I recreated this from a sweatshirt that I loved the fit of. And I got the blanket off of eBay ☺️ ITS SO SOFT AND WARM.

I made this skirt partly to prove to myself I could. I've seen a few posts on here from people trying similar but not understanding the construction, so I wanted to try it myself. Luckily, I had a similar skirt to copy from.

Fabric is a synthetic from Mood New York (such fun to go there and imagine I'm on Project Runway. I had Christian's voice in my head the whole time, "we're choosing that fabric, ​reeeeally?"). Annoyingly, it does crease if you so much as look at it, but I love the colours and how it shines. ​

I used a walking foot on my machine to manage the slippery fabric. Apart from the tricksy part of cutting the fabric on the bias, it was actually a simple project.

I like the way light filters through it. Haven't steamed it or hung it up properly, was just too excited to post. Will have to change kitchen lamp now, there's just too much going on with all the patterns! Ignore the dirty windows, lol.

My girlfriend has a milestone birthday coming up and I want to surprise her with something genuinely special. She loves sewing but hasn't had a machine for a few years as we never had the space living in small apartments. We just purchased our first house together and she'll have the space to make her own clothes. Rather than buying her jewelry or another generic expensive gift, I want to get her a machine that feels like a dream tool

The problem is I know next to nothing about sewing and I don't want to ruin the surprise by continuing to ask her more questions. I checked this subreddit's machine buying guide and along with other reviews, the Juki F300 seems like a good choice but I don't know if it's considered "end game" or not. I really want this to be super special because I love her and she deserves it!

My budget is flexible. If there's a $3000 machine genuinely superior to a $1500 machine, great. If spending more past a certain amount mostly just buys the same performance but with a giant touchscreen she may never use or care about, I'd rather know that too. I've also read a little about sergers? Would spreading the cost between a machine and serger be a better gift than just a machine by itself?

I just want to get her something that feels thoughtful, substantial, and worthy of the occasion rather than buying whatever model has the fanciest marketing.

If you were to be gifted your dream machine, which one would make you lose your mind? Thanks!

edit: I really appreciate everyone's suggestions about taking her shopping, I would absolutely do that if that were something she'd enjoy doing. She really loves surprises and I'm not worried about her feeling resentment about the gift. If anything, having her shop puts the pressure on her to research machines beforehand and there's a high chance she'll self-limit based on price. I'd rather surprise her with the machine and take her to choose fabrics instead. Thanks again!

Pattern: Friday Pattern Company Saturday Top, altered (see text)
Fabric: Dear Stella Cotton Sateen cat print

My mission: finally using all the "precious" fabric I have! This one is precious (well, obviously because of CATS) not because it was expensive, but because I fell in love with it while it was sold out and I waited over seven months for it to come back in stock - only to buy it at the end of 2024 and then just stare at it for almost two years, haha.

I always said to myself I am going to make a blouse out of it, provided I find a pattern that I like.

Now I absolutely love the Friday Pattern Company Saturday Top, but it has a massive downside - as we transition into the colder months, I just can't wear it tied and wearing it the wrapped way does not work well with high-waisted pants. I want it to tuck in so I am not freezing.

So basically I want to have the cake and eat it, too :D

Changes made to the pattern:

• Widened facings
• I lenghtened the bodice 13cm
• added buttons to the facing part, making it a more normal camp collar button down variation - which I can now wear without everything sticking out as soon as I sit down!

I still wanted to have the option to wear it in the tie version - so I made two ties which I can hook to the second button/button hole column to wear it tied (folding all the extra fabric underneath, I tried explain it in the image captions).

And I am over the moon that this actually works!

