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guaranteed
Nov 24, 2004

Do not take apart gun by yourself, it will cause the trouble and dangerous.
You can buy fabric already cut to 5" squares (search for charm packs) or in rolls of 2 1/2" strips (search for jelly rolls), and patterns to go with them. The fabric is usually a bit more expensive than Joann's would have, but it's really nice to work with. fatquartershop.com is good, and so is abbimays.com, and connectingthreads.com has a more limited but cheaper line.

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pink stiletto
Jan 1, 2006
Forum Veterinarian

guaranteed posted:

You can buy fabric already cut to 5" squares (search for charm packs) or in rolls of 2 1/2" strips (search for jelly rolls), and patterns to go with them. The fabric is usually a bit more expensive than Joann's would have, but it's really nice to work with. fatquartershop.com is good, and so is abbimays.com, and connectingthreads.com has a more limited but cheaper line.

You are my hero now! This sounds like it will make my first quilt a lot easier. Already cut AND color coordinated.

Nystral
Feb 6, 2002

Every man likes a pretty girl with him at a skeleton dance.
I need help.

I want to build my own backpack. I have an idea of what I want, essentially a basic box 17"x13"x4" with a drawstring top, flip over top with velcro fasteners, and seat belt material for the strips. I was thinking canvas or some heavy duty cotton as an exterior fabric, with a liner of a softer fabric.

Now the twist.

I have never sewed in my life. I can understand the basic concepts behind what I want to create.

IE create exterior of bag inside out, same with the lining. When adding the padding I place that in between my my exterior and interior, attach straps, sew everything up.

How do I sew the lining (inside of the bag) to the exterior of the bag? What would be the best way to attach the straps to the bag?

handbags at dawn
Mar 8, 2007
26 quilt blocks so far. I am really enjoying this! I wasn't sure I would.



Here is the sample in the shop:



I don't plan on putting such a big border around mine, and especially not in that pink check.

This jelly roll malarky is definitely the way to go for beginners. All the cutting this pattern required was to cut the pre-cut strips into 4 1/2" segments.

pink stiletto
Jan 1, 2006
Forum Veterinarian

Nystral posted:

I need help.

I want to build my own backpack. I have an idea of what I want, essentially a basic box 17"x13"x4" with a drawstring top, flip over top with velcro fasteners, and seat belt material for the strips. I was thinking canvas or some heavy duty cotton as an exterior fabric, with a liner of a softer fabric.

Now the twist.

I have never sewed in my life. I can understand the basic concepts behind what I want to create.

IE create exterior of bag inside out, same with the lining. When adding the padding I place that in between my my exterior and interior, attach straps, sew everything up.

How do I sew the lining (inside of the bag) to the exterior of the bag? What would be the best way to attach the straps to the bag?

Craftster.org has a whole lot of cool bag tutorials. I've been making tote bags like crazy and they helped get me started. Once you learn the basic principal it can easily be adapted.

squirrellypoo
Feb 8, 2003
dear god, I finally finished the tuxedo-inspired jacket I've been working on for the better part of January. I made it using vintage Pendleton wool suiting my grandmother bought from the mill in the 1960s, but it was the bitchingly complicated pattern with next-to-zero instructions that was the real challenge. I absolutely love Burda WOF, but I'd forgotten how crap their instructions are when you actually need to refer to them.

Thank god the matching trousers should pretty straightforward - I bought some sew-in boning at the weekend to stabilise the big waistband/belt thing, though. I love high waisted trousers and skirts, but I hate the way they wrinkle the first time you sit down!

Cat Fancier
Dec 3, 2006
.

Cat Fancier fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Feb 16, 2018

handbags at dawn
Mar 8, 2007
That neck is awesome. How thick is the cotton? It looks like a twill-pants type material.

MoCookies
Apr 22, 2005

Captain Schlork posted:

Fresh from the workshop:


Entirely my own design, pattern and sewing. Fully lined with a 100% cotton exterior. It still needs some finishing touches but I'm generally really pleased with it. I need to get better pictures asap.

I love that! The color is a bit hard to make out in the photo. Is it a dark purple? Its a beautiful design, the neck especially is awesome.

McDougirl
Jun 22, 2006
this title is custom-made!

Captain Schlork posted:

Fresh from the workshop:
Awesome Jacket

Entirely my own design, pattern and sewing.

