons are made in Japan for use in garment factories, laundry and dry cleaners, boutiques, hospitals, hotels–basically any place that needs to do lots and lots of ironing and wants to get it done quickly. Now, you may not have thought of using a gravity feed iron in your everyday sewing, but once you try one, you’ll never turn back. Tailors and dry cleaners know the secret to fast pressing–steam, and lots of it! This type of setup involves a separate water tank which holds up to a gallon of water. The reservoir is suspended above the iron and connected by a long tube. When you press the steam button, gravity sucks the water from the tank, through the hose and directly to the hot iron where it instantly turns into steam.

The iron is stored flat on a heat-resistant pad until you need it. And because these are professional irons, they are designed to be left on for long periods of time. One thing that makes the Naomoto brand stand out from other gravity feed irons is the use of a heat shield. Heat rises, obviously, and the handle can heat up dramatically if you don’t have a heat shield over underneath. You can burn yourself easily if all that heat and steam is funneled directly to your hand. Naomoto irons feature a Conex heat canopy to keep that handle cool, no matter how long you keep the unit turned on.

Some gravity feed irons have temperature control thermostats and some don’t. You’ll need to decide what types of fabric you’ll be ironing and whether you’ll need to adjust the heat setting. I sew such a wide variety of fabric, a thermostat is an absolute necessity. Naomoto irons come with easy-touch temperature controls.

Naomoto HYS 520 iron professional features

• Generates steam in less than 3 minutes. Who has time to wait around for steam?
• Gravity feed system uses ordinary tap water. You’ll want to add their filter resin mix if you have hard water with high mineral content.
• Uses 880 Watts of electricity and works on 110 or 220 volt power.
• Offers electronic temperature control and electric micro-switch operation.
• Comes with water bottle and steam feed tubing.
• Weighs about 5 pounds.

Caring for your Naomoto professional iron

• Use distilled water, if you can, to prevent any mineral build up in your reservoir. Naomoto irons come with a filter resin you can just mix in with your tap water to achieve the same effect.
• Never leave water in the iron. It’s best to clear the water tube completely when you’re finished using it for the day. That way the iron gets a chance to dry completely.
• Clean the sole plate and steam vents regularly. This ensures your iron will give you professional results for a long long time.

Where to buy the Naomoto HYS 520
Unless you have an industrial appliance store in your neighborhood, you’re going to have to order your iron online. That’s not a problem, though, because Amazon.com has the best price I’ve found on Naomoto irons and they’re the most trusted online shopping site anywhere.(See below for an important update!) They frequently run sales and special free shipping offers, too. Best of all, you can trust their secure shopping cart and privacy policy to keep your private information safe.

I was so sick of burning through iron after cheap iron, ruining my fabric with drip stains, and waiting forever for enough steam to get rid of that stubborn crease. Investing in a professional iron is almost as important to your sewing bliss as investing in a professional sewing machine. (Except an iron of this quality is a fraction of the cost of a high quality sewing machine.) Check out the prices on Amazon right now. You’ll be glad you did.

Are you tired of sewing garments that don’t fit right? So was I.

• Imagine every garment you create fitting perfectly the first time!
• Imagine not having to wait for fittings to complete your projects.
• Imagine having the confidence to alter patterns any way you like and know they’ll look fantastic on you before you even start sewing. (Wouldn’t that be nice?)

Sewing clothes and costumes is so much more fun and productive when you have a dress form. So when I decided it was time to stop fooling around and invest a little money in one of these handy dandy tools, I went online and researched like crazy to find the best one. It was tough at first. Almost all the models looked the same and were priced about the same. But after looking at lots of forms, I came up with a winner. If you’re looking for an adjustable dress form in a reasonable price range, I recommend the My Double Deluxe dress form by Dritz.

Here’s why My Double Deluxe by Dritz is a great value in adjustable dress forms:

*Fully adjustable proportions: No two people are exactly alike. So, why are we all supposed to fit into the same 8 or 10 sizes? This dress form has 12 unique adjustment points so you can match your proportions as close as possible.

*Pinning surface: You’re going to want to pin patterns and fabric to your dress form. My Double has a nice layer of foam underneath the nylon cover so you can do just that. The core is hard plastic, though, so you have to pin horizontally (instead of sticking them straight in.)

*Molded hip area for sewing pants and fitted skirts: Most cheap dress forms end at the “high hip” measurement. Which means you really can’t get a good fit on pants and close fitting skirts. My Double has a longer torso with a molded hip and thigh area so perfect fitting trousers are no problem.

