15 Ideas for Using Your Sewing Pattern

The most important details in this text are the steps to use a sewing pattern once it has been removed from its envelope. The first step is to open the envelope and lay out the pattern on your fabric, using paper scissors to cut around the edge of the seam allowances and checking the pattern pieces against yourself. The second step is to place and pin the pattern pieces according to the layout for your fabric width, right side out, and cut out the pattern pieces with triangles, arrows, broken lines, and unbroken lines. The third step is to trace the pattern with tracing carbon. When sewing a pattern, it is important to use a plastic tracing wheel, trace all pattern markings onto the inside of the fabric, check the pieces against yourself, pin, tack, and baste as needed, press as needed, fit as you go, and follow the instructions step by step.

When deciding how much fabric to buy, double the length plus the length of the sleeve if making something with a sleeve. When looking for fabrics, anything that feels stiff will have a lot of sizing and may go limp and not hold its shape when washed. To test for crushing, scrunch the fabric in your hand and see if the creases fall out.

However, there are some drawbacks, such as insects and safety. Sportsmen should pack bug repellent and take precautions to protect themselves and their fishing partners.

What to do with a sewing pattern once it's been removed from its envelope.

You've scoured the pattern books for the perfect pattern for your material, and you're off to make it at home.

What is the first step you must take?

When you open the envelope, everything is neatly folded because you chose a pattern for your size.

1. Begin with the instruction sheet, which will show you how to lay out the pattern on your fabric, with layouts for different widths of fabric and with or without nap. Some fabrics allow you to cut out your pattern pieces in opposite directions, while others require you to lay the pattern pieces all the same way or the fabric will show a different shade, such as velvets and corduroys.

2. Use paper scissors to cut around the edge of the seam allowances, not the scissors you'll be using to cut the fabric.

3. Always check the pattern pieces against yourself; you can pin the various pieces together and try it on to see if any adjustments are needed before cutting the fabric.

4. Place and pin the pattern pieces according to the layout for your fabric width, right side out, and cut your fabric pattern pieces out.

5. You'll notice triangles known as notches. There are circles, arrows, broken lines, and unbroken lines. Some patterns include arrows on the seam stitching lines. This is the stitching direction provided by the pattern maker.

6. After you've cut out all of the pieces, grab your tracing carbon. When you place the tracing carbon between the fabric and trace, the pattern will be marked on the inside of your fabric.

7. Get a plastic tracing wheel if possible; it will not cut into your pattern tissue. Some metal tracing wheels will cut the pattern, making it difficult to reuse.

8. Trace all pattern markings onto the inside of your fabric, using a rule to guide you along the long seam lines.

9. You are now ready to sew your garment, and everything from your pattern is now on the inside of your fabric.

10. Check the pieces against yourself once more to ensure proper fit.

11. Pin, tack, and baste as needed, press as you go, fit as you go, and follow the instructions step by step.

12. As a general rule, when deciding how much fabric to buy, double your length plus the length of the sleeve if you're making something with a sleeve. You will need twice your length for skirts or pants.

13. When looking for fabrics, anything that feels stiff will have a lot of sizing and may go very limp and not hold its shape when washed.

14. To test for crushing, scrunch the fabric in your hand and see if the creases fall out. If they stay, no matter how carefully you press it, this will always crush.

15. Buy your notions at the same time you buy your fabric: thread, zipper, bias binding, interfacing, lining, and check the pattern envelope for what you'll need to finish your garment.

So those are the main points for getting your pattern tight and sewing happier.

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Top 10 Reasons to Learn to Play 'Chord' Piano

Learning to play "chord piano" is a great way to learn to "chord a song" at the piano. It is simple to learn three chords, and you can improve your skills by learning more chords and rhythm patterns. You can also play hundreds of songs using only three chords, such as Amazing Grace Auld Lang Syne, Kum Ba Jingle Bells Ya Silent Night Joy To The World, and Happy Birthday From The Valley On Top Of Old Smoky. Learning chords can help your children learn to play the piano, guitar, or almost any other instrument, give you an advantage, and make you well-liked. Chord-based piano playing is good for your brain, wrists and fingers, stress reliever, and fun. Learn three or four chords and get started, or fall in love with it and become an excellent pianist.

There are roughly a zillion reasons why you should learn enough chords to "chord a song" at the piano.

By "chord a song," I mean the ability to play three or four chords on the piano in a rhythm while you or someone else sings the melody. You don't have to be Van Cliburn to do this; all you need to do is learn a few basic chords and be able to move back and forth between them in some sort of organized rhythmic pattern.

Did you know that all of these songs (and hundreds more) can be sung or played using only three chords?

