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RichBomb posted:Third pair of jeans. Seriously, you've convinced me to make my own pair of jeans. If I may ask, where did you get the selvedge denim from ? Is there a way to get Japanese selvedge ?
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Aug 27, 2008 08:54
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Ashcans posted:1) The pattern is for denim; one of the reasons I picked it was that this seemed closer in weight to a leather than other patterns for wool or fleece. What sort of things do I need to watch out for, being as I'm making it out of a different material? Leather isn't that difficult to sew, but main things to remember:
quote:2) What material options do I have for this? I've worked with leather before but not to actually make a whole garment. It's also expensive, and I worry about not being able to fit the whole pattern on one side and ending up with different shades. Is there a decent synthetic product that I could use? If I go for actual leather, any idea what sort of weight I should aim at? Sorry, I've got no idea about weights since I just go by feel... Also, the selvedge on selvedge jeans is just on the outseam? Colour me stupid, I've never seen any myself and thought it ran up both sides and the denim came off really narrow looms... Oops. In that case, all denim is selvedge, you just have to do the pattern layout right.
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Aug 27, 2008 11:59
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squirrellypoo posted:Leather isn't that difficult to sew, but main things to remember: quote:
quote:Are you planning on wearing this at all after Halloween, or is it just a costume? I think that should answer whether you should spend the money on real leather or synthetics... I admit that I like the jacket, but its sort of a difficult thing to wear outside of the costume without looking pretty eccentric. I also live in Georgia, so the portion of the year where its comfortable to wear a leather jacket is smallish. It's kind of a cost-balancing question; based on the pattern it seems like I'd need about 40sqft of leather (equivalent to 2 5/8yards 60" fabric), depending on how I can arrange things. I can't imagine getting a hold of enough matching leather at less than $2/sqft, so if I can find a synthetic at $15/yd it would come out on top. The problem is partly that I don't really know what would be a sbustitute; I know the OP says that Hancocks et al is crap, but would it be worth going there to actually handle some alternatives? I suppose I should check upholstery suppliers, as well. quote:So it might be worth asking a leather shop near you if they sell any seconds. I will also give this a go, maybe I'll be able to call around and get lucky with some place local. Sorry to barrage you with a whole new slew of questions, and thank you for the advice!
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Aug 28, 2008 16:01
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Ashcans posted:I suspected that I would need some new needles, but I admit I had no idea there were so many different feet for sewing machines. I'm assuming that I will need to match the foot to my machine, so I'll have to check the model when I get home and do some research. Are feet generally interchangeable? Can I take the current foot to a store and match it, or is it more complicated? Oh, and add a walking foot to my above recommendations for leather - they're expensive, but I use mine all the time. I've got some photos of my machine feet collection here if you want to ID any against eBay (I don't have a teflon foot, though - I personally use rolling or walking for leather). quote:Can I seam leather in the same ways I would regular heavy fabrics? quote:I can't imagine getting a hold of enough matching leather at less than $2/sqft, so if I can find a synthetic at $15/yd it would come out on top. The problem is partly that I don't really know what would be a sbustitute; I know the OP says that Hancocks et al is crap, but would it be worth going there to actually handle some alternatives? I suppose I should check upholstery suppliers, as well. At least you're smart and getting a head start on Halloween with this! 
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Aug 28, 2008 17:09
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Respekt posted:Seriously, you've convinced me to make my own pair of jeans. If I may ask, where did you get the selvedge denim from ? Is there a way to get Japanese selvedge ?
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Aug 31, 2008 18:22
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squirrellypoo posted:
Sorry about the double post, typing with an iPod.
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Aug 31, 2008 18:35
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Does anyone know anything about knitting machines? I've recently gotten my hands on a Brother Profile 552, and it's missing a number of parts, including the carriage and manual. I've looked on eBay for replacements, but all I see is stuff from the later KH series (which use punch cards, which should give you some idea of how old mine is). Is there anywhere where I might find parts for something that old?
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Sep 5, 2008 20:32
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Dunno if this is the right thread, but how can I lighten a navy-blue article of clothing to a sort of Robins'-Egg blue? Is it even possible? Would I have to dye a white/cream/what-have-you article of clothing to the right shade or what? e: I'm not sure of the fabric composition, but it could be polyester, cotton or even wool, or a combination, so instructions for each would be wonderful. Ambrose Burnside fucked around with this message at 03:47 on Sep 8, 2008 |
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Sep 8, 2008 03:43
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Dunno if this is the right thread, but how can I lighten a navy-blue article of clothing to a sort of Robins'-Egg blue? Is it even possible? First remove the dye with dye remover or bleach, then re-dye it. I am too lazy for instructions for each and if it's a bend, more then likely you'll have to just experiment anyway. If it's mostly polyester, I'd just give up.
