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I'm contemplating turning some pairs of tights into thigh-high stockings to wear with a garter belt. If I cut the legs off near the top, how should I sew down the raw edge so it doesn't unravel?
Charmmi fucked around with this message at 15:16 on Jan 10, 2013 |
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Jan 10, 2013 15:14
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Eponine posted:Is it the leaning, or the pressure required to use the rotary cutter that's causing problems. I'm on the smaller side (5'2") so I cut sitting on the floor with the mat on hardwood (I also mix batter and knead bread like this because I am a literal child) so that I can sit up straight with more physical leverage (instead of using muscles in my arms/shoulders/back) going into the rotary cutter. You could maybe sit on a cushion on the hard floor? I don't know if that helps at all. I think it's the bending over because now that I think of it, I do remember a couple years ago making my ex one of those tie blankets and even on the floor I was spasming. That was sitting and bending over w/ the legs crossed, so gunna have to try some kneepads and a different position to see if that helps. Cats are gunna think I'm insane  Thanks for all the suggestions!
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Jan 10, 2013 17:53
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Charmmi posted:I'm contemplating turning some pairs of tights into thigh-high stockings to wear with a garter belt. If I cut the legs off near the top, how should I sew down the raw edge so it doesn't unravel? Serge. If you don't mind the tops being a bit stretched out, you can fold the top over and zigzag stitch around.
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Jan 10, 2013 23:52
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zamiel posted:I think it's the bending over because now that I think of it, I do remember a couple years ago making my ex one of those tie blankets and even on the floor I was spasming. That was sitting and bending over w/ the legs crossed, so gunna have to try some kneepads and a different position to see if that helps. Cats are gunna think I'm insane It'll sound dumb and awkward, but if my back is bothering me it sometimes helps for me to kneel in front of my work table, so I am straight from the hips up. Stick a folded blanket or pillow under your knees to keep them from getting sore. No bending, but nice and close to the work. You need the right table:torso height for that though.
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Jan 11, 2013 13:46
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Charmmi posted:I'm contemplating turning some pairs of tights into thigh-high stockings to wear with a garter belt. If I cut the legs off near the top, how should I sew down the raw edge so it doesn't unravel? I've cut (cheapo) tights into thigh-highs before and they didn't need any sewing. They just rolled up like jersey does and haven't frayed, not even after washing. (Definitely needed a garter belt though, without it they'd roll right down my leg even when worn over other tights) YMMV, of course!
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Jan 11, 2013 17:26
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Does anyone know of a material that resembles carbon fiber? Like this, only (ideally) less shiny. It would also be nice if it came in a variety of colors, or dark gray rather than black.
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Jan 11, 2013 22:50
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Rubber Slug posted:Does anyone know of a material that resembles carbon fiber? You should be able to find the type of look in upholstery vinyls. What exactly are you making?
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Jan 12, 2013 10:07
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Asstro Van posted:It'll sound dumb and awkward, but if my back is bothering me it sometimes helps for me to kneel in front of my work table, so I am straight from the hips up. Stick a folded blanket or pillow under your knees to keep them from getting sore. No bending, but nice and close to the work. You need the right table:torso height for that though. Just tried it out w/o anything under my knees and with some padding that should work! I'll try it out when I make these receiving blankets next weekend. Thanks
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Jan 13, 2013 09:00
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Charmmi posted:I'm contemplating turning some pairs of tights into thigh-high stockings to wear with a garter belt. If I cut the legs off near the top, how should I sew down the raw edge so it doesn't unravel? What tools have you got? If you have a serger, problem solved. If you have a sewing machine with a zigzag stitch, also solved. (Use a fairly tight stitch spacing.) If you don't have any kind of mechanical sewing machine, consider Fray Check (available at any craft store). In all cases, you stretch the edge you're finishing; otherwise you wind up with a finished edge you can't fit your thigh in. Depending on how much you stretch, and this is very much a trial-and-error process, you can get a lettuce edge.
