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I'm a new sewer (I dived right in with taking a quilting class, needed to learn how to use and machine and everything). I'm quite ambitious and have stockpiled tons of fabric and have some project ideas in mind. I got this really neat fabric featuring vintage sewing machines and buttons and my idea was to make a thread spool holder with pockets (I didn't think about just putting them on pegs, which seems to be what is typically done...) I'm not good enough yet to come up with a pattern myself, so has anyone seen anything like this? When I search for a guide, all I get are those peg holders. My idea was for something to look like this: I'm guessing I'd sew the backing piece around a thin piece of wood or something for support? I'm not great at improvising yet. I'm also horrible at fabric cutting. I have a 24" x 36" cutting mat, and a 24" ruler. I've been making pillowcases, and because the fabric needs to be cut large, I have to fold it and cut it, etc. I don't know why I'm so bad it, I iron my fabric and double-check things but it always ends up at least a bit off and I've been finding that cutting the fabric takes me longer than the rest of the project. Has anyone come across a really good guide, or have some advice regarding this? I appreciate any suggestions. 
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Dec 31, 2013 06:56
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Make sure you're squaring up your fabric first. http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/videos/v/63107767/video-2-squaring-up-the-fabric-edge-right-handed-single-ruler-technique.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcpzwJMVTbc
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Jan 1, 2014 22:59
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Rilae posted:I don't know why I'm so bad it, I iron my fabric and double-check things but it always ends up at least a bit off and I've been finding that cutting the fabric takes me longer than the rest of the project. Has anyone come across a really good guide, or have some advice regarding this? Definitely prewash cottons. Other fabrics I deal with on a case by case basis, but prewashing cottons is a must. I usually do the snip and tear thing (part of squaring the fabric) before throwing them in the washer. Then dry the fabric however you will the finished product. When you iron, make sure to press straight down and not move the iron side to side while it's on the fabric. That distorts it. Usually I don't bother ironing after washing because as long as I'm careful folding, it isn't needed. When cutting, make sure the blade is flush against the ruler and don't go too fast. Mostly it's a practice makes perfect thing. With the exception of quitting, cutting always takes me longer than any other step.
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Jan 2, 2014 22:27
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Rilae posted:I'm also horrible at fabric cutting. I have a 24" x 36" cutting mat, and a 24" ruler. I've been making pillowcases, and because the fabric needs to be cut large, I have to fold it and cut it, etc. I don't know why I'm so bad it, I iron my fabric and double-check things but it always ends up at least a bit off and I've been finding that cutting the fabric takes me longer than the rest of the project. Has anyone come across a really good guide, or have some advice regarding this? God, this. I'm terrible at cutting, it's my bane. I cheat and have one of these. I use it for my quick and dirty quilts - my slower ones I still hand cut. I have particular trouble with folded fabrics, like you mention. The fold for me is always the part which will have a 'bend' at the end - so if I'm cutting a strip, it'll have a definite sway at the centre. I've tried lightly ironing the fold into the fabric, which seems to help. Also, I frequently have to take a big dose of chill the gently caress out when I quilt, so I don't let it worry me if things are a bit off. (Also why I don't make clothes)
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Jan 3, 2014 11:57
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I thought I was squaring things up, but I'm studying those videos to make my technique better. It seems many tutorials gloss over this step, but it's quite vital! I've been washing everything, but most especially flannel, to make sure any shrinkage is out the way before I start cutting. I am glad to hear I'm not the only one that loathes/has trouble with this step. Being a perfectionist certainly doesn't help me either... Accuquilt looks pretty cool, a bit out of my budget right now but I can see how useful that would be. It'll help too once I get my graduated needle plate. I'm working with an old Featherweight and it didn't have one. Need to eventually get a 1/4 walking foot as well.
