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I need some help. I downloaded a cool-looking pattern from BurdaStyle because I wanted to make some baggy cargo pants for a costume. I, of course, had no idea that BurdaStyle patterns are nowhere near as easy to sew as the patterns aimed at beginners that I've been buying from my local Jo-Ann's and involve fun things like adding my own seam allowances and knowing what "underlap" is. I've been muddling my way through a mock-up on muslin, but I've hit a snag: the front and back pieces of the pattern are of different lengths.  Even after taking the darts in the front pieces, there's still almost an extra inch of fabric. I'm guessing that I'm supposed to try to match the curves from the front to the comparatively straight edge on the back piece, but I have no idea how to do that. There's no markings to tell me what part I'm supposed to attach to what other part, except the one at the knee, and every attempt I've made to pin the two pieces together winds up with huge ripples in the fabric. I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to do here! I have no idea how to go about pinning edges that are different lengths together. How do I make this work? (Yes, I double-checked that the darts are the right length and that I faithfully transferred the pattern to the fabric.)
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May 22, 2019 05:40
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At a guess: make sure the waistband is even on both pieces, and let the cuffs take care of themselves. You're going to be hemming those anyway, you can hide uneven edges there if you need to. (It's what I did with the dresses I made.) Also, remember that the back is probably bigger because it has to cover the butt and still leave room for the front to join up.
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May 22, 2019 09:31
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It's kind of hard to tell from just that picture, but the lineart on the website looks like it has a little triangle piece on the back, right at the top of the legs. Is that a separate piece that needs to be attached first? Maybe try posting the part of the instructions relevant to this section and we can figure it out.
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May 22, 2019 10:03
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First time I've pulled out the sewing machine in a while, did a practical thing that isn't pretty to get back into things.  It's so we don't get bird poo poo on all our shirts. No pattern but I did a rough(er) draft in easel board sized graph paper. I didn't really do anything for the collar. My tension was not set correctly for this and I generally had a rough go, but hey, Pinto approves. Bonus seamripper action: 
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May 23, 2019 02:39
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tinytort posted:At a guess: make sure the waistband is even on both pieces, and let the cuffs take care of themselves. You're going to be hemming those anyway, you can hide uneven edges there if you need to. (It's what I did with the dresses I made.) The frustrating thing is that the cuffs line up perfectly according to the one solitary notch on the pattern. There's just this mysterious extra inch and a half worth of fabric going up the side of the front piece. (I got out my ruler and measured along the cut line to make sure I wasn't completely insane.) I could maybe understand if the extra fabric was in the back, but it's on the side seam of the front piece, and I don't have a good enough sense of how fabric curves to be able to understand why that would even be necessary. Bees on Wheat posted:It's kind of hard to tell from just that picture, but the lineart on the website looks like it has a little triangle piece on the back, right at the top of the legs. Is that a separate piece that needs to be attached first? Maybe try posting the part of the instructions relevant to this section and we can figure it out. The triangle piece is a yoke that does go on before sewing up the side seams. It has a curve to it to give the back some volume. It doesn't reach as far as the side seams, though, and as far as I can tell wouldn't do anything to the length of the back.   The instructions are very simple: - Sew on the front pockets, which are just squares of fabric topstitched on to the front of the pants, nothing fancy. - Stitch the darts in the front around the knees. I actually just undid and redid the darts to make sure I hadn't somehow managed to miss half the fabric I was supposed to take in. - (There's a round back patch that's just there to reinforce the crotch and doesn't touch the side at all, which I skipped.) - Stretch the seam edges on the inside seam so that the front and back pieces match. (They already did.) - Stitch the yokes on to the back, like the above image. - Stitch the side seams. I'll quote the actual instructions here, just in case I'm missing something in the wording: this loving pattern posted:Stitch side seams. Press seam allowances onto back. Topstitch back trouser pieces close to side seams, from upper edge, 35 cm (13 3/4 ins) long. Topstitch again 7 mm (1/4 in) from side seams. After that is still pretty straightforward: - Add the cargo pants pockets - Stitch inside leg seams - Add the zipper - Stitch the center back seam - Attach the waistband. This is actually a little weird, because the pattern had me draft the waistband myself (it's a long rectangle) and it's in two pieces stitched together in the back. There's nothing in here that implies there should be extra fabric that I need to be enclosing: this loving pattern posted:Stitch centre back seam of waistband. Stitch waistband to upper edge of trousers, stitching waistband underlap to underlap of opening edge. Press seam allowances onto waistband. Fold waistband in half lengthwise, right side facing in. Lay allowance on inside edge of waistband up at ends/ Stitch ends of waistband closed. Turn waistband right side out. Turn in inside edge of waistband at the ends, about 5 cm (2 ins) long, and baste, then lay edge flat over joining seam without turning in. Topstitch waistband close to edges. Work a buttonhole in left of waistband. Then it's just adding the belt carriers and hemming.
