Monthly Archives: June 2017

Sewing projects: Tips for sewing fitted, quality leggings

Posted on by Empisal
Sewing Projects
19 Jun

Leggings are a wonderful addition to any wardrobe, no matter your age or body type! Wear them around the house or out on the town whatever the season – and the best thing is that you can get creative with colours and patterns. Here are some tips on how to sew leggings from Empisal, makers of the EMPISAL EES 50 SEWING MACHINE

  • Material: Leggings need to be made of a stretchy material that quickly recovers and keeps its shape. You can choose the material thickness that suits you, but look for something with 5-10% lycra/spandex. This will make them easy to get on and off, keep their shape through the day, and make them easy to move in.
  • Athletic wear: If you want to sew leggings for the gym, running or another sport, you need a material with negative ease like pure lycra or spandex – that is, it must stretch to fit onto your body. This means that stitching has to be very strong and able to stretch with the material, preferably in the same proportion. The stitch you will need is called flatlocking or flatseaming, for maximum strength.
  • Over lockers: This piece of sewing equipment is a great addition if you love to make leggings. They will make it easy to sew the right seams for leggings, giving you the flattest, strongest result. They are great for sewing any knit fabrics!
  • Topstitch your waistband: This is a great way of preventing the elastic from twisting or bunching inside the waistline. When doing this, you will need to stretch the fabric while you topstitch because the fabric will need to stretch and rebound with the elastic, otherwise you will end up with broken threads.

 Speak to the specialists at Empisal for affordable sewing equipment and tips!

At Empisal, we’ve been providing high quality, affordable sewing machines, over lockers, steam presses and ironing equipment to South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa for over 35 years.

Whether you’re learning to sew or a professional, Empisal has the right sewing machine for you. With the EMPISAL EES 50 SEWING MACHINE you’ll be able to take on new projects with ease and get the most out of your sewing skills.

For more information on our sewing machines and products, please contact us today.

Get the right sewing machine when you want to learn to sew

Posted on by Empisal
Learn to sew
05 Jun

Sewing is a great skill that lets you explore your creativity and make anything from quilts to high fashion clothes, but choosing your first sewing machine can be quite daunting. At Empisal, we recommend the EMPISAL EES 50 SEWING MACHINE for its quality and value for money – and here are some of our best tips to help you make the right decision.

  • Affordability: Sewing machines range drastically in cost depending on brand, whether it’s new or used, and the capabilities of the machine. The best rule of thumb is always to buy the best you can afford for the value it offers. Very cheap machines aren’t built to last and are difficult to use, which could end up putting you off the craft entirely!
  • Features: This depends on what kind of projects you’re interested in completing on your machine. Essential stitches are a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch, but machines can easily offer up to 100 stitch variations! Good additional stitches to have include buttonhole, stretch/knit, blind hem and utility stitches.
  • Additional features and accessories: Many more affordable machines offer additional value in terms of useful features like needle threaders, lighting, adjustable speed control, free arms, automatic thread cutters and needle position adjustment. While these are not essential features, many of them make sewing more comfortable and easy.
  • The right foot: The feet of the sewing machine are different for different projects. For example, you’ll need a walking foot for quilting, and a zipper and buttonhole foot for making clothes.

Sewing machines for beginners from Empisal.

At Empisal, we’ve been providing high quality, affordable sewing machines,  overlockers, steam presses and ironing equipment to South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa for over 35 years.

Whether you’re learning to sew or a professional, Empisal has the right sewing machine for you. With the EES 50 SEWING MACHINE, you’ll be able to take on new projects with ease and get the most out of your sewing skills.

For more information on our sewing machines and products, please contact us today.