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Bees on Wheat
Jul 18, 2007

I've never been happy



QUAIL DIVISION
Buglord
Today I learned that if you want to sew through your fingernails, an old Penncrest machine will do a great job. However, you might want to refrain from doing so because it's terrifying and you will break your needle. Thankfully it only hit the nail and not flesh, and my fiance had a shot of scotch ready for me before I even got detangled from the machine. :cry:

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Pile of Kittens
Apr 23, 2005

Why does everything STILL smell like pussy?

Mizufusion posted:

Today I learned that if you want to sew through your fingernails, an old Penncrest machine will do a great job. However, you might want to refrain from doing so because it's terrifying and you will break your needle. Thankfully it only hit the nail and not flesh, and my fiance had a shot of scotch ready for me before I even got detangled from the machine. :cry:

Nice. I have the same fear. I actually grazed my finger once, and I couldn't bring myself to look. I've prodded with fascination at wounds on me that let me see to the bone, but I couldn't bear to look down at my finger when it had come into contact with the needle. He said he'd look for me... and then bust up laughing. It just took a little skin off the tip, nothing more. :downs:

Armyman25
Sep 6, 2005
Hi, not sure if this is the right thread to ask in, so please re-direct me if it isn't.

I'm having a leather jacket repaired and am looking for someone to make two yards of red diamond quilted satin to use for the lining.

The current liner looks like this:





The diamonds are two inch squares, and I was told that "warm and natural" batting would be a good replacement for the vintage insulation.

Thanks!

Stultus Maximus
Dec 21, 2009

USPOL May
I need to know how these stripes were sewn onto this uniform. (click for bigger)
Gold braid + a star on the of what is essentially a suit jacket:


Here's where it meets the sleeve seam:


And on the inside, it doesn't show through:


I don't want to risk taking apart an expensive jacket sleeve without knowing exactly what I'm doing.

Amykinz
May 6, 2007

Ho Chi Mint posted:

Hi, not sure if this is the right thread to ask in, so please re-direct me if it isn't.

I'm having a leather jacket repaired and am looking for someone to make two yards of red diamond quilted satin to use for the lining.

Thanks!



Stultus Maximus posted:

I need to know how these stripes were sewn onto this uniform. (click for bigger)
Gold braid + a star on the of what is essentially a suit jacket:




Maybe a bit more information from both of you would be more helpful?

Ho Chi Mint - You're looking for someone to quilt the fabric for you so you can have the jacket re-lined? Do you know about how much fabric you're going to need? What is the original fabric made out of? Is it natural or synthetic fabric?

(PS, you can buy quilted fabrics at fabric stores and online, even in Wal-mart. it might be cheaper than paying someone to buy fabric and batting and then paying them to quilt and ship it)


Sultus Maximus-Are you trying to remove the stripes? put more on? replace them with other stripes?

If you're trying to remove them, CAREFULLY lift the edge of the stripe up with a seam ripper and start looking for threads that have sewn the stripes down. If you want to remove the stripes so the jacket can be used stripe free, you may be out of luck. The stitches usually used to hold that sort of thing down are sometimes very close together so you'll have a line of little holes all the way around the sleeve. The fabric could also be darker underneath the stripes. Also, a lot of military patches have that iron-on poo poo on the back, so you can iron them in place and then sew them down. So you may be left with some gluey residue that won't come off.

Armyman25
Sep 6, 2005

Amykinz posted:

Maybe a bit more information from both of you would be more helpful?

Ho Chi Mint - You're looking for someone to quilt the fabric for you so you can have the jacket re-lined? Do you know about how much fabric you're going to need? What is the original fabric made out of? Is it natural or synthetic fabric?

(PS, you can buy quilted fabrics at fabric stores and online, even in Wal-mart. it might be cheaper than paying someone to buy fabric and batting and then paying them to quilt and ship it)

I'm going to need 2 yards of 52" fabric for the lining. I have looked at pre-quilted fabric, but none of them are in the color and material I am looking for.

