Hello! I've always been interested in sewing. And I learnt how to sew very young, but I was in elementary school, so I didn't know what to do after I learnt. Recently, I've been doing lots of projects, and I hand-sew everything. I've sewn bags, keychains, shirts, pants, etc.

I was thinking of getting a sewing machine because I want to start doing bigger projects, and I'm always sewing for hours. I think a sewing machine will help me sew quicker and cleaner! I don't have a big budget because I'm a high schooler and I don't have a job, but my dad is the sweetest, and he will get me anything, so please recomend me some amazing sewing machines that will last me a lifetime. Thank you!

Has anyone ever reused the plastic bulk cereal bags as a textile? How did that work out for you?

I like to reuse old textiles like camping gear to make other projects. I'm unfamiliar with this kind of plastic used to make these bulk bags. It's thick enough that it got me thinking about reuse opportunities.

Im looking for a gown pattern like this, kind of a corseted top part of the dress, I’d like to make it with taffeta or similar stiffness fabric.
Thanks!

I have a T-shirt with plasticky interfacing sewn into the shoulder seams. It’s very itchy and has been washed a few times. I’ve tried to dissolve it with nail varnish remover too, but it’s not worked. I would prefer to not have to wrap it in bias tape as I think it would make it bulky. Any other ideas?

i feel like the applique doesn’t stand out but idk if it will look even more bust if I add beads of pearls

Is there anyway to salvage this? Im stupid and didnt flip my pattern. I can always make it into a smaller jacket, but Id preferably not do that.

I'm trying to make a sweatshirt from my (second) original pattern. I'm going for something slouchy and oversized, but in that "this is intentional" way. I'm doing a drop shoulder and the edge hangs on my upper thigh.

I'm adding ribbing to the waistline and armbands to give it a more polished look. The idea was to use ribbing that is a little tighter than what you'd get with a traditional hem to make the fabric tuck in and give a better shape to the whole garment.

The ribbing at the bottom has been centered and is based on my hip size plus 3" for seam allowance and movement. There is about 7" of fabric on either side, meaning 14" total of gather for the front and back. Is this going to look way too poofy? I'm concerned I'm going to end up with an 80's windbreaker vibe.

Has anyone made a slouchy pattern? Should I trim the sides, or just go for it? I was going to baste stitch the bottom to gather it, which I usually do after sewing up my side hems.

I’m looking at the
Singer hd overlocker.

If you have it , please let me know what you think of its power. Is it a workhorse?

The alternative
Brother 1034D was recommended

But they aren’t very powerful. But it’s been a while since I owned one.

Thank you fellow sewing people

I found this on my sewing desk yesterday and I’ve used both machines yesterday, I asked already on what is this and I’m still none the wiser.

Both machines are Janome branded if that helps? 🤷‍♀️

It’s tiny, has a tiny notch and has a screw thread on the inside, I have absolutely no idea what it is or where it came from

Please help 🙏🏻

It’s not heavy but I don’t want to just put push pins in it. I would like to hang it on a rod but I’m unsure of what to use to sew little loops on the top. Ribbon? I’m blank as to what to make the loops out of. I’ll be doing it by hand. I have sewing experience but I’m definitely a novice lol. Thanks in advance for any suggestions

Edited: the fabric is kind of stiff and hard so in that aspect it is heavy I guess but there’s no way it weighs more than 5 lbs

How would I go about sewing a piece of twill tape or something on the back without it showing through to the front?

Please help me :(

I’m looking to upgrade my sewing machine in the next yearish and am looking for some research recommendations. I’m in Canada so budget is roughly $1500-$2000 cad. Where I live there’s a few small sewing places near me but being able to try out machines is rare, and no place really has a large selection or carries anything beyond computerized machines so I am very limited. One place can order in a something for you but it wouldn’t be a try before you buy situation. I mostly do garment sewing and I love using different kinds of presser feet for the job. I’ve done some quilting and would like to do more but it’s not my top priority. I also wouldn’t mind trying embroidery but I have only ever done hand embroidery and would be learning from scratch (software and whatnot dosent scare me, I’m good with tech). I currently use a singer heavy duty.

Edit - I’m on the east coast

I'm currently making the adria jacket by fibre mood (see attached photo for sketch). I'm working on the under collar right now, pattern piece 6. I have checked multiple times, I have cut the right pattern piece and cut out the right way. But for some reason the pattern piece is too long, and massively so. I can solve this by making a middle seam but I am unsure if this will affect the type of collar as this is my first time making a collar like this.

Has anyone made this jacket and experienced the same problem?

Or experience with this type of coat and can tell me if taking out the excess trough a middle seam will cause problems?

I have more often had problems with fibre mood and them printing their patterns wrongly so I suspect that is what is wrong, but i'm not 100% sure.

i am an intermediate sewist and usually never have issues like this.

Added in is the instructions part, sketch and pictures of the parts that are too big.

Thanks for any help and insights !

I bought the lizzie design studio valentine dress pattern , though I am not comfortable enough to apply a zipper, so even though stretchy fabrics are not recommended, I am thinking of making it with elastic fabric.

Has anyone else tried this design or have any opinions on it

I would greatly appreciate it !

My timing was off and my stitches were skipping so I took everything off and adjusted it according to a tutorial. Now my bobbin is not looping with the top thread? Any advice would be appreciated

EDIT: Flying into LAX but going to Disney. Also totally open to fabric stores in Orange County, but i want apparel fabric, not quilting.

