Any other sewers?

[dawbs]

pics might help see if there's a way to disguise the patching.

I'm lousy at that sort of repair...but if it were me, I'd see if I could do an 'iron on' (the denim ones are nice for this, IMO) on a piece of 'good' fabric, that isn't oing yet, and anchor the patch through the 'good' fabric and the iron on.

But I"m not describing that well.

[Claddagh]

I just had a random thought. What about sewing a strip of fabric around the neck to make it look like he's wearing a collar?

[Bethella]

I think pics are needed to fully understand the problem and come up with acceptable solutions- although I think the idea of putting a collar on would be useful if the tear is in the right area, maybe a hat it it is further up the head?

[already hungover]

I'll post some pictures when I can get them off of my phone. Thanks for the ideas!

[Just_Jane]

I sew! I enjoy making useful objects like bags and decorative items like pillows. I decided to get back into garment making for myself.

[Claddagh]

I sew! I enjoy making useful objects like bags and decorative items like pillows. I decided to get back into garment making for myself.

I've had fun making pillow covers but the cats shred them. :naughty: I now have to store them inside a box.

[Guest Anonymous]

Maybe one of you fine FJers can help me. I don't really know how to sew. I can reattach a button and sort of mend a small hole. Here's my semi-humiliating dilemma.

I have a much beloved stuffed dog named Squashy. I received him on the day my little sister was born 22 years ago and he's got a lot of sentimental value. Over the years, he's had a few tears here and there, all of them along seams and mended by my mom. However, he recently sustained a rather large wound on the head/neck area. I tried to sew it but it just keeps tearing again, and larger each time. The rip isn't just along the seam this time and is pretty jagged. It's like the fabric has gotten old and is shredding to bits with any strain.

So, I decided that I might need to do a skin graft. The difficulty is that he's made of a silky, lightweight fabric, not plush. It might be nylon? I'm worried that it's just going to keep ripping because it doesn't have enough substance to hold the thread anymore. Compounding the difficulty is the fact that the fabric is a rather early-90slicious shade of Miami Vice turquoise. Where the hell am I supposed to find matching fabric to make a patch? A friend suggested I cut a piece from a less-visible area (uh, so the dog is wearing a pair of boxer shorts) and use that, but I am a huge lamewad and I honestly don't know that I can bring myself to do it.

If I go to Joann Fabrics or the like are they going to be able to help me, either with finding a matching patch or with technique for sewing it? I'm in Portland (OR) if anyone has recommendations for sewing resources that I don't know about.

Also apologies for like the dumbest question ever. I can maybe post photos of the damage if it would be helpful.

When my beloved teddy bear lost so much skin from her eye area that the hole was too big for an eye transplant, I cut the stitches around her ears and found enough spare skin in the seam allowance between her head and ears to graft onto the eye area.

[Claddagh]

This made me laugh.

[nokidsmom]

This made me laugh.

Oooohh yes! Having worked at a fabric store while in college I can attest to this.

There were a couple of arguments that erupted over a bolt or at the remnant table :shock:. I don't recall anyone coming to blows, but the store manager had to intervene.

[Claddagh]

Oooohh yes! Having worked at a fabric store while in college I can attest to this.

There were a couple of arguments that erupted over a bolt or at the remnant table :shock:. I don't recall anyone coming to blows, but the store manager had to intervene.

I know a lady who owned a fabric store for a short while. She had to close because California is not small business friendly tax wise. She had a day long going out of business sale where instead of buying fabric by the yard you bought it by the bolt for a flat price. She asked me to help her out and there were two women arguing in Spanish. I don't speak Spanish very well but I was able to make out some nasty words being said back and forth.

On the plus side I got first choice of everything so I picked up a ton of buttons and several bolts of fabric for free. :D Most of the fabric was too small to make any clothes out of so I've set them aside for quilting projects.

[Confused_by_religion]

I sew, but I don't have enough time to do it.

At the moment, I am sewing Vogue 8543 with a lace overlay on the lapels and a bit of the back, but I made a semi-serious mistake as I ALWAYS have to change the bust part of the patterns. Which, of course, I didn't. Now I'm agonizing whether to make arm hole darts (don't know if this is the right word) or henceforth run around with fabric bunching above my boobs.

