Slips of lace and slips of paper…

HI everyone,
Sorry I wasn’t able to “participate” in the comments yesterday… there just wasn’t any free time for me. I’m so happy that several of you want to try making a slip like this for your dolls. I really should have been more specific on measurements instead of being so vague, but that’s the way I sew most of the time. I don’t have a pattern for my slips.. I just make them and know how they go together. If you missed yesterday’s tutorial on how to make a slip, you can see it HERE.

I did, however, want to answer a question that Linda raised. She asked how do you keep the tulle (netting) from getting pulled down into the throat plate, since it’s such a fine fabric? Carolyn gave a good tip about checking your needle to see if there might be a burr on the end of it that could be grabbing and pulling your fabric down…there’s nothing quite so frustrating as this happening. She also suggested checking into a new throat plate with a single hole or maybe just a smaller hole than what you have now. Those are both good suggestions and might work… but it’s kind of frustrating changing the throat plate “from” a single hole kind every time you want to do anything except straight stitching.

I have another suggestion… and a simple demonstration…

Yes, that’s scraps of paper. I cut them off the ends of things I copied or get scraps from my shipping labels, etc. I use anything that has a clean side to it and keep a stash of them beside my sewing machine all the time.

When you are ready to start sewing, just take a scrap of the paper…like one of my scraps, and lay it on the machine like this…under the needle.

Put the edge of whatever you are sewing on top of it and use it as a stabilizer. It won’t let the fabric get sucked down in the hole…

When you are finished with your seam, turn it over and gently tear away the paper from the perforated stitches…

That was just a quick demonstration of how to solve that “sucky” problem with some fabrics!

Well, that was too quick but it’s going to be it for today. There’s a new doll I want to share with you tomorrow, plus a surprise for Noel’s blue dress…

See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne

20 thoughts on “Slips of lace and slips of paper…”

  1. Well, thank you very much for that tip, Jeanne! You always manage to find the right solution to any problem with sewing I might have, but then you have a LOT of experience! I think you must be able to sew with your eyes closed! And thank you to Carolyn too!
    With the weather warming up so early, and trees blooming, I need to get up to church and plant some pansies! Nothing cheers me up as much as the first little pansies, with their little “faces” nodding to and fro in the breeze and sunshine!

    1. HI Linda,
      It’s amazing what a little piece of paper can do, isn’t it? Glad to have helped!
      You’ll have to take a picture of your flowers when you get them all planted. It will put us all in a more Springy mood!
      Thanks Linda,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  2. Great tip …I also keep little pieces of paper or stabilizer by my machine, and use them all the time at the start of a seam…especially on very thin or soft fabrics. Also essential under the corners of collars, when topstitching narrow straps, belts, etc. This tip has saved many a project from getting sucked down into the machine!

    1. HI Kathy,
      I knew I wasn’t alone on this tip… I use them all the ways you mentioned too…and more!
      Thanks so much,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  3. Thanks for the tip! I’ve heard it before but never actually seen it laid out. Have the visual, now it makes complete sense.
    Sounds like tomorrow will be a fun day hearing about Noel’s blue dress and a new friend. I’m looking forward to it already.
    Hope you have a good day!
    Take care.

    1. Hi Charlotte,
      I hope you use the paper trick next time your’e sewing something tiny… or fragile…
      How fun that you’re already looking forward to tomorrow’s post… :o)
      I hope you have a great day too!
      Blessings, Jeanne

  4. What a great tip. I’ve always used tear off stabilizer on knits etc. Guess I won’t have to buy it any more. It is hard to tear off anyway so paper, here I come.
    New dolly?? Can’t wait.

    1. HI Joy,
      Free paper… paid for stabilizer… I know what I’m using! :o) But I do use stabilizer under my embroidery machine stitching, so there is a place for it…
      New dolly? Well, you’ll see… :o)
      Blessings, Jeanne

  5. Like Charlotte, I’ve heard of this but haven’t tried it, though I definitely have had my sewing machine try to eat my fabric. One more useful use of scrap paper. Thank you.

