Tag Archives: Learn to sew

Learning To Sew? 10 Sewing Terms Every Beginner Should Know

Posted on by Empisal
sewing accessories
07 Jan

Sewing is one the most useful and fulfilling skills that one can learn. The ability to create garments and toys is both practical for everyday use and ideal for personalised gifts. It is actually very simple to learn to sew, but there are always things one can do to improve your pieces and make your projects look professional – even with an affordable sewing machine like the Empisal Creations. Here are 10 sewing tips to give your projects that special edge:

  1. How to Backstitch
    In order to secure a line of stitching, you need to backstitch it. This is done by running the machine in reverse, making one to three stitches over the already existing stitch line, securing it in place.

 

  1. Baste
    Sewing a baste is really important, as it allows you to hold the piece in place while you are sewing the final stitch. The baste is essentially a long stitch done to hold the fabric in place, and is removed after the final stitch is in.

 

  1. Clip
    When sewing a curved seam, you can flatten the material by snipping it along the inside of the curve; make sure you don’t accidentally cut your stitch.

 

  1. Finishing Seams
    Sewing in a finishing seam stops the fabric from fraying. There are multiple stitches you can use to finish a piece, depending on the fabric used. For the best results, consider using the Empisal Overlocker EOL4D.

 

  1. The Difference Between Knit And Woven Fabrics
    Knit fabrics have a lot of stretch, and will unravel – but not fray. Woven fabrics will have directional stretch, and will both unravel and fray.

 

  1. Cut a Notch
    Cutting a notch in pieces that you have to overlay will aid in aligning them correctly.

 

  1. Grade Your Seams
    Seams need to be graded to reduce the bulk created from having multiple seams.

 

  1. Gathering Stitches
    To make your fabric appear fuller, use a gathering stitch. Leave long thread trails which you can pull to adjust the folds before you sew.

 

  1. Edge Stitch
    To edge stitch, add a second row of stitches very close to the seam line on the right side of the fabric. This is usually sewn to keep pressed seams in place.

 

  1. Stay Stitch
    Use a stay stitch around a curve to prevent distortion of the fabric.

From ironing equipment, to a steam press to sewing kits, Empisal has all the sewing equipment you need to learn to sew. For more information, contact us today.

Why you should make sewing your 2018 New Year’s resolution!

Posted on by Empisal
Sewing Equipment
01 Jan

The New Year is here and it’s a great time to make positive changes in your life! Rather than the traditional New Year’s resolutions, why not try something different this year and learn to sew? Find out why this is the perfect challenge for 2018, from the team at Empisal, manufacturers of the EMPISA; EES 50 SEWING MACHINE.

  • Save money: After one of the biggest shopping seasons of the year, wallets are looking a bit lean in January and everyone starts thinking of new ways to save. But why not make this a permanent part of your life through sewing? You can make your own clothes (tailored to the perfect fit, too!), sew your own home décor, gifts and more at a fraction of the cost.
  • Start a new career: Want to take your career in a whole new direction? Sewing is the way to go! With consumers on the lookout for home-made and artisanal goods, there’s never been a better time to learn how to sew. Some great projects include book bags, tablecloths and placemats, clothing, beach cover-ups and blankets.
  • Let out your creative side: If you love expressing your unique creativity, sewing is a wonderful outlet that allows you to create beautiful and practical items – rather than being limited to what’s available in stores. Trawl through fabric shops, online fabric stores and vintage shops for inspirational projects!
  • Resources: Learning to sew used to be a challenge, but that’s all changed thanks to the internet. In addition to helpful salespeople at your sewing machine store or fabric shop, you can find patterns, inspiration, how-to advice, and video tutorials online. These step-by-step guides are easy to follow and you can move at your own pace – all in the comfort of your own home.
  • Affordable: Although sewing is seeing a surge in popularity, it’s still easy to pick up a good quality sewing machine at an affordable price if you know where to look. Favourite brands like Empisal offer a range of machines for different skill levels and budgets that are easy and inexpensive to maintain.

Affordable sewing equipment for beginners and professionals! 

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, 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.

Learn to sew: How to pick your first project

Posted on by Empisal
20 Nov

If you’re in awe of what creative, crafty people achieve on their sewing machines and have always wanted to be able to do the same, now’s the time to take a deep breath and dive in. And don’t worry – it’s not as intimidating as you think! Here are some tips for picking your first sewing project, from the team at Empisal.

  • Take your time: There’s no rush, so sit back, relax and do your research before you pick a project. The internet is a wonderful resource for sewing projects for beginners as well as experienced people, so there’s a lot to look through. What’s more, many of these projects are free, with video and photo tutorials to guide you each step of the way.
  • Know what inspires you: Anyone who sews will tell you that their best projects are the ones that they approached with passion and excitement – even if they weren’t technically challenging. Think about what you love and start to plan your project search from there – do you love switching up your home décor? Do you want to be able to shower your kids or grandkids with handmade gifts? Do you want to make your own clothes?
  • Have the right tools for the job: First of all, you’ll need a sewing machine that is affordable, easy to use and can take on the kind of jobs you want to do. The best option is to speak to sewing machine manufacturers and do some research on the Internet to make sure you’re getting the right information – there’s no point in spending a huge amount on the most advanced machine out there if you’re never going to use all those functions! At Empisal, we recommend the EMPISAL EES50 due to its great functionality, quality and price. After that, you’re going to need some other tools, including fabric scissors, needles, thread, fabric marker, seam ripper, measuring tape, and pins.
  • Get to know your fabrics and thread: There are so many types of fabric and thread out there, and each is suited for a different job. While you can do some of this type of research online, the best idea is to visit your local fabric shops and speak to them about what you want to make. They’ll know exactly what material will work for you and be able to guide you to the best choices.

Start sewing up a storm with Empisal, the sewing machine professionals! (H2)

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 EMPISAL EES50, 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.

Learn to sew: The invisible zipper

Posted on by Empisal
Invisible Zip
03 Jul

An invisible zipper is one of the most useful tricks in the sewing trade, where you sew a zipper in such a way that no machine stitching is visible from the right side of the material – instead, all the stitching is behind the scenes in the seam allowances. This makes it ideal for sewing garments as well as cushions, bags and other projects. While this sounds like an advanced sewing method, it’s quite simple – especially when you’re using a EMPISAL EES 50! Here’s how.

How to sew an invisible zipper

Your machine foot: You can sew an invisible zipper either with a regular machine foot or a presser foot that is designed specifically for this job.

  1. Start with your material right side up while joining pieces are in a flat state, before they are assembled.
  2. Prepare your seam edges, finishing them and placing them side by side, right side up. Then mark 2cm from the top edges of each piece of material using a pin or fabric marking pen. This is for the placement of your zipper.
  3. Mark a second seam 1.5cm in along the seam edges.
  4. Open your zipper and press gently so that they lie flat along the seam, right side down, along the 1.5cm line, and pin in place.
  5. Stitch the zipper in place by positioning the zipper teeth under the proper groove in the foot and stitching along that line. Backstitch at the end to secure.
  6. With the joining pieces next to each other, flip the piece with the stitched zipper and position the corresponding side of the zipper, repeating the above step.
  7. Lastly, sew the seam below the zipper, placing stitching as close to the zipper as possible and making sure the zipper tail is out of the way.

Learn to sew with Empisal’s most affordable sewing machines in South Africa!

At Empisal, we’ve been providing high quality, affordable sewing machines, sewing kits, 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 EMPISAL EES 50, 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.