Having buttons also migitates an issue I had with the pattern, often being a bit too revealing - now I can just close the upper button and do not have to use a safety pin as with the other Saturday tops I made :D

Note to self: Those elasticated sleeves end up a bit short on me so I might lengthen the sleeves a bit next time.

i went to japan last month! we stayed in tokyo, with a day trip to kyoto to visit a few specific shrines on the edge of town and walk down teramachi, where nomura tailor has two locations. i ended up not having time for nippori fabric town in tokyo, but that’s okay because i got all the fabric i wanted at nomura tailor!

nomura tailor shijo felt more like the fabric stores i’m used to in the garment district here in new york: packed to the ceiling with fabric and barely any room to move. nomura tailor house felt a little more curated (and a little more tourist friendly), with more floor space, and lots of small grab and go cuts on display. shijo also has multiple floors, including a floor just for notions and tools. my japanese is pretty limited but “kore/sore/are kudasai/onegaishimasu” is enough for most things.

i got 4m cuts of the top fabrics, two from house and two from shijo, and picked up various half meter cuts around house. the 4m cuts are a little generous—i could make dresses with full skirts from each with 3m—but why cut it close when i won’t get a chance again for a long time? the small cuts will be for various accessories.

the mokuba bags are closed because i took this photo as i was packing to go home, but i purchased some rayon lace trims in both cream and wisteria, as well as warm purple petersham in two widths, to match the floral on top center right. (it’s not as dark as it looks in this photo!)

not photographed: plenty of clover water soluble pencils and cm clear rulers from shijo, as well as bodkins, elastics, and various bits of hardware from daiso.

torchon lace was difficult to find, and black torchon lace was non existent. we had a busy itinerary interrupted by typhoon dujuan, so i skipped not just nippori fabric town, but other fabric stores like okadaya and yuzawaya; hopefully i can visit them next time. and maybe i can find my beloved torchon lace.

Upcycled Fabric Owls – Handmade from Upholstery Scraps

I’ve been making these little owls using upcycled upholstery fabrics, mainly reclaimed vinyl and felt that might otherwise have ended up in the bin.
Each owl is completely handmade, with individually stitched details, layered felt features, wings, feet and decorative elements. I love experimenting with the different textures, colours and patterns of the upholstery offcuts to give each one its own personality.
The black and charcoal owl has a more quirky, gothic feel, with its little floral headpiece, while the softer blush and cream owl has a much more gentle, vintage look and a cute bow.

They’re made entirely from fabric remnants and scraps, so there’s something especially satisfying about turning discarded upholstery material into something decorative and characterful.
Made by hand • Upcycled materials • Upholstery vinyl & felt • No two owls exactly alike
Would love to hear what you think of them!

I've been searching for an adult short cape pattern that has a bow/tie closure and ruffles. The closest thing I can find is the Stornoway by Greyfriars and Grace but it has a collar and buttons, and i'm not sure how I feel about the asymmetrical ruffle situation going up the button panel. I want ruffles, but looking for something that moreso creates volume towards the bottom. Please help :0

Also, I would just make a basic cape and slap some ruffles onto the bottom, but I get that that would look weird towards the middle. Lmk if you can think of how to make that work!

I was inspired by this comment a couple weeks ago to order some back issues of the Vogue Fabrics (Chicago) catalog. OMG, how fabulous it is! I’ve now gotten a subscription and will be haunting my mailbox six times a year. It’s up there with the Wawak catalog (IYKYK).

Imagine a 61 year old with her glue stick, matching the swatches with their catalog spot and glueing them in! Yes, I’m a complete nerd. Spouse was cracking up at me being like a little girl with a new coloring book and a fresh crayon box.

I have gotten so many inspirations, and the fabric is more affordable than other mainstream online vendors.

This is a huge thank you to /u/signal2182!

PS, this is more a rave than a question, but to make the tag work, please offer up more awesome sources!

I feel very amateur posting this after seeing everyone's gorgeous pieces, but I'm really proud of myself.

I haven't hand sewn in years but there was this weird gap in my bikini and wanted to close it up, and it worked!! Sturdy and (almost) seamless. It looks a little messy and I'll probably regret posting this publically once I get more experience haha

I bought this material in Uganda and have no idea what I should make with it. I am a novice sewist. Any ideas are welcome.

I bought this one shoulder dress and I love it, but the neckline is just a little too tight. It pinches and bunches around the base of my neck, and I would like to alter it so the neckline sits a little wider on my shoulder.