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Jan 5, 2014 06:57
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Rilae posted:I thought I was squaring things up, but I'm studying those videos to make my technique better. It seems many tutorials gloss over this step, but it's quite vital! This. Shouldn't be too expensive. Made my first quilt with 1/2" seams til I got one.
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Jan 6, 2014 11:59
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I have a quilt-chat question: I've made a couple so far, and they've been hand-quilted. This takes about a bajillion years and I don't want to hand-quilt ever again! I see a lot of ads for quilting machines, but can I quilt on a standard machine? Do I need a special foot? The whole thing is complicated by the fact that I only have very old machines; the one I'd want to use (since it is portable) doesn't even have zig-zag...
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Jan 6, 2014 15:35
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Ooo! I'm contributing to quilt chat with a picture of my birthday quilt: I finished it three months late but I don't care.
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Jan 6, 2014 16:02
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Micomicona posted:I have a quilt-chat question: I've made a couple so far, and they've been hand-quilted. This takes about a bajillion years and I don't want to hand-quilt ever again! I see a lot of ads for quilting machines, but can I quilt on a standard machine? Do I need a special foot? The whole thing is complicated by the fact that I only have very old machines; the one I'd want to use (since it is portable) doesn't even have zig-zag... There are plenty of machines that will do quilting. If you just want to do straight line quilting I think a walking foot would probably be enough and you can get them for most machines. I'm not sure for older machines if they made a walking foot but it could be worth looking into. The foot just helps to push thick layers of fabric through the machine at a regulated rate.
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Jan 6, 2014 16:46
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I've done all of my free motion quilting on a regular machine with feed dogs that drop. I have modified an open toe hopping foot the way that Leah Day does, but I used a metal foot and just un-hopped it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APD6s7PwoqU My machine is a Husqvarna Viking 500, and I'm sure it was expensive when it was new, but it really isn't fancy at all. Here is an example of one of my very earliest efforts at FMQ. Up close, it's not so pretty, but it gave the quilt a nice crinkle overall, and I was happy enough with it.   I'm actually looking forward to hand quilting one some day! I need to get a hoop or a frame. I still need a walking foot too, I'm not happy with my straight line quilting, and I have a few in the pipeline that I want to quilt this way. Husky feets are expensive.
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Jan 8, 2014 10:01
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How much would you all charge for a quilt? I have someone pestering me for one that I'm hoping will get discouraged by the price. I mean, I still want to charge her something fair, but we're still talking like hundreds of bucks here.
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Jan 8, 2014 23:20
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I've been told to charge at least three times the cost of materials. I have never been able to do that, but I will never do another T-shirt quilt for less. I have charged 2X the cost of materials and thought it was fair enough for a custom baby quilt. Something larger would really depend on the pattern, quilting, and attitude of the customer.
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Jan 9, 2014 00:40
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The threading on my purse strap broke. Is this something I can fix myself (do I need special thread?) or should I have it fixed?
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Jan 10, 2014 00:29
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You can easily fix it yourself if you have a good strong needle and thick thread (or thin string). Depending on how many layers you need to go through, you may want to use a proper leather needle and/or pliers (to pull/push the needle). This is assuming it's real leather. If it's fake, it shouldn't be that tough to get the needle through. Ideally you'd use a waxed thread or string, but if you use an ordinary but durable thread and go over the area a few times it should hold.
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Jan 10, 2014 00:36
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Reformed Tomboy posted:You can easily fix it yourself if you have a good strong needle and thick thread (or thin string). Depending on how many layers you need to go through, you may want to use a proper leather needle and/or pliers (to pull/push the needle). This is assuming it's real leather. If it's fake, it shouldn't be that tough to get the needle through. Well, the holes are already there, so piercing the leather isn't an issue. I'll see if I can find some waxed thread, then!