Amazing Grace Auld Lang Syne

Kum Ba Jingle Bells Ya Silent Night Joy To The World

Happy Birthday From The Valley On Top Of Old Smoky...

and possibly hundreds or thousands more!

With just one more chord added to the basic three, you can play another thousand or so songs. So, why not pick up a few chords and get started?

The following are my top ten reasons for learning "chord piano":

1) It's simple. Begin by learning three chords.

2) Although it is simple to get started, you do not have to stop there. You can improve your skills by learning more chords and rhythm patterns.

3) You will be able to play "Happy Birthday" while the rest of the group sings it.

4) You will be able to perform a half-dozen Christmas carols. If you haven't noticed, Christmas comes every year, so you'll get better each year as you participate in family gatherings.

5) By learning chords, you can help your children learn to play the piano, guitar, or almost any other instrument. Because most teachers do not teach chords, learning chords will give your children an advantage.

6) Others will admire you. That is correct. Musicians are well-liked. At parties and social gatherings, anyone who can play anything is in high demand. And if you can "chord" while others sing, you'll be well-liked.

7) Chord-based piano playing is good for your brain. According to studies, people who actively participate in music do their brains a lot of good. And, because chords require three or four notes at a time rather than one, you're exercising your brain.

8) Playing the piano, especially with chords, is good for your wrists and fingers. (However, take the time to learn proper hand position!)

9) Piano playing is an excellent stress reliever. Many professionals unwind after a long day at work by expressing their emotions on the keyboard. You'll be surprised how much better you feel after playing a few dark and angry chords!

10) Playing the piano is a lot of fun. It's just plain entertaining. So learn three or four chords and get started. Perhaps you'll come to a halt and enjoy it for the rest of your life.

But maybe you'll fall in love with it and end up becoming an excellent pianist who can read music as well as play chords!

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10 Photography Techniques

Photography techniques include making use of all available space, using forms to study, not including motion in shots, learning to use color contrasts, and getting close to your subject. These techniques are essential for taking a good photo and don't require the most expensive camera or experience. Close the distance gap by getting up close and personal, compensate for shutter lag by anticipating what your subject will do, pan with the object, take more than one photo, and use a camera that can take continuous shots. Read the manual and follow the instructions carefully to get great nighttime photos.

Taking a good photo isn't as difficult as you might think. You don't need the most expensive camera or years of experience; simply follow these ten simple guidelines.

Enjoy!

Tip 1: Make Use of All Available Space

Don't be afraid to fill the entire frame with your photo. If you want to photograph something, it's fine if it takes up the entire frame with no or very little background showing. Keep distractions out of your shot

Tip #2: Use Forms to Study

This is an important aspect of photography. Recognizing forms in your photographs. Don't just look at an object; study its shape and form to determine the best angle from which to photograph it. Form is all around us and I highly suggest you read as many books on it as possible.

Tip 3 - Motion In Your Photos

When photographing a still object, never include motion in your shots. If there is something moving while you are photographing a stationary object, your photo will not be as good. In addition, never place a horizon line in the center of your frame.

Tip 4 - Learn to Use Color Contrasts.

Some of the best photos use white, gray, and black tones. You can take great shots with only one color on your subject, but it is the contrasts between colors in a shot that distinguishes you as a great photographer.

Tip 5 - Get Closer To Your Subject

One of the most common mistakes that photographers make is not getting close enough to their subject. Close the distance gap by getting up close and personal. A good shot can always be reshaped and resized, but you can't keep blowing up a distant object.

6th Tip - Shutter Lag

Due to shutter lags, shooting action shots with digital cameras can be difficult. This means that when you press the shutter button to take a photo, it can take up to a second for the shutter to fire, and by that time, whatever you were photographing will have moved or changed in some way. This means you must compensate for shutter lag by anticipating what your subject will do and taking the photo just before it performs the desired action. This is not an issue with more expensive digital cameras.

7th Tip - Pan

When taking an action shot with a slow shutter speed, pan with the object. Follow through on the subject from beginning to end, and one of those shots will be a winner. Taking more than one photo increases your chances of getting a good shot.

8th Tip - Continuous Shots

To pan as I mentioned above, you'll need a camera that can take continuous shots and doesn't need to stop and process after each shot.

Tip 9 - How to Get Great Nighttime Photos

Nighttime photography can be spectacular, almost magical... if done correctly! If not they can look horrible. Really, really bad. Without adequate lighting, even good cameras can produce mediocre results if the photographer is inexperienced.

Tip 10: Read Your Manual

If your digital camera has a special night mode, read the manual and follow the instructions carefully.

