Dear Eunice Farmer: What great tips can you give me for sewing with the new baby-soft Minkee fabric? I have bought some of this fabric and am anxious to get started, but I don’t want to mess it up. Does this fabric have rules of its own? – Susan McG.

Dear Susan: Minkee is one of the newest and hottest fabrics on the market. It is wonderfully soft and luxurious, with a velour-type finish. It is 100 percent polyester, washable and 60 inches wide. It comes in solid colors, in both a smooth finish and one in dimples, or little bubbles, for a contrast.

Minkee is a perfect choice for all types of loungewear, backing for quilts for children, children’s clothes, baby gifts, etc. The solid color of this fabric makes it a perfect fabric to embroider. See Kwik-Sew 3321 for several baby toys and blankets. The edges of this mini-blanket are finished with different colored grosgrain ribbons inserted as loops.

The downside to the fabric is the shedding when washing. Be sure to pre-wash the fabric before cutting the garment. Unlike the sketch, the fabric does not come printed.

Dear Eunice Farmer: What is the best way to cut sheer interfacing without wasting so much of it? – Marion K.

Dear Marion: Place the lightweight or sheer interfacing over the printed pattern. You can now see the outline of the pieces to be interfaced. Trace the seamlines with a marker. It eliminates wasting interfacing and the time it takes to trim each piece after it is cut.

Dear Eunice Farmer: Almost all the skirts and pants you see today have elastic in the waistband. I have trouble with this. The elastic pushes the fabric at the seams to one side, making it almost impossible to thread the elastic through. Help. – Kerry P.

Dear Kerry: To prevent this, press the seams open and machine-stitch each side of the seam vertically at the casing (it won’t show). Now that it has been stitched in place, you can easily thread the elastic through the casing.

Each week, a reader wins a prize for sending in a helpful sewing hint. This week’s winner is Anita Garcia of St. Petersburg, Fla. She will receive a thumb pincushion. Her tip:

“I take all leftover fabric and piece it, if necessary, to make covers for my clothes hangers. I cut a square piece of fabric with a small hole in the center for the hanger to go through, then the fabric is draped over the shoulders. This keeps dust off clothes, especially when storing winter clothes that hang for months.”

You, too, could win a sewing notion. Send your sewing tips to Eunice Farmer, Box 31729, St. Louis, MO 63131. If she selects your tidbit for publication, you’ll receive this prize.

King Features Syndicate Inc.