Sewing challenge..........

mrs-moneypenny

I'll join in for a sewing weekend. i've got a pile of mending and i need to trun a pail f curtains into a valance/pelmet type thing to finish them off. They were a bargain i got two pairs of fully lined curtains (1 floor length and 1 about a foot below the window sill for £7 for both from a car boot) the rail cost £1.50 from the same place.
I should have enough to make matching cushion covers.

Having said all this i wont get much time on the puter all weekend so ill report back on monday if i got them done.

Good luck with your clothes making and i hope everyone else gets all their mending projects completed.

sheng719

I'm definitely in! I have a couple of projects that I have been meaning to do...such as: a patchwork quilt from old duvet covers, I wanted to make a denim skirt out of old pair of denim jeans (I don't know how but will find out soon...) and a couple of cushion covers for our future house in Bristol...

broomstick27

Realised i'm away at the weekend so started yesterday instead. Tried to mend OHs leather jacket but that was a disaster - lets not go there!

Made a nice little bag out of an old tshirt and plan to make some new Tshirts today. Any tips on using a sewing machine to sew stretchy material without it going all stretched? I have it on the longest stitch setting but that is not particularly long - old rubbish sewing machine (yeah i know a bad workman and all that!) Dont want to make everything by hand cos that will tak for ever!

broomie

x

LizD_2

broomstick27 wrote:

Realised i'm away at the weekend so started yesterday instead. Tried to mend OHs leather jacket but that was a disaster - lets not go there!

Made a nice little bag out of an old tshirt and plan to make some new Tshirts today. Any tips on using a sewing machine to sew stretchy material without it going all stretched? I have it on the longest stitch setting but that is not particularly long - old rubbish sewing machine (yeah i know a bad workman and all that!) Dont want to make everything by hand cos that will tak for ever!

broomie

x

Try a ball point needle and a small zig-zag stitch if you have one.

broomstick27

a ball point needle?? what does that look like?
can u tell i'm no sewing expert!

frugalfairy_3

A ballpoint needle looks like an ordinary one except that the very tip of it is rounded rather than pointed, so that it slides between the threads rather than making a hole in knitted fabrics. You should be able to get a packet from wherever you usually get your needles etc from.

Use a small zigzag as LizD suggests and if it's very stretchy material and still plays up, as a last resort you can use thin strips of loo roll under the fabric against the feed dogs (the bottom of the machine where the needle goes in) to stabilise it a bit.

I wish I could join in this weekend's challenge, I have tons and TONS of sewing half done but we will be taking DS back to uni tomorrow which as it's 200 miles away will take all day.

Have fun, good luck all!
FF x

LizD_2

frugalfairy wrote:

A ballpoint needle looks like an ordinary one except that the very tip of it is rounded rather than pointed, so that it slides between the threads rather than making a hole in knitted fabrics. You should be able to get a packet from wherever you usually get your needles etc from.

Use a small zigzag as LizD suggests and if it's very stretchy material and still plays up, as a last resort you can use thin strips of loo roll under the fabric against the feed dogs (the bottom of the machine where the needle goes in) to stabilise it a bit.

I wish I could join in this weekend's challenge, I have tons and TONS of sewing half done but we will be taking DS back to uni tomorrow which as it's 200 miles away will take all day.

Have fun, good luck all!
FF x

Don't worry, I'm sure i shall need to organise another one soon!

frugalfairy_3

LizD wrote:

Don't worry, I'm sure i shall need to organise another one soon!

Hope so! I have almost no winter clothes to wear due to all this OS baking I keep trying! :rotfl: :rotfl:

FF x

broomstick27

So my early sewing weekend is nearly over and i managed two things - the bag yesterday and today a denim + khaki skirt. Not everything i wanted to get done but i love the skirt - am soo proud of myself!!

broomie

x

LizD_2

broomstick27 wrote:

So my early sewing weekend is nearly over and i managed two things - the bag yesterday and today a denim + khaki skirt. Not everything i wanted to get done but i love the skirt - am soo proud of myself!!

broomie

x

Well done you! I'm about to go and make some in-roads into the pile. Unfortuneately, the house needed cleaning this morning!