The Sewing Room (part 2)

Savvy_sewing

I have several Craftsy classes subscriptions too. Sometimes I refer to them when I am teaching my classes.

I use lots of different sewing machines at the moment. I have acquired lots second hand as I needed them for the classes, and I have a few new machines I just brought from Silver.
At home I have a Toyota Jeans machine, and a Mylock overlocker
On the shop floor when I am sewing downstairs I use a Janome.
When I am working in the middle floor I am using a Bernetta, and a Silver Over locker.
When I am up stairs in the workshop I use a janome overlocker, a brother sewing machine, and a silver sewing machine.
I also have both a brother embroidery machine and a Silver one.
But I am greedy!
For the classes I have 4 Silver, 2 singers and a couple of heavy old machines that I can't remember the make of!!

Oh and I have a Elba treadle and a singer hand sewing machine.
I have a few other old ones lurking at home too!

Oh dear!!! I think I have just confessed to having a lot of machines!
I have a stash of fabric that beggars belief both at home and in the workshop and hundreds of books, magazines and patterns!

I think I need to seriously down size it all!

[Deleted User]

omg, mooloo !!!!

I also have three nice spinning wheels and a beautiful portable electric spinner

I watched a set of classes on craftsy last night by wendy gardiner and thoroughly enjoyed them. It was called the sewers toolbox and was all about presser feet etc. It was very well done with masses of sewn samples, definitely one I am glad I bought, will help me be faster

450 micron kraft card arrived from ebay. Looks good and have now ordered A1 grey card as I want to copy skirt patterns in one piece. So far so good, making more permanent patterns will suit me. Awkward short shape and spent months padding my model to fit. Always have to change bust, hips, waist on most patterns. Padding the model was a really big effort, lots of stuffing, well fitting stuffed bra etc. Covered with a stretchy cotton and put a zip in the back so I could take stuffing out, I hope and also black tape on hips and waist lines

Am machine washing for the first time, my husbands superb pure wool derek rose dressing gown. Very gentle wash and tested on the belt first. Had it dry cleaned several times but didn`t like the hardness or cost. I wear it now so can afford shrinkage

LesleyE

Am busy trying to organise my new sewing room...ie box room! It has a fitted wardrobe that has been without doors for donkey's years so am looking to use it as a sewing area. Have ordered a market style table which will fit in the floorspace and it already has small shelves up each side so am hoping I can leave my embroidery machine set up there. Spent yesterday putting together a spice rack for storing my threads rather than in plastic boxes. Butcher's hooks on the wardrobe rail are brilliant for embroidery hoops. My embroidery machine is poorly at present so I am starting on a small applique quilt with a huge moose and snow clad tree. Never done anything like it before...watch this space!

givememoney

Perhaps you people could help me.


I am in my sixties and when the children were young I made all of my daughters clothes, a few for my son and all of mine. Added to this I made curtains and other bits and pieces. I also did alterations for a bit of pin money.


Over the years, this all tailed off and with clothes being so much cheaper now and material shops in the decline.


Although I have continued to do bits and pieces I find I have lost the knack of making things like I used to. I have simply forgotten lots of it. Old age plus not keeping it up is what is the problem I guess.


I see you mention Craftsy on here and it appears some of you recommend it. What would you suggest to get me back on track, don't want to waste money on complete beginners, because I am not that.


Any suggestions please.

[Deleted User]

ooh GTM that is a very tricky question because only you know your own ability and what equipment you have got. I do love craftsy and it enabled me to brush up on old skills and to learn so much new but I never really left sewing completely. To me, you do sound very competent and maybe just need to get going on something like a skirt for yourself

Fabrics have changed a lot these days and so much now is stretchy and slippery, so there are new techniques but if you know about using the right thread and the right needle and the best way to hold it so that the lower feed dog doesn`t move the bottom faster than the top, then stretchy is fine but cutting is harder and that is where craftsy taught me

I am just at the end of my break, haha. got utterly carried away with stash busting/ using cut out fabric. I put the date on the bundle, june 2013. Jalie 2682. No notes from me, made do and mend in 2013. Took me an hour to work out how to make that top, realising that I had been short on fabric so cut alternative pieces for the top front and sleeves. Almost done the main body now, just sleeves left. View B with sleeves. Patterned body, plain sleeves. Very easy once I worked it out but will write copious notes for next time.

