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amishsexpot posted:Doesn't that make your waistband super bulky? I have a bunch of skirts I really want to take in, but I was under the impression that I'd have to remove the waist band, take in the darts, then readjust the length of the waistband and resew it on. That would be the clean way to do it, yes. However, on jeans I also took out the extra thickness fabric off the part of the waistband I was folding in so that reduced the bulk.
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Nov 15, 2011 16:32
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I sort of lost track of this thread for a while there, so happy to find it again and see what everyone's been doing! I just finished up a big project, so thought I'd post it up. Like most of my work, it's all recycled materials (except for the silk thread for the embroidery, though that is hand dyed!) and completely hand sewn, no machines involved. The coat was originally some kind of jacket liner from the army-navy surplus store, the braid is all leather cut from old jackets, the silver thread is vintage, someone gifted it to me. I think it's real metal wrapped thread, the spool is very heavy. I'm wearing it with some bits and bobs from other outfits.  Front, with the sleeves open.  Front with sleeves fastened.  Back  Side, one sleeve open, one sleeve fastened.  Detail of leather braiding and quilting, outside.  Interior, echo quilted around braids on the outside, hand dyed silk worked over cotton braid.  Interior, detail of quilting  Close-up of embroidery work. I go into a lot more detail about construction and what not on my blog. This piece was shown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and it actually sold! I was shocked and so so pleased!
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Nov 17, 2011 00:12
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Goldaline, your work is always so inspiring and amazing. I love your blog too, especially that quilt you made from those millions of tiny t-shirt scraps- totally manic but incredible as an exercise in patience and getting projects finished eventually! Today I made a pouch to store my sketchbook diary, so I don't have to worry about it getting hosed up by gross stuff in my handbag. 
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Nov 19, 2011 02:23
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Goldaline posted:
Your blog is terrific, I'm going to go to it whenever I need inspiration to get to work. After going through it the other night I buckled down and started work on a patchwork square (might go back and fix the wonky yellow bit in the lower right-hand corner):  I made it because recently I got a part-time job at a fabric store, and while other employees do knitted or crocheted samples, nobody sews. So I picked three cotton prints that looked Civil War-era-ish and put together this square. But from now on I'll probably concentrate on things like seasonal decorations and doll clothes- I don't have a huge amount of patience for patchwork. (I'd love to do applique quilts, though.) The store also doesn't doesn't have much in the way of quilting stuff- no books or patterns or anything. There's just not enough room. It's a pretty awesome place. Sort of a fabric rummage sale. In theory I'm working there to pay off my credit card bill and get my car stereo fixed, but probably a good chunk of my paycheck will go to buying more fabric, so I need all the sewing inspiration I can get.
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Nov 19, 2011 05:35
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I just love awful tiny fiddly patchwork. Now that my t-shirt quilt is done I've started the slow, horrible process of making a Dear Jane quilt. I'm using all solids (I'm not a big print person) in bright contrasting colors and I'm going to sash and back it with gray. I just finished Row A! Doing them all by hand with freezer paper.
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Nov 19, 2011 06:09
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Goldaline posted:I just love awful tiny fiddly patchwork. Now that my t-shirt quilt is done I've started the slow, horrible process of making a Dear Jane quilt. I'm using all solids (I'm not a big print person) in bright contrasting colors and I'm going to sash and back it with gray.
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Nov 20, 2011 02:37
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trickybiscuits posted:It's wonderful. How big is each patch? They finish at 4.5 inches, so they're about 5 inches right now. Lots of teeny little pieces--the tiny flying geese on the second to last one were especially tough.
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Nov 20, 2011 02:46
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Goldaline posted:They finish at 4.5 inches, so they're about 5 inches right now. Lots of teeny little pieces--the tiny flying geese on the second to last one were especially tough. So glad you are back!!! Your posts are always incredible. Can't wait to see more new stuff!
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Nov 20, 2011 05:46
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Do any of you know what model Singers these are?   I've got a Singer 1036 which, after much drama and headache, I bunged up the bobbin tensions and am too pissed at the thing to bother fixing it. I'm looking to replace it ASAP (and on a next-to-nothing budget, go me) since I've got a backlog of stuff to repair for folks. My preference is for a low-shank Singer that uses universal needles and has a reverse-stitch (the 1036 doesn't reverse and it suuuuucks). Zig-zag and buttonhole would be awesome but are not strictly necessary. Pre-1975 machines, or ones that are built later but still use the same simple mechanics, are very much preferred. Are there any widely-available (and easily reparable) Singers that fit that bill? Preferably ones that can be found used and in basic working condition (I.E. will stitch but probably needs a tune-up) for <$50? Also, Goldaline So glad to see you back here! I read through your whole blog over the past couple nights; you do some amazing things. 
