Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[lareine]

I found one on Etsy (for twice as much). This is exactly what I saw at the shop: http://www.etsy.com/listing/4615337...&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=1&order=&includes

Does this attach to the sewing machine??

Yes, it attaches to the machine. You use the flat metal part (which is visible in the bottom of the green case in those photos) to cover the feed dogs so your sewing machine isn't pulling the fabric from the bottom, and attach the main part to the machine. It goes on from behind and attaches at the same place you attach ordinary feet with the screw, and also has a lever that goes around the little screw that holds the needle in. When your needle goes up and down, part of the buttonholer goes up and down with it.

 

[lareine]

Okay sewing machine gurus... another second (third, fourth, fifth) hand machine has found it's way to me. It's a Singer Golden Touch and Sew (a 620 I believe), from 1968.

Does it have metal gears or plastic? I believe you're best to steer clear of the ones with plastic gears, but if it's an older model with all-metal then it would be worth a shot. Since you already have it, you might as well give it a go anyway

 

[Wire9Vintage]

Thanks Lareine! I looked and looked at that thing and couldn't figure it out quite. I've only ever seen and used the button holer feet, which are small and rather simple contraptions. My machine's button holer foot works OK with practice (every time I need to do button holes, I need to refresh and do umpteen test runs!). And they're rather limited (no big buttons or teeny buttons!)

So you say these babies work like a charm, huh? Good to know!

 

[Lady Day]

Don't forget to include ease when you're fitting what you made to the dress form.

Thats one think Ive noticed when working with my duct tape one. Ive never used a dress form before, I just fitted to me as best I could. The form has no ease, the garments I make do, so I keep thinking Im making everything too large! Its a strange mind trick you have to do with yourself when you use a dress form. :eusa_doh:

LD

 

[swinggal]

Thats one think Ive noticed when working with my duct tape one. Ive never used a dress form before, I just fitted to me as best I could. The form has no ease, the garments I make do, so I keep thinking Im making everything too large! Its a strange mind trick you have to do with yourself when you use a dress form. :eusa_doh:

LD

Thanks LD and Lauren. I will remember the ease advice. I've already fixed some vintage clothes and altered the sizes of some things that didn't fit me using the dress form. Soooo much easier when you can pin with the garment on the body shape. Makes me WANT to sew all the time again! Trying to fit stuff to myself before just frustrated me too much. Should have bought a form years ago!

 

[Tourbillion]

Does anyone know a way to fix very stressed, nearly ripped seams on a silk dress? It has lots of small pintucks in the sleeves and bust and a few gores in the skirt, and looks as though someone squeezed themselves into the dress even though it was much too small. I thought of fusible backing, but since it's silk and can't be ironed too hot I don't know?

I've used fusibles on silk. I keep the iron at the lowest steam setting. The trick is to not leave it too long, but long enough to melt the fusible. I don't know how well it would work for the dress though. What are you planning to use? I would think that most fusibles would be too stiff for silk, but I guess it would work for some items.

I suppose though the solution to stressed silk is to take it in until the stressed areas aren't visible any more. If you aren't a lot smaller than the dress that wouldn't work of course. I've also used darning as a solution to stressed seams.

 

[KittyT]

How does one make thread loops? You know, the kind that go with a little metal hook above a zipper. I have several to replace on various dresses and am not sure how to make them so they're strong.

 

[Inky]

How does one make thread loops? You know, the kind that go with a little metal hook above a zipper. I have several to replace on various dresses and am not sure how to make them so they're strong.

here's one of my favorite techniques:

http://mamalong.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/crochet-chain-thread-loop-tutorial/

 

[KittyT]

here's one of my favorite techniques:

http://mamalong.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/crochet-chain-thread-loop-tutorial/

Perfect, thank you! I might go re-add the missing belt loops to all of my dresses now

 

[Gracie Lee]

Okay sewing machine gurus... another second (third, fourth, fifth) hand machine has found it's way to me. It's a Singer Golden Touch and Sew (a 620 I believe), from 1968. Seems to be the heaviest of all of the four horses I have in the barn. (I have not bought a single one, I think I shall open a Sewing Machine Sanctuary and let them frolic in the hall closet)

It's a strange machine with a slanted needle arm, but from what I've read online, it's got some kind of cult following. It runs, well, it seems, though I haven't actually done more than test it out. My Nelco is freshly repaired, and finally running beautifully, should I look into moving to the Singer? (It was $5 at a flea market when my mom grabbed it, so if it needs a little TLC it's probably worth some investment if it's a good machine.)

I have a slightly earlier model Touch and Sew, I think, with a straight shaft. Definitely a heavy machine, but worth a little work to getting purring. Mine has the cams that you use to change stitches (I got it with all 20 some odd for just $25!!), and I've had good luck putting fabrics of all weights through it. If you have a good machine already, don't stress it too much, but it's a good pony to add to the collection. Have fun!

 

[BoPeep]

Underarm gussets

I'm working on Advance 7942 Design by Suzy Perette. It's a wiggle dress with several long panels and darts running from head to toe. And. . . underarm gussets. HELP! What's the trick to fitting these things?! By gusset #4, I was able to sew from the outer edge to the center of the gusset/armpit with moderate results. It almost seems that the gusset triangle is too big, or I'm not setting it in far enough. I always have waaay too many puckers at the top/center of the gusset. I sewed what I could on the machine and did the rest by hand. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!!

On the plus side, the dress seems to fit well and it's a very busy print which is hiding all my mistakes. I'll post when finished.