Just chiming in with an "I love it" as well. Those sleeves are fantastic. (If you ever decide that you want to share that pattern, I'd happily purchase one, or you know, a jacket.)

seriouslywtf
Jul 10, 2003

Seriously. WTF?
Seriously, that is awesome. I love every part of it.

Space Poodle
Nov 11, 2007
That jacket is awesome.

Lady googooGaGa
Nov 3, 2006

Are you freaking kidding me!?
Love it, how long did it take?

root a toot
Aug 7, 2006

mondo burger was manufactured and distributed to intentionally destroy the black community
i too have much love for dat coat

Cat Fancier
Dec 3, 2006
.

Cat Fancier fucked around with this message at 21:47 on Feb 16, 2018

handbags at dawn
Mar 8, 2007
Still working on my quilt! This project started out as the pattern called for: one jelly roll, 35 blocks. It has now mutated into: 2 jelly rolls, 78 blocks, and a center printed panel, all of which plus borders will end up being 90x98 so it will cover up the big feet I sleep with. How did this happen?!?! :downs:

pink stiletto
Jan 1, 2006
Forum Veterinarian
I'm most definitely a novice, but I do know how to use my sewing machine. Here are a few projects I've worked on this week.


Tote bag for a friend's birthday. She made me a cute felted pillow that looks like my parrot for my birthday, so I felt her gift should also be handmade.


I used heavier fabric to make for a sturdier bag. The inside and front pocket are fully lined. Ever since I learned how to make lined tote bags through a few online tutorials I've been obsessed. I got the most help from Sew, Mama, Sew.


Apartment Therapy had a little blurb on making covers for couch pillows. It seemed like a cheap way to make the pillows my couch came with a little brighter.


It's just an envelope style, so I can easily change it out. I'm thinking of doing different colors for different seasons.

Ninadene
Aug 7, 2004

Who's that hottie in your avatar?

Captain Schlork posted:

Fresh from the workshop:


Entirely my own design, pattern and sewing. Fully lined with a 100% cotton exterior. It still needs some finishing touches but I'm generally really pleased with it. I need to get better pictures asap.


I can not adequately express my love for this coat in words. The cut, the color the sleeves the hood... everything about it is so loving awesome! I've only felt this way about shoes!!

In fact I was just informed by my friend to "stop talking about it. 'I like it' would have been sufficient"

but no it really wouldn't have been.

squirrellypoo
Feb 8, 2003
For any aspiring sewing newbies out there, A Dress A Day has got a great Guide to Learning To Sew up today, with lots of good advice and tips on how to begin.

Chryselephantine
Apr 13, 2007

digging up bones
A question about quilting:

How difficult would it be to work with jersey knits for a quilt? First off, I've never quilted before but I do enjoy sewing - I've thought about trying quilting before. The reason I am more interested now is that I heard about someone in my area who makes quilts out of t-shirts. I would absolutely LOVE to have a quilt made from some of my kids' favorite baby and toddler clothes. Is this something a novice could aspire to or should I just pay to have the pro do it?

handbags at dawn
Mar 8, 2007

Chryselephantine posted:

A question about quilting:

How difficult would it be to work with jersey knits for a quilt? First off, I've never quilted before but I do enjoy sewing - I've thought about trying quilting before. The reason I am more interested now is that I heard about someone in my area who makes quilts out of t-shirts. I would absolutely LOVE to have a quilt made from some of my kids' favorite baby and toddler clothes. Is this something a novice could aspire to or should I just pay to have the pro do it?
I just watched my mom make a t-shirt quilt for someone, and I would definitely say pay the pro to do it, but ask to see some examples of their work first. (Well, that's true of anything you're paying someone else to do.)

For one thing, the knits are very slippy to work with, and some of the thicker printing on the t-shirts was hard to quilt through. It was hard enough to keep the t-shirt material straight for piecing, and they were big pieces - baby clothes will mean smaller and more pieces to sew together. My 2 cents.

Chryselephantine
Apr 13, 2007

digging up bones

boscokitty posted:

I just watched my mom make a t-shirt quilt for someone, and I would definitely say pay the pro to do it, but ask to see some examples of their work first. (Well, that's true of anything you're paying someone else to do.)

For one thing, the knits are very slippy to work with, and some of the thicker printing on the t-shirts was hard to quilt through. It was hard enough to keep the t-shirt material straight for piecing, and they were big pieces - baby clothes will mean smaller and more pieces to sew together. My 2 cents.