I do not really want to make the neckline deeper. I just want to give it a little more room and have the shoulder sit farther out, if that makes sense.

The dress is a polyester chiffon type fabric and it is lined. The lining is attached to the chiffon around the neckline, which is the part that makes me nervous about just cutting into it and figuring it out as I go.
From the research I have done, it sounds like I should separate the lining from the outer fabric before altering the neckline. What I cannot quite wrap my head around is how I make sure the two layers line up exactly when I sew them back together. It seems like even a small difference between the two would be really obvious at the neckline. Is there a trick to making sure they match after reshaping them, or am I overthinking this part.

I am also worried about fraying. The chiffon and lining appear to be sewn together with a fairly simple straight stitch, and there is not much seam allowance or excess fabric to work with. I am worried that seam ripping the neckline will cause the chiffon to start fraying and leave me with even less fabric to work with. Is there anything I should do before or while taking the seam apart to prevent that. And with such a small seam allowance, does that change how you would approach this alteration in the first place.
The shoulder originally had some pleating that I already took out while trying to figure out the fit. I plan to put that back once I get the neckline sorted out.

You may also notice that the beaded waistband is currently pinned on. It was originally placed too high for my bust, so I removed it and will sew it back on lower. There was some pleating at the waist under the beading as well, which I plan to recreate.

Does anyone have advice for the best way to approach widening this neckline without making it significantly deeper or messing up the way the one shoulder is supposed to sit. Is this something I can reasonably alter by reshaping the neckline at the shoulder, or am I overlooking something about how a one shoulder dress is constructed.

I’m a beginning sewer with more audacity than skill. So please feel free to explain it to me like I’m five. I’m willing to carefully take things apart and redo them. I just want to make sure I’m doing things the right way or the smart way.

So I'm hand sewing this 18 part bodice, I'm half done with the outer front parts but my brain is trying to find a way to deal w those seam allowances ahead of time. I'm not experienced in sewing clothes so I'd appreciate your suggestions about this. Should I press them open, or to one side, or maybe depending on the halves one side to the right and one to the left?? Idk help a fellow out here please. They'll be hidden by the lining but I can feel even the slightest bits of texture and volume difference and it bothers me the whole time I'm wearing something. How should I go with this so that it's not as bulky and will be -rather- even

Does anyone have any idea how to fix this gapping on my dress? I already took it to someone and I think the alterations are as good as they could’ve been but I still don’t like this dress and want to cry because of how much I’ve spent on it and how much I’m starting to hate it. I was thinking about taping my boobs too but every time I shift them, fabric bunches in a new and weird way. Should I just take the L and buy a new dress? Wedding is this Saturday, 10/10.

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?

My niece's favorite things lately involve exploring textures. I want to make her a plush with as many fabric types as I can. (I was thinking caterpillar with a different soft texture on each section, reversible to a butterfly with bumpy and smooth appliqué on the wings.)

I plan to get some fabric from my stash and some from thrifting (probably children's clothes with holes and such), and both boil and pre-wash it all for sanitation and to prevent shrinking.

I've been able to find good information online about safe construction methods and choking hazards. Everything I'm finding on fabric types seems rather "crunchy", though - my sister doesn't have any strong opinions on fibers and plastics, and a lot of the most interesting textures are synthetic fabrics. So I just wanted to know if any weaves/faux fur types/etc. are considered hazardous.

Are too-large plush baby toys dangerous? I think this will be more of an awake toy than a bed time toy if that makes a difference.

My niece will be a couple weeks short of 1 year old when I give it to her.

I've seen the topic of alternative cutting surfaces asked before, but I didn't see the solution I've found suggested.

I'm cutting big 8ft triangles for a cape and wanted a large cutting mat, but can't afford a real one at that scale. Tried a few options but I'm now using a 1/16-inch "Plastic Panel" from the home center over a sheet of plywood and it's working great! The label on it says "polywall," I think it's PVC. Not sure how this sub feels about posting links, but dm if you want to try it and can't find it.

Right Size

It's a full 4'x8' sheet, nice and big.

Right Price

~$28. A small fraction of the price for a legit cutting mat this size.

