Sew What

[phoebe61]

Im ito 50's fashon so i dicided about 4 months ago to do my own sewing since i made me and my wife a full skirt each and also a tight lepord pencil skirt (the wigle type).
next i intend to make a dress each.
my wife knows n ecepts my +dressin

[Rachel Newark]

I'm learning !

My wonderful SO bought me my own machine - probably to protect hers !, which is a serious piece of kit - and with her expert tuition I'm learning to use it. So far a couple of skirts, with zips even, have appeared. Next a tartan mini-skirt is planned and a Silver handbag to match one of the minis. The ultimate target is a number of items in PVC / wetlook fabric.

I've also used it to join pieces of agricultural fleece in an attempt to protect baby bok choi plants. This has been rather less successful than the skirts


Rachel Newark

[lowlavalentine]

I'm jealous of all you seamstresses out there. I can handle a button but that's about it. I'd love to learn though. Being able to alter a garment properly would be a big help.

[Kathryn Philips]

I am not able to buy my own skirts (yet) so in the meantime I have to do with making skirts out of old trousers (have plenty of these). This involves cutting to desired length, removing the seams, cutting of excess fabric and sewing back as a skirt. The picture shows the first .of 4 trousers I have "upgraded" so far. The quality of my sewing, mainly due to lack of pacience, is not all that great.

[noname]

For those considering buying a machine you have a few options, and I offer this.

1: Don't go cheap, while you can one for around 300 I advise against it. The gear inside are plastic and probably won't last long. Not to mention you'll need to get it tuned so to speak, for stick consistancy.

2: Buy electronic. These usually start at around 700 - 800 and up. You'll get perfect stich consistancy, and the gears should be incased. So you shouldn't have to have it oiled or tuned. But watch out, they can still have plastic gears, your gunna want all metal gears inside.

3: What I wish I would have known when I got mine. A surger, a good surger can do everything a regular sewing machine can do ( except buttons )as well as surge. This will give you true professionally quality clothing. While there are cheapter 500 dollar version, if your really looking for a quality surger that does all the stiches required for different clothing, your going to need a 5 thread surger and a decent one should start at around 1500.

Lastly, when it comes to buying a machine it's like the used car lot, you can bargin.

Just incase anyone wants to know.

[BOOTLOVINGGIRL]

I wish I could sew on a button. It would be a big help in male mode.

[Karren H]

I can prick my fingers a lot!!!

Karren

[Dragster]

Kattie, I too have made a few skirts from old trousers, and I thought I had an original idea to do that! I've also re-modeled some skirts that my wife had thrown out. I like them really tight, and shorter than she wears, so......

I started by sewing curtains over 30 years ago, after a challenge from my wife. I've since made clothes for her and my two kids, so now it's my turn!

Tony

[mary sue]

I love to sew learned to on a treadle singer also love to cook

[shannonsilk]

i bought an inexpensive machine used some yrs ago. it does have metal gears. i mostly was doing repairs and alterations. buttons are easy on a machine. recently i made a skirt and a simple purse. i was pleased with the results.
does my new avatar show me in the skirt? i think so.

[tacal]

I really enjoy sewing, I design and make kites. Mostly for my own use, but have made a few and sold them. As far a clotheing goes, I do alterations on some of my clothes and also occasionally some alterations for my wife.

[Robin Leigh]

What a great thread! Sorry, I can't resist the opportunity for a pun.

I love to sew learned to on a treadle singer

That's so cool, Mary Sue! My baby sister (who has a BA in fashion & textiles) has one in her sewing room. She can use it, but prefers her electronic.

I can sew by hand, but I prefer to use a machine when I can. I've also had fun playing with overlockers.

I've never sewn a complete garment, but I've made minor repairs & altered a few hemlines over the years. I admit I do have a tendency to break needles when sewing denim by machine.

I was taught how to sew on buttons when I was in primary school. It might have been one of my grandmothers who taught me, or even a great-grandmother. My memory is a little cloudy on the exact details.

My mum taught me to knit, but I haven't done any since I was a teenager. I taught myself how to do French knitting, which is fun. Mum tried to teach me to crochet, but I never got past chain stitch.

[size=1]FWIW, her dad taught my mum how to knit, her mum was too impatient, although she was a first-class seamstress: she could sew anything. She even made some of her daughters' wedding dresses (& the bridesmaids' dresses, of course). When my grandpa retired (in the early 1970s), he & grandma designed & built themselves a most amazing "pop-up" tent, for use on their travels around our fair continent. [/size]

I can sew well enough to make repairs, but my hand-sewing (and kniting) are not particularly neat. However, a few weeks ago I succesfully repaired a couple of pairs of stretchy lacy black thongs. The lace was becoming detached from the elastic. They're now both as good as new.


To anyone who can't thread a needle, maybe you should re-read "Huckleberry Finn". When he CDed, he was read by not using the correct technique to thread a needle.



Robin

[Melinda G]

I bought a sewing machine, years ago, to make some canvas awnings and other stuff for my boat. I can sew fairly well, but I'm not about to make a whole dress. I can however, alter stuff to fit me better. Since men have bigger shoulders than women, if I buy a dress that I can get into, it usually is too long. So I shorten them up considerably, and hem it. I also have made a cute little short sleeved dress from a long sleeved dress. Shortening and hemming stuff, is a no brainer.

[JoanFlores]

Only buttons for me.

[Casey Morgan]

I've never sewn on a button but we had to do some sewing back in junior high. I can't stitch a straight line so making my own clothes is out, but I could sew things for crafts.

[JoAnnDallas]

That is one thing my wife likes about me. I can sew. When I was in high school, they finially opend "Home Economics" to the boys. The class I was in was about 80% boys. LOL I don't think they expected such turn of boys. Anyway, one of the things we learned was how to sew. That is how to mend items, sew buttons back on, how to thread a needle, and etc. Later on in the school year, we were introduced to the sewing machine. How to set it up, how to thread it, and how to use one. The last thing we did and we got graded on it, was to take a pattern for a shirt, select the material, cut it out using the pattern, sew it up, do the button holes and buttons. Then we had to wear it to class. The teacher then had us standup and she had us turn slowly around so she could get a good look at it.

[LizCD]

Never made my own clothes... but can sew and alter everything that I need to!

[lauraabdl]

buttons are easy, alterations no problem, a complete dress I don't know havent tried.