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wheatpuppy
Apr 25, 2008

YOU HAVE MY POST!
Your serger might have the option to change the number of needles or spools which would allow you to more closely match what you're seeing on your t-shirt hems. I have a Brother serger that I never really knew how to use, until I found a Singer "How to Use a Serger/Overlock" book at my local Goodwill. It has a ton of helpful hints that work for me even though mine is a different brand. I see similar books floating around fairly often; they're usually full of ugly projects like sewing your own frilly curtains, but the techniques are still sound.

I use my serger mostly for sewing Halloween costumes and finishing inside seams; anywhere I want a flexible stitch or to prevent fraying. My brother has made some odd projects including flannel(!) board shorts and sewing his own neckties.

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BonerGhost
Mar 9, 2007

I love the idea of flannel boardshorts. It sounds like a tube of clotrimazole waiting to happen. I hope they were plaid.

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:
I can't be the only person with this problem. Is anyone here absolutely baffled by pattern sizes? I'm trying to make a skirt now and I can't figure out for the life of me what size I am.

I've always sewn my patterns in size 6 or 8, but i liked to double check each time I start a pattern. This is the pattern I'm attempting. If I go by the measurements on the back, I'm a size 16! I tried measuring the actual pattern at the waistline and subtracting the seam allowance but it still seemed way too big for a waistline (Size 6 came out to like 34" or something). I can't for the life of me find the finished garment measurements on the pattern.

My actual measurements are a 29-30" waist (depends how much I ate :V) and a 40" hip. How the hell do you navigate this? I need a skirt, my butt is too big for pants now D:!

wheatpuppy
Apr 25, 2008

YOU HAVE MY POST!

NancyPants posted:

I love the idea of flannel boardshorts. It sounds like a tube of clotrimazole waiting to happen. I hope they were plaid.

Of course they were plaid. Black watch plaid, to be precise. I only wish I had pics.

Reverend Cheddar
Nov 6, 2005

wriggle cat is happy

Shnooks posted:

I can't be the only person with this problem. Is anyone here absolutely baffled by pattern sizes? I'm trying to make a skirt now and I can't figure out for the life of me what size I am.

I've always sewn my patterns in size 6 or 8, but i liked to double check each time I start a pattern. This is the pattern I'm attempting. If I go by the measurements on the back, I'm a size 16! I tried measuring the actual pattern at the waistline and subtracting the seam allowance but it still seemed way too big for a waistline (Size 6 came out to like 34" or something). I can't for the life of me find the finished garment measurements on the pattern.

My actual measurements are a 29-30" waist (depends how much I ate :V) and a 40" hip. How the hell do you navigate this? I need a skirt, my butt is too big for pants now D:!

Hmm it ought to be on the front skirt. Otherwise what do the finished measurements on the back say (should be the very last row)?
I kinda get the same problem; my measurements come out to size 12 when I can easily work 6 or 8, usually an 8 though. Anyway, go with your waist measurement on this skirt (waist being about 5cm above the belly button, not your natural waist). There's also nothin that says you can't make a muslin out of the pattern first to see if it really is too big or not.

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:

Reverend Cheddar posted:

Hmm it ought to be on the front skirt. Otherwise what do the finished measurements on the back say (should be the very last row)?
I kinda get the same problem; my measurements come out to size 12 when I can easily work 6 or 8, usually an 8 though. Anyway, go with your waist measurement on this skirt (waist being about 5cm above the belly button, not your natural waist). There's also nothin that says you can't make a muslin out of the pattern first to see if it really is too big or not.

Booooo I hate making a muslin. I went and checked the front skirt piece and there's no sizes. I've seen them before, it's not that I'm unfamiliar with it. The only measurements for the finished garment on the back are the width at the lower edge and the back length from the waist, which doesn't help me at all.

I know my waist measurement is 29". This isn't like a plus size pattern so I have no clue what's going on.

Edit: Wait, on the front yoke there's the waistline marking and some numbers that say the sizes and some inches next to it. I'm guessing that's probably the waist measurements? It's coming out to me being a size 12. This is what it says:

6 26"
8 27"
10 28"
12 29 1/2"

That still feels awfully big to me considering a month ago I made a dress by McCall's out of a size 8.

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"

Shnooks posted:

Edit: Wait, on the front yoke there's the waistline marking and some numbers that say the sizes and some inches next to it. I'm guessing that's probably the waist measurements? It's coming out to me being a size 12. This is what it says:

6 26"
8 27"
10 28"
12 29 1/2"

That still feels awfully big to me considering a month ago I made a dress by McCall's out of a size 8.