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Jan 10, 2014 03:34
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This is a terrible question but I have a motorcycle jacket where the zipper slide broke and I'd like to replace the thing as hassle free as possible. Could someone please link me to a zipper slide or something that doesn't require cutting? If I need to buy a tool then that's fine with me... I just don't want to cut the drat jacket or whatever. The slide has YKK 5CN written on it and the websites with the description of the jacket say "YKK® auto locking zippers."
BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Jan 10, 2014 |
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Jan 10, 2014 05:48
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Invalid Octopus posted:Well, the holes are already there, so piercing the leather isn't an issue. I'll see if I can find some waxed thread, then! If you can't, then you might consider using dental floss. It's strong, waxed, and has a delicious minty scent! Actually, you can get unflavored waxed dental floss and then it'll just be plain white and no smell. The stitching would stand out since the original thread is brown to match the leather, but it would be just as durable as the original stitching.
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Jan 11, 2014 01:07
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Invalid Octopus posted:The threading on my purse strap broke. Is this something I can fix myself (do I need special thread?) or should I have it fixed? A stitching awl would be perfect for this, I have done many a small repair with mine. There's a few available, this is the one I have, comes with waxed thread and there's handy guides on youtube on how to use them: http://www.amazon.com/Speedy-Stitcher-T200-Sewing-Awl/dp/B000HGIJQ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1389625550&sr=8-2&keywords=speedy+stitcher
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Jan 13, 2014 16:07
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BlackMK4 posted:This is a terrible question but I have a motorcycle jacket where the zipper slide broke and I'd like to replace the thing as hassle free as possible. Could someone please link me to a zipper slide or something that doesn't require cutting? If I need to buy a tool then that's fine with me... I just don't want to cut the drat jacket or whatever. The slide has YKK 5CN written on it and the websites with the description of the jacket say "YKK® auto locking zippers." http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-Zipper-when-the-Slider-Has-Come-Off-Completely This is a really good rundown of the ways that you can fix that problem. If the slide is too broken to work, you can try replacing the slide itself by buying a similarly sized zipper at the fabric store and getting its slide off. Alternatively, take it to your local tailor who is less likely to gently caress it up than you. Good luck!
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Jan 13, 2014 19:32
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ReelBigLizard posted:A stitching awl would be perfect for this, I have done many a small repair with mine. There's a few available, this is the one I have, comes with waxed thread and there's handy guides on youtube on how to use them: That's a great suggestion, if you are up to it I'd also say Google search some local upholstery shops and then show up with a couple bucks in hand and ask if they could sell you some T90 or T92 bonded Nylon(whatever size they have) that best matches the color of your bag. A pound roll goes for 40 or so bucks and is more then you might use in lifetime. If you get somebody friendly enough they might just hand stitch it for you right there, helps if you are a girl because that's the way the world is Some of the local shops here I've stopped at are incredibly friendly and very helpful, for small projects I go in and buy scraps all the time and pay in cash which is usually worlds cheaper then a kit or by the yard, plus they've let me use their tools multiple times or have just done it for me if they are not too busy.
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Jan 14, 2014 12:24
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AAAA!! I just got a job sample sewing at a local company that does outdoorswear and camping luggage!
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Jan 15, 2014 22:32
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I got my mom's old sewing machine recently, and have a stupid newbie question. What actually happens if the needle breaks? There's all sorts of warnings about things you can gently caress up that could make the needle break, and I have this vision in my head of ending up with half of a sewing machine needle lodged in my eye.
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Jan 16, 2014 02:56
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miryei posted:I got my mom's old sewing machine recently, and have a stupid newbie question. What actually happens if the needle breaks? There's all sorts of warnings about things you can gently caress up that could make the needle break, and I have this vision in my head of ending up with half of a sewing machine needle lodged in my eye. In my experience, the broken tip stays attached to the thread and dangles.
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Jan 16, 2014 03:08
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Stultus Maximus posted:In my experience, the broken tip stays attached to the thread and dangles. In my experience, about half the time a shard of needle does go flying, and when it does, it magically gravitates towards your eyes. I wear glasses for close-up work and I've heard the needle bounce off them more times than I like to count. Blinking is a good thing.