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May 23, 2019 06:28
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Rotten Cookies posted:First time I've pulled out the sewing machine in a while, did a practical thing that isn't pretty to get back into things. Excellent
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May 23, 2019 07:49
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blastron posted:The triangle piece is a yoke that does go on before sewing up the side seams. It has a curve to it to give the back some volume. It doesn't reach as far as the side seams, though, and as far as I can tell wouldn't do anything to the length of the back. Welp, I got nothin'  You can try this: tinytort posted:At a guess: make sure the waistband is even on both pieces, and let the cuffs take care of themselves. You're going to be hemming those anyway, you can hide uneven edges there if you need to. (It's what I did with the dresses I made.) Or if you want to put in some extra effort, make a basting stitch up the side of the longer piece, gather the fabric slightly, and then sew it to the shorter piece. If you go with this option I'd suggest gathering the fabric between the waistband and the darts only, to avoid issues with fit between the darts and the cuff, or the darts themselves. There shouldn't be enough fabric there to make things look really weird as long as you spread the gathers out as evenly as possible. I did something similar earlier when I realized I cut the sleeve linings for my jacket unevenly.. although I guess on a lining things won't be noticeable if they look wonky.. Rotten Cookies posted:First time I've pulled out the sewing machine in a while, did a practical thing that isn't pretty to get back into things. This is dope. If you want to neaten up the collar with little effort or skill required, just stitch some bias tape over the raw edges. It'll make things look nice and neat, and you won't have to worry about the edges unraveling in the wash.. or the bird's beak..
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May 23, 2019 09:37
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You're all gonna laugh, but I completely forgot what bias tape was called. That does seem like an easy finish to the collar, thanks! Definitely need to make some revisions to the pattern. The graph paper and tape got me close, but the curves of the shoulder were tricky. I am sort of surprised and proud of how close I got with the graph paper, to be honest. I have 2 more to make, which I hope will be better.
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May 23, 2019 17:18
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I figured out my problem: I’m an idiot who doesn’t know what a “yoke” is. Getting that correctly attached gave me exactly the amount of length I needed.
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May 25, 2019 19:49
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Rotten Cookies posted:First time I've pulled out the sewing machine in a while, did a practical thing that isn't pretty to get back into things. Adorable.
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May 26, 2019 05:44
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blastron posted:I figured out my problem: I’m an idiot who doesn’t know what a “yoke” is. Getting that correctly attached gave me exactly the amount of length I needed. Haha, glad you figured it out! I thought it was weird that it went on top the pants leg like that, but I figured maybe there was something in the directions you knew about that I didn't! Rotten Cookies posted:You're all gonna laugh, but I completely forgot what bias tape was called. That does seem like an easy finish to the collar, thanks! Don't sweat it. I did so much sewing (and swearing) this week and couldn't remember anything. I managed to lose my good scissors at the start of my project, somehow, and even lost track of my backup scissors while they were in my hand. 
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May 27, 2019 11:11
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I have a con in 2 months and my friend wants to go as Hit Girl so I'm thinking Kick rear end would be a good counter part. Anybody have a lead or idea on were to source that body suit or even were to start possibly making one from scratch? I cross posted this in the Cos-Play thread too
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Jun 3, 2019 02:24
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Rythe posted:I have a con in 2 months and my friend wants to go as Hit Girl so I'm thinking Kick rear end would be a good counter part.
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Jun 4, 2019 06:04
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I'm sure you could get a specific zentai to match it on amazon, but the movie version is a losely fitted homemade looking thing. Maybe go for one of the Simplicty adult-sized jumpsuit patterns?
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Jun 6, 2019 07:39
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Rythe posted:I have a con in 2 months and my friend wants to go as Hit Girl so I'm thinking Kick rear end would be a good counter part. Dance supply store? Buy it a smidge too big?
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Jun 6, 2019 09:54
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Holy poo poo, got a new pedal for my sewing machine, and I have actual speed control now. The original was zero or fuckoff fast. This owns
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Jun 6, 2019 14:50
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Liquid Communism posted:I'm sure you could get a specific zentai to match it on amazon, but the movie version is a losely fitted homemade looking thing. Maybe go for one of the Simplicty adult-sized jumpsuit patterns? I agree with this, his suit looks less like normal hero spandex and more like a thicker/looser material made into a relatively fitted coverall. I think you'd do better making one from a coverall pattern. I might be wrong, but I think the movie version was supposed to be converted from a wetsuit, but I don't recommend you try that because they get super uncomfortable to wear running around land and you'd probably chaff/overheat quickly.
