Rosita asked:


I would like to learn to sew some simple projects like pillows and chair cushions and also do some mending. Is there a brand or type of machine that you can recommend? Any that should be avoided? I would also like suggestions for a good book about sewing for beginners-Thanks!

Brittani

dinda asked:


Hi all. I would to learn how to sew clothes but haven’t got an idea how to begin? Obviously I need to get a sewing machine. What type is good for someone who hasn’t done much sewing in the past? Also, what shop in London sells cheap fabrics? Thank you v much.

Adria

Alison Cole asked:




Sewing machine is one of the key inventions that have helped to shape the modern world. There are many popular vintage sewing machines. Most popular vintage sewing machine companies trading over the Internet are Bradbury, Singer, Jones, Frister and Rossmann.

Vintage sewing machines are both collectible and usable. Old sewing machines are still popular because they are well-engineered, well-made workhorses. The value of a vintage sewing machine is great. There are a number of variables involved in determining the value of an old sewing machine; they are condition and completeness of the machine, rarity of the machine and geographic location of the machine.

Most vintage sewing machines date back to the beginning of the 1900’s. Most of them are still very popular. Singer machine models 301A, 221 Featherweight and 66 are the popular vintage sewing machines. Of these, the Singer Featherweight 221 is a classic model manufactured by the company between 1933 and 1964. It is a “collectible” of the first order and is featured on many Web pages which cater to antique sewing machine collectors.

Vintage sewing machines can be bought from stores or antique shops. Some suppliers of vintage sewing machines offer certificates of guarantee, or even warranties.

Before buying a vintage machine, check for authenticity and buy only from trustworthy sellers. Online auctions are dangerous places to buy expensive vintage sewing machines. As buyers don’t know anything about the seller, they may cheat in the course of dealing. There are many helpful sites on the Internet providing relevant information about vintage sewing machines. EBay is popular among vintage sewing machine collectors.

Many individuals are now using vintage sewing machines as decorative pieces at home. They may be well-placed in a hallway, entryway, or a family room to showcase the beautiful craftsmanship. So if you possess a vintage sewing machine, take good care of it by consulting an antique dealer to find out the proper way to clean and maintain it. Vintage sewing machines are always an asset for future generations.

Anglea

Martha E Bishop asked:




Sewing Christmas gifts is a fun way to stretch your holiday dollar and create one-of-a-kind presents. It’s a great option if: you’re tired of fighting the hoards at the big box stores, sick of the same old merchandise repackaged for the current holiday season or frustrated with shoddy goods selling at quality prices.

Once you’ve decided to sew items for all those on you’re your gift giving list, you need to come up with a battle plan as well as a timetable to help you be successful. Here are seven tips to get you started:

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #1
Now is not the time to learn how to make a fitted jacket or a lined evening gown. Save that for when you have more time and a larger budget. Stick with projects that are within your current skill set.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #2
Keep it simple. Simple does not mean “boring.” There are just too many fabrics and trims out there for anything to ever be boring again.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #3
If you decide to sew garments, choose a forgiving pattern, something that doesn’t require a fitting session.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #4
When creating gift items, it’s less stressful if you use a fabric that you’re familiar with and won’t break your heart if you make a mistake and ruin it. Sewing on cotton is a lot easier than working with slick manufactured fibers.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #4
Don’t overrate your speed and ability. Be realistic when you figure how long it’s going to take you to make an item. The large pattern manufacturers have hundreds of patterns titled: “The 2-Hour Shirt” or “The 4-Hour Jacket.” If you choose one of those designs, double the amount of time they suggest. Don’t forget, you’re probably not just sewing gifts, but working or going to school and maybe even running a household as well.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #5
Sew like a sweat shop.
Clear a space large enough to create in, maybe in a place where you can leave everything out and not have to put away after each sewing session. Make the same item for several people on your list. Repetition creates confidence. Confidence creates speed. If you are making four pairs of pajamas, for instance, sew each of them be in a different patterned fabric, but all in the same color family. That way you won’t constantly be changing threads. Wind several bobbins before you start sewing. Have plenty of straight pins. When it’s time to sew, perform the same step on each of the items. For example, sew all the inseams at one time. Then take them to the ironing board and press all the inseams at the same time.
Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #6
If you don’t feel confident in your skill to sew a complete garment, you can add your own embellishments to ready-to-wear items – like beaded fringe on the bottom of jeans or turn little fabric yoyos into flowers and stitch on the bottom of a little girl’s skirt. Sew a purchased soccer ball patch on a sweatshirt for your nephew.

