Jargon Explained 001 - Stay Stitch

Over the next few months of so as I work through my newly acquired sewing book bought for a whopping £2 at my local Oxfam book store (only 5 minutes from work and deadly for stealing my lunch breaks) I intend to explain in normal human language what patterns and books mean from jargon to simple English.

Some of these JEs (Jargon Explained) will be really obvious to some of you, so apologies for that, but for the 5% that don't know, I'm hoping that next time you take a look at pattern instructions you will no longer break out in a panic sweat!

Some of the topic I'm aiming to cover are:

• Hand stitches
• Zips, buttonholes and pockets
• Collars
• Pattern Jargon

Many of these are simple to do and do well, but are often breezed over in pattern instructions, with little or no explanation on how to accomplish the tasks,  let alone why we should do them, and I don't know about you guys, but if I can't see a purpose to a stage I'm guilty of skipping it then wondering why it just doesn't look right!

Anyway enough of me rambling, time for the first JE!

JE 001 - Stay-Stitch
Stay-stitching is where you machine (or hand) stitch a line or stitches around the edge of a cut piece of fabric, usually about 1cm in from the edge. They are always done towards the center of the piece, for example a collar line would start at one shoulder and finish in the middle, then turn the piece round and repeat for the other side.

Stay-stitches stay in the finished garment and help prevent material from stretching on curves. This is especially important for easy fray and delicate fabrics, and non-reinforced curves (i.e. no interfacing fabric used).

I don't have pictures of the yet (I will take some and update another day) but it's a relatively simple to do and will really help the line of your garments!