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Sep 8, 2008 07:13
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Stupid Backpack alteration/making questions: Is riveting cordura fabric to cordura fabric, or to nylon webbing, likely to last? I have no sewing experience whatsoever. If the only sort of 'sewing' I ever plan to do is making and altering backpacks and the related nylon webbing, and possibly heavy canvas and thin leather webbing, is there a specific sort of sewing machine that handles these sorts of thick and stiff fabric? Is there somewhere to learn sewing? Is it offered as an adult education class somewhere? Are there classes offered by manufacturers? Can I appretice somewhere to learn? I am a complete newbie so I am perfectly willing to listen to any advice, even if it is just to tell me I have no idea what I am talking about. I am just sick of having backpacks fail on me, and just want to be able to fix them, and possibly make them from scratch. If these sorts of projects are beyond the skill of a beginner like me, how do I find a alterations shop that can deal with these rough heavy fabrics? Where do I find cordura, webbing, and 'truck tarp' as new raw materials? Truck tarp seesm to be a name for the layer of waterproofing that is sewn into many 'messenger' style bags. I have no idea what it actually is.
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Sep 8, 2008 09:37
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LasterTrain posted:Stupid Backpack alteration/making questions: Your best bet would be to look at your local community center, they often have sewing lessons--or even a sewing group in your town. Have any patient friends that like to sew? And it sound like you need an industrial machine if you're going to be using lots of layers of tough fabrics--we have one at my school that can go through multiple layer of leather no problem. And I just did a quick google search--these people seem to specialize in tough outdoors fabrics: http://www.ahh.biz/catagories/fabric.htm
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Sep 8, 2008 14:06
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Ambrose Burnside posted:Dunno if this is the right thread, but how can I lighten a navy-blue article of clothing to a sort of Robins'-Egg blue? Is it even possible? Watch out because it can be hard to either lighten something with bleach or bleach white and redye without getting a tie-dye effect where it bunches or folds, especially if you're new to dyeing. The other thing to watch out for is that the thread is often made of a different material than the fabric so it will bleach/dye differently. I have a shirt that my mom tried to dye with both of these problems.
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Sep 8, 2008 17:08
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LasterTrain posted:Is there somewhere to learn sewing? Is it offered as an adult education class somewhere? Are there classes offered by manufacturers? Can I appretice somewhere to learn?
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Sep 8, 2008 17:19
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I just finished this today and wanted to share. I love sewing teddy bears. I don't know how I got into this but I've been making them for about a year now.  I design my own patterns and I hand sew. This takes ages, but the results are worth it. I did run a ted through a sewing machine once and it ended up a mess. You need to sew in minute detail, particularly on smaller bears. Here is another picture with different lighting.  All my bears are jointed with old fashioned cotter pins (you can buy plastic joints but I prefer the old way) and have glass eyes. I stuff them really tightly so they feel very firm and sit upright just fine. I sometimes stuff them with steel shot and woodwool to give them even more weight and firm-ness. It's a great hobby, and best of all people really do love getting given a hand made teddy. A friend of mine recently had a baby girl, so I'm going to order some soft pink materials and get sewing again
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Sep 10, 2008 20:16
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That bear is adorable and just so amazingly perfect! It really does look like one of the fine, German heirloom bears. Excellent work!
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Sep 11, 2008 12:25
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Scoofles, that looks really great. I was interested in getting into making stuffed animals like that. Can you give me a few starting points? I'm not even sure where to begin. The tutorials I've found online to make stuffed toys are all pretty... horrible. Terrible designs and the end product isn't something I'd like to give someone to cuddle with. Yours, however, is exactly what I've been dreaming of making. :]
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Sep 12, 2008 01:52
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Wow that bear is great! I need a good source for some organic fabrics (jersey, flannel, and fleece). I've found a few online retailers just using google, but does anyone actually have any experience and can recommend a couple to me?
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Sep 12, 2008 15:41
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ludosti posted:I need a good source for some organic fabrics (jersey, flannel, and fleece). I've found a few online retailers just using google, but does anyone actually have any experience and can recommend a couple to me?