Thanks. I had figured that was probably the case, but thought it couldn't hurt to ask.

papermastermind
May 25, 2005

I make for a salty appetizer!
I was wondering if anyone could recommend some sewing books, more specifically on tailoring/fitting clothes. I posted a while back about having nightmare/back shoulders (10 inch chest/waist difference) that cause nothing to fit from mid-back and below. I'll probably run to my local library and just see what they have, but if anyone's got some specific recommendatons I wouldn't mind dropping a few dollars into learning :)

a_pineapple
Dec 23, 2005


Hello sew masters!

I have very little experience sewing with a machine. I can sew patches and pillows and easy stuff like that, but nothing very complex, and my stitching is pretty half-assed. I was thinking of picking up a used machine at a garage sale or something, and keeping it around for various tasks. One of which is to make bike knickers!

Basically, the idea is to take a pair of pants and hem them about calf length, like capris, but slightly higher. Is this a fairly easy task for a novice like myself to undertake, or should I take them to the tailoring shop down the street? How much would a tailoring shop typically charge for such a menial task?

Thanks!!

squirrellypoo
Feb 8, 2003

papermastermind posted:

I was wondering if anyone could recommend some sewing books, more specifically on tailoring/fitting clothes. I posted a while back about having nightmare/back shoulders (10 inch chest/waist difference) that cause nothing to fit from mid-back and below. I'll probably run to my local library and just see what they have, but if anyone's got some specific recommendatons I wouldn't mind dropping a few dollars into learning :)
I've heard a TON of good things about Fit For Real People, but the only reason I haven't picked it up is because I'm pretty much bang-on standard figure (I guess I'm not a Real Person. :( ). One book I do have, though, and is absolutely excellent is Making Your Clothes Fit by Patricia Burkhart Smith. It's from the 70s and really out of print, but it's absolutely fabulous - it's filled with drawings of wrinkles in garments in various places, and what kind of fitting problem those wrinkles mean, and exactly how to change your pattern to fix said problems. I got mine cheap from a library clearance sale who didn't know what it was worth. I'd say it's definitely worth the $35 that abebooks seller is charging (though not $75!!) and if pages are missing from that copy, I'll scan the missing ones for you to fill it in. I think FFRP is probably better for you since it deals with big alterations, though, and the 70s book is more about small tweaks and getting the fit absolutely perfect.

vas0line posted:

Basically, the idea is to take a pair of pants and hem them about calf length, like capris, but slightly higher. Is this a fairly easy task for a novice like myself to undertake, or should I take them to the tailoring shop down the street? How much would a tailoring shop typically charge for such a menial task?
That's really straightforward (and you can practice on a thrift store pair first if you're really nervous. Put them on, cut about two inches lower than you want the hem to be, then fold a half inch in to the inside, then fold in 1.5 inches again (so you have a clean edge inside). Sew with a straight stitch if it's a woven fabric, or with a narrow zigzag stitch (or double needle) if they're stretchy. Start with wovens first, they're much easier to deal with.

Etoniichuan
Oct 27, 2005

I don't know how to cross stitch, but I hear it is easy. The biggest obstacle that is preventing me from learning is the patterns they have at various stores. Doing a ducky, or the 'cutest wittle angel' pretty much turns me off. Is there a probram or something where I can take simple pictures or wording in different fonts and turn them into a usable pattern?

Pegacorn
Apr 21, 2005

by Fragmaster

Etoniichuan posted:

I don't know how to cross stitch, but I hear it is easy. The biggest obstacle that is preventing me from learning is the patterns they have at various stores. Doing a ducky, or the 'cutest wittle angel' pretty much turns me off. Is there a probram or something where I can take simple pictures or wording in different fonts and turn them into a usable pattern?

They have plain white grid stuff at the craft store, and then I think you can color it so you know what colors to do where. Check out craftster.org and do a search on cross stitching. A lot of people make up their own patterns and there are probably some tutorials on it.

Pegacorn
Apr 21, 2005

by Fragmaster

boscokitty posted:

I just watched my mom make a t-shirt quilt for someone, and I would definitely say pay the pro to do it, but ask to see some examples of their work first. (Well, that's true of anything you're paying someone else to do.)

