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I need help and advice. Not sure if this is the right thread but it seemed the best fit. Basically I want to give my boyfriend some slippers with his initials embroidered over the toe section for his birthday. Internet sleuthing seems to show that this is fairly easily done with hotel-type slippers but I wanted to give him a fairly nice pair like the Grosby type. I asked at a professional embroidery place but the lady told me she didn't think it would work because of the way the hoops work (can you tell I'm not a sewer?). Since iron-on letters don't come in the loopy type I'm after, it's looking like I may have to do this myself by hand. Is it especially difficult? Am I crazy at wanting to attempt this? As I said, I'm not much of a sewer as it's not something I've ever really tried but I'm fairly crafty and don't think I'd find it too difficult to pick it up. I have about 2 weeks, is this something that'd take waaay longer? I do have a lot of time on my hands because I'm on bed rest so that's not much of an issue. Any advice is greatly appreciated!
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Feb 28, 2011 17:08
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 11:39 |
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I'm getting my first sewing machine tomorrow via Freecycle (I am a poor as hell student and I figured surely someone would have one they were willing to give away.... it worked  ). It's apparently "new" and never used.. still in the box, the box is just really dusty. Of course that could mean that it's any age and I'm super grateful to get anything at this point, even though I've had my eye out for years on something older and more sturdy.Anywho! I have literally never so much as touched a sewing machine in my life. I assume the box will have an instruction manual in it... but what is a recommendation for someone really just starting out? Sort of project-wise, learning the ropes etc. I have a bunch of fat squares I bought to hand-sew things from that I can practice on and I'm not too worried about ruining them, but I really have no idea where to even start and nobody I know could teach me. Help me goons, I've been following this thread for so long and I'm soo excited to finally be getting a machine!!
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Apr 14, 2012 16:01
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Thanks for the replies all! I got it today, it is a Janome DC3018 which from what I can tell is a pretty decent machine, especially for a beginner and especially for free. The box hadn't even ever been opened  . I can't believe my luck!Anyway I'm itching to start using it but uni assignments call and I know it will take me ages to work it out so it has to be put on hold for now. Thanks for the book suggestions - we don't have very good charity shops here in Australia and my local library is pretty crap so I might convince the boyfriend it's time for an Amazon order, heh. I have read that computerised sewing machines are a bit of a different beast so if anyone has computerised machine-specific tips they'd be greatly appreciated!
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Apr 15, 2012 11:23
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So I ended up giving in to my urge and threw uni work aside to play with my sewing machine the day after I got it. I ended up making a cushion cover from 2 fat quarters (thanks to whoever suggested that!) but then got annoyed when I realised I didn't have a zipper or insert (and neither did the local shops) and went on a rampage around the house trying to find stuff to sew. I ended up sewing up a hole in a shirt armpit, fixing 3 different rips in my boyfriend's boardshorts and finally hemming his new work pants which was a bit scary since I only just bought them and didn't want to ruin them, especially since they're his only pair but I think I did a pretty good job! I don't want to hijack the thread but I just have a couple of questions if that's ok  :- I've been obsessed with using the machine's lock stitch beause I'm terrified of things unravelling but so many people use machines that don't reverse so is it really necessary? - The machine has 3 speed settings, with the second and third being a lot more controllable with the pedal. Thing is, on even the second setting it seems to go from 'nice and steady' to 'holy poo poo FAST' in an instant. Do I just need to learn better foot control or is this just the way it is with some pedals? - Are sleeves hard to sew? I've read through this whole thread but over a long time/a while ago and I have a feeling people complained a lot about the difficulty of attaching sleeves. I don't think I'm up to nice shirts yet but I'd like to be able to make a PJ top to match some bottoms if I can. Thanks for all your help! My next projects are sewing a new clasp on an old bra and making an apron since that should be pretty easy and I am a really messy cook. I wish this thread moved like it used to 
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Apr 18, 2012 13:51
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I feel a bit ashamed posting this so soon after goldaline but phew, my first non-cushion project is finally done! I made pyjama pants which I screwed up multiple times in such stupid ways. I went by one of those tutorials that gets you to use a pair of your pants to make a pattern. I still managed to make them stupidly huge (but that's ok, I like baggy pyjamas). I also ended up making the crotch waay too short. Following much aggravation about messing up such a simple project, I inserted a gusset and got a good lesson out of it! Anyway, my mum wants some of her own now. She lives in another state so I can't mess around fixing them up etc so I was thinking of using this pattern: http://www.simplicity.com/t-sewing-101-part4.aspx. Does that look ok enough?
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May 2, 2012 09:17
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Nice shirt goldaline! ........aaand since we're talking about shirts (specifically business shirts), how difficult is it to alter them? It's basically impossible for my partner to find a shirt that fits properly. As a newbie sewer I didn't trust myself to do the job so told him to buy a bigger one and get it adjusted, but both that and getting one tailor-made is looking at being reeally expensive here. If I practiced on some second-hand shirts and basted first, could it be viable?
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May 7, 2012 13:55
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 11:39 |
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I live in Australia so nope, no express. Quotes for alterations are looking to be around $50, a full tailoring $150. We are looking at buying a shirt in the maybe $50-$70 range (which will get you something pretty decent). I know sometimes you need to spend the money but he's currently supporting us both while I study so money is tight. Sorry for not being specific, I originally was but thought my bf might not appreciate it. Basically his neck is like 2-3 sizes bigger than his body ie. to fit his neck, it's a tent on him (even with a slim fit). He normally circumvents this by just having the top couple of buttons undone but he wants a shirt that fits nicely that he can wear a tie with. The guy at the store suggested maybe being able to move the top button but that didn't end up being a viable option.
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May 9, 2012 13:07
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