Bobbins, Bobbin Case, Measuring Tape & Ironing/Pressing

GARMENT MAKING

TECHNOLOGY

By Myrlande Julien

​THE BOBBIN & THE BOBBIN CASE

​The bobbin is a circular wheel-like object that the thread is spun around. It holds the thread that forms the stitches on the bottom side of the fabric. It is one of the most important parts of a sewing machine, without it, you cannot sew.

You will require different types or sizes of the bobbin, depending on the sewing machine you have. So when you are getting your bobbin, you have to make sure the one you are using is specifically for the sewing machine that you have. A bobbin made for one machine may not work on another.

​All industrial lock-stitch sewing machines, and some domestic sewing machines, use a bobbin that is placed into a bobbin case, which can be removed from the machine. Some domestic machines use a bobbin that drops into the fixed/inset bobbin case of the sewing machine.

If the bobbin or bobbin case becomes damaged in any way the machine stitch will not form correctly.

​The bobbin case is a small but complex piece of equipment. It is the part of the machine that holds your bobbin when sewing. As previously mentioned, there are two types of bobbin cases: removable and inset. It will hold the bobbin in place which will allow the machine to neatly unravel it by spinning the case.  It adds tension to the bottom thread so it is very important to thread the bobbin correctly into the case. When the thread is pulled, it should have some resistance otherwise re-thread it. 

​Removable bobbin cases are meant to be taken out of the machine when you replace the bobbin. These can be “front loading” or “side loading”. There are a few models of sewing machines that are “reverse loading”, but these are very rare. All removable bobbin cases will have a lever or spring that can be held to help remove and replace it.

​Front Loading & Side Loading

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Please note that in some industrial sewing machines the direction your bobbin loads indicates the direction your needle must face.

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​Understanding Measuring Tapes

• ​A tape measure, also called measuring tape, is a type of flexible ruler. Tape measures are made from a variety of materials, including fiber glass, plastic and cloth.​

• ​Tape measures come in both Imperial Units (inches and feet) and metric (centimeters and meters), featuring unit breakdowns for further accuracy.​

• On a standard tape measure, the biggest marking is the inch mark (which generally has the biggest number, if it has them). 

• As the increments decrease, so does the length of the mark. For example, ½" has a bigger mark than ¼" which has a bigger mark than ⅛", and so on.

The space from the largest mark to another is 1 inch.

​Reading 1 inch

Same principle as reading one inch, only this time the space between the second-biggest mark and the biggest is read. You can think of a half-inch mark as half way between a full inch.

​Reading half inch

​The remaining markings follow a similar pattern. ¼" is half of ½". ⅛" is half of ¼". Most tape measure markings go as small as ¹⁄₁₆;".

Open Ended

Please type the numbers highlighted on the measuring tape

​Pressing & Ironing

Is there a difference?

​Ironing and pressing, often used interchangeably, are actually two separate techniques.

• Ironing is the back and forth sliding motion most of us are familiar with and do regularly at home.

• Pressing is the placing of the iron on the fabric, holding it there, and then removing.

​When you iron an unfinished piece of fabric, you risk distorting the grain of that fabric. This distortion can make a difference in the shape, drape, and size of your finished item. Pressing eliminates that risk by simply lifting and placing the iron onto the fabric instead of pushing and shifting the fabric underneath the weight of the iron.

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​Your finished sewn item will look more professional in the end because you used pressing in the process. You’ll be far less likely to hear “Is that homemade? or did you make that?” when you wear your hand made clothing. Instead, you’ll have people asking you "where did you buy that?"

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• ​Pressing helps you to finish your seams. Setting your seams helps them to be stabilized, polished, and professional looking.​

• Pressing blends the stitches into the fabric, flattening and smoothing any puckers that may have occurred during sewing

• ​No amount of careful cutting, fitting and construction can make up for too much, too little or incorrect pressing​

​Before pressing the garment you are making, always test-press a scrap of the fabric first. Set the heat indicator for the type of fiber. For a blend, set the indicator for the fiber requiring the lower temperature. For example, a polyester-wool blend usually should be pressed at the temperature polyester requires. Test the fabric for the amount of moisture, if any, needed to shape it. Also check to see which type of press cloth gives the best results.

​Thorough pressing during each construction step contributes to a precision look. It makes following each construction step easier, saving you time. Very little final pressing is necessary for a garment that has been properly pressed while being made.

​True pressing calls for a lowering and lifting (up and down) motion. This flattens the seam or molds the detail without stretching the seam or distorting the grain. Never push or drag the iron over the fabric.

​All pressing should be done with the grain, just as in stitching. Press seams from the wide to the narrow part of the garment--from the hem to the waist of the skirt, from the neck to the sleeves at the shoulder, toward the point of a dart, etc.

​Press curved seams and shaped areas over a pressing ham, roll or cushion. This helps mold the garment to the figure. It also helps the garment hold its shape.

​Generally speaking, most pressing is done on the wrong side of the garment when possible. If moisture is needed, use a steam iron or a damp cloth. For best results, dampen the cloth with a sponge. When pressing on the right side of the garment, protect the fabric with a cloth.

​Press each seam, tuck or dart before it is joined to a seam or piece of fabric. Basting threads should be removed before pressing. Steam pressing over basting stitches will cause markings to appear in the fabric that, for many fabrics, are almost impossible to remove.

​. Be sure the ironing board pad and cover are completely free of lumps and folds. Many fabrics will pick up marks or develop a shine when pressed over any type of unevenness. Keep the soleplate of the iron clean and free of any scratches.

​Take care not to over press which can remove surface texture and create shine.​

​PRESSING DURING CONSTRUCTION

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Darts First press the dart on the fold with the tip of the iron. Then press the dart toward the center back or center front of the garment. Underarm and sleeve darts are turned downward. Double pointed and curved darts need to give at the fold or be clipped at the center for a better line. Darts in very heavy fabrics may be cut open almost to the point. Press open darts the same way as an open seam.

​HEMS

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Press the fold of the hem after the hem is marked, basted, trimmed, and eased at the top. However, do not press over the bastings. Direct the iron from the lower edge of the hem, always with the grain. You might put heavy paper between the hem and the garment to prevent the hemline from marking the right side. Shrink the ease in the hem, when necessary, by steaming it with a steam iron or a damp press cloth.

​A final pressing on the right side usually improves the appearance of the garment. If you prefer not to have a crease in the fold of the hem, steam press the hem by holding the steam iron slightly above the hem. Do not actually touch the iron to the fabric. Pat the dampened hem line with your hand to give it a look.

​Seams

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For all seams, press along the stitching line in the same direction as the seam was sewn. When possible, open the seam flat with the tip of the iron.

​Curved Seam

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Place curved seams on a tailor’s ham, press mitt or pressing roll to maintain roundness. Press as for a flat seam.

​Sleeves

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Some sleeve applications require the sleeve cap to be eased smoothly into the armhole opening. To shrink the ease in the sleeve cap after its fullness has been adjusted, place the cap over the end of the sleeve board or over the tailor’s ham. Steam carefully, allowing the point of the iron to go up to, but not beyond the stitching line into the cap. Repeat the process until the ease is shrunk out or the cap is shaped.

​Not all the ease in blends or fibers and firmly woven fabrics will steam out, but the cap will shape. All the ease may be steamed out of wool. The sleeve needs little additional pressing after it is stitched in placed. DO NOT crease sleeves lengthwise. Press the lower hem of a sleeve by pushing the tip of the iron into the sleeve rather than by turning the sleeve wrong side-out