For one thing, the knits are very slippy to work with, and some of the thicker printing on the t-shirts was hard to quilt through. It was hard enough to keep the t-shirt material straight for piecing, and they were big pieces - baby clothes will mean smaller and more pieces to sew together. My 2 cents.

Yea, those jersey knits, especially the slinky ones, are very hard to work with. They just slide all over the place. Now if you have a serger you can work with them much more easily.

Debbie Metallica
Jun 7, 2001

Etoniichuan posted:

I don't know how to cross stitch, but I hear it is easy. The biggest obstacle that is preventing me from learning is the patterns they have at various stores. Doing a ducky, or the 'cutest wittle angel' pretty much turns me off. Is there a probram or something where I can take simple pictures or wording in different fonts and turn them into a usable pattern?

I'm wondering if there's a way to just use that program that generates intarsia knitting patterns from pictures- that's probably the way to go (I'll need to dig up the link for you).

What I have is a giant book with patterns that range from the cutesy duckies to just a lot of different fonts. I'm not as put off by the cutesy stuff but the fonts are handy- those little kits for cross-stitch that say naughty things sell for a pretty penny (though I suppose it's worth it when they come with a frame) but you can just apply fonts to say whatever! My oh-so-subversive ( I know, :rolleyes:) "gently caress Off" cross-stitch wall hanging didn't take a lot of effort.

The only thing that becomes a turnoff for cross stitch for some is just having to count. If it's counted cross stitch, my mom is out. And it IS pretty easy to screw up by one stitch if you don't pay attention. I started doing a big counted cross dragon and I messed up one whole row and haven't gone back since then.

Rain Brain
Dec 15, 2006

in ghostlier demarcations, keener sounds
Designing a pattern isn't hard, and your library (if it's anything like mine) will have a ton of books with patterns and alphabets laid out for you to just mix and match. However, if you just want a kit or pattern here are a couple I think aren't as cheesy as most of the stuff out there:

This site offers a free monthly fractal patterned cross stitch, which I think is just really awesome. They might be a little much in terms of number of colors if you're just starting though...

This is the pattern I'd do if I weren't currently obsessed with crochet, plus it's a kit which means you don't have to run around finding that one color that no one has.

For pure entertainment though, the place that always cracked me up when I was looking for patterns was Heaven and Earth Designs, which has all these over the top fantasy designs by people with wildly different levels of talent. If you want to cross stitch a mer cat, this is for you!!

I've stopped cross stitching though because I never did anything with the pieces when I was done, they just got stuck in a drawer.

Rain Brain fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Feb 9, 2008

Immortal So Far
Jan 28, 2005

Unicorn FRIEND
Here are a few of my recent projects:

A gray wool and plaid skirt and a houndstooth jumper for work:





I bought this dress at the thrift store. It was just a plain, boring blue satin empire-waist thing, but I liked the back and it cost $2. So I dissected it and put a panel of fabric leftover from my living room curtains around the waist and another down the front. The star dealy is a Christmas ornament.





And finally, I may or may not ever have a place to wear this, but I wanted a sexy formal dress, goddamnit. It's sparkly black velvet with a panel of silver silk dupioni in the back, which I cut low to show off my tramp stamp. The diamond draping bits in the back are old costume jewelry pieces from my great-grandma.

MallcoreMotion
Jul 30, 2006
Questions, I'm making a baby quilt for my friend who's due in June. I want to start early in case I screw up a lot. Anyway, I was wondering if you guys had a clue of how big a baby blanket should be and... What is a good backing material? I read on craftster that a lot of people use satin or flanel. My funds are limited and I'm trying to find a cheap, affordable soft backing. Also one more, the batting I bought is kind of thin, do you guys think it would be best to still use just one layer, or double it?

And for the post above me, that black velvet dress is so gorgeous. I love the diamond drape, it's super pretty.

squirrellypoo
Feb 8, 2003
Immortal So Far, I looooove that first skirt and the evening gown in particular! I can just imagine how the back pleats on that skirt would move as you walk.... mmm.

I've been busy tracing out TONS of patterns from some borrowed Patrones magazines but in amoungst all that I managed to complete my tuxedo-inspired suit I was making from my grandmother's vintage Pendleton wool. And now that I've finished that, I've started on a fantastic Jean Paul Gaultier pencil skirt from the latest Patrones that I'm doing up in black wool crepe with two scooped panels in black satin.