Sewing Christmas Gifts – Tip #6
Sewing Christmas gifts doesn’t have to be about clothes. I love to sew Christmas decorations for friends and family that they can use in their own homes: banners, dolls, reindeer, Christmas tree skirts, Christmas tree garlands, tablecloths, napkins, placemats, wall hangings, lap quilts and ornaments.

Dewey

loz_chyna asked:


I have my grandmother’s sewing machine, which is an old Senger from the 40s or 50s. The machine works great, but I cannot figure out how to make it feed in reverse. I don’t have the manual and my grandmother is no longer living. Do old sewing machines even have a reverse setting or should I just do it manually?

Anton

Alan Beggerow asked:




Thread is a tightly twisted strand of two or more ply of yarn used for hand and machine sewing. Some facts about sewing thread:

The difference between thread and yarn is that thread is used to sew together garments and other products, while yarn is a collection of fibers that is woven or knit into textiles. All threads are made from yarn, but yarn is not made of threads. The first ‘thread’ to be used in sewing was made from animal sinew and plant fibers. There are three types of thread, animal, plant and synthetic, based on the materials they are made from. Silk is an example of thread made from animal products. The silk caterpillar weaves a cocoon made from silk that it produces. These cocoons are unraveled, and two or more strands are twisted together to form silk thread. Silk makes a very fine, stretchable and strong thread. Cotton is an example of plant fibers used to make thread. Fibers of cotton are spun into a fine yarn; two or more strands of yarn are twisted together to make the thread. Cotton thread tends to shrink and is not as strong as silk thread. The thread is singed over an open flame and mercerized (dipped in a solution of caustic soda) to improve its strength and give it sheen. Nylon and polyester thread are examples made from synthetic materials. Ninety-five percent of all thread of all kinds manufactured are used in industrial and commercial sewing. The development of the cotton thread industry in England was the result of a blockade during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. This prevented raw silk from entering the country, so no silk thread could be made for sewing. Patrick Clark invented a method for twisting cotton together to make sewing thread. The original threads made by Clark were not string enough to use in the new fangled sewing machines of the later 19th century. George Clark, a Grandson of Patrick, developed a six-stranded thread with the qualities necessary to be used in sewing machines.

Vita

Joanne Jones asked:




Have you ever talked to someone about sewing and came across a term that you didn’t understand? Much like other crafts, sewing has its own terms and meanings for certain words. These words tell you how or what to do without having to give a long explanation. To help you out, here are five common sewing terms and their definitions that you will encounter during your sewing adventures.

Alteration: Means to make a change or modification to a pattern or item you are sewing, as well as any changes to finished items. Common alterations to finished items include shortening the length of a shirt or a pair of pants. When making changes to a pattern, it is important to think about how those changes will affect the rest of the pattern in terms of how the different pieces will be pieced together. For example, if you shorten the length of a shirt on the front piece, you will also have to shorten the length on the back piece otherwise they will not fit together.

Baste or Basting: Means to temporarily hold two pieces of fabric together by using stitches that are long and easy to remove. One reason you would use basting is to allow you to see what the changes or alterations you are going to make will look like when they are done. That way, if you don’t like the look, you can still easily change it. Another reason for basting is to help hold the fabric in place while you are sewing, for example, if the fabric was slippery.

Hem or Hemming: Is done on a finished item or garment by turning the edge under and sewing it to the inside of the item. Hemming is done to shorten the length of a garment, such as a skirt or dress. Since hems do not remove any of the excess material, hems can affect the way an item will look because they add weight to the garment. This extra weight can be a desirable thing because it will influence the way the garment hangs. The amount of extra weight from a hem depends on how much fabric is turned under and the weight of the fabric.