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Nov 21, 2011 04:40
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I wouldn't worry too much about trying to find a specific model. My suggestion is to swing by your local thrift stores, I've noticed that certain chains are better for finding sewing machines around here it seems to be Goodwill. My first machine was $1.29, but other than the fact it was dirty and looked like it chain smoked for well over a decade, it was pretty good. Its from the mid 70s and It does all the things you mentioned and worked well and i made it almost 2 years with it before it needed to be taken in for service. A few months ago I did the same thing with a machine for a friend. That one was nicer, came with more accessories, and in a better condition and not on sale so it was $30, that was a kenmore from the 80s. I nearly bought another machine that was almost the exact same thing as my machine but came with the sewing table. That one wasn't on sale but was only $15. You'll want to look the machine over and make sure it has every necessary part, find an outlet and give it a quick test to make sure everything seems to work ok. The problem Ive been noticing at my local goodwill is that the accessories seem to go missing a lot, like the bobbin casings. A lot of the machines I see are missing the power cord and foot pedal. I've seen machines with them at one point but when I came back later the pedal and cord were gone but the machine was still there. Which pisses me off because the replacement pedals are typically more than the machine.
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Nov 21, 2011 05:58
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Yeah, my 1036 was $7 at a garage sale, complete with fold-out table. No foot pedal, though, which ran me $50. Still a good deal, considering the machine lasted me through a couple years of (frustrated) sewing. Around here the thrift stores either have obviously broken machines for $25ish, or working models which range from $100-$150. Garage sales are where I generally find good deals on machines, but we're in the rainy season so those aren't common. I'm mostly looking for some models that are widely-regarded as good workhorses, and are popular enough that parts/documentation will be commonly available. I've bought enough machines with little surprises I wished I'd known beforehand, that I want to do my research first. (For example, my serger takes needles that I can't find anywhere reputable, and my current dud takes stupidly hard to find bobbins and has plastic pattern-stitch cogs that are wearing out, replacements for which are apparently unavailable.) Also, I want low-shank because I have quite a collection of rather expensive low-shank feet. v  v
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Nov 21, 2011 06:37
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A Singer 66 will continue to straight stitch after we're all dead. They made them from around 1900 to 1945 or so, so they're still everywhere and cheap. The earlier ones had the prettier decals but the later ones had the back-tack you want. The Singer 99 is a portable 3/4 size 66, it's what I use. The 201k was also a great machine, but more expensive at the time so somewhat less ubiquitous. The picture on the right you have looks like one of those two. The Singer 500A Slant-o-Matic is arguably the best machine they ever made - as tough as the iron beasts that came before but with zig-zag cam capability, but accessories are harder to find and they're usually considerably more expensive than the 66s.
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Nov 21, 2011 16:19
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Awesome, thank you! I did some more searching and found (among other things) a Singer 99 with the backtack function, and a Brother Wizard (apparently a Singer 15 copy?). Both the same price, though the Wizard's had a tune-up recently. I think I'm becoming a crazy sewing machine lady, because I really want both. There's also a free treadle Singer that I want to take in and restore. Urgh.  That slant-o-matic is a BEAST. When I get rich enough to throw down $100+ on a machine plus proper tune-up (because clearly only rich people can afford things that cost $100, right), I know what'll be on my wishlist. Thank you! 
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Nov 21, 2011 23:52
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Muffy_the_Diver posted:Do any of you know what model Singers these are? Singer Stylist Model 457, also known as Zig-Zag. I own one, sans the table, and it's a solid machine. The only downside is that the timing gear is plastic and wears down over time, so if you buy one of these you might need to have it replaced. I think most of this model was made in Great Britain around 1969. I'm pretty wowed by mine, but its the first vintage sewing machine I've owned after running down a couple crappy modern plastic things, so I'm not terribly discerning. Edit: Not to be confused with the Singer Zig-Zag Industrial 457 model, which is a totally different machine and looks like some kind of awesome spacegun. Vulvarine fucked around with this message at 00:22 on Nov 22, 2011 |
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Nov 22, 2011 00:14
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While the recipient of my gift is a goon, he isn't likely to check this thread. So GO AWAY if you are him, if you are not him then carry on. I want to make my boyfriend a metroid-themed hoodie or shirt for Christmas. I was thinking of appliqueing a fabric metroid onto either piece of clothing and I would like it to be machine washable, though it doesn't have to be able to go through the dryer. * Will there be much shrinking/warping with dissimilar fabrics? * Is there a particular fabric you'd recommend for this? Those quilting Squares? * If you had to choose between a hoodie/jacket type thing (can be thin) or a men's collared shirt, which would you choose? Alternatively, I was thinking of making a metroid illustration in fabric to go on his wall, which might end up happening instead. Though I can't really decide which. I do have some hand-stitching experience and I do have a sewing machine that isn't set up yet.