 

[crwritt]

I'm working on Advance 7942 Design by Suzy Perette. It's a wiggle dress with several long panels and darts running from head to toe. And. . . underarm gussets. HELP! What's the trick to fitting these things?! By gusset #4, I was able to sew from the outer edge to the center of the gusset/armpit with moderate results. It almost seems that the gusset triangle is too big, or I'm not setting it in far enough. I always have waaay too many puckers at the top/center of the gusset. I sewed what I could on the machine and did the rest by hand. Does anyone have any advice? Thank you!!

On the plus side, the dress seems to fit well and it's a very busy print which is hiding all my mistakes. I'll post when finished.

On these fussy areas, hand baste, press, then machine stitch.

 

[Christi.adell]

Grading - aka driving myself crazy

On the one vintage pattern I've done so far(size 32 bust M5226) I used the instructions here: http://sensibility.com/tips/how-to-resize-a-pattern/
to grade up one size and then did a FBA. I admit I did the FBA without even measuring since I always have to do one on modern patterns.

Now I had fitting ISSUES doing that and I think on redoing it I can leave out the FBA and just grade it up. But grading it up using that tutorial it made the neckline a lot wider than I wanted (slashing in the middle and adding width). Granted this probably isn't the best pattern to judge since the neckline is wide anyway but it seems it would make any neckline wider. Or am I doing something wrong? It seems like I must be since if it made the neckline too wide then people wouldn't do it that way.

If I'm not doing it wrong then any helpful tips for me? I was thinking adding to the sides and then doing a FBA might be better? I have been thinking about this too much and have driven myself nuts so I'm turning to you.

 

[GoddessMama]

Ok first this tutorial is wrong, the difference in sizes is 1/4 inch, not 2 inches. When grading with the slash method, you want to make many smaller slashes not three huge ones. Those huge cuts are a sure fire way to get an ill fitting pattern. She also did not adjust the length of the garment either. Try slashing 6 time on the width and 4 on the length, making many smaller spreads helps your pattern stay true to fit. An easy way to make sure you get a pattern close to take a pattern you know fits and spread your pattern slashes over top of it to make your pattern roughly the same size. Other wise your going to just spread each slash a tiny bit, a 1/16th of an inch on each slash should be enough.

 

[Puzzicato]

This is sort of a sewing question, sort of a plus-size question...

I'm going to get my dressmaker to do me a couple of pairs of 50s style cigarette pants for winter, hopefully in a wool tweed. BUT because my thighs rub together, I've had a bit of trouble in the past with trousers wearing through at the crotch. This hasn't happened with denim or heavy cotton drill, but it has happened with linen, pure wool and wool blends. So what weight/features of woollen fabrics should I be looking at to make them bomb-proof but still sewable for her?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Christi.adell]

Ok first this tutorial is wrong, the difference in sizes is 1/4 inch, not 2 inches. When grading with the slash method, you want to make many smaller slashes not three huge ones. Those huge cuts are a sure fire way to get an ill fitting pattern. She also did not adjust the length of the garment either. Try slashing 6 time on the width and 4 on the length, making many smaller spreads helps your pattern stay true to fit. An easy way to make sure you get a pattern close to take a pattern you know fits and spread your pattern slashes over top of it to make your pattern roughly the same size. Other wise your going to just spread each slash a tiny bit, a 1/16th of an inch on each slash should be enough.

Thank you!
Is slashing the best way to grade a pattern. Is there another way? Sorry for my ignorance. Slashing it and spreading it against an existing pattern seems like a good idea, I'll probably try that.

 

[kamikat]

Christi, I never slash! I've tried it a few times and it always made a very poor fitting pattern. It all depends on your body shape. I also never add length. Again, depends on your body shape. I can grade my patterns from a size 34 bust to a 46bust just by adding to the side seams, nowhere else, because that's all I need. However, I am short, high waisted, small boned and narrow shouldered. If you are tall, broad shouldered,or heavy boned, you might need to slash and spread. The best way to learn how to grade for YOUR body is to get a bunch of cheap fabric and make test garments.

 

[Black Dahlia]

Hi everyone,
I'm sure this question must have been asked in the some 100 pages of this thread..but I can't find it.

I have a pattern which is the correct measurement for me in the bust, but about 2 inches smaller in the waist. I haven't measured the pattern itself to see how much ease is in it (hopefully enough to accommodate my larger waist measurement).

My question is, do you know of any online resources that show how to alter a pattern just at the waist of a dress, or skirt?

Any links are welcome,
best,
BD

 

[HepKitty]

don't know if this has been posted or not (or if there is a better place to post this) but here is a link for a shop in Bozeman MT (my lovely Aunt Norma sent me a newspaper article about it) and there should be some stuff we in the lounge would appreciate

http://reproductionfabrics.com/

I like how it's broken into time periods...

 

[HepKitty]

Hi everyone,
I'm sure this question must have been asked in the some 100 pages of this thread..but I can't find it.

I have a pattern which is the correct measurement for me in the bust, but about 2 inches smaller in the waist. I haven't measured the pattern itself to see how much ease is in it (hopefully enough to accommodate my larger waist measurement).

My question is, do you know of any online resources that show how to alter a pattern just at the waist of a dress, or skirt?

Any links are welcome,
best,
BD

I would trace it out on pattern paper (I use cheap plastic drop cloth for painting) and add extra in the waist. I do that with my vintage patterns so I don't have to cut them, but I always have to bring the waist up a couple inches because I'm so short. if you're cutting the pattern, draw right on the paper. you may want to make a test out of muslin or something cheap to make sure you've added right. takes a lot of time though, I don't always like to