I believe the original fabric is satin. I think it's a natural fabric, but I could be wrong. The jacked is about 60 years old and doesn't list what kind of material the lining is made from. It has a sheen to it and is fairly slick, so I am assuming it is satin.

Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


Ho Chi Mint, your local quilting store will have a "long-arm quilter" that quilts mechanically. Bring in your jacket, show it to them, and ask them what they'd charge to quilt 2 1/2 yards of fabric if you supply the fabric. (Note: you need to quilt more than you think you need because quilting shrinks the fabric.)

Stultus Maximus: I'd take the thing to a tailor if I could possibly afford it; the way the braid goes into the side seam means you're going to have to unpick the lining, unfold the cuff, and then unpick the side seam in order to do anything to the braid. That's a lot of seams to unsew and resew if you're not an expert.

e: "Satin" is a weave -- it's like calling a metal "polished" instead of "steel". You can make satin out of silk, rayon, cotton (really), polyester, ... The lining you have is actually a twill weave, which is common for linings.

What makes a fabric shiny is a combination of the weave (see above) and the fiber used. Rayon and silk and polyester are all shiny in most weaves. It's been customary for awhile to make linings out of rayon because it doesn't stick to the surface underneath it, so the lined object (coat, jacket) slides smoothly over the clothes you wear.

To find out what sort of fiber your lining is made of, take a snip of fabric from the torn spot and do a burn test.

Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 22:07 on Jul 17, 2013

Stultus Maximus
Dec 21, 2009

USPOL May

Amykinz posted:


Sultus Maximus-Are you trying to remove the stripes? put more on? replace them with other stripes?

If you're trying to remove them, CAREFULLY lift the edge of the stripe up with a seam ripper and start looking for threads that have sewn the stripes down. If you want to remove the stripes so the jacket can be used stripe free, you may be out of luck. The stitches usually used to hold that sort of thing down are sometimes very close together so you'll have a line of little holes all the way around the sleeve. The fabric could also be darker underneath the stripes. Also, a lot of military patches have that iron-on poo poo on the back, so you can iron them in place and then sew them down. So you may be left with some gluey residue that won't come off.

I need to replace them with other stripes in this configuration


and they're definitely not iron-on or otherwise attached with adhesive.

Arsenic Lupin posted:

Stultus Maximus: I'd take the thing to a tailor if I could possibly afford it; the way the braid goes into the side seam means you're going to have to unpick the lining, unfold the cuff, and then unpick the side seam in order to do anything to the braid. That's a lot of seams to unsew and resew if you're not an expert.

That's what I did the last three times. I was thinking "hey, I know my way around a sewing machine now, could I do this myself?"

Arsenic Lupin
Apr 12, 2012

This particularly rapid💨 unintelligible 😖patter💁 isn't generally heard🧏‍♂️, and if it is🤔, it doesn't matter💁.


It depends. Are you trying to pass the "10-foot rule" (looks good as long as you're that far away) or a military inspection? If you're wearing this in a context where getting it perfect matters, pay the expert. S/he's going to have access to the right sort of braid and know how to reassemble a cuff.

Vulvarine
Mar 23, 2008
I'm interested in sewing patterns for designer clothing. Vogue Patterns has a pretty good selection, and I also found these "Design Downloads": http://showstudio.com/search/design+download. Does anyone know of other good sources, free or otherwise?

Pile of Kittens
Apr 23, 2005

Why does everything STILL smell like pussy?

Arsenic Lupin posted:

It depends. Are you trying to pass the "10-foot rule" (looks good as long as you're that far away) or a military inspection? If you're wearing this in a context where getting it perfect matters, pay the expert. S/he's going to have access to the right sort of braid and know how to reassemble a cuff.

Yeah, can you imagine getting chewed out at inspection for loving it up because you're too cheap to just pay a tailor $30 or whatever to do it for you?

skoolmunkee
Jun 27, 2004

Tell your friends we're coming for them

Hey I know it's been a little while since anyone posted in this thread but I have a question I hope someone can answer!

