Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[Myn]

Vintage Sewing Reference Library at Vintage Sewing.info

I just stumbled on a nice website that gives access to public domain sewing books from from pre-1900 to the 1950s.

http://vintagesewing.info/index.html

Best, Myn

 

[PS]

Myn-
You couldn't have posted that at a better time. I was going to sign up for sewing classes but that was a bust:rage: , back to the books for me! THANKS! XOXO

 

[fishmeok]

I've been looking for months now but I still haven't been able to find a beginners class in the Western Minneapolis area- I've had to try and figure things out from the books...

This is a little OT but I've been working on a jacket and if anyone has any advice I'd really like to hear it.
My A-2 project thread:
http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=26538

Cheers
Mark

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

fishmeok- Have you tried a basic class at a Joann fabrics? I know they offer a beginners course!

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Just wanted to mention that the much loved 40's overalls and wide leg slacks pattern from EvaDress is now available as a multi-size pattern from size 14-40 !
http://www.evadress.com/3322.html

 

[deadpandiva]

I've been looking for months now but I still haven't been able to find a beginners class in the Western Minneapolis area- I've had to try and figure things out from the books...

This is a little OT but I've been working on a jacket and if anyone has any advice I'd really like to hear it.
My A-2 project thread:
http://thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=26538

Cheers
Mark

My sister took a begining sewing class about a year ago. She is planning on retaking it with me. I will get the info from her if you'd like and find out where in Minneapolis the lessons are.

 

[deadpandiva]

Just wanted to mention that the much loved 40's overalls and wide leg slacks pattern from EvaDress is now available as a multi-size pattern from size 14-40 !
http://www.evadress.com/3322.html

I really want to make that but I'm afraid it's beyond me.

 

[ShooShooBaby]

Just wanted to mention that the much loved 40's overalls and wide leg slacks pattern from EvaDress is now available as a multi-size pattern from size 14-40 !
http://www.evadress.com/3322.html

i'm gonna buy it!!!! i really need to ease back into sewing with a pattern i don't need to resize a bunch. thanks for posting!

 

[mrswheats]

fishmeok- Have you tried a basic class at a Joann fabrics? I know they offer a beginners course!

Also, the National Sewing and Quilting Expo will be in several major cities this year (one of them is Minneapolis, but it won't be until the late Fall). They have a pretty good sized list of classes for all skill levels--it's scheduled in Cleveland for the end of March. I'm trying to pick one day to go and maximize my time and dollar

The website is sewingexpo.com

Hope that helps!

 

[Foofoogal]

Sewing ?

Please if anyone knows which of these stitches on a machine would allow for most stretching for lack of better word? On knit fabric. for pleats.

1. Elastic stitch.
2. Stretch blind stitch.
3. triple zigzag stretch stitch.
4. triple stretch stitch.

Thanks. Sandy

 

[ASimpleLady]

What kind of machine(s) do you lot have?

Right now I'm using well at least trying to use the ancient Domestic 808 I've got that I get completely frustrated with.

I think this is my dream machine -
Janome DC 3050

 

[Miss 1929]

THIS BELONGS IN THE OTHER THREAD

The one about Sewing lessons and FAQs...Oh look, it's been moved! Wow, the bartenders in this joint are brisk!

 

[Lady Day]

I worked with ladies who sewed nothing but knit fabrics and they did their construction on a serger, or used a zig zag stitch on a conventional machine.

LD

 

[Snookie]

Please if anyone knows which of these stitches on a machine would allow for most stretching for lack of better word? On knit fabric. for pleats.

1. Elastic stitch.
2. Stretch blind stitch.
3. triple zigzag stretch stitch.
4. triple stretch stitch.

Thanks. Sandy

I think to answer this you really need to look in your machine manual, and if you can't find the answer, look for info/place to ask questions on the company website or a dedicated sewing forum.

Failing all that, or maybe this is the best option, do some tests on your fabric to see which will work the best.

Sorry to be unhelpful, but I don't think many of us sew with knits very often, and most have more basic machines (without all the fancy stitches).

 

[ShooShooBaby]

alright, i promised a friend i'm going to actually pick up a project i started 4 years ago (1940s Hollywood overalls!) but i'm having an issue with my machine! i've had it before, and just fiddle around forever until i accidently fixed it, but i don't have the time/energy for that right now.

SO. my needle is jamming every time it goes down into the, uh, bobbin area. (i'm whippin' out the technical terms for y'all!) i cannot for the life of me figure out what it's jamming on. i've messed around a bunch with the bobbin case, and i tried a new needle but that didn't help. any ideas? or do you think it's just time for a tune-up? [huh]

 

[Miss Brill]

Is the Singer Professional worth the money?
http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/...ID=33183&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=singer

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

Personally, I'm only a fan of the older, cast-iron Singer machines. Featherweights, etc. Those were truly built to last. My mother still can sew on her grandmother's Featherweight. I don't have faith in the Singer machines since they went bankrupt.

I put my money on the Janomes. Pfaff are also pretty great. But Janomes are so easy to use- very straight forward, rarely have problems, and if they do- they're easily repaired. And easily repaired= cheap to repair!

 

[Miss Brill]

Do you mean the ones with the iron base and wooden cabinet? I still have my grandmother's antique Singer from the 1880s, but I can't find needles for it.

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

They didn't all have wooden cabinets, but yes- that one! Do you know the serial numbers for the machine? (It should either be on the bottom of the base or on the right hand side near the hand crank. You can probably figure out what style machine it is. If you go to your local sewing machine repair shop (not the one at JoAnn Fabrics- someone who has a private shop is a much more reliable source), and they should be able to help you. There may even be a modern replacement for the old needles. Not to mention, if it has a belt, you might want to check and see if it needs to be replaced. It may also need to be oiled.

But the cost to repair one of these machines is usually less than (or the same price as) purchasing a new one. And if you aren't using any of the fancy stitches that the new machines have, then this is a great option. It'll last for years to come, and you probably won't have to repair it as much.

 

[Cherry_Bombb]

shooshoobaby- My unprofessional opinion w/o seeing the machine is that one of two things seem to be bent. Either you need to replace your needle (it may not look bent, but it could be), or your bobbin casing (not the bobbin) could be bent. At some point, before you had this issue, did you happen to put your bobbin in backwards? It may have sewn just fine but then the bunching of thread/ fabric started happening? Or maybe you ran over a pin in your fabric and a nice "ca-CHING" happened?

Another thing, it may need to be oiled?


Or I could be wrong entirely, and you may just need to have it serviced! [huh]

But I've had a problem like this in the past, and it was my bobbin casing being bent caused by my needle being bent. That's why I feel that's what this is.