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Jun 6, 2019 15:10
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Those suits are a good idea, I saw a decent costume on Ali Express based on the second movie with his armor that I really liked, I might go that route and spend some time doing custom work and improving it. Now what's a good way to bind thin, flexible plastic to cloth?
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Jun 7, 2019 02:12
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How do I fix a busted zip? I can't see exactly what the problem is but it's jamming in the same place. It's not catching on the material (which in this case is plastic sheeting).
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Jun 7, 2019 13:21
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The teeth are bent or misaligned. Sometimes you can twist them back into position, sometimes you can’t.
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Jun 7, 2019 14:05
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in my limited experience, you can add some stitches to use tension to realign the teeth failing that, i've had occasional luck loving with the slider by slightly crimping the affected side with pliers or expanding it with a flat blade screwdriver as needed. this is my last resort generally and is very hackish and i don't think it's good policy, even if it sometimes works
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Jun 7, 2019 17:37
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This is at least in a reusable but ultimately disposable temporary dust door so "good enough" is definitely good enough for this application. The problem is that even a slight snag can pull the sheeting off the wall, and a complete stop renders the whole thing useless. It's always on the curves.
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Jun 7, 2019 18:50
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Bird poo poo Mantle Mk II  Now with treat pocket! And bias tape around the neck. Didn't realize that the pattern I'd made up wouldn't really work well with a pattern like this that has a right side up. Oh well, it's literally just to get poo poo on, so that's alright. I got one of those little bias tape maker cones, and didn't know/realize that when they say half inch, they mean the single fold. I dunno when I got it in my head that it would be half inch when double folded. So I had a bit of a rough time trying to keep everything lined up. learning, learning, learning. All my fuckups are learning
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Jun 9, 2019 17:30
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Nvm I'm a dummy.
Rythe fucked around with this message at 16:05 on Jun 10, 2019 |
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Jun 9, 2019 23:47
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Jaded Burnout posted:This is at least in a reusable but ultimately disposable temporary dust door so "good enough" is definitely good enough for this application. The problem is that even a slight snag can pull the sheeting off the wall, and a complete stop renders the whole thing useless. Maybe rub a little wax (like a crayon) on it to lubricate the zipper and make it snag less?
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Jun 12, 2019 07:36
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Is it feasible to cut elastic and sew another piece into the cut to lengthen it? I can't take out the entire elastic and it's just a bit uncomfortable with the current length.
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Jul 4, 2019 01:09
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Rythe posted:Is it feasible to cut elastic and sew another piece into the cut to lengthen it? I can't take out the entire elastic and it's just a bit uncomfortable with the current length. Yes, but why can't you takeout the the entire thing? If it's anchored in some way that might mean you wont get the extra length where you need it.
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Jul 4, 2019 03:29
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Its anchored on one end with a rivet/snap button that I have no way to reattach.
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Jul 4, 2019 12:15
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I love the bird poo poo mantles
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Jul 6, 2019 03:02
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  Any chance anybody can identify what this strap material is made out of? Looks like leather, feels like a foam type product with stitching on the backside.
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Jul 16, 2019 23:32
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I'm not sure if there's a specific name for it, looks like it's just PU/vinyl/"vegan" leather (aka pleather) with a foam backing. I think you can buy it foam-backed as an upholstery fabric.
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Jul 17, 2019 02:03
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My project for today: tracing this 1907 "apron" (it's a full overdress) from tissue paper on to Swedish sewing paper. That'll probably be it, although if I'm still energetic, I may slash and expand the pieces.
Arsenic Lupin fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Aug 28, 2019 |
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Aug 28, 2019 19:08
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The other day, Amazon suggested I need a coverstitch machine based on previous purchases (bought my 1034D online a few years back..) I don't know what I'd actually do with one, but dammit, I want it.
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Aug 29, 2019 22:05
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Does anyone have opinions/knowledge about the Singer "heavy-duty" machines that I'm seeing as like the first search result everywhere I look for a machine? I'm assuming they're everywhere because of marketing, rather than actually being an amazing option. A lot of people seem to think the quality of modern Singer machines is actually very bad. Basically I'm new to sewing but will almost certainly be committed to it, I'm trying to research but there is soooo much conflicting information. I'm interested in making clothes, and ideally would want something that could handle heavier fabrics, but understand from what I've read that that may be difficult to find for a reasonable price (say, $350 and under), and it's not a dealbreaker if it doesn't really exist in that price range. From what I've gathered, a good machine should have at least four basic stitches, a drop-in bobbin, a free arm, and one-step button hole. There doesn't seem to be much agreement on whether automatic needle threading is really necessary, and I don't think I need a digital machine.