I am just getting started with sewing and it's one of my hopes to one day make a little spare cash selling some stuff I sewed. I've found some patterns of tote bags and things for me to learn with, but that made me interested in the topic of selling products made with other people's patterns. Like... pattern copyright?

I'm familiar with copyright from an educator and artist perspective, so I'm guessing patterns might be similar, where if some individual freely shares the pattern online I should check the info to see what permissions/rights are granted to me in using it. I'm guessing there will be something about commercial use of the pattern? Also, what about a pattern I purchase? Can I then use it for anything I like, since I've paid for the right to use it? Or is it completely different?

pointers
Sep 4, 2008

Offhand, I would lean towards probably yes. Fashion copyright is fairly lax, which is why cheap imitations of popular brands are so common. There seems to be more certain information in this etsy thread

quote:

from Ask a Copyright Lawyer
.... only the pattern is subject to copyright. The item of clothing made from it is not. The only exception is if the clothing is a work of art in its own right, but the law on that one is pretty murky.

quote:

Copyright protection on patterns only applies to the actual pattern and written instructions, and any original artwork incorporated into the pattern, but not finished objects made from the pattern. The dresses are fine to sell, but if there's an original applique or embroidery design on the dress, that is not okay. Big companies, and little ones too, may try to intimidate with threats, but those threats are rarely legally enforceable. IANAL, but this is the advice I received from a real lawyer.
Designers call them "knock-offs", but a nice handmade dress is so much better than factory made designer wear.

pointers fucked around with this message at 23:09 on Aug 11, 2013

Amykinz
May 6, 2007

skoolmunkee posted:

Hey I know it's been a little while since anyone posted in this thread but I have a question I hope someone can answer!

I am just getting started with sewing and it's one of my hopes to one day make a little spare cash selling some stuff I sewed. I've found some patterns of tote bags and things for me to learn with, but that made me interested in the topic of selling products made with other people's patterns. Like... pattern copyright?

I'm familiar with copyright from an educator and artist perspective, so I'm guessing patterns might be similar, where if some individual freely shares the pattern online I should check the info to see what permissions/rights are granted to me in using it. I'm guessing there will be something about commercial use of the pattern? Also, what about a pattern I purchase? Can I then use it for anything I like, since I've paid for the right to use it? Or is it completely different?

I'm not entirely sure about clothing patterns, but if it's a pattern off a blog or you bought from a person rather than a Simplicity pattern or whatever, just ask them if you can use the pattern to sell, and you'll provide a link to the pattern or something. I'm more versed in knitting patterns where selling something you made from someone else's pattern, while not technically illegal, is considered A Dick Move.

skoolmunkee
Jun 27, 2004

Tell your friends we're coming for them

Thanks! That is useful. :]

Bitter Beard
Sep 11, 2001

I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing!!
This thread has had some great advice for beginners, really appreciate the advice.

I have a industrial sewing machine question to ask, I have the opportunity to pickup a Nakajima 280L that is in fantastic shape for 500. The guy is literally moving out of his house and has to dump it and just over the phone knocked 200 bucks off his original asking price.

I've been working on making some flags for family members for Christmas and the Brother SE400 I own just isn't able to penetrate the layers of canvas and I had to compromise on the threading, which won't hold up so well out in the sun, so eventually I came to the conclusion I needed an Industrial something or other and came across the Nakajima.

At 500 bucks and being recently overhauled, the guy had the receipt from a reputable company, and a server motor attached is it a good buy?

Bitter Beard
Sep 11, 2001

I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing!!
What an adventure this has been

So, typical Craigslist deal, when I called the guy to go pickup the machine he waffled on a time and said he was busy, so I said np I'll call back tomorrow. Next day he wouldn't pickup. I knew something was going on so I emailed him and asked if he sold it or didn't want to let it go at the 500 price; it wasn't a problem just let me know and I'll move on. He emailed back he sold it for 400 a day after I talked to him but didn't tell me for nearly a week, Craigslist a social experiment in avoiding awkward situations. I replied no worries and wished him the best on his move, he then called me and thanked me and said he felt really bad about it but he needed it to go ASAP and wished me luck on finding my own machine.