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Jan 21, 2013 23:40
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JustAurora posted:Honestly, if you have any sewing background, you can quilt. I did my first quilt in 2009 (for my boyfriend, now husband, who loves ducks), which took about 6 months most of which was cutting things out and reinforcement sewing.  That quilt looks really close to one I had growing up Do you happen to have the patterns for the individual ducks? I could never do the whole quilt but I could probably manage to make some wall panels for the purpose of reminiscing. My latest project has been to make some heavy duty grocery bags because my city is instituting a bag ordinance and all the the reusable bags I seem to buy have awful handles and fall apart. So this is the first one:  I think it has come out quite nicely, although there are certainly mistakes to fix on the second one. Fortunately most are hidden inside the bag. Things I have learned:
My father has some old Juki industrial machines hanging around in his storage shed, I should see about getting one when I move to a house and have more room.
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Jan 23, 2013 04:43
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Shifty Pony posted:
Oh really? Would he be willing to sell?
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Jan 23, 2013 07:28
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I love the bag, Shifty Pony.
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Jan 23, 2013 07:43
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Any tips for avoiding lettuce edge? I'm sure a lot of it just takes practice, but a little guidance is helpful.
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Jan 23, 2013 09:07
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Press between every step, baste the edge in question before beginning to work on it, and I just found this tutorial on how to make a rolled hem that isn't all hosed up: http://grainlinestudio.com/2011/08/17/tips-tricks-easy-roll-hem/
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Jan 23, 2013 10:45
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Pile of Kittens posted:Oh really? Would he be willing to sell? Probably not. You know those episodes of the antiques picking shows where they go to some random barn filled with crap that the person is unwilling to part with because they insist it will be worth tons of money way in the future? That is my dad. I will ask though. Now my uncle in the DC area might be willing to part with one or two (I think he has a few, they used them to make custom naugahyde seat covers for after college can't get a job cash). The trouble is how do you ship one of those things? The machine is solid steel and the table, 1/2hp motor, and clutch are not light either.
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Jan 23, 2013 16:23
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NancyPants posted:Any tips for avoiding lettuce edge? I'm sure a lot of it just takes practice, but a little guidance is helpful. What fabric are you working on? I hear that using a fusible stretch interfacing before you sew can make a big difference. It's also critical to let the feed dogs do all the work of advancing the fabric. I tend to control the needle by holding the fabric taut with one hand behind the needle and the other in front of it. This pretty much guarantees a lettuce edge. The lighter your touch on the fabric, the less you're going to stretch the material.
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Jan 23, 2013 18:00
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Shifty Pony posted:Probably not. You know those episodes of the antiques picking shows where they go to some random barn filled with crap that the person is unwilling to part with because they insist it will be worth tons of money way in the future? That is my dad. I will ask though. It's easier to just ship the head (the steel part) and find a table/motor/clutch combo in your own area. I'll be moving to Oakland soon and I might need to get a second Juki for my new business. I'll be making skydiving jumpsuits! I'm very excited... I've never worked with some of these materials, and the range of motion on those garments is quite different than your average jumpsuit.
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Jan 23, 2013 18:13
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Welcome to Sodom-By-The-Sea! Keep an eye on Craigslist; I see industrial motors and tables for sale all the time.
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Jan 23, 2013 18:44
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Pile of Kittens posted:It's easier to just ship the head (the steel part) and find a table/motor/clutch combo in your own area. I'll be moving to Oakland soon and I might need to get a second Juki for my new business. I'll be making skydiving jumpsuits! I'm very excited... I've never worked with some of these materials, and the range of motion on those garments is quite different than your average jumpsuit. My mother seemed rather excited about the possibility of them going away at some point, so we will see. He was asleep so I sent an email and hopefully he will be able to check model numbers tomorrow or the next day. If he doesn't want to get rid of them, I'm pretty darn sure my uncle has one or two he doesn't want, and they would be the same model. Freight is going to be absurd though, it may be better if you can source one locally. Arsenic Lupin posted:I love the bag, Shifty Pony. Thanks! Here's the pattern and instructions that I used. Quite frankly the bag top/base seam allowance is simply too narrow considering the weights of the fabric being used. I am going to use at least a 5/8 or maybe even a 3/4 allowance on the next bag to save my sanity. 1/2" flat felled with heavy fabrics that didn't hold pressed in folds was an interesting practice in pin placement. Edit: Pile of Kittens: he is convinced that one day he will use them to make custom towing straps so he wants to keep them 
Shifty Pony fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Jan 24, 2013 |
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Jan 24, 2013 06:24
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Pile of Kittens posted:It's easier to just ship the head (the steel part) and find a table/motor/clutch combo in your own area. I'll be moving to Oakland soon and I might need to get a second Juki for my new business. I'll be making skydiving jumpsuits! I'm very excited... I've never worked with some of these materials, and the range of motion on those garments is quite different than your average jumpsuit. If you're in the East Bay, you might want to give Urban Ore in Berkeley a try. It's a huge warehouse thrift store that keeps a lot of appliances in stock. I'm not sure what their selection is like now since I haven't been there in a year, but they usually have a good selection of old sewing machines, some with tables. First time I went there, they had 5 or 6 vintage machines of varying types, with tables, right by the door. I wanted to take them all home.