*Sturdier than the other brands: My Double uses a little thicker plastic than the other brands and is more stable on its base. You still have to treat it with a little respect, but you’d do that anyway, right?

*Offset center pole for pants: Most dress forms have the support pole right down the middle of the torso. That makes it impossible to try on shorts or pants. My Double has an offset pole. I guess this dress form is just “pants friendly.”

*Longer pole for tall people, evening gowns or wedding dresses: Sometimes you just need more pole. ‘Nuff said.

*Reasonably priced: Sure, there are cheaper dress forms out there that look very similar. But for a few extra dollars, you get more features and a sturdier product with this brand.

What about those homemade “duck tape” dress dummies?
I used a duct-tape dress form for a while, but ultimately I ended up getting a real dressmaker’s dummy and I’m so much happier sewing with this tool. There are three main reasons I don’t recommend the do-it-yourself route unless you really have to.

1) Tape goo on your pins! This is the worst thing about homemade dress forms. Pins go in great, and come out all gooey. Blech.

2) Not adjustable. Yes, you will have an accurate copy of your unique body as it was on the day you made the dummy. But if you change size at all, or you want to sew for someone else, you’re out of luck.

3) How to get the sucker to stand up? It’s relatively easy to make the form (if you can stand absolutely still for long periods of time) but it’s tough to make a good stand. Mine fell over all the time, eventually I just leaned it against the wall and worked with it slanted. Obviously, not ideal. It was better than nothing, but just barely.

Are there any drawbacks to the My Double model?
A few, yes. These are plastic dress forms, so you can’t be too rough with them. But you’re sewing, not playing rugby, right? You also need to follow the directions for adjusting the size so you don’t accidentally cross thread the dials. Also, this model only comes in female. If you need a male or child dress form, your best bet is to check out AllBrands.com for the best quality and prices.

But aren’t these plastic models flimsy?
I’ve looked at a lot of different ones up close and I have to say there’s no such thing as a perfect dress form! Many online reviews complain that the plastic adjustable forms are flimsy. Well, it’s true they’re not rock-solid. These models are intended for home use, not industrial manufacturing. The lightweight materials keep the manufacturing costs down and the shipping costs, too. They answer a need for a low-cost alternative to industrial models. If you’re concerned about the thing tipping over, I’ve solved that problem by putting a heavy blanket around the base. Some brands are better than others, though, and I believe the My Double is the best value in this type of dress form.

Will I like the professional dress forms better?
The more expensive “professional” dress forms aren’t designed for general home use. They only come in the standard fashion industry sizes, and you cannot adjust them. Apparel designers pay thousands of dollars to get dummies in every size they need. And while they are more sturdy than the home versions, it’s only worth paying the extra money if you know you’re going to be sewing that one size forever. If you change sizes, or want to sew for someone else–well, you’ll have to buy another form. Unless you have a warehouse for a sewing room, it’s not very practical.

Are they ready to use straight out of the box?
No. You’ll have to do a little assembly to put the dummy on the stand and adjust the height. Then you’ll need to take your measurements and adjust the dials to fit your proportions. Sometimes, you’ll need to do a little padding (especially in the chest and hips) to more closely resemble your actual shape.

Here’s what some other reviewers have to say:
Andrea Flanigan says “I love this dress form! It might not be for the professional, but for me it works just fine. I was looking for a form that could help me rework my clothes that I like, but never wear because they just don’t look good when I put them on. Now, I have lots of really neat skirts to wear to work and blouses that coordinate. I was able to add trim, buttons, and decorative stitching that created a more expensive look.”

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Judy from California says “I have this dressform and it’s very useful for fitting the dresses I’ve made for myself and friends/family. However, do not expect a professional product here. Professional dress forms are almost all single sizes only and they are much more expensive. This is a good value product for the flexibility and convenience it offers the casual seamstress.

Pros:

• – Adjusting the size is easy.
• – It’s generally been a good fit for myself and all the friends/family I’ve used it for.
• – Very convenient to use a dress form instead of calling in friends for multiple fittings.

Cons:

• – The “tape” measurement around the waist came off very easily.
• – Somewhat flimsy plastic design. You have to be somewhat gentle with it, feels like it could break rather easily.
• – Not easy to pin, especially when your seams are in the gaps exposed by the sizing. You can’t stick the pins into the dressform either, there is only a thin foam lining between the cloth and the plastic backing.
• – If you’re taller than 5’11” or 6′, the form doesn’t extend tall enough. However, it’s an easy fix with a box under it.”