I guess the karma worked

During the winter I had to break down my mom's workout room at her house and convert it to an office she could work out of as her health has been declining and she is downsizing to retire from her small business. So she let me take this nearly brand new 6 station Weider workout equipment home so I could sell it as payment for moving heaven and earth from her leased space to her garage / new office. Huge HUGE pain in the rear end to get completed, but it's my mom so I endured to lend a hand.

Posting it on Craigslist I got offers of 50 to 75 bucks for what is literally new at almost 2k. One person that came over to take a look and seemed to know the store it was bought from said some stations looked like they were never used and I said they probably never were. He offered me 75 and I responded :frogout: I had it listed for 400 bucks which I don't think is unreasonable and would have taken 200. So I've had this huge POS of metal, weights and pulleys in my garage for nearly a year, why is this relevant in a sewing thread you ask?

Well Thursday I emailed a guy who had a Juki 1181 with a servo motor and a really great table that he wanted 750 or trade of equal value on. I called and assumed trading a firearm would get me the deal with no cash but he wasn't interested in guns, I mentioned the pile of scrap metal and plasticized cement blocks and a gently caress load of steel cables stuffed into a box I had to trade and after sending pictures, he said it'd be a deal! :hellyeah:

While we were unloading the equipment into the guys garage, he kept saying what a huge pain in the rear end the Juki was to work with and how it had ruined so much material and projects he wanted to get done that he was just happy to be rid of the monstrosity. I thought, if I had to pay for a technician to repair the head, I'd still be getting this machine for an unbelievable deal. We put the sewing machine table into my truck and he slammed my tailgate and then shook my hand and said all sassy 'Later BITCH!' and then he turned to me all serious and said 'I meant the sewing machine' and then he kind of massaged my shoulder.

I think my new sewing machine is gay.

Which doesn't seem to matter to anyone in his new home in my garage, because after reading through the manual and a few posts online about it and tuning it to the factory specs and little hints everybody suggested; gay Steve sews absolutely fantastic. Even thin layers of service vinyl with a 5mm stitch, just perfect. I do have to slow the motor down as he had it set at max speed of 2000 sti/min and the starting speed is quite startling at 500 or something crazy. Could no be happier.

SuzieMcAwesome
Jul 27, 2011

A lady should be two things, Classy and fabulous. Unfortunately, you my dear are neither.
Personally I would think a machine that is a little :gay: would sew a bit more fabulous!!!

Fashionably Great
Jul 10, 2008
OH GOD MY HOUSE HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY VINTAGE SEWING MACHINES

At least five in giant cabinets, then a similar number not in cabinets. If anyone wants some Italian-made Necchi porn, I have plenty. My stepmom has been scouring Ebay and Craigslists all over where she travels for work and our craft room is being taken over by machines. I used to never see quality vintage machines like this cheap, but they're multiplying, I swear. Maybe it's the big giant clunky cabinet thing like a console TV.

My latest find was finding a mostly pristine Necchi BU Mira for $30 that needed a new cord at Goodwill. I looked in the cabinet drawers and immediately called my dad to bring the truck and take it home. Original manual, all the wonderwheels, two foot pedals, a giant accessory box full of various feet and attachments and a bunch of other stuff. The attachments and pedals were worth that much even if the machine was crap. The thing that stood out to me was the Christmas card from 1982 and a school portrait of someone's grandson.

So, since I have a ton of sewing machines that are basically bulletproof and laugh at sewing through layers and layers of denim and time on my hands, I was thinking about making seat covers for my car. I hate how prefab ones look and they are usually flimsy and lovely, so I was thinking about some upholstery fabric/mid weight canvas and having cool seats instead of my cigarette burnt (thanks, previous owner!) ugly gray seats. Is there any kind of pattern for this, or is this more of a bullshit something together by picking apart the current cover on my seat and praying it turns out well?