6 is usually 24", so I'm guessing those measurements are probably the bottom of the yoke.

Can you just cut out the pieces, fold them along the size you think you should be plus the seam allowance and fit it to yourself to see?

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:

Rufus En Fuego posted:

6 is usually 24", so I'm guessing those measurements are probably the bottom of the yoke.

Can you just cut out the pieces, fold them along the size you think you should be plus the seam allowance and fit it to yourself to see?

Yeah, I think I might do that. Just cut out all of the bits and bobs for all the sizes and see what works...

Bees on Wheat
Jul 18, 2007

I've never been happy



QUAIL DIVISION
Buglord

Shnooks posted:

Edit: Wait, on the front yoke there's the waistline marking and some numbers that say the sizes and some inches next to it. I'm guessing that's probably the waist measurements? It's coming out to me being a size 12. This is what it says:

6 26"
8 27"
10 28"
12 29 1/2"

That still feels awfully big to me considering a month ago I made a dress by McCall's out of a size 8.

Some garments have a lot of ease, so the finished piece ends up several inches wider than your measurements. I know I have a dress pattern that has something like 4" of ease in the waist. I found the size chart on the Mcall's site, and the numbers on your pattern sound like the garment has 3" of ease. Not entirely sure why you'd want that on a skirt, but okay. Maybe it sits low on the hips?

I think I'd go with what others have been saying, and do a muslin or at least see how the pattern pieces look on you. Maybe make a muslin of just the waistband?

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:
Omg this pattern is stupid :mad: 3" of ease on a skirt is so dumb, what the hell. I guess it still doesn't really solve my problem in that I'm still coming up as a size 16, and it doesn't make much sense. Aghhhhh.

Not an Anthem
Apr 28, 2003

I'm a fucking pain machine and if you even touch my fucking car I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU.
Found it. I need a "coverhem" machine or a serger that does coverhem. Doh. Totally different than serger.

Ended up using the serger to accomplish what I wanted, sort of a fake coverhem

Not an Anthem fucked around with this message at 00:26 on Jul 2, 2012

vonnegutt
Aug 7, 2006
Hobocamp.

Shnooks posted:

Omg this pattern is stupid :mad: 3" of ease on a skirt is so dumb, what the hell. I guess it still doesn't really solve my problem in that I'm still coming up as a size 16, and it doesn't make much sense. Aghhhhh.

How old is the pattern? Sizing on patterns doesn't really have the same vanity scaling that manufactured clothes have (although recent patterns have, to some extent). Being a pattern size 16 is very different from being a US clothes-size 16. Use the size that matches your measurements. Check against a skirt you already own for ease.

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:

vonnegutt posted:

How old is the pattern? Sizing on patterns doesn't really have the same vanity scaling that manufactured clothes have (although recent patterns have, to some extent). Being a pattern size 16 is very different from being a US clothes-size 16. Use the size that matches your measurements. Check against a skirt you already own for ease.
Its probably 2 years old. And I know they don't have the same vanity sizing regular clothes do, but like I said 3 times I've never been a pattern size 16 in any pattern. In fact when I made a pattern size 12 in another garment by McCall's it was swimming on me.

vonnegutt
Aug 7, 2006
Hobocamp.

Shnooks posted:

Its probably 2 years old. And I know they don't have the same vanity sizing regular clothes do, but like I said 3 times I've never been a pattern size 16 in any pattern. In fact when I made a pattern size 12 in another garment by McCall's it was swimming on me.

I heard you say that you've never been a size 16, but it seems like you're focusing way too much on that number and not on the inches or cm of the finished garment. Ignore that number and check against your own measurements and measurements of a skirt that fits you well. No one is ever going to know that it was a gasp, 16!!! or whatever. Fit is way more important than any random number they chose to match that set of inches.

You're going to have to be okay with a larger pattern number, esp. if you start working with any vintage patterns.

Unoriginal
May 12, 2001
I don't think the issue is the horror of a size 16. I think she's just confused why *this* pattern puts her at size 16 when no other pattern has and she doubts that the measurements are actually right for her. Her last experience with a pattern's size 12 was that it came out too drat big. It's a recent pattern from a familiar manufacturer so I can see where the confusion is stemming from. I bet she'd be perfectly fine to sew a size 16 if she thought it would actually fit her.

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:

Unoriginal posted:

I don't think the issue is the horror of a size 16. I think she's just confused why *this* pattern puts her at size 16 when no other pattern has and she doubts that the measurements are actually right for her. Her last experience with a pattern's size 12 was that it came out too drat big. It's a recent pattern from a familiar manufacturer so I can see where the confusion is stemming from. I bet she'd be perfectly fine to sew a size 16 if she thought it would actually fit her.