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Nov 22, 2011 03:24
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Jyrraeth posted:While the recipient of my gift is a goon, he isn't likely to check this thread. So GO AWAY if you are him, if you are not him then carry on. You should be washing your fabric before you do applique, so it won't warp/shrink etc. Use fusible interfacing and just regular cotton woven fabric. There are lots of online tutorials for appliqueing. I'd say if you aren't super handy with a machine, an appliqueing project might not be the best for you, especially if it's not just straight lines. So if you can screen something onto a square and then applique it on, I'd do it like that.
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Nov 22, 2011 03:28
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Jyrraeth posted:I want to make my boyfriend a metroid-themed hoodie or shirt for Christmas. Put a metroid on the hood!
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Nov 22, 2011 03:33
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Muffy_the_Diver posted:Do any of you know what model Singers these are? I own both of these! The grey one is exactly as the poster above said except it's most likely around 1963. Mine is made in Great Britain. The SINGER website has a chart of serial numbers so you can figure out when your machine was made and find out more from there. The black one is an awesome dinosaur. I love mine. A little TLC and oiling and these workhorses will sew through anything! They laugh in the face of denim, leather and even dog/cat food bags which I make into tote bags. Both of them will reverse stitch. The grey one has changing discs for different stitches and the black one will use attachments if you want other stitches. I can't praise either of these machines enough. I got my grey one at an estate sale for $20! I got my black one (well I have two of them, one for me, one for my daughter) for $99 in the original cabinet with all the original attachments at a yard sale. My daughters I got for $75, original cabinet at an estate sale. Estatesales.net is a great resource for us. Happy sewing to all!
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Nov 25, 2011 04:04
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Turning left-over fabric into stocking :
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Nov 25, 2011 12:50
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First post in this thread, I'm new to sewing. My mom is a bit of a quilting wizard and has been collecting Singer Featherweights for the past few years. She gave me this one when I visited for Thanksgiving:  It does a straight stitch amazingly well, but not much else. I've only been altering some of my non-stretchy dress shirts so far anyway, so it's sufficient for my needs. It runs super smooth, and has really good control at slow speeds. I'm not 100% sure, but I think she said this is a 1946 model. Most of my shirts I'd bought off the rack would fit well in the neck and OK in the shoulders, but be way too baggy in the arms and back. I tried to fix this by taking in the side seams and adding darts in the back:  Something I didn't realize at the time is that I should have taken more out of the back around the chest, and less from the front (rather than an even amount from front/back on either side of each side seams). Ended up making it kinda tight across the chest when I put my shoulders back. I need to take some more careful measurements for the next one. I think a trip to Goodwill/Salvation Army should net me a bunch of cheap shirts to practice on Anyway, here's my first French seam on a shirt: 
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Nov 30, 2011 00:51
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Thanks for the help, everyone! As it turned out, neither of those two machines I posted were in actual working condition, so I went for a third option. Behold, my 99!  It's tiny, adorable, and stitches like a sonofagun. And it can backtack! The motor is a little tired, eventually I'm going to replace the brushes in it. The only problem with it is the rubber disc on the bobbin winder is dry-rotted and sort of worn away, so I have to manually press it down to get it to wind. Totally livable, though. Sucker was $40 and as of last night has already paid for itself. I love it
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Nov 30, 2011 02:53
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My wife decided to buy a sewing machine on a whim to "learn how to sew." Her mother sews, my mother sews, but she is limited in her skill. Does anyone have any how-to or project books that I could get her to start her off in her illustrious sewing hobby?
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Nov 30, 2011 17:50
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raej posted:My wife decided to buy a sewing machine on a whim to "learn how to sew." Her mother sews, my mother sews, but she is limited in her skill. The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing is really indispensable.
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Nov 30, 2011 20:34
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Stultus Maximus posted:The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing is really indispensable. Would you be talking about this little guy? Or the newer one?
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Nov 30, 2011 21:11
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The former is what I and many other people I know have.
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Nov 30, 2011 21:25
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Stultus Maximus posted:The former is what I and many other people I know have. Ordered, thank you very much!
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Nov 30, 2011 21:32
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I've been following this thread for quite a while, and really enjoy seeing some of the stuff that you guys make! Goldaline, glad you're back I'd like to try and get started myself, and my big dream would be to be able to do a couple of good, well fitting shirts... but that's a way off yet. What would be a good path to start from (for a guy who only has experience in stitching the odd button back on), what's a good project to get started with-- alterations, or making something from scratch? Thanks!
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Dec 1, 2011 17:46
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Really easy projects from scratch? Cushion cover and a tote bag. They're all just straight lines, it doesn't matter too much if they turn out a slightly different size than they were meant to be! Easy alterations... hmm. Changing the sleeve length on a shirt from long to short? Hemming trousers? I can't think of any others, I don't really do alterations.