How do I get used to the knee pedal? I've been using a Necchi Lelia for my basic sewing needs and the knee pedal is driving me insane. I guess now that I have extra foot pedals I can figure out how to attach them, but I hate admitting failure.

hollylolly
Jun 5, 2009

Do you like superheroes? Check out my CYOA Mutants: Uprising

How about weird historical fiction? Try Vampires of the Caribbean

This is a fabric question - I'm intending to create the red dress Alice wears in the first Resident Evil movie but I can't figure out the fabric her dress is made out of. You can buy costumes online but they all appear to be made out of a satiny fabric that doesn't quite look or float quite right.

Reference picture:

I'm thinking a sheer silk of some kind but chiffon seems too thin and I'm not that familiar with all the different types of fabric. Any ideas? I'd like to know where to look at the fabric store when I go to look. Thanks in advance. :)

Oracle
Oct 9, 2004

Looks like satin to me. Maybe a more expensive satin than the bargain basement stuff they're using for halloween costumes.

Amykinz
May 6, 2007

hollylolly posted:

This is a fabric question - I'm intending to create the red dress Alice wears in the first Resident Evil movie but I can't figure out the fabric her dress is made out of. You can buy costumes online but they all appear to be made out of a satiny fabric that doesn't quite look or float quite right.

Reference picture:

I'm thinking a sheer silk of some kind but chiffon seems too thin and I'm not that familiar with all the different types of fabric. Any ideas? I'd like to know where to look at the fabric store when I go to look. Thanks in advance. :)

It could be a crepe, but the way the dress fits her it could also be a heavy knit, like a jersey fabric too.

Jersey Fabric

Queen Elizatits
May 3, 2005

Haven't you heard?
MARATHONS ARE HARD

Amykinz posted:

It could be a crepe, but the way the dress fits her it could also be a heavy knit, like a jersey fabric too.

Jersey Fabric

Jersey was going to be my guess too.

hollylolly
Jun 5, 2009

Do you like superheroes? Check out my CYOA Mutants: Uprising

How about weird historical fiction? Try Vampires of the Caribbean

Amykinz posted:

It could be a crepe, but the way the dress fits her it could also be a heavy knit, like a jersey fabric too.

Jersey Fabric

I never would have thought of jersey. That is awesome, I will try it out. :D Thank you everyone!

Funhilde
Jun 1, 2011

Cats Love Me.
Yeah maybe a rayon jersey. Even maybe a rayon crepe would drape like that.

Unoriginal
May 12, 2001
I have a Brother XR7700 from Costco - a little electronic machine I got for around $175. I have been supremely pleased with its performance for the last 4 years with very few complaints. It does what I need it to do with all the little extras that make life easier. The problem I have is that the needle threader has gotten bent so now the hook goes around the needle instead of through the eye. It's not the end of the world, I can still thread it manually, but I really liked the automation. I called around and servicing this machine is going to cost me nearly what I paid for it so what should I do? I don't intend to throw it out and get a vintage mechanical workhorse because that just doesn't suit my needs. Can I replace the needle threader myself? And how should I be servicing this thing? I have no problems with its performance and I keep it dusted out as best I can, but the manual says not to oil it or anything. Am I even supposed to be doing anything? Would I be better off upgrading to a better/more expensive model than loving with this one? Oh god help.

Comrade Quack
Jun 6, 2006
Witty closing remarks have been replaced by massive head trauma and general stupidity.

Unoriginal posted:

I have a Brother XR7700 from Costco - a little electronic machine I got for around $175. I have been supremely pleased with its performance for the last 4 years with very few complaints. It does what I need it to do with all the little extras that make life easier. The problem I have is that the needle threader has gotten bent so now the hook goes around the needle instead of through the eye. It's not the end of the world, I can still thread it manually, but I really liked the automation. I called around and servicing this machine is going to cost me nearly what I paid for it so what should I do? I don't intend to throw it out and get a vintage mechanical workhorse because that just doesn't suit my needs. Can I replace the needle threader myself? And how should I be servicing this thing? I have no problems with its performance and I keep it dusted out as best I can, but the manual says not to oil it or anything. Am I even supposed to be doing anything? Would I be better off upgrading to a better/more expensive model than loving with this one? Oh god help.