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Jan 16, 2014 03:21
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miryei posted:I got my mom's old sewing machine recently, and have a stupid newbie question. What actually happens if the needle breaks? There's all sorts of warnings about things you can gently caress up that could make the needle break, and I have this vision in my head of ending up with half of a sewing machine needle lodged in my eye. Pieces can fly at your head/eyes, they can get stuck in your project, and they can get stuck in the bobbin casing- which can ruin your bobbin area. Here is a thing that I just sent out. For a little girl in Florida that is having a Frozen birthday party. The cape comes off and bustles for running around use. Got the white shirt for underneath but if she wants to wear it for a while I made it sleeveless for Florida weather.     
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Jan 16, 2014 03:47
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That's adorable  I bet she'll be just thrilled.
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Jan 16, 2014 09:16
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I break needles like I'm being paid. I busted three sewing my husband's first Starfleet uniform. You have nothing to worry about.
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Jan 18, 2014 14:57
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Any experiences in here with washing brocade? I'm making a costume for one of my students using some metallic brocade I got at Joanns, and the label says dry clean only, but I want to be able to wash it. I cut a swatch and hand washed it, and it seems just fine, but I figured I'd check and see if anyone has horror stories before I commit to washing all of it.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:05
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I've used their brocade in costuming before - that stuff just pulls threads, snags, and pills up super easy. If you throw it in the washing machine it will be a sad mess in no time, but I don't see any reason you couldn't carefully hand-wash it.
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Jan 27, 2014 21:52
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Bean posted:I break needles like I'm being paid. I busted three sewing my husband's first Starfleet uniform. You have nothing to worry about. Sometimes it helps to use the right needle for the project. I've been sewing for years and have just gotten used to switching up my needle as much as possible.
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Jan 29, 2014 17:34
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Had to do a A-B pattern shirt for a kids school project, asking the kid it was for, who is four, what he wanted to put on his shirt, he immediately yelled out Thomas the Train! So I drew up some stuff in Embird and started production. I had a ton of canvas sitting around so I used that for all the patches  This is what happens when you turn your back on your children for a second while embroidery is happening, saying 'don't touch that it's dangerous!' only heightens their desire to gently caress with it.  AB patterns are emerging  I would be more precise with this project if the kid would wear his new shirt for more then a school day, I let him place the objects on the shirt and then we mark some things which seems to Dad they're just screwing around with the chalk pencil  The biggest pain ended up being the sleeve pieces, I thought they'd be a breeze but I wanted them cut small so they wouldn't be so heavy. Wish I'd of thought about room for stitches before I gave them a scalping, this is what I get for working on it so late before a due day and zoning out. I had to hand run the sewing machine around them to make it all fit.  Soon as the kid wakes up he asks for his shirt, another class had some sort of fashion show the previous day and he was super excited to show his off. This is the fourth picture I tried taking, he wouldn't stop smiling like he was taking a poo poo so we went with one of those.  I tried letting the little guy help with some of the machine sewing and he enjoyed it but all he wanted to do was floor it and make the sewing machine go fast by pushing my leg down, lot of fighting going on in those lines. Thomas also didn't come out too great but at a certain point Dad got tired of dicking around with drawing for again something that'll be worn for a day then forgotten.
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Jan 31, 2014 15:27
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Bean posted:I break needles like I'm being paid. I busted three sewing my husband's first Starfleet uniform. You have nothing to worry about.