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Dec 1, 2011 18:32
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Sleeves are not easy at all, especially if it's a standard dress shirt with flat-felled seams.
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Dec 1, 2011 18:54
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So, I have a couple of T-shirts that are too short for my liking, or too loose around the bottom, but I really like them Any suggestions on lengthening them? I was thinking of getting some knit fabric and making a band around the bottom, but I wasn't sure how dumb that would look.
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Dec 2, 2011 15:03
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Shnooks posted:So, I have a couple of T-shirts that are too short for my liking, or too loose around the bottom, but I really like them What do they look like now?
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Dec 2, 2011 17:34
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Stultus Maximus posted:What do they look like now? Uhhh...They're just t-shirts? I'm not sure what you mean, I guess. They're fitted T-shirts I got.
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Dec 3, 2011 15:37
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Well im building a couple of guitar amps at the moment, so a neat little project would be to make some covers for them! Will keep you posted, thanks madlilnerd posted:Really easy projects from scratch? Cushion cover and a tote bag. They're all just straight lines, it doesn't matter too much if they turn out a slightly different size than they were meant to be!
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Dec 4, 2011 13:22
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Shnooks posted:So, I have a couple of T-shirts that are too short for my liking, or too loose around the bottom, but I really like them Hmm... sort of like this? http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-your-t-shirt-into-a-fitted-dress/ I think that'd be cute! I'd probably start the skirt higher rather than doing a drop waist look.
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Dec 4, 2011 21:35
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I kind of posted about this a few weeks ago . . . I'm trying to sew toggle fasteners onto a coat that doesn't have any. I've been looking all over and I've come to the conclusion that pre-made toggles that I could just sew on are not a thing. I'll have to buy the cord, button thing and patches and do it myself. Has anyone done this before? How do you sew a piece of cord onto something (wool coat in this case)?
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Dec 5, 2011 00:36
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I would either thread the cord through with a big needle (like the needles you'd use with yarn) and then knot and hand sew the ends to secure so the cord doesn't slip through or sew them on the outside and put patches over the ends like in this pic
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Dec 5, 2011 05:32
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pointers posted:I would either thread the cord through with a big needle (like the needles you'd use with yarn) and then knot and hand sew the ends to secure so the cord doesn't slip through or sew them on the outside and put patches over the ends like in this pic Yeah, I was thinking of just sewing them on the outside . . . Pretty sure I couldn't do the first thing because it's a lined jacket. Anyway, how do I do that? Is there a trick to it or do I just . . . put a bunch of thread into it and hope it doesn't come apart?
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Dec 5, 2011 09:50
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Sew perpendicular across the cord you're using (maybe 2-3 times close together, if you're worried about it coming apart), then for the patches trim the corners like in this tutorial so they lay flat, fold them over, iron, and sew straight on top If you're worried about the seam coming apart, you can backstich 3-5 stiches when you start/end with machine sewing to 'seal' it better. Or, for the patches, just continue the square on the directly over where you started. If the jacket is lined, the first method would lead to less possible weirdness from wonky contact, although if you feel confident you won't rip the fabric, you could rip apart a bit of the seams where you're going to attach toggles and just sew onto the top layer, then redo the seams. I hope this makes sense.
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Dec 5, 2011 10:05
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Goldaline posted:I just love awful tiny fiddly patchwork. Now that my t-shirt quilt is done I've started the slow, horrible process of making a Dear Jane quilt. I'm using all solids (I'm not a big print person) in bright contrasting colors and I'm going to sash and back it with gray. These are amazing, are you making this all by hand? I would love to attempt to make a quilt by hand one day.
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Dec 5, 2011 19:56
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Hi, thread. I have been excited about sewing for a while, but just got a machine! Now I am very excited. I was going to buy a fancy new machine off Amazon (I actually ordered it and then immediately changed my mind and cancelled the order), but then was doing some reading about how solid the old all metal machines are. This morning I walked down to a local thrift store and right as I was getting there, they were marking the sewing machines down 50%. I bought a Janome New Home 444 in cabinet for $75 and it looks beautiful. Then I carried the drat thing 12 blocks home and my arms are killing me. Anyway, I got a bunch of presser feet, etc, and could use some help ID'ing them. I have ID'ed: screwdriver and smaller screwdriver. Also, if you have a good reference for basic sewing machine maintenance, I'd love to get her cleaned up and oiled and figure out how she works. Also, a link to where you can buy sewing machine manuals? Thanks so much. Pictures!      e: She has no foot pedal, but has that knee presser (I've never used one) and the light even works and everything. e2: found the manual online and it explains most of the presser feet and some basic maintenance. now I am just bragging. fanpantstic fucked around with this message at 22:52 on Dec 5, 2011 |
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Dec 5, 2011 20:30
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