Please remember, a mannequin is not the same as a dress form.
Many websites list mannequins and dress forms together, but they’re not the same thing. A mannequin or “body form” is for displaying clothing only. It is not designed for draping or sewing or altering patterns.

When ordering any adjustable dress dummy, be sure you start with the right size.
Dress forms usually come in small, medium and large sizes. The dials allow you to adjust to your exact proportions. But they can only adjust so far. You want to order the size that fits you best to start with.

Here are the sizing charts for the My Double Deluxe:
My Double Deluxe: Small

Bust: 33”- 41″
Waist: 26″- 33″
Hips: 36″- 44″
My Double Deluxe: Medium

Bust: 39″-47″
Waist: 32″-40″
Hips: 41″-49″
Dritz My Double Dress Form: Large

Bust: 45”- 53″
Waist: 38″- 46″
Hips: 47″- 55″

Where can you find the best price?
I’ve seen these exact dummies offered at local fabric stores for nearly $100 more than I found them online. So, in this case, it pays to shop on the web. The best prices I’ve found are on Amazon.com. They even have free shipping available for this product (at the time I’m writing this.)

I love shopping Amazon because they offer an A to Z Guarantee on everything they sell. So, I don’t have to worry about not liking a product when I get it. They also have a strict privacy policy and the most secure shopping cart on the web.

I received an email the other day from someone confused about which sewing machine needles to buy. (She thought she only needed one type–the right one for her machine.) Can’t say I blame her for being confused, there are a lot of different numbers and types, so let’s go through them one at a time.

Choose the right needle type

The first thing you need to decide is whether to use ball points or sharps. If you’re sewing a stretchy fabric, you want ball points. If you’re sewing a woven fabric, you want sharps. Simple enough. Sometimes the packages will say “stretch” or “woven” instead, but they mean the same thing.

A universal needle will work on both stretch and woven fabrics. But sometimes it’s not the best choice. I keep a big box of universal needles on hand for most of my sewing and a few packages of common sized balls and sharps for when I need them.

Choose the right needle size

Once you know what type needle you need, it’s time to pick a size. The reason the sizes are confusing is that packages use both an American and European sizing system with a / between them. So, sometimes you’ll see a size 14, sometimes a 90 and sometimes a 14/90–all for the identical needle. Oh, and depending on the manufacturer, you might also see 90/14. Talk about confusing.

American needle sizes from lightest to heaviest are–8,9,10,11,12,14,16,18,19

European sized from lightest to heaviest are–60,65,70,75,80,90,100,110,120

Why in the world we can’t have consecutive numbers in sizing, I’ll never know.

Now, be aware you can get larger numbers, but those are for industrial sewing machines. Right now, we’re just discussing home sewing machines. You want the lightest weight needles for the lightest weight fabrics, curtain sheers, chiffon and fine silk. You want the heaviest needles for denim, canvas and upholstery fabrics. All the other fabrics fall somewhere in between.

It’s a good idea to have a variety of sewing machine needle sizes, but you don’t have to have them all. And there is no law that says you can use a size 12 for a size 10 project. It comes down to getting the best stitching. A needle that’s too large for the fabric will leave holes. A needle that’s too small will have a hard time stitching the seam at all. So, experiment with different sizes on a scrap of fabric before you start your project.

Specialty needles

There are lots of specialty sewing machine needles for different projects. You can get easy threading needles (they have a slot in the side of the eye) and wing needles (which make intentional holes in your fabric to look like drawn-thread embroidery.) You can also get specialty embroidery needles and ones made for metallic threads. Double needles, spring needles, felting needles–all sorts of needles for specialized uses. It’s fun to browse different types of needles and see what’s out there. You never know when you’ll find a specialty needle that makes your life easier.

Don’t be too concerned with the brand names of the needles or what machines they say they’ll fit. Despite the confusing labels, sewing machine needles are pretty standardized and will fit almost any machine. Finally, remember that any time you have a machine malfunction or seam problem you should start by rethreading the machine and changing the needle. Those two things will fix 90% of machine problems without touching the tension dials or other settings.