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Jan 31, 2014 22:30
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Hi there. This thread seems to be perfect. Hear me out. I work in a PC2 biological containment laboratory. That's basically the most lax, basic research lab possible. The thing is, we work with some scary stuff, but not scary enough to be in a lab that needs its own mandated special protective clothing. So I'm working with supremely powerful acids and mutagens, but the only lab coats I can find are the hugely useless button-down stereotypical doctors coat with the lapels. If I spilled something on myself, the most likely place for it to go would be straight down the front of my inner shirt, disfiguring me or dooming me to instant bone cancer. This is a known risk, so most labs of this rating recommend coats with a collar straight across the neck like a t-shirt that ties at the back, but that's a paltry second to the one true lab coat design, which is the one that clips at the shoulder. I'm talking about the thing you see in some old Frankenstein movies, Doctor Horrible etc. It's a surprisingly difficult thing to find, even from costume shops. The ones you do find are of no real laboratory value. I've approached friends who sew, and they all flatly refuse to make anything without a formal pattern to work off. I have colleagues in another department who have shoulder-clip lab coats, so I know they are still made, but they are deficient in a couple of areas. What I need is a lab coat that follows the shoulder clip pattern, (basically the doctor horrible coat) with the following features and for the following reasons: Clips, not buttons, at the shoulder. If we spill something on our front in the lab, it'd most likely be on our front and in the middle of our chest. The lapel style doctors coat is therefore worse than useless as it practically forms a special catchment area that funnels the acids and mutagens directly onto our sternums and bellies. The tie at the back style is fractionally better, but if you've spilled hydrofluoric acid on your front, and it's soaking slowly into your shirt, and you know that if it touches your skin your bone marrow will melt within 48 hours, and you still have the clarity of mind to be able to undo a knot behind your back, then more power to you. I'd rather tear open my coat immediately from the shoulder clips, which is why that design exists. Long sleeves, with long elastic cuffs. We need to have long sleeves, for the general aforementioned bone melting thing. But a lot of current fits-all designs have wide baggy cuffs. These can easily drag through god knows what as you reach across things in the work area, potentially cross contaminating all the experiments as well as getting stuff on yourself eventually. I have worked with many kinds of lab coat, and I always see old lab coats with stained baggy cuffs. This fact makes me want to puke out loud. We need long, like 10cm long cuffs made of elasticated material. This is a pretty big deal that all of my colleagues complain about. Longer than knee height. I use a lot of hypochlorite bleach in the lab, and some of my pants are ruined by bleach stains, which tells me that I am occasionally spilling crap on my shins no matter how careful I am. I want a lab coat that comes at least a bit below the knee, which seems really hard to find. I'm told this would alter the way the shoulder clips behave? You tell me. The material we need is a simple white cotton/linen, I've looked into the material specs a bit and I'm pretty sure it's not super important. Thickish white cloth. Machine washable I guess? White. I've worn lab coats with each and every one of these things, but never all at once. What I'm proposing here, if anyone is interested, is to develop either a pattern or a prototype of the kind of thing I'm describing. For motivation: myself and at least a handful of scientists I know would pay pretty small amounts of money for a well made garment. We are all poor as dirt. Please give us what we want for practically nothing in terms of money. I can tell you that a LOT of scientists will be jealous of such a coat, and will ask us where we got ours. We would tell them. Potentially a much greater motivation is this: I have googled HARD for anything remotely like this, and it seems to be massively in demand as a costume, and almost entirely unavailable. All the requirements I have are perfect for a Dr horrible / general mad scientist outfit - right down to the elasticated cuffs that would fit neatly into those big black freezer gloves he wears and which I also totally wear. Seems like there's a niche market that could be exploited for genuine money here. Please let me know if you are the kind of person who could help with this, or if you know anyone who might be interested. The science I do is about curing Alzheimer's and eventually reversing the process of ageing in humans so I could totally hit you up when you're seventy and you don't feel like dying.
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Feb 1, 2014 18:53
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I have a soft spot for Alzheimer's research but know nothing about that kind of clothing fashioning.