Basically this. And that the pattern I bought only goes up to a size 12.

Edit: I roughly cut out the yoke in muslin and pinned it together and it seems that size 12 will fit. That's kind of strange that a month ago I was an 8 or so...

Shnooks fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Jul 3, 2012

Silver Alicorn
Mar 30, 2008

𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓪 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮
I'm trying to work out the kinks with my machine, and I have a question. Is it normal for a zigzag stitch to do this?


Looks normal, though the top thread tension is a bit high...


When you pull the seam open, the fabric sorta rolls a little, exposing the seam. Is it just because I'm using such a thin fabric? I actually kinda like the effect, but I'd like to know if it's a mistake or if it'll somehow be weaker than it should be.

Shnooks
Mar 24, 2007

I'M BEING BORN D:
Edit: NM I'll just figure it out lol

Shnooks fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Jul 19, 2012

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"

Shnooks posted:

Basically this. And that the pattern I bought only goes up to a size 12.

Edit: I roughly cut out the yoke in muslin and pinned it together and it seems that size 12 will fit. That's kind of strange that a month ago I was an 8 or so...

Sizing can vary even within one pattern manufacturer. I especially notice a difference in dress sizing vs everything else - it very much depends on the style. Different designers, too.

Jyrraeth
Aug 1, 2008

I love this dino
SOOOO MUCH

I finally tried out my inherited sewing machine, a Pfaff. It's in good condition and came with instructions + a bunch of feet and I'm excited. Though, is there anything I should be worried about since the thing has been in storage for several* years? Its dusty and sewed a bunch of felt just fine, with no audible squeaks. I'm going to give it a good dusting with some canned air, but do I need to oil it?

* I forget which grandmother I inherited it from. Both have since passed away but one in '87 and the other in '04. So a range of 25 to 7 years?

Asstro Van
Apr 15, 2007

Always check your blind spots before backing that thang up.
I just made this lil cutie on my gifted Morse Super Dial! :3:




It is made from zipper and ribbon, so it makes a little coin purse when zipped up and can be unzipped into a strip. You can clearly see where it got a little goofy, a few crooked spots and jumps. It was a lot of fun learning a new weird project while trying out my vintage machine for the first proper time. I am going to give it to my hairstylist as a thank you gift, since she was the one who gave me a free awesome machine.

I haven't given it a good cleaning to make it sparkle, yet. Any idea how to best clean the case/platform thing? It is sort of a weird material and I don't want to ruin it. It's sort of like a strange fabric paper wrapped around wood or some other base material. It is super dusty and dry wiping it isn't doing much good. I heard somewhere that car cleaning supplies are good for the actual painted metal of the machine, is that right or bunk? I want this old lady to look her best.

One more dumb question. Could someone tell me what these guys are for? They were in with the machine and I am a stupid newbie.

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"

Asstro Van posted:

I just made this lil cutie on my gifted Morse Super Dial! :3:




It is made from zipper and ribbon, so it makes a little coin purse when zipped up and can be unzipped into a strip. You can clearly see where it got a little goofy, a few crooked spots and jumps. It was a lot of fun learning a new weird project while trying out my vintage machine for the first proper time. I am going to give it to my hairstylist as a thank you gift, since she was the one who gave me a free awesome machine.

I haven't given it a good cleaning to make it sparkle, yet. Any idea how to best clean the case/platform thing? It is sort of a weird material and I don't want to ruin it. It's sort of like a strange fabric paper wrapped around wood or some other base material. It is super dusty and dry wiping it isn't doing much good. I heard somewhere that car cleaning supplies are good for the actual painted metal of the machine, is that right or bunk? I want this old lady to look her best.

One more dumb question. Could someone tell me what these guys are for? They were in with the machine and I am a stupid newbie.



Zipper foot and seam guide. :)

So cute! I love that little purse! I'm curious about that fabric/paper thing. Pics?

Asstro Van
Apr 15, 2007

Always check your blind spots before backing that thang up.

Rufus En Fuego posted:

Zipper foot and seam guide. :)

So cute! I love that little purse! I'm curious about that fabric/paper thing. Pics?