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Sep 27, 2019 05:25
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The Doctor posted:Does anyone have opinions/knowledge about the Singer "heavy-duty" machines that I'm seeing as like the first search result everywhere I look for a machine? I'm assuming they're everywhere because of marketing, rather than actually being an amazing option. A lot of people seem to think the quality of modern Singer machines is actually very bad. The quality of modern Singer machines is very bad. Also as far as I can tell, the only thing "heavy duty" about that is that it's actually made of metal rather than plastic. I doubt that the actual quality of the gearing will be that high. One potential way of getting a cheap but actually fairly heavy duty machine would be to get an old cast iron Singer second hand. I don't think they even make steel as the stuff used in those things' gears any more. Otherwise look for an 80s-era Janome, Bernina or Pfaff, from when they used to have metal gears. Those are usually pretty cheap on Craigslist. Also, how heavy a fabric do you mean? A good quality home sewing machine should handle denim. If you want to be heavy canvas or upholstery or something then you may need an expensive industrial machine, but not for most clothing.
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Sep 27, 2019 06:06
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Lead out in cuffs posted:The quality of modern Singer machines is very bad. Also as far as I can tell, the only thing "heavy duty" about that is that it's actually made of metal rather than plastic. I doubt that the actual quality of the gearing will be that high. Thanks for the response! I was thinking it would be nice to get something that can handle, say, sewing like a reasonably-sized bag strap on, which I guess might be canvas? But if it's crazy expensive, I really don't need to start with that. For now I'd be fine being something that can handle making clothes with the above-mentioned convenience features and won't just immediately die on me.
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Sep 27, 2019 06:18
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The Doctor posted:Thanks for the response! I was thinking it would be nice to get something that can handle, say, sewing like a reasonably-sized bag strap on, which I guess might be canvas? If you're not doing industrial amounts of sewing, then odds are you will not need an industrial machine. I have a 60 year old Singer with one stitch and I've sewn bag straps, jeans, canvas, and done quilting on it before. You avoid junk machines by spending more than $150 and watching out for big box models, low quality machines produced specifically so Wallmart can sell a cheaper version of a well-known brand. They turn up on Amazon, too, so read reviews before you buy. Be wary of anything that comes with a bunch of extra feet and other doodads because that's often used to make cheap machines feel like a better deal. If you have an actual sewing machine dealer nearby, it might be worth it to stop in and see what they have; you can actually test machines and get a better idea of what features you want which will help you figure out how much you ultimately want to spend. $350 is enough to get a solid mid-range machine new, or a secondhand high-end one.
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Sep 27, 2019 08:37
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The Doctor posted:Does anyone have opinions/knowledge about the Singer "heavy-duty" machines that I'm seeing as like the first search result everywhere I look for a machine? I'm assuming they're everywhere because of marketing, rather than actually being an amazing option. A lot of people seem to think the quality of modern Singer machines is actually very bad. Lead out in cuffs posted:The quality of modern Singer machines is very bad. Also as far as I can tell, the only thing "heavy duty" about that is that it's actually made of metal rather than plastic. I doubt that the actual quality of the gearing will be that high. I have one of the modern Singer "Heavy Duty" machines, as well as a Singer 99 that I used before I got the new one, and 66 in a table I'm working on fixing up. Granted, I do very little sewing, but the new machine works well enough. I usually use it rather than the old Singers just because it has more than one stitch, and the 99 I have doesn't even have a reverse. You can get funky looking feet for the old Singers to do different stitches, but it's a lot easier with a more modern machine.
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Sep 27, 2019 15:47
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A trick that has worked for me, although it is more expensive, is to go to a shop that sells reliable brands (Brother, Bernina, Janome would be my picks, but I hear Husqvarna is also good) and ask if they sell their trade-ins. If they do, you can get a few-year-old model that is tested and guaranteed to work, and that can be repaired if necessary. Some sewing-machine people are like car people, they always need the newest model. Craigslist is good if you know what to look for in a machine.
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Sep 27, 2019 19:59
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 Found these in my bag of miscellaneous sewing stuff and I have no idea what that are for. Any help on identifying them?
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Sep 29, 2019 15:00
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