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10 Themes for Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is important for many reasons, including preserving history and memories for future generations. It is important to keep track of how a baby grows and learns, and to save wedding memories such as the ring, the dress, the bride, the groom, the kiss, and the engagement party. It is also important to tell everyone about your holidays. Scrapbooking is a great way to tell our stories, whether it is about holidays, pets, remodeling an old house, or getting rid of feelings about something. It is similar to keeping a diary, and can be used to create scrapbook pages dedicated to your interests, graduation/school years, and job.

There are numerous reasons to scrapbook! For starters, it's history, right? And it is critical that we remember and cherish these memories, especially for future generations. I would have been overjoyed if my mother had saved stories to go with all of her photos. She still keeps my baby pictures and pictures of her family in shoeboxes. Isn't that a horrible thought?

We all have tons of photos of our ancestors, or at least the majority of us do, but there are so many other memories to treasure besides family trees. How about the first year of a baby's life? You can keep track of how your baby grows and what he or she learns month by month. This would make an excellent wedding gift.

Of course, you'll want to save your precious wedding memories. Not only professional photos, but also photos from the reception, church, and possibly even your engagement party. Subthemes include the ring, the dress, the bride, the groom, the kiss, and so on. There are whole lists!

What about your holidays? You don't want to just throw these pictures in a regular album! That would be a waste of time! You'll want to tell everyone about where you went, what you saw, and what you did, right? Names, locations, and dates are all crucial in scrapbooking. That is why we scrapbook: to tell our stories! The same is true for holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.

Do you have any animals? There are numerous cute ideas and embellishments for pet pages available. It's fantastic! I've scrapped my big red tabby cat Pooky and made really adorable memory pages. Pets are like children to some people!

Have you ever remodeled an old house and taken before and after photos? That is a fantastic scrapbooking idea. You can keep a journal of all the work you've done to restore the house, how long it took, and any mistakes you made along the way!

Get rid of your feelings about something. There doesn't even have to be a picture on the page; simply use your imagination to design a pleasing layout using only your words and emotions. It's similar to keeping a diary, except it might be something you want to show someone else. So keep it tidy! What about your interests? I've created scrapbook pages dedicated to scrapbooking!

Just a few more to get you started: graduation/school years and your job (if it's worth keeping). Have a great time scrapping!!!

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Ways to Begin Your Stamp Collection at a Low Cost

Stamp collecting does not have to be a costly pastime. Even if you have limited financial resources, you can enjoy stamp collecting. Here are ten inexpensive ways to begin collecting stamps.

1. Request that your friends use commemorative stamps on their mail to you. Commemorative stamps are larger than regular stamps and are issued to commemorate famous people, places, or events. Collectors are much more interested in commemorative stamps because they are usually issued in smaller quantities than common smaller stamps. Inform your friends about your hobby and ask them to request commemorative stamps from the post office.

2. Use commemorative stamps when sending out offers that require postage or self-addressed, stamped envelopes. When the envelopes are returned to you, you will receive them.

3. Request that your neighbors, friends, and family members save their used stamps for you. When you tell them you're a stamp collector, most people will gladly save their stamps for you.

4. Ask someone you know who receives letters from other countries to save the stamps. Always keep an eye out for potential stamp contacts, and don't be afraid to ask them to go through their mail for you before they throw out all the envelopes.

5. Request that friends and family save their office mail envelopes for you. Many businesses receive a large amount of foreign mail and regularly discard stamps of interest and value to collectors.

6. Inquire if your parents have any old letters with stamps on the envelopes. Do not remove the stamp from the envelope. This will result in thin spots or tears, both of which will detract from the appearance of the stamp and reduce its value to collectors. Always tear off the envelope corner so that there is paper all around the stamp, and check that all of the perforations are intact.

7. If you know other stamp collectors, see if they have duplicates they'd be willing to give or sell you. Many collectors have thousands of duplicates and are often willing to help new philatelists get started by giving them stamps or selling them stamp packets at much lower prices than can be purchased in stores or by mail.

8. Look for stamp companies that advertise free stamps. Free stamps are frequently offered in conjunction with "approvals," a collection of other stamps that you must either buy or return. This is a convenient way to purchase stamps. However, if you return the approval stamps, you must usually pay the return postage.

9. Look into local stamp clubs. Stamps may be given away as prizes by clubs, or they may be available for purchase at a low cost. Some stamp clubs support junior clubs at the community center, YMCA, or schools.

10. If there isn't already a stamp club in your area, consider starting one. It only takes four or five other stamp collectors who want to learn about and trade stamps and ideas to get together.

Even novice collectors can have a good time with free stamps and a few inexpensive accessories, such as a small album and a package of stamp hinges.

So, what are you holding out for? Begin collecting stamps right away!

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