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Jan 25, 2013 03:01
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Is this fixable? My girlfriend's cat grabbed a hold of my sweater when I was moving her and created a huge snag. This resulted in a large crease that doesn't go away when I try to stretch the fabric. Outside:  Inside: 
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Jan 28, 2013 19:38
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Yes, but it takes time, patience, and a teeny tiny crochet hook. You up for that?
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Jan 28, 2013 19:59
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Rufus En Fuego posted:Yes, but it takes time, patience, and a teeny tiny crochet hook. You up for that? I'm a poor grad student with time and patience aplenty, so sure! How small are we talking?
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Jan 28, 2013 20:39
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Is there a hole or just that line? If it's just the line, you can sort of massage around the affected area and it should reduce the puckering a bit.
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Jan 29, 2013 00:15
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I liked the bag I made so much that I decided to make a set, one more green and two blue/navy. I think I'm doing something wrong though on the straps because they are taking forever to do. They are made of a 2.5" strip of the "top" color and a 2" strip of the "bottom" color of the bag, 44" long. All long edges are folded over 1/2" and then the folded parts are placed facing each other and sewn together along the length, about 3/8" in from the edge of the larger width piece. It is taking me around 30 minutes PER STRAP to pin everything into place, because I have to pin 4x 44" long 1/2" folds, then have to pin the two bits together, all without pressing because the fabric I'm using don't hold ironed creases so the seam gauge is getting used a ton. Is this just me being new-ish and slow, or is there some trick to this that I'm missing? I tried two different seam locations, about 2/8" riding right on the edge of the "bottom" color, and the 3/8" inch called for (theoretically for both really, the seam wanders a bit when I accidentally yank a pin sideways when pulling it out or just in general because straight is hard). I kinda prefer the 2/8" look, it just seems cleaner to me (minus the wandering seams of course). I present to you 2 hours of work: 
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Jan 30, 2013 06:44
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Shifty Pony posted:I liked the bag I made so much that I decided to make a set, one more green and two blue/navy. I think I'm doing something wrong though on the straps because they are taking forever to do. They are made of a 2.5" strip of the "top" color and a 2" strip of the "bottom" color of the bag, 44" long. All long edges are folded over 1/2" and then the folded parts are placed facing each other and sewn together along the length, about 3/8" in from the edge of the larger width piece. If you're not married to the way those handles look (and they are gorgeous, don't get me wrong), you can just use heavy-duty webbing for handles. I've whipped out canvas bags in under half an hour. Plus the webbing doesn't get dirty as easily as fabric does; still washable though. For holding creases, have you tried spraying the fabric and really putting some pressure down on the iron? Your stuff should all be pre-washed before you start, so it won't make it shrink. Instead of using the seam gauge as well, you could use a chalk line to mark where you want the fold and measure once instead of four hundred times?
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Jan 30, 2013 10:54
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Eponine posted:If you're not married to the way those handles look (and they are gorgeous, don't get me wrong), you can just use heavy-duty webbing for handles. I've whipped out canvas bags in under half an hour. Plus the webbing doesn't get dirty as easily as fabric does; still washable though. Well I only have two left to do and already cut out the fabric, so I may as well go with it. I do love the look though so that is a help. I have tried just about everything to get folds to stick. The fabric just shrugs it off. Maybe it is the treatment given for outdoor and uv resistance? A chalk line might just be the way to go, that would help hugely.
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Jan 30, 2013 19:13
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Have you considered fabric glue for basting? My friends swear by it, especially in applications like this. http://filminthefridge.com/2011/03/03/spray-adhesive-for-quilt-basting-a-quick-how-to/
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Jan 30, 2013 20:01
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You can also use a thin line of any water-based Elmer's type glue and iron it. I wouldn't ever do that for clothing, but I swear by it when binding quilts. Might work on canvas, haven't tried it.