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Sep 12, 2008 17:03
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Unreal posted:Scoofles, that looks really great. I was interested in getting into making stuffed animals like that. Can you give me a few starting points? I'm not even sure where to begin. The tutorials I've found online to make stuffed toys are all pretty... horrible. Terrible designs and the end product isn't something I'd like to give someone to cuddle with. Yours, however, is exactly what I've been dreaming of making. :] Thank you! And of course I'll offer some pointers. I found it the same when I started out. There are a few free patterns online but like you say most are not great. I found this one online. I would say it's a basic pattern that will make a nice shaped bear.  Print it out bigger, to whatever size suits really! As for materials. I'm in the UK so I buy all my stuff from http://www.christiebears.co.uk/ Something that's great for beginners is to order one of their kits which include all you need (mohair, joints, embroidery thread for noses etc) along with step by step instructions. They go into great details, even down the sewing techniques. It's not that expensive either. If your looking to get into teds I say do this! I don't know where you are from but you won't have any problem finding a decent supplier for your country and most of them will sell starter kits. The fur looks expensive, at about £100 a meter. But you don't ever need that much! I buy 1/8th of a meter which works out at about £10-£15. That will make a good sized bear. For me I spend about £20 on materials for a bear if I go for really decent fur. Considering a good bear can sell for over £100 thats not bad but can be off putting when starting out. so stick with the cheapy materials What you'll need for your sewing kit is good needles, a long needle for doing the eyes and nose (called a dollmaking needle in sewing shops), a small pair of needle nose pliars to do the cotter pin joints, something to poke stuffing in to small spaces (I'm cheap and use a chopstick) and a REALLY good pair of fine embroidery scissors as you need to make fine cuts. I'm not sure what else to advise except for get a starter kit, its the only way to learn with proper materials and instructions.
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Sep 12, 2008 19:57
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Does anyone working on heavy fabrics or leathers have any advice on a 'sailmaker's palm"? If the term is wrong please correct me, I just read about it online. It seeems like it would be necessary for the type of sewing (backpacks, and the webbing and leather associated with it), I would like to learn how to do. Another question, if I need something that can handle getting wet, staying wet, not rotting etc., what sort of thread should I shoot for? Is most thread cotton? I assume cotton would be bad for getting wet and staying wet, but I have no idea about fabric and thread.
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Sep 14, 2008 13:32
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Not sure about the seamakers palm thing, google is showing a variety of fancy wrist strap thimbles? Anyways, for thread you're going to want something nylon and UV resistant, probably monster TEX 80 size or something
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Sep 14, 2008 20:37
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RichBomb posted:Not sure about the seamakers palm thing, google is showing a variety of fancy wrist strap thimbles? Anyways, for thread you're going to want something nylon and UV resistant, probably monster TEX 80 size or something I know nothing about sewing things, so I have to ask this stupid question: Is Tex 80 just a shize measurement? SO there are is Tex 80 Nylon thread and Tex 80 Polyester thread, and Tex 80 Cotton thread (for instance)?
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Sep 14, 2008 21:44
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Its kind of a long shot, but can any of you all recommend a good sewing-machine shop near the Dallas area? I took mine apart to undo a knot, and I am clearly too retarded to put it back together.
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Sep 16, 2008 09:24
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Not as impressive as the bear! But I've been practicing my sewing skills on poor defenseless animals before diving into anything more exciting. Daisy the elephant - I hope you can't see, but I totally rooted her foot   Blossom the bunny. I loved the fabric on her belly. In fact, sewing toys is really just a ruse so I have an excuse to buy gorgeous fabric
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Sep 17, 2008 10:59
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So, the last time I posted, I had just gotten my Grandmother's sewing machine and was trying to figure out how to thread the thing since the manual disappeared in the 25 years since my grandmother died. Since then, I've taken it into a sewing Center and had them look it over and teach me how to thread it... It's not much different than hand-sewing after all. Now, I have no excuses to not start sewing. I'm super excited and also super clueless. For example, how do you end a stitch once you reach the end of where you want to sew (like a seam or a hem)? That seams to be MUCH easier when hand sewing.
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Sep 24, 2008 16:49
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BrideOfUglycat posted:For example, how do you end a stitch once you reach the end of where you want to sew (like a seam or a hem)?
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Sep 24, 2008 17:08
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Well, finished my first project. My mom had asked me to make her an apron with a pocket big enough for Chicken feed. I had lots of scraps that weren't quite the right size for the quilt blocks I had made, so I put them together.  It's not the neatest bit of work, but I can already tell I'm getting better.
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Oct 1, 2008 20:54
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Bumping this thread so I can showcase my most recently-completed project. I made this coat out of some fabric I got on eBay for super cheap. It's a cotton-poly houndstooth weave and the perfect weight for a coat. I also used a grape-colored lining for the inside. Here it is:  This is the first time I made actual buttonholes too, so I'm pretty proud of that.  Here it is actually on me. 
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Oct 10, 2008 17:02
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That looks AWESOME. You've done such a good job on it! I'm not sure what you meant by the buttonholes, are they bound? I started working on my first winter coat in July as part of The Great Coat Sew Along that like 100 people on the internet are doing but I completely lost all momentum on it and now am really bored with the whole thing. But I've put so much expense into that I really just need to suck it up and work on it instead of making lots of quick, pretty, and fun projects that take my whim. But that's mostly because I'm a really impatient sewer... So therefore I'm also jealous that you've completed yours!