So I have almost the same problem with the same machine. I bumped mine while sewing and now the needle threader isn't working right. It looked like it was hitting to the side but actually mine is hitting above the eye and getting forced to the side. The needle threader is easy to remove and replace yourself, just firmly grab the black part and pull down while pushing/prying (I forget which) on a little clip. I found the part in a few places most were around $13-20 before shipping. Here's one http://www.kenssewingcenter.com/brother-needle-threader-xa1854001-p-29932.html

I'm still trying to decide if I should order it or if my machine is messed up someplace else. Let me know if you try it out.

Unoriginal
May 12, 2001

Comrade Quack posted:

So I have almost the same problem with the same machine. I bumped mine while sewing and now the needle threader isn't working right. It looked like it was hitting to the side but actually mine is hitting above the eye and getting forced to the side. The needle threader is easy to remove and replace yourself, just firmly grab the black part and pull down while pushing/prying (I forget which) on a little clip. I found the part in a few places most were around $13-20 before shipping. Here's one http://www.kenssewingcenter.com/brother-needle-threader-xa1854001-p-29932.html

I'm still trying to decide if I should order it or if my machine is messed up someplace else. Let me know if you try it out.

Hey cool, I might just try that. I need a magnifying lens to see where exactly the problem is occurring because my eyes aren't good enough to see if it's hitting to the side or hitting above and being forced to the side. I've got nothing to lose as far as needle threading capabilities go so I may pull it off and try to mess with it.

Edit: I popped it off easily and I don't know how it was supposed to be to start with, but the hook is probably bent upward. It now comes up over the top of the needle threader instead of between the two prongs where you normally hold the thread. I'll just order the part and see how it goes. If that's all it is, I can't believe the sewing machine repair place wanted $60 bucks plus the price of the part as a low estimate and they STRONGLY recommended a full service for $150 "in case that's not it". It literally just pops on and off.

Unoriginal fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Aug 20, 2013

ejstheman
Feb 11, 2004
If fixing sewing machines is anything like fixing computers, they're worried about two specific things that unreasonable customers do a LOT:

1) You think you know what's wrong with your machine, and have really emotionally invested in your theory, but you're wrong. When the quick repair you anticipated doesn't happen (because it's actually something else that's more complicated) you'll scream about how they're ripping you off.

2) Any time a professional touches a machine for the benefit of a customer who doesn't know how that machine works, they are on the blame list for any other problems that machine has in the future. So even if you're right and it's only the $5 repair that needs to be done right now, will you correctly identify the $500 repair next week as an unrelated issue that's not at all their fault?

This isn't to say that you are personally doing or likely to do either of those things, just that those two things happen a LOT, and places that do repairs have policies and procedures designed to minimize the business impact when they do.

Comrade Quack
Jun 6, 2006
Witty closing remarks have been replaced by massive head trauma and general stupidity.
The place I asked said $185 + parts with a 3 week turn around time before I even told them what was wrong.

Funhilde
Jun 1, 2011

Cats Love Me.

Comrade Quack posted:

The place I asked said $185 + parts with a 3 week turn around time before I even told them what was wrong.

Yeah usually it's about $150 for a full service. My repair place has plans you can buy for any machine that go for 3 years and are reasonably priced.

As for the threader you can buy one that you hold yourself in the machine section of the notions wall.
http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail...CFYwWMgod4VkAbQ

Unoriginal
May 12, 2001
I went ahead and ordered the part on eBay so I'll let you know if it fixes it once it arrives. Thanks again for the help.

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


What type of stitch is this? Is it generally a sign of higher quality garment construction?

Reverend Cheddar
Nov 6, 2005

wriggle cat is happy

Josh Lyman posted:

What type of stitch is this? Is it generally a sign of higher quality garment construction?

