Sewing Lessons & FAQ

[Smuterella]

there is a button setting on the machine I'm using and I just put a button hole into a piece of fabric. its OK, my concern would be getting the buttonhole in the right place, but it really wasn't that hard to actually use the 3 step setting on the machine.

my newbie advice - get a machine with button hole setting

 

[Snookie]

I think zippers are MUCH easier than buttons. Plus they're easier to take out if /when something goes wrong. But, as with everything, practice makes perfect and to each her own!

 

[Lady Day]

you make buttons sound like a breeze, lady day!
my nan who was a seamstress alwasy told me that button holes were much harder than just fitting a zip. so i never thought about using buttons so far. i've been tryin stuff with zips and then adding a hook.

are they really that easy?

I learned to do buttons before zippers so I am partial to them. I put buttons on everything! Its not an obstacle of any kind I did horrid zippers when I first started (some are still not so good). I also like the look of buttons (depending on where they are on the garment) and the multitude of vintage buttons to choose from

LD

 

[Idledame]

My suggestion would be to use woven cotton or cotton-polyester for the first projects. Don't try using any material that's slippery or stretchy or that unravels alot. Also, a nice all over print hides alot of problems, whereas a puckered seam would really show on a solid light color. A puckered seam just disappears in a busy pattern! I would try the full or A-line skirt first, leave the pencil skirt until you get the hang of things. Good luck!

 

[Smuterella]

thanks Idledame

I have a question, I just received delivery of a most gorgeous navy blue vintage dress in a silky sort of fabric. soft but quite sturdy. its fits like a dream but, the seam has just unravelled all the way up one side and all seams obviously need reinforcing. Is it a professional job or can I just sew them myself following the original lines?

thanks!

 

[Lady Day]

Oh you can do that yourself. Just get a matching thread and off you go. But if the fabric is light, you may want to have a silk needle (its a thinner needle you can get at any fabric store) so it wont punch too large a hole in the fabric.

Other than that, you will be fine!

I wanna see the dress!

LD

 

[Smuterella]

Thanks Lady Day, I'll give it a whirl tonight and if I succeed I shall surely post pics

x

 

[59Lark]

singer sewing machine guru

I couldnt help but reply when i saw this post, i have been a singer sewing machine mechanic dealer for about twenty six years started as an apprentice at eighteen and now am forty four. Now due to the fact that I stuck in the past i grit my teeth when people are recommending plastic throw away chinese sewing machines, the singer machine pre 1960s are ten times machines most make today. If you must buy new a janome or elna would be a good quality machine, janome doesnt make machines in china.

Singer used to have a lot of sewing guide and how to books in the thirties and forties and fifites, i should look in the basement. I have about two hundred old machines and parts and stuff in my basement. I think i remember a guide of some kind from the forties, also might be some stuff like that on ebay. well gotta start my day, lots of things to fix and tomorrow is amish day when i go to farm area and fix treadle machines for the amish. lark 59 mike

 

[mrswheats]

I learned to do buttons before zippers so I am partial to them. I put buttons on everything! Its not an obstacle of any kind I did horrid zippers when I first started (some are still not so good). I also like the look of buttons (depending on where they are on the garment) and the multitude of vintage buttons to choose from LD

I had the exact same experience--I started doing middle ages reenactment when I was eighteen, and pretty much mastered buttons. I'm almost 35 now, and I'm JUST starting to get the hang of zippers lol

 

[Darhling]

Help with finding a vintage pattern!

I am not sure if this belongs here or in the vintage pattern thread, but I have seen a dress from Stop Staring that is just beautiful and I would love to find a pattern that recreates the special lines of this dress - I hope it is okay to post pics from stop staring, if not the Bartenders can remove it. It is called the Sydney Dress from Stop Staring.

any directions for fabrics would be awesome aswell

I am a RTW size 6/8

Thank you in advance!

 

[Darhling]

Help with pattern sizes!!

I also have another question .. I have measured myself - my bust (including the girlies here) is 39 inches, waist is 31 and hips is 39 too. I seem to fall between sizes in some patterns (or am I reading them wrong?) like Butterick. I fall between a size 16 and 18 .. and of course those particular sizes are in two different packages.. My questions are these :

Am I looking at the measuring charts wrong?
Am I choosing sizes that are 'skin'size and not clothing sized?
Since I do not wish to look like a sack o' potatoes or dressed in something that is ill-fitting, should I size up or down?

I would like in the future to make patterns like Butterick 6582 if that helps (both the tight dress and the full skirted dress)

I hope you can help me ladies!

Thank you all again for an awesome site!

Darhling

 

[ShortClara]

I couldnt help but reply when i saw this post, i have been a singer sewing machine mechanic dealer for about twenty six years started as an apprentice at eighteen and now am forty four. Now due to the fact that I stuck in the past i grit my teeth when people are recommending plastic throw away chinese sewing machines, the singer machine pre 1960s are ten times machines most make today. If you must buy new a janome or elna would be a good quality machine, janome doesnt make machines in china.