Oh well.

I'm sure I'll get fed up with having the poor unfinished jacked staring at me reproachfully from right across my bed. Sewing mistakes are SO annoying.

I need to do another quilt, too, as I've just given one away.

[nokidsmom]

I sewed pretty consistently from the time I learned at the age of 14 to my mid 20's. These days I have periods that I do a lot then take a break for a few months. Right now I am on a hawaiian shirt roll and just completed these two projects.

The green one is for my husband and the pattern is an aloha shirt pattern from Victoria Jones. I ordered the fabric online from a source in Hawaii. This one with the palm trees is for me and is a modified Kwik Sew camp shirt pattern. I picked up this fabric years ago while visiting my sister in Utah at the local Ben Franklin Crafts store believe it or not and finally got to using it.

I have two sewing machines. Both are Berninas. I have had one since the mid-90s and I got the other a few years ago when my local sewing machine outlet when out of business. I was strictly a Singer fan but they aren't the same anymore.

[LadyBlue]

I'm a very occasional sewer, at least partially because I've never managed to understand regular patterns, much less create them like some of you talented people. I mostly just hem and fix rips, although I've also made a half dozen baby carriers, MT style, a few dozen cloth diapers and I'm working on doing some quilting kind of sewing on cushions that my children are then going to sew together (the older 2, anyway, the 4 year old is NOT sewing lol).

At least, that's what I was working on, my sewing machine motor smells like it's burnt out now and since it was only around $100, 11 years ago, I'm not sure it's worth getting fixed, so I'm looking at getting a new machine. I have a feeling I'll be looking for awhile, I'm so confused. Part of me wants a "fancy" expensive (to me) $300 machine and part things I should just go with a basic one that I can get for $150 or so. Heck, I can't even decide if I should stay with my current make (Singer) or go with a Kenmore since I have a gift card for Sears.

I have made some clothes, but it was very, very long ago.

[nokidsmom]

At least, that's what I was working on, my sewing machine motor smells like it's burnt out now and since it was only around $100, 11 years ago, I'm not sure it's worth getting fixed, so I'm looking at getting a new machine. I have a feeling I'll be looking for awhile, I'm so confused. Part of me wants a "fancy" expensive (to me) $300 machine and part things I should just go with a basic one that I can get for $150 or so. Heck, I can't even decide if I should stay with my current make (Singer) or go with a Kenmore since I have a gift card for Sears.

Not sure how old your machine is, but older Singers were pretty dependable. If it's served you well, it may be worth it to look into the motor problem and see if it's worth the money to fix or replace the motor. It may or may not need to be done but if you have a good repair service near you (check if there are any online reviews), you could see if they can take a look at it first and give you an estimate.

I wish I kept my first Singer that I got in 1983. It worked well but decided I wanted something fancier so I ditched it for the new machine. Big mistake. New machine lasted all of two years before I lost patience and got the first Bernina. My mom's old Singer is still going strong. It's mechanical and not fancy but it's reliable. Even if you go with a newer fancier machine, the old one may be worth keeping as a backup machine. Kept the old mechanical Bernina even after getting the new fancy "sewing computer" that my new Bernina is called as per the manufacturers manual.

[Claddagh]

Nicely done with the shirts Nokidsmom.

My grandma has one of those Singer machines from the 1950's. It's picky at times but still runs well. That was the machine she taught me how to sew on.

[LadyBlue]

It was new 11 years ago, so it's not one of the older good ones. My mom has a Singer from the 60s or 70s that's still going.

[nokidsmom]

Nicely done with the shirts Nokidsmom.

My grandma has one of those Singer machines from the 1950's. It's picky at times but still runs well. That was the machine she taught me how to sew on.

Thank you for the good words, Claddagh. These are rather fun to make but the interesting and most time consuming part is cutting out the fabric. Many tropical prints are diagonals or are really big prints. You need to really cut out one piece at a time in order to match the print across the garment or avoid things like "bullseyes" or big splashes of color on something like a sleeve or on a shoulder area. For that reason you need extra fabric but I have found fabric sources that are pretty reasonable so it's not that big of a deal pricewise.