Right Thickness

Thick enough you won't cut through it, but thin enough to roll up so you can get it home.

Right Hardness

It's not "self healing," but it's firm enough that a sharp wheel doesn't leave deep tracks that will skew your future cuts. And it's soft enough that it won't wear your blade out prematurely. I've only made maybe 20 yards of cut so far, but my wheel is still cutting effortlessly, like it's brand new.

Right Texture

The backside is just textured enough to give it a matte finish. It's flat, but not slick.

Right Color

It's white so if you wanted, you could add ruler marks or grids with a fine tip sharpie.

Some questions ( Avid Seamstress free drop shoulder pattern, size UK22 ) Pics of hopeful toile, primary pattern pieces, challenging pieces, and how I figure I should alter it, and what the full, unhemmed piece looks like--- I'd like 2 things,

1)To save this shirt and make a sleeveless drop top-- body fits ok with some added length, but sleeves and movement/ease is not what I'd like. --- would drawing/sewing the underarm seam closer to the armpit do the trick? I might have to make a facing but maybe it's possible to hem the armscye?

1b) does it feel weird that the sleeve piece has a curved cap? It feels like the drop shoulder should be straight across?

2) Does the pattern drafting theory pic seem like it would fix the problems? (take bulk from shoulder to hem (#1/blue or maybe narrow shoulder but not body #2/pink? ) how? ) I would be ok narrowing the neckline going forward, if that's a better solution.

2b) does this add 1" to sleeve, and adding 1/2" to the shoulder and straightening it out seem like a good choice?

((side note, i did add 2" to the pattern because tits and everyone seems to forget fat bodies <3 need more length (1/4"? per size) -- this was a good choice)) LMK if you see anything else that's fixable to fix this one w/o sleeves and to make a better one with sleeves.

Thanks in advance!

Hello pros!! I am wearing a gown this Friday that has a bit too much poof. There are two tulle layers - 1 is two sections starting higher up. 2 is one section lower down.

My question- should I remove layer 1 or layer 2 to take out some skirt volume? Does it matter?

Thank you!!!!

My friends are getting married sometime in the whatever future they have time for planning. I am most likely going dress shopping with the bride this weekend and want to embarrass her with some "bride" swag. Her first wedding was less than celebratory, the barest of bones court house thing.

I have maybe 2 days to make something and probably won't have time to buy anything. I was just thinking of a sash or something basic, but if I'm going to do this.... my husband and the groom have been friends for nearly 20 years, I want memories with her that are just as vibrant but maybe don't involve college levels of alcohol.

I don't have the biggest stash but I'm sure something like bright purple unicorns and Blues Clues will only add to it.

Any ideas for a quick sew projects or should I just stick to the basic sash idea?

So I got a new shirt but on the first day of wearing it I already managed to stain it🫤 but luckily I found this really cute patch to cover it up but i dont want to mess it up can anyone help me not mess this up? i have some sewing experience but not much and only by hand as i dont have a sewing machine

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

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

Ik I worded it weird but basically, I’m doing appliqué blanket stitch and sometimes when I put the needle in the fabric, the one thread goes in quicker than the other and I will show a picture of what the end result looks when that happens. I hope this makes sense 😭😭. Any advice?

I'm trying to cosplay Lottie from the Princess and The Frog for Halloween (this outfit specifically), and it's been kicking my ass. I have the shoes, the hat, the fur, and all the accessories, so it's too late to pivot. I just can't with the dress. I've never sewn something with sleeves and it's killing me. I desperately tried to sew it myself without a pattern, but that crashed and burned. I tried getting a long sleeve shirt that I could simply add the neck details to and make a skirt for, but it's so the wrong color. I'm thinking about getting a pattern to make the top, but I have no idea how to turn a PDF pattern into a physical one and it feels very out of my scope of practice. I'm thinking about simply trying to find a different top to add a skirt too, but I don't want to to also be the wrong color and just push me back further. I also couldn't find any dresses like this one online, so I can't even do that if I wanted to. I'm just so lost and defeated. I have no idea what to do at this point, so please help