Reddit mentions of Collins Point Turner & Seam Creaser Bamboo

The fabric is cute and for the purpose they'll be fine. Good work.

You should practice your basic stitching so the seams are nice and straight, not bumpy. You can practice on lined paper without thread, but after a time there's no substitute for actual fabric. You can use the guide on the machine, mark the line in tailor's chalk or with a dressmaker's pencil, or baste right alongside the stitching line and use it as a guide.

You need to work on your corners so they are sharp. You should do samples on scraps of fabric. With thin fabric with no interfacing or very thin interfacing it's usually fine to simply sew to the intersection, put the needle down, pivot and sew the other side. But with thick fabric it's often better to sew the corner and leave room in the seam allowance for the bulkiness of the fabric. You do that by stitching across the corner on the diagonal or sewing a semicircle of three to four stitches across it.

You also should experiment with trimming the fabric on the corner before turning it. I wouldn't do it unless necessary, but sometimes it is. Start conservatively.

To pull out out the corners, you can use a bamboo corner turner, but there are other methods, such as using a needle and thread. Don't use use the point of your scissors, you could make a hole.

Sometimes it helps to stop about 1/2 inch from the corner and shorten the stitch length. When you pass the corner, after 1/2 inch you resume the ordinary stitch length.

That's the nature of sewing. There are many variables, even for a corner.

You should also manipulate the seam so when you press the top the underside doesn't show.

​

​

> Is this similar to a loop turner, or is it more like a crease maker in shape?

Crease maker. Here's one.

>Any iron recommendations, or should your typical department store one do just fine while I'm a student? Or should I splurge sooner rather than later on one of those Reliable stainless steel pro irons which look rather frightening?

I hate the big Rowena iron I bought a few years ago. It was expensive, but it is no gravity-feed industrial model with a vacuum bar. It was very well reviewed on Amazon by hundreds of people, but it sputters and there's no water indicator. I would wait on the iron. The school's workrooms must have irons. It only becomes a problem if there's a deadline and there's a line for the irons, or if someone screws up and irons the glue side of the interfacing.

White silk organza is often recommended as a press cloth because you can see through it.

>Helio, I have you tagged as "sewing alumna" (you're female, yes?). You've been so approachable and helpful. I look forward to seeing more of your advice in this subreddit as I proceed through school.

Yes, I am a woman. I'm just someone who takes one or two evening or weekend construction classes a year at FIT. I want to sew for myself, so I take it seriously, plus, it's fascinating. I don't sew consistently in between the classes in part because I don't have a sewing space and I always need fitting help. But things are sloooooowly coming together: This summer I bought a 2010 barely used Wolf dress form for $300. Now I'm saving up to get someone to help me customize it, which will cost more than the form.

If you have any questions, just post them, or direct message me. A lot of people have given me help over the years. They still are.

Cutter and Tailor is an excellent bespoke tailoring website. Your school may have a subscription to the University of Fashion website. They offer a library of videos on fashion-related topics, and have very clear construction and pattern making videos. It's still fairly new, so they are frequently adding material. There may be times when you want to review something. It's good to go to a reliable source.

Good luck. :-)