Singer used to have a lot of sewing guide and how to books in the thirties and forties and fifites, i should look in the basement. I have about two hundred old machines and parts and stuff in my basement. I think i remember a guide of some kind from the forties, also might be some stuff like that on ebay. well gotta start my day, lots of things to fix and tomorrow is amish day when i go to farm area and fix treadle machines for the amish. lark 59 mike

That is so neat 59Lark! I learned to sew on a very old all metal Singer and it was amazing! In fact, both costumers I worked for only used the old and reliable machines I need to go to the Singer site as my (recent) one is mucking up the underside with bunching up and loopy bobbin thread. I'm hoping they have a troubleshooting guide there.

 

[positivelypinup]

I just got a Bernina sewing machine. It has so many options. Im amazed. I just started taking sewing lessons. I sewed my first button today and i got excited... It made me feel like a dork..especially since its all in memory and i just have to press buttons and my foot down.

 

[Darhling]

I just got a Bernina sewing machine. It has so many options. Im amazed. I just started taking sewing lessons. I sewed my first button today and i got excited... It made me feel like a dork..especially since its all in memory and i just have to press buttons and my foot down.

ooooh congrats!! My mother in law RAVES about Bernina, she is a genius at sewing and just love Bernina! I can't wait to see all the wonderfull things you make!

 

[Snookie]

I also have another question .. I have measured myself - my bust (including the girlies here) is 39 inches, waist is 31 and hips is 39 too. I seem to fall between sizes in some patterns (or am I reading them wrong?) like Butterick. I fall between a size 16 and 18 .. and of course those particular sizes are in two different packages.. My questions are these :

Am I looking at the measuring charts wrong?
Am I choosing sizes that are 'skin'size and not clothing sized?
Since I do not wish to look like a sack o' potatoes or dressed in something that is ill-fitting, should I size up or down?

I would like in the future to make patterns like Butterick 6582 if that helps (both the tight dress and the full skirted dress)

I hope you can help me ladies!

Thank you all again for an awesome site!

Darhling

I've never really heard of anyone needing to size up with a modern pattern. Most of us size down significantly. I'd recommend the 16. Check to see if they list the finished garment measurements (they might be listed on the tissue pattern pieces). That should help. Also, and I think you realize this, you can cut one size for the top and a different size for the bottom (or the waist, wherever), and just blend the lines.

Wasn't there someone else who was looking at that pattern a while ago? Try running a search to find out who and ask them if they have any tips for it.

 

[AllaboutEve]

Has anyone added shoulder pads to a vintage dress before and if so do you have a link to where I might buy some?
I have a medium weight rayon crepe dress that I feel would really benefit from a little bit of structure at the shoulder, (avoiding the Crystal Carrington look if possible!!lol )
Any advice would be more than welcome as I have never dealt with shoulder pads before!!

 

[Idledame]

You can still buy shoulder pads at Joanne's so they probably have them at clotilde.com too. You can get different shapes and thicknesses. They're modern foam of course, but that dries faster and keeps its shape better than the old cotton batting ones. Your dress may well have had pads that were removed at a later date to make it look less 40's. I did that to a number of 1940s jackets that I wore in the late 60's early 70s. (Why didn't I save them? One pair from a velvet jacket must have been 4" high!)

 

[Idledame]

Question- I have always sewn on cotton in the past-easy to preshrink. Now that I'm buying rayon, they say to hand wash cold and hang dry or dry clean. Do I still have to pre-shrink? Will hand washing and hang drying even do it? Any tips? Dry Cleaning will cost about $2 a yard

 

[AllaboutEve]

You can still buy shoulder pads at Joanne's so they probably have them at clotilde.com too. You can get different shapes and thicknesses. They're modern foam of course, but that dries faster and keeps its shape better than the old cotton batting ones. Your dress may well have had pads that were removed at a later date to make it look less 40's. I did that to a number of 1940s jackets that I wore in the late 60's early 70s. (Why didn't I save them? One pair from a velvet jacket must have been 4" high!)

Thanks for the info Idledame, I'm off to town tomorrow to try and find some! I'm not sure what shape or thickness to get but I guess if it's something that you can readily buy then I'll probably be able to find somewhere where I can feel them and try and decide on the right ones.
It's interesting what you say about how sometimes the shoulder pads were removed as that is what I have been suspecting about this particular 40's dress and when I stuff a tissue or two under the shoulders it looks much better.
Hopefully I won't have to use some that are 4" high lol Lordy that is one pair of shoulders!!

 

[Miss Crisplock]

What I know I learned on an Elna Super.

I got a serger for Christmas, and it's time to get sewing.

I LIKE THE METAL.