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Feb 1, 2014 19:37
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Fagtastic posted:For motivation: myself and at least a handful of scientists I know would pay pretty small amounts of money for a well made garment. We are all poor as dirt. Please give us what we want for practically nothing in terms of money. I can tell you that a LOT of scientists will be jealous of such a coat, and will ask us where we got ours. We would tell them. So I'm not a pattern drafter or a professional seamstress by any stretch, but I am a graphic designer who does work on contract with clients who want to pay very little for my work, and I can tell you right now that these few lines of text are the reason why no one should take you up on this. The only reason I can imagine is if they want to have some kind of portfolio piece, if they want the pattern for themselves, or if they have way too much free time and don't mind taking a loss on making the coats you describe. Even if you forget the amount of time it takes to draft and create a pattern (which you shouldn't) and the materials taken by making a muslin and creating a pattern for even the most basic sizes (small, medium, large)--even if you discount those (MANY) hours of work and those (LOTS) of materials, you are basically offering--what, $50 per coat, tops, right? Probably closer to $20? Sorry, but you're not really going to find that kind of pricing in the USA or custom or well made. Those are mass-market cheap-crap made-in-china-for-pennies prices. $20 would probably not cover the cost of even very cheap fabric and findings. Because there's only a few of you interested in this coat at the moment, fabric and other materials would have to be bought retail prices, which leaves virtually nothing hours of work you are asking someone to do. And don't get me started on doing custom work for someone where they are allowed to weigh in on the quality and type of the materials and then don't want to cover the costs of those materials; I've done it, and no one should. Talented people should not have to work for free or at a loss, and that's what you're basically asking here. Please understand that your mission is admirable and the market is there, but unless you're willing to pay over $100 per coat, any person taking this project is going to be taking it on at a dramatic loss. There are ebay sellers out there who have those listings about "make a suit / dress / whatever to your measurements!" and I have a dress from them; the quality is fairly nice, but the dress cost about $100, and was made in China. That is probably your best bet; pitch this project to someone like that who is selling custom sport jackets or similar menswear and see what they quote you. But it's still not probably going to be cheap, because it's very custom, and you'd have to cover their drafting costs. Nicol Bolas fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 20:17
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An alternative might be to join up with your coworkers, choose a simple commercial robe or coat pattern, and then find a professional tailor or seamstress who would do a batch of lab coats with whatever modifications you need. Doing several together would mean that the production could be done more quickly, assembly-line style, and you might be able to save a bit of money on materials. You could also include things like snaps instead of buckles/buttons, velcro belts and cuffs to fit the coat to the wearer, double-breasted fronts so there's an extra layer of fabric across your front. The price still wouldn't be low but it wouldn't be outlandish either and if you have your own lab coat you could use it for years before it needs to be replaced. ETA: or learn to sew. It's a good skill. trickybiscuits fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Feb 1, 2014 |
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Feb 1, 2014 22:33
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Fagtastic posted:<snip> Get coveralls.
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Feb 2, 2014 02:15
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I don't think coveralls would be a good solution because there is still the goal of needing to get out of it quickly. I agree with the others, though. The only way you're going to find someone to do this is if they themselves are in love with the idea. I was thinking about it this morning after reading the post, and the only POSSIBLE way I'd take up anyone on this offer is if they bought ALL the materials up front. And I'm far from a pro.
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Feb 2, 2014 03:43
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NancyPants posted:I don't think coveralls would be a good solution because there is still the goal of needing to get out of it quickly. You can strip coveralls off in seconds. Trust me, I use them.
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Feb 2, 2014 03:47
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Thanks for the advice, and sorry if my pleas for cheapness sounded like I wanted someone to do free work. Working in research I see that a lot and I don't like it one bit, it devalues everyone elses labour and is basically evil. If it takes a hundred bucks or more per coat to do this job, then that's totally what we'll pay. I don't know anything about drafting and so forth but if anyone's still interested with the knowledge that we are at least a bit serious about paying then let's talk. In the meantime I'll look into some of the other suggestions.
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Feb 2, 2014 04:19
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