It was new 11 years ago, so it's not one of the older good ones. My mom has a Singer from the 60s or 70s that's still going.

If it's one of the newer ones, then it's probably not worth any fix, unfortunately. Singers are not what they used to be. I learned to sew on my mom's circa 1958 machine.

[Just Not Good]

I sew- poorly, and infrequently, these days- but I'm mainly delighted by the Nancy Mitford references.

[kaetrin]

I sew occasionally. I keep the machine on hand to hem stuff (since I'm 5'1") and my mother and grandmother are both highly accomplished at both clothes and quilts, so I learned the basics when I was little. A few years ago when I decided to get back into it, I asked my grandmother for advice on fitting and she sent me three books and a subscription to Threads. :-)

I'm still trying to get my skill level to match my imagination, and to make the stuff fit. I'm short and curvy-ish, so I technically fit into standard sizes but the shortness throws everything off.

I also went through a little phase of sewing from vintage patterns, because I wanted to be Anna from Pleasant View Schoolhouse. :-) I did get one fabulous green shirtdress out of that phase, at least.

Since I just finished a chapter of my dissertation, I decided it was time for a new project! So I'm making my first attempt at sewing with jersey, because I scored a totally gorgeous length of dark grey cotton jersey with a sort of circular pattern of silver and copper mini sequins, off the clearance/remnant rack for $28... So far it's easier to sew with than I expected, and I have only broken one needle.

[gypsygirl22]

I sew, just basic things though. Placemats, tote bags, pajama pants...easy stuff. I got a sale flyer in today's mail, Hancock has a good sale coming up. I may head over and get some cheap flannel for next winters pajama pants.

[crazyforkate]

I guess you could say my interest is casual. I don't know how to use a sewing machine, but love to spend hours hand sewing a project. I'm fairly decent at it, as in my work will stick together if you tug at it. Made a dog bed, a few pillows, baby clothes for relatives, spent first year as my dorm's official button sewer-on-person. I also love buying dilapidated clothes from thrift stores for pretty much nothing and fixing them up.

My current task? My old computer bag was destroyed by overuse, and I unearthed one I'd forgotten about at the back of my closet. The trouble is, it has a big ol' gay rights logo on it. In Canada I would just use it as is without a second thought, but have no particular urge to get in trouble in Moscow for it. So I found an old maple-leaf patterned bandanna and am sewing it over the front flap. 'Tis fun!

[Just Not Good]

Any favorite indie pattern designers? I'm looking for more retro-y patterns...

[gypsygirl22]

Our daughter moved out a while back and I turned her old bedroom into a sewing room! Think I'm gonna like it,, it'll be way easier than dragging everything into the living room to sew.

[niagarahauls]

I have been sewing for about 8 years now. When my sons were younger I sewed a lot more clothing, costumes and dress up and toy accessories for them. They are 7 and 9 now and starting to be less interested in such things. Last Halloween was the first year they both requested store bought costumes.

I do have one god daughter so I get an opportunity to use up some of my hoarded supply of pink, girly and mermaid fabrics on her.

About 3 years I started teaching myself to quilt. So far this has become my true sewing love. I tried making a few garments for myself but found I lack the patience for tailoring. Besides a few aprons, tote bags or pajama pants I rarely make adult clothes. I don't mind baby or small kid clothes since they are usually easier to fit.

I also have a combo sewing/ embroidery machine so I do some small scale embroidery and monograming. My machine will only do a maximum 4x4 inch size design though which is limiting.

[spookyginger]

I sew quite a bit...I have an old Kenmore machine that my parents bought me in middle school, and got a nicer Brother machine via Freecycle (for everyone's favorite price, LOL!) a couple of years ago. I'm currently sewing my wedding dress...NOT Anna Duggar style though. It's green! It will have an ivory lace overlay, though ;) I finished the first muslin last week and am now making adjustments and figuring out how I want to bead and sequin the lace.