Thank you! And poo poo, I should have asked earlier! That purse might have turned out nicer if I had used the proper foot instead of trying to finagle it with the regular one. :saddowns:

You can see on the second picture the way that the surface is sort of wrapped and folded over at the corner. That icky dust is sort of stuck in there.



e- Now that the initial embarrassment is clearing, I put the zipper foot on and hoo boy I am excited to try it out! It looks like a crazy tongue fitted on there. I will probably make another little coin purse thing to test it out. :dance:

Asstro Van fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Jul 20, 2012

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"

Asstro Van posted:

Thank you! And poo poo, I should have asked earlier! That purse might have turned out nicer if I had used the proper foot instead of trying to finagle it with the regular one. :saddowns:

You can see on the second picture the way that the surface is sort of wrapped and folded over at the corner. That icky dust is sort of stuck in there.



It came out nice enough regardless! I sometimes can't be hosed to use my zipper foot, and no one can ever tell. :ssh:

As for the cleaning, I'd try silk plant cleaner in a spray can. You can get it at any craft store and I think it just may do the job. Test it on a small, hidden spot first, however, and keep the receipt just in case. Other than that, maybe just canned air to blow out the dust?

Asstro Van
Apr 15, 2007

Always check your blind spots before backing that thang up.
When I pick up more ribbon and zippers, I'll look at what they have along those lines. The compressed air will have to wait until after I scoop out all of the abandoned, rusty pins that I found in the bottom :zombie:

I swear the cubby under old machines always looks like some kind of crafty crack den.

trickybiscuits
Jan 13, 2008

yospos

Goddimus posted:

Forgive me if something similar has been asked. I started reading from the beginning of the thread but going back to 2007 is a major task.

I first want to say that I have a lot of respect for people who can make their own clothes. I have been on the search for a seamstress to make a 16th century Italian renaissance doublet/farsetto and it is incredibly hard to find someone who has a page that looks like it has been updated at least once since 1998. I need the thing by October so I am wondering how hard it would be to 1) pick up the art of sewing and 2) sew a piece like that in about 4 months.
Take a look at some of the directions on the Tudor Costume Page. The page hasn't been updated in a while but I've used the directions there for making a kirtle and sleeves and they've worked well. Jen Thompson at https://www.festiveattyre.com has done some research on Italian clothing, mostly women's, but there's some basic stuff there too. Right now she's moving her research articles over to her new site so not everything is up yet.

If you want to post pictures or whatever we can talk more over in the cosplay/costume thread, it would be good to get some historical stuff going on in there until my lazy rear end buckles down and gets some 1812 clothes done: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3473045&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

eta this file seems to have good information as well although it's trying to concentrate on English clothing rather than Italian.

Alternately you could just try to contact someone in the local Society for Creative Anachronism chapter.

Geeked out a bit there, 'scuse me.

trickybiscuits fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Jul 21, 2012

Marius Pontmercy
Apr 2, 2007

Liberte
Egalite
Beyonce
I made a thing today it is not very good:



It was my first time doing gathering, and other than a lot of swearing and (somehow) breaking two needles, it turned out pretty well. The fabric isn't the best in terms of how it lays and it kind of sticks out on the sides weird, but it's way comfortable and actually a cute length.

I literally have three more yards of this fabric that I need to do something with before September. It's a quilting calico that I really loved and might have bought 5 yards of. I've already backed a crib quilt with it.
Any ideas?

Prune Juice
Jul 30, 2006
**The Action Maker**
This thread is so amazing. I just purchased my first sewing machine (I've only taken 2 measly classes so I am a beginner at this)and I was wondering where do you guys get your metal bobbins, thread, and other sewing supplies from? There aren't any sewing stores where I live so I have to rely on online resources. Thanks in advance.

Brainbread
Apr 7, 2008

Prune Juice posted:

This thread is so amazing. I just purchased my first sewing machine (I've only taken 2 measly classes so I am a beginner at this)and I was wondering where do you guys get your metal bobbins, thread, and other sewing supplies from? There aren't any sewing stores where I live so I have to rely on online resources. Thanks in advance.

Wal-Mart actually isn't that bad for it. Mine (town of 18,000) has a good craft section, great selection of thread and generic supplies. Not much in the fabric department though!

Reverend Cheddar
Nov 6, 2005

wriggle cat is happy

Prune Juice posted:

This thread is so amazing. I just purchased my first sewing machine (I've only taken 2 measly classes so I am a beginner at this)and I was wondering where do you guys get your metal bobbins, thread, and other sewing supplies from? There aren't any sewing stores where I live so I have to rely on online resources. Thanks in advance.

My old dressmaking school in Japan. :ohdear: The quality of the tools here is just... it doesn't even compare. I feel like a scrub using Dritz.
I am not totally sure what site carried some of the tools, etc but I think it was called Shibori Dragons. Their site design looks kinda like babby's first HTML but they carry materials you can't find outside Japan so easily.