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Oct 10, 2008 17:58
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squirrellypoo posted:That looks AWESOME. You've done such a good job on it! I'm not sure what you meant by the buttonholes, are they bound? Thank you for your kind comments.  No, the buttonholes aren't bound (I'm not that badass yet) but the original pattern called for them to be sewn on the outside and for snaps to be sewn on the inside. I thought that was lame, so I made them "real" buttons instead.
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Oct 10, 2008 21:05
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That is so freaking cool. I want to make a nice houndstooth button up when I get back to the states.
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Oct 17, 2008 00:15
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I swear I'm not trying to take over the thread; I just happen to have finished a small handful of projects at the same time. I made this skirt last weekend based on a pattern I drafted myself, although it has now been brought to my attention that it is strikingly similar to the Kasia skirt at BurdaStyle, so that's kind of depressing.  Just kiddin'. I'm still happy with it. It's a high-waisted A-line skirt with a kangaroo pocket. The fabric is a 100% silk herringbone weave with very subtle purple pinstripes. The buttons are also a dark purple. I got them 50% off at JoAnn's during their crazy weekend sale last weekend.  Here's the skirt on me. There must be something about how I'm standing that makes it look like a pencil skirt with fins, but I swear it's not really like that.  That's all! I'm in love with this skirt. It's definitely one of my new favorite items in my wardrobe. In fact, I'm wearing it right now!
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Oct 17, 2008 22:39
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Ok, I'm seriously about to rip my hair out, so I appeal to the goon sewing gods to help me. I'm working with some lightweight bamboo jersey that I totally love, but trying to sew on it is making me contemplate murder. I'm using a ballpoint needle (I've been using a 70/10) and it doesn't matter what stitch I'm using - it skips stitches. I've tried experimenting with how many layers I'm sewing through (3 or 5 are the choices) and adding some interfacing, to no avail. I don't know what else to try... 
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Oct 20, 2008 05:00
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Can anyone help me with a clothes refurbing question? I've recently lost a fair bit of weight and all of a sudden six of my favourite skirts are two sizes too big around the waist. Is there any easy way of taking them in? Most of them are zip-fastened and made up of panels...I'm not sure how to describe it but the panels are pieced in a kind of diagonal curve so that they flare out a bit. I'd like to shorten some of them, too. I have a sewing machine but am not very confident, patterns scare the crap out of me.
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Oct 20, 2008 15:51
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ludosti posted:Ok, I'm seriously about to rip my hair out, so I appeal to the goon sewing gods to help me. I'm working with some lightweight bamboo jersey that I totally love, but trying to sew on it is making me contemplate murder. I'm using a ballpoint needle (I've been using a 70/10) and it doesn't matter what stitch I'm using - it skips stitches. I've tried experimenting with how many layers I'm sewing through (3 or 5 are the choices) and adding some interfacing, to no avail. I don't know what else to try... Dumb question, but you checked that your bobbin is put the right way around in the bobbin-holding-assembly thingy right? And loosening the top tension? Skipped stitches are always a problem with the machine's configuration for me.
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Oct 20, 2008 17:50
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Yeah, I've checked the tension and re-threaded about a million times. This is a problem I only have when working with this particular fabric. I talked to a few other people who suggested using stretch needles (rather than ballpoint) and using stabilizer on the bottom if that doesn't work, so we'll see if those help....
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Oct 20, 2008 23:57
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it's called the grim reaper goes to the beach
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Oct 26, 2008 19:25
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I just wanted to post here to vent my frustration. I had a pile of fabric on the floor, some of it neatly folded and some not, just waiting to be organized. Then I went on a business trip for a week. I came back and everything seemed to be fine, but just now I was organizing that fabric finally, and it turns out that my cats PEED ON IT. I assume it's because they were pissed at me (no pun intended) for going away, I dunno. Some of it is washable, but some isn't. And even then, I washed this one fabric three times and it still stinks of cat piss. I had to throw it out along with a bunch of other stuff that was un-saveable. UGHHHHAHDSFLKSJF:SLKDFJL:KAJDSALS:D!*#@&(*. 
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Oct 27, 2008 02:35
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seriouslywtf posted:stupid cats And oh yes - stretch needles saved the day! I have no idea what exactly makes them so special, but they're working great for my lightweight jersey. ludosti fucked around with this message at 04:30 on Oct 28, 2008 |
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Oct 28, 2008 04:24
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discordiaskitten posted:Can anyone help me with a clothes refurbing question? I've recently lost a fair bit of weight and all of a sudden six of my favorite skirts are two sizes too big around the waist. Is there any easy way of taking them in? Most of them are zip-fastened and made up of panels...I'm not sure how to describe it but the panels are pieced in a kind of diagonal curve so that they flare out a bit. I'd like to shorten some of them, too.
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Oct 28, 2008 04:43
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