You mean around the armhole? Those are slipped stitches, actually they don't have much to do with sewing per se. You will see them on more structured knit garments from time to time. Tells you that the sleeve was knit to perfectly match the armhole, but we've got machine knitting and all so I wouldn't call it a huge leap in quality.

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


Reverend Cheddar posted:

You mean around the armhole? Those are slipped stitches, actually they don't have much to do with sewing per se. You will see them on more structured knit garments from time to time. Tells you that the sleeve was knit to perfectly match the armhole, but we've got machine knitting and all so I wouldn't call it a huge leap in quality.
I saw them for the first time on Banana Republic and J. Crew merino sweaters but I don't see them on the same from Uniqlo or Target so I assumed it was a sign of quality.

skoolmunkee
Jun 27, 2004

Tell your friends we're coming for them

Thank you for the replies about the patterns a few weeks ago! I picked out a nice inexpensive Husqvarna and have a growing little list of projects I'd like to start on.

I thought I would share the video I made of my first project, before I knew how to do... anything

skoo's school of pro so-so-sewing: rice warmer bag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GiTHUlgOR8

Starring CATS!


You.... can give me sewing tips if you like... if you can figure out where to start.

Vulvarine
Mar 23, 2008
This is more for the fashion thread but still;

This is a feature of fully-fashioned knits, and was/is an indicator of quality to some extent. Primarily, the distinction is that the pieces are shaped as they are created (those little blips are stitches being knit together to decrease the overall number in a row, gradually narrowing the piece). This is in contrast to the cut-and-sew method, where knit yardage is simply cut into the necessary shape before being sewn or serged together. The former is a more expensive and slightly more complicated method.

These little blips used to be a very good predictor of high quality, to the point where some manufacturers would actually insert fake ones to make a cut-and-sew garment appear fully-fashioned. Today, knitting machine technology is widespread and this is no longer a rare or expensive method. I've seen it in department-store sweaters for $20. Also, some higher-quality sweaters will use the cut-and-sew method, in particular L.L.Bean seems to do this a lot and their sweaters are pretty nice regardless.

I buy thrift-store sweaters and unravel them for yarn, so I've been examining commercial sweater construction for a while now. There are a few details that I consider indicative of high quality in a RTW knit sweater; cardigans with grosgrain ribbon on the button placket, edgings done in lower-guage (thinner and tighter-knit) yarn, and mostly all-natural fiber content (a little nylon can help strengthen things like angora, but I would avoid acrylic, which tends to pill).

In terms of DIY stuff, 100% wool usually felts really nice through a simple machine wash and dry (especially if the care label is really militant that you never ever ever do that), and can be put to use in things like slippers, hats, muffs, etc... I'm gathering sweaters that cannot be recycled for yarn and plan to make a nice warm quilt out of them. Toasty!

Reformed Tomboy
Feb 2, 2005

chu~~
I need a little help with a top I'm making. I've altered a pattern slightly to allow me to make the top reversible, but I think I've messed up the shoulder part of the sleeves. They seem too long, like the oval shape the sleeve hole is got squashed on the sleeves, so the two don't match when I pin them together. The very top of the sleeve has excess fabric, where as the armpit needs more. I assume I need to alter the shape of the curve on the top of the sleeve pattern, but I don't really know how to do that, or what to look for (lack of terminology). Any advice? I used this tutorial, if it matters any.

Unoriginal
May 12, 2001

Comrade Quack posted:

I'm still trying to decide if I should order it or if my machine is messed up someplace else. Let me know if you try it out.

Well, I got the part today, snapped it on and it works fine again. It's not quite as smooth as it used to be, but it certainly works and that's all I care about. So easy. This is the one I ordered and I got it in a couple of days.

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nolen
Apr 4, 2004

butts.
Whoops. I bought a new toy today.


Is three machines enough? I'd say yes but I know that I'll eventually add a fourth...and a fifth.



I have a problem.

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