Bees on Wheat
Jul 18, 2007

I've never been happy



QUAIL DIVISION
Buglord
Sometimes drug stores or dollar stores will stock a few things, depending on the location. Might not be the highest quality stuff, but if you need something right away it can be a godsend. Walmart selections depend on where you live, too. They don't stock much of that stuff around here because there are so many craft and fabric stores around. When I was visiting family in mostly-rural Ohio, their Walmart had a huge sewing section and I actually got some really nice fabric there.

Most of the bobbins I currently own are cheap metal ones that came with a chintzy plastic sewing machine I paid :20bux: for at the drugstore. (I have since gifted to a friend because seriously that thing was awful.) I also have a small collection of oddly-sized vintage bobbins that came with an old sewing machine and desk that I used to own. Most of them didn't even go with the machine I had, so I have no idea what to do with them.

Maybe I'll sell the lot on Etsy for an exorbitant fee. Hipsters will pay a lot for old stuff, especially if you call it an "instant collection" and stick it in an old jar.

Edit: Don't buy plastic bobbins, they are terrible. My old roommate bought some because they were cheaper than the metal ones, and every time she tried winding one, it would break.

Bees on Wheat fucked around with this message at 11:33 on Jul 22, 2012

Prune Juice
Jul 30, 2006
**The Action Maker**
Thanks guys! No Walmart or dollar store in my town, so I'll have to rely completely on some kind of sewing website. Mizufusion, funny you said that because before I posted my comment yesterday I spent quite a bit of time online looking for metal bobbins. I always thought Amazon had everything, but this is going to be that one thing I'll have to rely on another website for.

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"
Sew True sewing supply! http://sewtrue.com/

They often have free shipping, too! And the cheapest boning I've ever come across.

Coopsy
Jan 30, 2011
Does anyone here have any experience with sewing together fabrics of drastically different weights? Specifically either a poly crepe or chiffon and a boucle? I am trying to make a kimono-inspired jumpsuit for myself to fake luxuriousness for a local fashion event but I'm a bit worried about the problems that might come with those fabrics. Thanks!

Silver Alicorn
Mar 30, 2008

𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓪 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮
Different fabric types get sewn together all the time, see for instance the lining in just about any suit. The issue is if one fabric slips too much in relation to the other, it can cause puckering. You can overcome this with some interfacing though. The only thing I wouldn't try too seriously is mixing knit with woven.

Coopsy
Jan 30, 2011
I've worked plenty with chiffon before so slipping doesn't worry me too much, more slippage at the seams. Especially with a heavier piled fabric like a boucle. I thought about interfacing but on a sheer it wouldn't really work. I'm making the pattern myself so the best way to go about it will probably just be to do a few toiles.

Rufus En Fuego
Oct 19, 2011

HOUSE BARK

"Winter is Potato"

Coopsy posted:

I've worked plenty with chiffon before so slipping doesn't worry me too much, more slippage at the seams. Especially with a heavier piled fabric like a boucle. I thought about interfacing but on a sheer it wouldn't really work. I'm making the pattern myself so the best way to go about it will probably just be to do a few toiles.

Try a French seam, or even understitching in hidden areas.

Duckie
Sep 12, 2010

This is sewious!
I have an issue with a Finn Hat I made. I do not have photos because it is already done, but I had to sew the side piece of the hat to the round top of the hat. For some reason(I had to do this twice, liner piece and outside) the liner piece I had almost 1.5 inches extra fabric from the side piece.

Does anyone know what I would have done wrong with the liner to end up with that much extra? The outside fit together fine, and I cut all pieces from the same pattern, so they were not different sizes.

Silver Alicorn
Mar 30, 2008

𝓪 𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓪 𝓲𝓼 𝓪 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓼𝓸𝓻𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮

Coopsy posted:

I thought about interfacing but on a sheer it wouldn't really work.

I was thinking of water-soluble interfacing if that makes sense. I haven't used it before but it'd be the first thing I'd try.

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Bean
Sep 9, 2001
I think I'm working with a bum pattern. Surely you've all felt this.

I'm trying to make a suit coat. I've actually put suit coat sleeves in before, but not on this particular pattern, and it's giving me fits.

After working on it and trimming away the corners in the arm holes in the back (seriously -- do they think I have back spikes?), this is what I'm getting:



With the shoulder pads placed in and with me inside



Just on a hanger

It LOOKS like there's too much cloth in the front, and I could solve some stuff just by making the armhole come in a little more, but I figured I'd check with some people who knew what was up before I started doing the whole scissors thing. Ideas?

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