Walking foot is invaluable as the fabric is stretchy

[Deleted User]

:T

Finished and its in my wardrobe. It was only a prototype instead of a muslin but nice enough to wear. Excellent pattern, very easy and smart. Will be making it again but in better quality fabric. The one I just made is a small boxy print pink and white with pink long sleeves. Fit is great. That is why I like jalie, because all the measurements are on the sheet and it is easy to grade between sizes, I altered the pattern to fit and also the paper is thick. I made a copy in 2013 with swedish tracing paper, so it will last some time. Will be making notes tomorrow. A good day

[Deleted User]

I had an e mail from ottobre. They have just done a re-print of a very requested autumn/winter 2012 edition of ladies patterns. Dots n stripes have already sold out. I have just ordered mine directly from ottobre. Costs about £12 in all but is fantastic value. If you have never seen ottobre, then you are given sturdy pattern sheets containing multiple patterns and sizes. You trace them. Sizing for me is excellent as it is so easy to grade from one size to another. I made the parka in one magazine and wear it a lot. If you click on the pdf link, then you get to see the patterns

https://www.ottobredesign.com/lehdet_js/2012_5/index.html?en

How to buy it, scroll down

https://www.ottobredesign.com/subscription/single.php

[Deleted User]

me again, just having a break and I like to see what others are up to. Had to do house jobs first because I am making another jalie top. Loved it and have stash so good to go It takes 2 way stretch and have some in lovely orange/white/grey/black, unfussy flowers on a black background. Also got some nice simple self patterned in grey from a german online shop, got it 18 months ago and have a feeling that I didn`t wash it before storing, drat, so now queued up to wash this morning (shrinkage). Managed to cut all pieces out from the coloured fabric but might be too colourful, so will be cutting out grey sleeves and then decide, will be keeping colourful offcuts for a bit of something to add to grey body to match colourful sleeves, if I also make it in basic grey too (probably will). No pins, I have weights with pins, pattern only has cut markings

I shouldn`t browse I found what looks like a recommended ace supplier of stretchy, gives % stretch so less hit n miss. 10% off first order, lovely looking fabrics, so I ordered and then some.

Fabric yardage estimates. I`ll be putting metric on in ballpoint and then laminating
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/estimating-fabric-yardage-needs-for-common-misses-.html

[Deleted User]

oh, my fifth post in a row, nearly didn`t write one but I have reached a critical stage in another project. Already cut out a long time ago from, I think, ponte,never used ponte before. Dark brown for neck, facings and sleeves, the rest cream. Was lovely to sew and very easy to ease into place.

I treated this top again, like a muslin, ie my first sew of a new pattern. I will have to make simple alterations before I transfer finally to swedish paper. I like the pattern, not sure about the very contrasty colours I used but would definitely make this again in one colour. The hips will have to be more flared out from the underarms for me and maybe make the shoulders slightly narrower. Sleeves are good and the fabric felt nice on my skin but static formed, which I don`t like. Next time will be stretch cotton blend or viscose blend

Sewing was easy using a needle new yesterday and putting any fabric to be eased on the bottom when sewing. I accidentally cut the back neck facing in brown and it was showing towards the front, I had understitched. So I decided to make a feature of it and stictched close to the ditch so I had a brown binding at the top. I won`t be using two colours on this again. It was quite a bit harder than the jalie pattern

I did the dress neck but as a top. I`ll try it on again tomorrow with hem pinned up. If I like it, I`ll keep it. Sometimes shortening the hem makes a big difference to me. Next time will be the top as shown

http://www.joann.com/mccall-pattern-k3826-xs-s-m-l-x-kwik-sew-pattern/13258835.html

Hard_Up_Hester

Hi all
Kittie, your post on another thread inspired me to start following this one.
I made a tiny dog bed yesterday for DGD's toy dog & I managed to sew a button on a cardigan, not much of an achievement but it's half term now so I'm hoping to get more sewing done next week.
I do have a question if anybody can help, I have some fleece that I made baby items from and I find I frequently break the sewing machine needles and I don't know why, any ideas?
I have two dresses cut out ready to sew and my craft/sewing room is bursting at the seams, I really need to get some stuff made this week.
Hester