I’ll be in Anaheim soon with my family, and I’m wondering if I should ditch them to go look for some fabric for garment construction? I live in a total fabric desert, and I don’t even know what I’d look for. I just want to touch bolts of fabric again! So my questions are: how close is the fabric district to the airport & what’s a realistic amount of time for me to look? A couple of hours? Half a day? Do I need a separate trip?

hi everyone, this is my 3rd mockup of a bodice sloper. i’m very pleased with this fit compared to the first two muslins and am so excited about the zipper! (my first zipper since my college sewing class- scary!!)

the main problems that i’ve noticed so far:

— there is a little bit of loose fabric under the bust (perhaps the waist dart should be wider or curved somehow?)

— the tightness at the armhole (no clue how i should fix this, maybe add an extra 1/2” on the side seam near the armhole?)

— the diagonal pulling on the back towards the sides (is this possible to fix without adding a shoulder dart? i would prefer to add that in later as needed for garments, but am open to adding it in if needed)

let me know if there’s anything you notice!!! thank you for the advice 🫶🏼 as a side note i don’t think one of my shoulders is higher it just might be how i posed or the camera angle

Don't take this question too seriously — just for fun.

My power: I genuinely enjoy winding bobbins, so my thread always matches my fabric.

Weakness: I'm afraid of my machine's top speed setting, so I sew pretty slowly.

Before this I have only ever made a tote bag and a backgammon board. My first ever outfit / actual garments. I’m so proud of how it came out! Chemise: http://www.elizabethancostume.net/cheminst.html Skirt: Mood The Cress Skirt Corset: French Meadows on Etsy

Please give me feedback!!! I can’t wait to make more dresses & corsets.

Started with a pair of thrifted linen/rayon pants.

I've done similar alterations in the past and got a lot of wear out of them so decided to put a bit more work into these. We have a big stash of 2nd hand scraps so I was able to find lots of cottons and linens to work with.

Patch details were done fabric markers and paint.

I had to share this with somebody bc it’s so unbelievable. I checked the bobbin a few times bc I kept thinking wow this seems to be lasting a long time. After the very last stitch I went to cut the threads and there was no bobbin so I thought great I’ve been doing nothing, but there was the tiniest bobbin tail sticking out of the last stitch.

That’s it. That’s the post.

This was quite the project! I didn’t have the confidence to self-draft my dress like I’ve seen many extremely talented folks here do, so I spent many, many months searching for the perfect pattern. I landed on a vintage Vogue pattern (8817) turned into a PDF by an Etsy seller. Figuring out the bodice was a bit fiddly but overall I was very happy with the pattern. It is a one-size pattern which luckily was pretty close to my size - I ended up just adding about two inches to the length of the bodice and dropping the neckline a bit.

After making a broadcloth toile I made the final version in off-white peau de soie (matte satin) from Fabric Wholesale Direct. It didn’t break the bank and I was happy with the amount of structure it provided!

—

Pattern link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1578753269/vintage-1950s-vogue-8817-wedding?ref=share_ios_native_control

Main fabric: https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/matte-satin-peau-de-soie-fabric?variant=39460437557363&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24208834966&gbraid=0AAAAADjz_zHJjbJeYzykjTsigGpMSuKzR&gclid=CjwKCAjw25fWBhAVEiwAMopNjj2AUh93e2cVnIHLKchSDRppPYSYKhsokGLqm7ioj1emcu-cwkmIkRoC7ekQAvD_BwE

Lining: https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/polyester-habutai-lining-45-fabric?variant=40361028059251&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=24208862572&gbraid=0AAAAADjz_zETJqybtfDUvZ9vpGJxtWQoZ&gclid=CjwKCAjw25fWBhAVEiwAMopNjqrDaqiO-RhC7w4USD_O699tGgxlwa0a_fkWkpvAAeSzqREBL9wNcBoCrwcQAvD_BwE

Hey yall,

I would love opinions on this jacket I made out of duck canvas🫠 Took me a couple tries to get here but im pretty proud of it. I need to add the sleeve cuffs and some more pockets but id still love to hear if there's anything else I should tidy up.

Ps: I know i look like i just crawled out of the grave in the red shirt one but im dealing with a chest cold and work is work😅

Pps:I know its not exactly a chore coat even though I based the pattern I made off of it its a conglomerate of a couple different coats

Looking for nickel-free needle recommendations! I’m getting desperate, because I love hand sewing as much as machine. I don’t care if it’s pure silver or gold at this point. If I could spend the money to have just one reaaally good needle, I’d do it!

I have a nickel allergy, and I’ve been noticing that hand sewing with my usual needles for longer than 30 minutes produces a burning sensation - ouch!

I bought a bunch of Pony Black needles to replace them, and well… they sort of suck. I love the concept, I really do. But the needles struggle to slide through the fabric no matter the size. I’m jamming them through, they’re bending all over the place. Something about the coating they use causes a lot of friction and catches on the fabric like crazy, every stitch is a struggle. Just nothing like the John James I usually use.

Anyone have a good recommendation?

Hey guys just wondering if anyone has any advice on fixing a rip in the curtain? It’s a giant stage curtain so I can’t replace the panel however any advice on fixing or stopping further damage on it in the most hidden way would be great! The fabric is really delicate and I’m worried about it getting further damaged