Does anyone else make their own clothes

Hardup_Hester

Fingers crossed for your car Mooloo.
Hester

Savvy_sewing

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

Fingers crossed for your car Mooloo.
Hester

Thanks, I have been in the village over the past few weeks without the car and its pretty frustrating and lonely!
Now where's the best light to hand sew! The weather has gone pretty dull and yuk out there, very overcast. Not good light in the dining room where I normally sew. Sitting room is a bit brighter.

:rolleyes:

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Hiya - please bear with me, as I didn't go through the thread (999 posts was scary). Does anyone use a knitting machine anymore? I made jumpers for myself when I was about 10 and found it really easy, and with the cost of knitwear these days, I would like to start again, but obviously, all the old gear and patterns is long gone.

purpleivy

Icey77 wrote: »

Being a complete novice I'll be buying cotton based fabric from Dunelm Mills tomorrow - I'll ask the assistants there, hopefully they might be able to advise.

No buying of expensive fabrics for me!!
unless I find I can do this and catch the bug

As a rule, I would wash fabric before cutting out if the final item will be washed, so that for me would be clothes and curtains/cushion covers etc. Even for fabrics that won't wash, eg. wool suiting, you need to steam it before cutting out to allow the shrinkage to take place.

TomsMom

Hello, it's me again! The sheets worked out really well, now I have a question about curtain track. I started a thread about it but didn't get an answer so as you're all sew-ers and might know about curtains I'll copy my questions here:

We've just bought some curtains that have pencil pleat headings. I like to have the curtain hooks in the middle pockets as I like to see a bit of the heading above the rail. They are quite heavy curtains and the normal Sologlyde track isn't recommended for their weight. The Swish Deluxe type of track which is recommended for heavier curtains doesn't allow any of the heading to be above the track even when the hooks are put through the lowest pocket.

Does anyone know of a track for a straight run (wall to wall, floor to ceiling curtains, that's why they're heavy) that allows the middle pocket of the heading tape to be used so that the heading can stand above the track?

Also, how many hooks is best to use on the tape to give a nice drape without the heading looking untidy when the curtains are open. One hook - two pockets - another hook? Or a hook in alternate pockets?

Savvy_sewing

TomsMom wrote: »

Hello, it's me again! The sheets worked out really well, now I have a question about curtain track. I started a thread about it but didn't get an answer so as you're all sew-ers and might know about curtains I'll copy my questions here:

We've just bought some curtains that have pencil pleat headings. I like to have the curtain hooks in the middle pockets as I like to see a bit of the heading above the rail. They are quite heavy curtains and the normal Sologlyde track isn't recommended for their weight. The Swish Deluxe type of track which is recommended for heavier curtains doesn't allow any of the heading to be above the track even when the hooks are put through the lowest pocket.

Does anyone know of a track for a straight run (wall to wall, floor to ceiling curtains, that's why they're heavy) that allows the middle pocket of the heading tape to be used so that the heading can stand above the track?

Also, how many hooks is best to use on the tape to give a nice drape without the heading looking untidy when the curtains are open. One hook - two pockets - another hook? Or a hook in alternate pockets?

My heavy curtains are on wooden poles with rings, the hook goes into the bottm of the ring, and therefore I can use the middle of the tape for positioning my hooks.

When hanging curtains i usually put my hooks every 5 spaces.
Hope that will help you. x
(Any shop that sells curtains, etc should be able to give you specific advise. Without necessity of you purchasing from them!

TomsMom

Mooloo wrote: »

My heavy curtains are on wooden poles with rings, the hook goes into the bottm of the ring, and therefore I can use the middle of the tape for positioning my hooks.

When hanging curtains i usually put my hooks every 5 spaces.
Hope that will help you. x
(Any shop that sells curtains, etc should be able to give you specific advise. Without necessity of you purchasing from them!

Thanks Mooloo. I've had a pole with rings in a previous house and thought about it with these pencil pleat headings but it wouldn't be the right look for this room.

I've asked in two shops. The first one didn't sell anything heavier than the Sologlyde for medium weight curtains and tried to tell me that would be OK. The second shop again tried to say Sologlyde would be fine but when we pointed out that it said medium weight on the packaging she said they could order track for the heavyweight ones but she thought they all were the same, i.e. gliders hang from bottom of track so you can only use the bottom pockets which means the curtains just cover the track but the heading doesn't stand above.

I think I'll have to concede defeat then and forego my little standy up bit above the track.

I did think about eyelet curtains as they would probably suit the room but we couldn't get a pole long enough and we were told the room is too wide for the curtains/pole to be supported by just three supports, i.e. the two ends and middle one.

Never mind, the curtains are lovely and wont be spoilt for the want of a certain type of track, it's just me being picky :rotfl: .

Hardup_Hester

Hi Jojo
Sorry I don't use a knitting machine & don't know anyone who does, you could try the knitters thread.
Hester

champys

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Hiya - please bear with me, as I didn't go through the thread (999 posts was scary). Does anyone use a knitting machine anymore? I made jumpers for myself when I was about 10 and found it really easy, and with the cost of knitwear these days, I would like to start again, but obviously, all the old gear and patterns is long gone.

Hi Jojo - I inherited my MIL's old Passap and have made it my mission to learn how to use it! I'm doing OK, got the thing working and getting through learning the basics. It is amazingly quick to make just about anything, and I'm really getting hooked!
To answer your question about 'old gear and patterns', I found anything I needed on eBay - from replacement parts and needles for this particular model to manuals, stitch guides and loads of patterns. If you don't have a knitting machine anymore, you will find them on eBay as well. I have also found that some of the older sewing machine shops (here in France) can help with accessories. Good luck!

homealone_2

i have a brand new machine still in box and am going to christen it this week by making a sarong. i have bought many, even ones quoted as extra large but still while in spain a few weeks ago they were still gaping. i am a generous size 24 and am hoping to go away for a week at end of august and was hoping to bring my first assignment but have no idea about measurements? can anyone give me rough idea of what i should be looking for am hoping to get an offcut?