Sewing tips from Ray Jardine

He and his wife are still in business and selling kits to make tarps and kits. I highly recommend them.

• Ray Jardine's website.

He says that sewing is easier than driving a car. Perhaps so.

• Get over any "guys shouldn't do this" hangup you may have.
• Get over any "I could never do that" hangup you may have.
• Start out with scraps and just try stuff; this builds confidence.
• Just do it!
• Get a good machine. Pfaff, Elna, Bernina, Viking are the big four.
• Avoid discount store machines, any machine with a horizontal bobbin.
• Get some Fiskair scissors and use them only to cut sewing material.
• Start every project with a new needle (use the universal 80/12 size).
• Many weird problems are due to an old needle.
• Use 10-12 stitches per inch.
• When learning to sew, go slow, take your time.
• Let the machine do the work and move the fabric.
• Have a seam ripper and don't be afraid to use it.
• Consider hot cutting synthetic material.
• I use a hot soldering iron to melt cut edges (which usually end up folded under and hidden). This prevents unravelling.
• Crummy thread ruins many projects (avoid the common cotton covered polyester).
• Use all polyester thread like Metrosene, Molynecke, or Gutemann.