We all live our lives day to day thinking that nothing bad will happen. We never think that we will be the ones dealing with the cleanup of a house fire. Unfortunately, there are many, many families that suffer the impact of house fires each year. Last year, a close friend of mine was a victim of a house fire and since then, my life has been different. I have spent many hours researching fire prevention, causes, and teaching children about fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire. It is my hope that my research can help those of you concerned about house fires make the necessary changes in your home and teach your kids what they need to know about fire.
Sewing with most fabrics is quite easy, but minky is a different story. If you are going to sew with minky from a store like Ruth's Stitchery for the first time, then here are 3 tips to help you sew without making any big mistakes.
Wash and Groom
First, you should wash and groom your minky fabric before you sew with it. The minky will not shrink as many cotton fabrics can, but washing will help to get rid of loose fibers.
After you wash and dry on a warm setting, take a cloth and rub it over the minky to pick up any loose fibers that still remain. This will cut down on the amount of minky buildup that occurs in the sewing machine as you run the fabric along the needle.
Also, after you dry the minky, lay it out flat so that it does not get wrinkles and bunched up. This will help you when you need to sew it to another piece of fabric later.
Hold and Cut
Next, you are ready to cut the fabric. You have to be especially careful when you cut minky though because it stretches. You do not want to stretch the fabric out so that the edges are straight because when you let go of the fabric, they will not be straight anymore.
Instead lay the fabric out on your cutting mat and smooth it out so that the fabric is completely flat. When you are ready to cut it, place a straight edge ruler on top of the fabric right at the inch where it needs to be cut, and hold the ruler down firmly against the fabric.
By doing this, you can hold the fabric in place without stretching it or changing its position at all. This will ensure a straight cut and the right size of fabric for your project.
Pin and Pin
Last, you need to pin the minky fabric a least twice as much as you would normal fabric.
If you are making a blanket, place the right side of the minky against the right side of your cotton fabric, and then pin along the edges every 1/2 inch or so. While you can space the pins out a couple of inches with normal fabric, you cannot do this with minky because minky will try to stretch and slide as you sew.
Without the pins in place, there is much more give in the fabric, and you may find that the material starts to turn and stretch out of place.
Remove each pin right as they are about to pass under the sewing needle. This will allow the fabric to stay firmly in place the entire time, and you should not end up with a misshapen blanket.
By doing these 3 things, you can prevent problem with the size and shape of your sewing project. Just be patient, and your minky will work to your advantage.
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