    Every time I manage to get in the back door — scroll down to the end of the screen, then arrow up until I reach the list of 10 recent entries and click on the day’s entry — I feel triumphant. I am so glad you created that list. I have no idea why it works, but if it does, who cares?

    Stay warm and out of bad weather.

    1. Hi Marilyn,
      Now every time someone sees a scrap of paper they’ll think of this post… :o)

      I am so glad I did that side bar list with my 10 last posts… just for YOU! So glad it works too!
      I am staying warm…inside… it’s a bit nippy out today!
      Do you still have snow on the ground?
      Blessings, Jeanne

  6. What an easy solution to a sometimes annoying problem.
    Sounds like a fun day tomorrow. Another new doll for you and something about Noel’s blue dress. It’s good you cleared out some of your dolly shelf to make room for new arrivals.

    1. HI Laura,
      Yes, paper is an amazing solution to this irritating problem. I wonder how many ladies have given it a try today?
      Well, another doll, but I didn’t necessarily say it was “mine.” :o/
      Thanks Laura,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  7. I was already to write an explanation on using paper under fabrics…and no more thought of how I do it when there it was in pictures! Perfect solution for sure. I first used it when sewing a name on T-shirts. Thanks for the slip instruction too..they are just the perfect thing under your dresses.
    Read how early your Spring is arriving….we’re early too but nothing is in bloom yet. Enjoy those magnolias!

    1. HI Kathie,
      I’m telling you, us seamstresses do think alike, don’t we? It sure does the trick for lots of things! :o)
      Yes, if we don’t get any more cold weather, this will the the earliest Spring has ever come that I can remember… The flowering magnolia’s “were” the prettiest…till we got that storm the other night…now all those beautiful pink flowers are brown… but the bradford pear trees are all white with their blossoms…
      Thanks Kathie,
      Blessings, Jeanne

  8. I saw a lace book at an antique show once. Graced by Lace. A lovely book. I see you can still get it on Amazon. I wonder if any of your followers have it and love it.

    This has been on the news and in several papers — here’s the Daily Mail from the UK version — it has the most and largest pictures that I’ve seen of a little girl’s Black History Month project. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4266416/A-five-year-old-girl-channels-iconic-photos-black-women.html The 5 year old is some actress and her mother certainly did a great job with costumes. I love Toni Morrison, Madam CJ Walker, Angela Davis, Shirley Chisholm, and Harriet Tubman, among many others. It’s too good not to share.

    1. Hi, Marilyn. That Link is just amazing! What a beautiful little girl with perfect bone structure. Her range of expressions are wonderfully matched to the subjects she is portraying. What a creative mother she has with such a great way of helping us become aware of the history of black women in our society. I loved it. Thanks so much for sharing it.

    2. HI Marilyn,
      Thank you for sharing that link… and I must say, I had to look at them all. I wasn’t going to pick any favorites, but I started jotting them down… Madam CJ Walker, Dr. Mae Jamison, the astronaut and her other regular picture, and Rosa Parks… I think that little girl did an outstanding job of representing each woman! Just incredible!
      Blessings, Jeanne

    3. Oh, I had so much fun looking at the Black History Month photos. Can’t believe she is only in kinder.

  9. That’s a good tip! I sometimes use tissue paper to stabilize seams on sheer fabrics, but I like the idea of using scrap paper since it’s free! I hope you didn’t think I was high jacking your blog yesterday, but it’s so exciting to me when people want to learn more about sewing. You are always good to share your knowledge, and that’s so nice.

    1. HI Carolyn,
      Absolutely add what you think whenever you want… I’m certainly not someone who knows it all and I LOVE to learn TOO!
      I love it when everyone wants to learn new things too!
      Thanks so much,
      Blessings, Jeanne

Comments are closed.