Oh, and I made a cape for a little kid this weekend, but I won't get to give it to him until next week. :) I'm glad I remembered about a little thing called choking hazards before I did the fastener and went with a velcro tab in the end!

Goldaline
Dec 21, 2006

my dear
I know this will probably just land me on goons.jpg or 'pyf picture that makes you laugh everytime,' but I just got my professional pictures back from last semester. So I just ask you to remember these are really art pieces and not everyday wear!


My flower-show piece. Go see it if you're in Philly and you like flowers.

Decoy Heart


Jacket inspired by clams at Reading Terminal Market

One semester down, one to go! I'm making twelve t-shirts out of shower curtains and old t-shirts right now. And a dress out of glue-stiffened crochet.

squirrellypoo
Feb 8, 2003
Hey, I'd actually wear the last jacket! :)

Goldaline posted:

One semester down, one to go! I'm making twelve t-shirts out of shower curtains and old t-shirts right now.
Nice! I made a dress out of a shower curtain last summer (the cloth-type shower curtain, not the plastic kind) and it's been featured in like 12 international newspapers and magazines so far, without any kind of work on my end. Things made from shower curtains are a hot item and make reporters drool for some reason.

teknicolor
Jul 18, 2004

I Want to Meet That Dad!
Do Da Doo Doo
Hi all, I'm working on a simple dress, but I'm having issues with the final part. I'm trying to gather the skirt, rather than pleat it, but I'm lost as to how I should go about it. I've practiced the gather setting on my machine, but everytime I gather, it just doesn't work right. Any tips?

e: also, how can I sew the gathered fabric to something else, without using the foot? It goes all over the place when I don't use it. :(

teknicolor fucked around with this message at 23:10 on Feb 12, 2008

Strelnikov
Jul 25, 2004
I want to compose and decompose.
What kind of a machine do you have?

If it's a normal straight stitch type, the easiest way to gather is to set it to the longest stitch you can, loosen the needle tension, and sew two parallel rows of stitches about 1/4" apart without lockstitching either end. Then you pull the needle thread to gather the fabric as tightly as you want it, pin it in place, readjust your machine settings back to normal, sew the skirt on the same way you would a normal seam, and pull out the gathering threads. If it's a serger, I couldn't tell you; I've never had one that does anything other than just serge.

My favorite way to gather is to use a ruffler foot. It looks like this --

and actually makes tiny pleats rather than gathers. A good one has lots of adjustments, so once you get the hang of it you can gather as tightly or loosely as you want. You line up your ruffle fabric in one notch to keep the stitching line the right distance from the edge of the ruffle, and your other fabric in one of the other notches depending on how you want it sewn down, and it basically does all the work for you in one operation. It's not as exact as the method I described above, and it's kind of an expensive attachment if you aren't doing a lot of ruffling. I use mine all the time, though.

Edit: OMG I love the clam jacket!

epilepticbicycle
Feb 5, 2004
"It really doesn't matter Megan"
Aw my first hoodies (I've been meaning to make some for quite a while, looking through all of your awesome stuff finally made me do it!):
This one cost $8 to make :) And who doesn't love dinosaurs?


Making a stupid face...
I used an old Coheed and Cambria shirt to line the hood:

Goldaline
Dec 21, 2006

my dear

squirrellypoo posted:

Hey, I'd actually wear the last jacket! :)
Nice! I made a dress out of a shower curtain last summer (the cloth-type shower curtain, not the plastic kind) and it's been featured in like 12 international newspapers and magazines so far, without any kind of work on my end. Things made from shower curtains are a hot item and make reporters drool for some reason.

I'm using the nasty awful clear plastic kind. But it's working out okay, I quilted one and stuffed it with shredded t-shirts, and it's surprisingly nice looking.

And that's awesome! My only claim to fame is the Philly Inquirer, shoot.

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handbags at dawn
Mar 8, 2007
My quilt top is almost done! All I have left to put on is the outer border and then that thing is getting quilted. It didn't get done for Valentine's Day, but whatever.



It's ended up huge, I've had a ton of fun doing it, and it convinced me to buy a cheap-rear end Brother machine for my very own so I don't have to keep going to my mother's shop all the time to sew.

In fact, I've had so much fun that I've already started on the next one:



It is this pattern, but with material I already had around the house. I know it's loud, but my daughter loves it, so she can put up with its loudness.

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