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Jan 31, 2013 17:17
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Whenever I need sharp lines on a hem, I cheat and use Stitch Witchery. It's a fusible webbing that you iron between two pieces of fabric, kinda like gluing it together. Not sure if it would help in your situation since those straps looks pretty small, but might be worth a shot.
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Feb 1, 2013 00:06
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These are all great ideas that I will file away. I finished up all the straps and now have moved on to working on the rest of the bags. The Elmer's glue idea is a really good one. Wouldn't that run the risk of messing with the machine internals as I stitch though?
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Feb 1, 2013 06:06
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zamiel posted:I do have a problem though and hopefully someone here can shed some light on it, or maybe I should ask one of my doctors. A few things: When you hold down the ruler as you're cutting, do so with the palm of your hand, not your fingertips against it like Spiderman. That will help. Make sure that you are using a sharp blade, and maybe try an ergonomic rotary cutter. I am using an old, lovely cutter that someone gave me last year, and it has a slippery handle with no cushioning at all. I develop "cutter's claw" really quickly because I'm holding that thing with a death grip. I've just been too cheap to replace it. The claw leads to hosed up shoulders, neck and an aching melon. I do think that you need to stand while you do larger cuts, though, and at a table or counter at a comfortable height. I do most of my work sitting down because I am trailing an oxygen hose and it gets in the way. Boy howdy, do my shoulders and neck hate cutting days. The palm/ruler thing helps a lot though. I've been working on this memory quilt for months, all because of the cutting, stabilizing and piecing of teeny, tiny baby and toddler clothes. I'm nearly finished, but I dread the actual quilting of it. 
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Feb 1, 2013 08:18
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Shifty Pony posted:These are all great ideas that I will file away. I finished up all the straps and now have moved on to working on the rest of the bags. The Elmer's glue idea is a really good one. Wouldn't that run the risk of messing with the machine internals as I stitch though?
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Feb 1, 2013 21:01
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Shifty Pony posted:
I actually freehanded the duck pattern myself from looking at pictures of stained glass ducks. The patterns are at my parents' house, but I am meeting my mom for a mini-vacation in March, and can see if she could find/bring them along (assuming they're not in the trash somewhere or lost), and I could send them to you (along with probably some extra pieces from when I cut out ducks). PM me if that works for you. Also, your bags are awesome, though those straps take forever, they look really sturdy! Fusible webbing is a good idea, but it can get a bit expensive sometimes. I usually just suck it up and spend way too long pinning/basting things, too.
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Feb 2, 2013 18:36
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I got all of them done! And showed my mother a picture. Now she wants some. It never ends! The chalk line really sped up the last two straps, so doing that with some light adhesive work could probably really cut down on the pinning. JustAurora, I'l send you a PM this evening sometime, I need to run some errands today.
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Feb 2, 2013 19:47
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My mom is looking for some kind of mold-able mesh that she can use for making patterns I presume. She doesn't know what its called or where to find it. Any of you sewing goons know of such a magic substance?
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Feb 5, 2013 02:56
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Chicken wire? That's what's used in that picture but I don't know that I'd make a dressmakers dummy out of if; it'd snag fabric horribly seems to me. If she's looking to make her own dress form she should try making a duct tape dummy Oracle fucked around with this message at 06:09 on Feb 5, 2013 |
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Feb 5, 2013 06:05
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Oracle posted:Chicken wire? That's what's used in that picture but I don't know that I'd make a dressmakers dummy out of if; it'd snag fabric horribly seems to me. I'll pass on the duct tape dummy idea to my mom. I kind of get the feeling that whatever is in the pic was designed for this purpose and hopefully not just chicken wire. If anyone else has any clues please let me know.
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Feb 5, 2013 09:21
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Yeah that's a wire dress form, looks like the kind Dritz used to make. A friend of mine used to have one. I don't think they make them anymore. There's one for sale on eBay though: http://www.ebay.com/itm/300847056179
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Feb 5, 2013 09:46
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Silver Alicorn posted:Yeah that's a wire dress form, looks like the kind Dritz used to make. A friend of mine used to have one. I don't think they make them anymore. There's one for sale on eBay though: Perfect, thank you!
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Feb 5, 2013 19:41
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