Knit Fabrics: There are two different types of fabrics: knit and woven. Woven fabrics are made from threads that cross each other at 90-degree angles, while knit fabrics use loops of threads to hold the fabric together. Knit fabrics have much more stretch to them then woven fabrics. The stretch in knit fabrics varies by type of fabric, so pay attention to the pattern when it tells you how much stretch the fabric will need. If you choose a fabric that doesn’t have enough stretch, then the finished piece will not fit the way it should. When sewing with knit fabrics, allow your sewing machine to feed the fabric. Make sure to always do a test piece first – you may need to adjust the amount of pressure that is coming from the presser foot in order to prevent stretching the fabric as you sew.

Seam Allowance: Is the length between the cut edge of the fabric and the stitching. The length of the seam allowance can vary from pattern to pattern, so always double check and follow the instructions. A seam allowance is created when two or more pieces of fabric are joined together. To create an even seam, always line up the cut edges of the fabric layers being sewn together. Finally, to ensure that pattern pieces will fit together properly, always make sure that your seam allowances are accurate and are the same length.

Lorenza

Alan Beggerow asked:




Even a small thing like a hand sewing needle has had a role in the history of humans. Some facts and history about the hand sewing needle:

The first sewing needles were made from bone and were used to sew animal hides together. The oldest known bone sewing needle was one found in what is now southwestern France and has been estimated to be over 25,000 years old. Needles made from copper, silver and bronze were used in ancient Egypt. The oldest iron needle known was found in what is now Germany, and dates back to the 3rd century B.C.E. Bookbinders and shoemakers used needles made from hog bristles in the Middle Ages. Native Americans used porcupine quills and the pointed end of agave leaves for sewing needles. The fibers of the agave leaf were also used for thread. Metal needle making was perfected by Muslims in Spain in the 11th century. Spanish Muslims were some of the most knowledgeable medical doctors in the world at the time, and had perfected many surgical techniques that required needles for suturing. When the Muslims were driven out of Spain in the 15th century, they took the knowledge of needle making with them to Arab lands. Muslims returned to needle making, and Arab traders took them to Europe. Europe learned the art of needle making from Arab needle makers, and it came to England in the 17th century. Before this time, metal needles were made in Europe by the local blacksmith, and resulted in very crude needles. The knowledge of needle making was also used to make fish hooks in England. The country became well known for high quality fish hooks as well as sewing needles in the middle of the 17th century. Metal needles were handcrafted before the industrial age. The process began with cutting wire long enough to make two needles. Then points were ground on either end of the wire, the wire was flattened in the middle and eyes punched out. The needles were then separated. This operation is still followed today, but machines now do the work instead of humans. Around 1850 needle making machines began producing needles and turned needle making from a cottage industry into an industry done in factories. By 1866 there were 100 million needles being made in England a year. The English town and district of Redditch in central England became the center of the world’s needle production in the 19th century. The craftsmanship of the needles made there was so great that a foreign manufacturer sent a hypodermic needle to Redditch claiming that it was smaller than Redditch needle makers could produce. The needle was sent back to the manufacturer with a needle made by Redditch craftsman so small that it fit inside the foreign manufacturer’s! Needle making is still being done in the Redditch area and other places in England.

Shannan

maria55 asked:


I’ve taken sewing classes in high school before and I’d like to actually dabble a little in making and alternating some of my things. What is the best sewing machine for me and why?

Eli

Sally Bayfield asked:




In general a sewing machine is a quality item. They can last for years and complete many projects for you with only a small amount of repair needed. If you’ve ever seen a 100 year old Singer working alongside a modern one you know what I mean.

For antique sewing machines, the original manufacturer should be the first person to talk to for replacement parts. If they are no longer in business – after all, much can happen to a company over a century – you will have to find replacement parts either online or from a company who just sells replacements.

What parts will usually need replacement? I have most commonly seen needles and lights go out. Needles get dull and need to be changed the most. A light bulb can last for hundreds of hours but at some point will need to be replaced. Those two things are wise to stock up on and keep handy. General retailers will have these parts on hand if you don’t have a spare. To get the best deal on them consider buying a generic replacement part – they are created to work in as many different machines as possible and are usually cheaper. If not, the sewing machine manufacturer can easily provide these common replacement.

Another part that wears out often are the belts. While not as frequently broken as the light bulbs, it happens enough to be aware of. Additionally, specialty parts might need replacing. This covers things like the bobbins or feet. There are usually not generic replacements available for these parts and must be obtained from the manufacturer.

Davina