Most of the time you want to avoid making holes in your fabric as you sew. But occasionally holes can make a nice decorative touch. That’s what a wing needle is for. It’s a regular sewing machine needle on top, but down by the eye it has two protruding wings. The wings work like an awl, pushing the individual threads of the fabric apart but not breaking them. So instead of a tear, you get a nice lacy opening.

Wing needles work on light to medium weight woven fabrics. So they’re great for linens, cottons, even some denim. Many people use a wing needle to create a row of holes between rows of machine or hand embroidery. This gives a nice old-fashioned effect like Victorian drawn-thread embroidery. Most people use this technique to create heirloom looks on the hems of bed linens, towels, handkerchiefs, aprons and pinafores. But you can use it anywhere you like. Think outside the box and you never know what you might come up with.

Wing Needle Hints:

• You can use the wing needle with thread or without. For example, if you wanted to do some lacing with a thick decorative thread or ribbon, you could run a row of wing stitches without thread to make the holes quick and easy.
• Make sure you test your needle out on a scrap piece of fabric first. Different weaves create different sized holes, and you want to get your spacing right before you sew on the actual project. To adjust the spacing between holes, just change the stitch length.
• Sometimes lighter weight fabrics will tend to pucker as the wing pushes the threads apart. You can fix this by backing your fabric with a lightweight stabilizer.
• For best results on linens and cottons, prepare your fabric ahead of time. Apply a light coating of spray starch, let it soak in for a minute, then dry iron your fabric. Repeat three or four times until you have a nice crisp foundation to work on.
• Use an open toe embroidery foot so you can see your work clearly. And you may need to change your throat plate to accommodate the large needle. Try making a stitch with the handwheel first. If metal meets metal anywhere, you need to make adjustments or you’ll damage your machine.
• You can create single rows of holes by using a straight stitch. Or you can make multiple rows by using a zig-zag or other decorative stitch.
• You can make a very pretty trim by placing an organza ribbon or piece of lace on top of your primary fabric and sewing with the wing needle.

Wing needles are easily available at your local sewing shop or you can get them online. They cost less than $10, and since you’re only using them occasionally, they last a long time. Why not experiment with a wide variety of stitches, tensions, backings, etc.? Make a sampler of your experiments and keep notes. That way when you need to use a wing needle effect in the future, you’ll have a quick reference chart handy.

Have you tried using a wing needle? Have any great tips to add to this list? Please leave a comment!

kay, so I learned the hard way. A few years ago, I ordered eight yards of the most gorgeous red heavy silkish fabric I’d ever seen. As I looked at it on my computer, I could see the very dress I was going to make with it. Maybe even a long jacket. Eagerly, I filled out the order form and sent in my credit card number. And then like a kid waiting for Christmas, I ran to the mailbox every day hoping it was there.

It took about a week (a watched mailbox never boils,) but when it finally arrived I was so excited I ripped open the package before I even got back to the house. And that’s when my heart dropped right out of my chest. The gorgeous red silk was actually a watermelon color with some weird ridges running through it. Definitely not the fabric I ordered. What a disappointment.

Not to be undone, I quickly got online to get the customer service phone number and fix the situation. No phone number. Just a generic email address and a submit form. Well, that was better than nothing. When I finally did get someone to talk to me about the mistake, I found out it wasn’t a mistake at all. And I learned the most important lesson about buying fabric online…

Colors On Your Monitor May Not Be Accurate.

Apparently, different monitors show color differently. So what was actually watermelon, looked like a deep cherry red on my computer screen. Always ask for a swatch, unless you know for sure what you’re getting.

Fortunately, the customer service representative took pity on me and said “It’s okay, just send it back to us and we’ll refund your money (minus a restocking fee, of course.)” Which leads us to lessons two and three…

Make sure you can get a hold of a real person at the company (by phone, preferably).

It’s best if the website has an actual brick and mortar store somewhere. But if not, a phone number and mailing address somewhere on the site is a good sign.

Check their return policy.

Be sure you can return the fabric if there’s a mistake. And find out who pays for shipping.

Remember when I said this was a few years ago? Well, I came across this pile of pink stuff just the other day. That’s right, I never did return it. At the time, I was a busy mom of three very young children and it got pushed to the back burner until it was just too late. I can’t even remember the website I ordered it from anymore. Which brings us to lesson four…

If you do need to return something, do it promptly.

There’s no sense in holding onto fabric you’ve got no use for. So, do you like watermelon pink fabric? Send me an email…I’ve got a present for the first person to claim it!

Got any online purchasing stories of your own? I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment!