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Messages - HenriettaMaria

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 39
1
A Good Yarn / Re: Waistcoat crochet pattern
« on: March 26, 2024, 12:03:46 PM »
I love the idea of a *crocheted* tuxedo  :laughing:  What would James Bond do?

2
A Good Yarn / Re: Waistcoat crochet pattern
« on: March 23, 2024, 17:32:01 PM »
Try searching for vest instead of waistcoat, as that is the US term.  The crochet terms will be US, but they're easily translated.

3
In the wardrobe / Re: Making a full length flared pencil skirt
« on: March 22, 2024, 12:30:38 PM »
Just found it via google - it was Butterick 3727 - the tail was two panels, judging by the line drawing on the back of the envelope and they were definitely curved pieces.

4
In the wardrobe / Re: Making a full length flared pencil skirt
« on: March 22, 2024, 09:11:57 AM »
I made a fit-and-flare dress for a millionaires' night party once.  The main panels were fitted a la a pencil skirt to the knees then a flair was added below that.  From memory it wasn't a full circle - more a very wide cone - and it was pieced, although I can't remember how many pieces made up the flare.  I added net underneath to hold the flare out - basically the same shape but made with a bit of fullness so it could be gathered, and I used two or three layers.  I recall the comment of one of my colleagues when I showed up in the full rig: "You look like you've got a ferret up there!"  Well, it was Yorkshire ;-)

5
Vintage Machines / Re: Jones z-690 Foreign
« on: March 21, 2024, 13:53:09 PM »
Metal against metal = clean out debris and apply proper sewing machine oil.  Plastic = clean out debris but otherwise leave alone.

I recall being in the late, lamented Theobold's Sewing Machine shop in Luton and hearing Robert's horror stories of machines being brought in to be fixed because the dopey owner, thinking 'one oil's the same as another' had put *cooking* oil on the moving parts  :scream:  The only thing triglycerides and hydrocarbons have in common is that they are both insoluble in water.  Don't put the former on machinery and don't cook with the latter!!!

6
Technical Help / Re: do I need to lengthen the back bodice?
« on: March 21, 2024, 13:47:32 PM »
If you have fiddled about with the armscye and if the garment has armhole facings or a sleeve, a corresponding fiddle to the sleeve/facing will be needed else the one won't fit the other.

It's also possible that there's nothing wrong with the garment and it's just the seam allowance that's making the armhole feel smaller, but at 3/8" I doubt that's the case here.

7
Machine Accessories / Re: Scissors
« on: March 13, 2024, 12:31:40 PM »
I buy cheap scissors and use them for everything ( including paper  :ninja: )

 :scream:

8
Machine Accessories / Re: Scissors
« on: March 13, 2024, 11:48:09 AM »
Nothing so exciting.  I have a pair of Fiskars/Wilkinson Sword orange-handled dressmaking shears, and a pair of needlework scissors from the same company, both of which I've had for a good 40 years.  About a decade ago, not long before it all went horribly wrong for them, I had a rush of blood to the head and bought a pair of Ernest Wright shears at the K&S Show.  They're lovely but I tend not to use them unless I'm cutting out heavy wool as they are chu-u-u-nky.

9
Fun with Fabric / Re: Working with leather
« on: March 12, 2024, 12:42:55 PM »
I learned a lot about the intricacies of leatherworking just by watching Suzie Fletcher on The Repair Shop.  She has lots of fancy tools because she's a saddler by profession - most of which you will never need - but it's illuminating to see how she uses them and what she uses them for.

DH wanted to get into leatherworking (and then got distracted by volunteering for the Wildlife Trust) so I bought him a table-mounted pony for Xmas, which is the baby version of the big daddy one Suzie uses.

He also bought himself a demi-lune cutter - he uses my self-sealing cutting mat when he uses that.  If you are intending to sew you will need an awl to make holes through the leather or, if you are working with fine leather, leatherworkers' needles, which have a triangular point with sharp edges for cutting the hole for you.  And some appropriate thread, a block of beeswax for waxing same, and either a stout thimble or a palm - google sailmakers' and leatherworkers' palm to see what I mean.

I think you do need to burnish the cut edges to make them look good.  Suzie does demonstrate what she does here.  Time for a dive into iPlayer or YouTube - there are videos for everything out there :-)

10
Sewing Spaces and Furniture / Re: height adjustable table
« on: March 08, 2024, 22:02:15 PM »
Take a look at the Middle of Lidl offers coming up.  They have something height adjustable and fairly cheap although I'm not sure how sturdy it will prove to be - it's shown in the pictures being used as a pasting table and a buffet table.

11
Sewing Machines / Re: Help please for this singer!
« on: March 06, 2024, 13:46:34 PM »
The main considerations when buying a machine are, IMO:

* does it have a metal chassis?  To get one you will have to go up the market.  Cheapo machines have nylon chassis and they flex under any kind of load, meaning the needle won't penetrate, eg, a denim hem and its associated side seams.
* is it electronic and, if so, are replacement boards available/likely to remain available in the near future?  If the electronics go and can't be replaced you will have at best a straight-stitch machine and at worst a door-stop.
* what kind of bobbin does it have?  This is a matter of preference but I don't get on with bottom-front loading bobbins and will pay more for a drop-in bobbin.
* what stitches are you likely to use?  Basic electro-mechanical swing-needle machines offer a variety of zig-zag stitches and either one-step or four-step buttonholes.  Early C20th machines are generally straight-stitch only: I've heard stories of buttonhole attachments for these but never seen one in use myself.
* finally, exactly how good is its top stitching?  This for me is a deal-breaker.  If the machine doesn't do a pristine, straight-as-a-die top/edge stitch without a great deal of wrestling, just no.  I have a Brother Super Ace II (now 25  :o years old) that does great buttonholes, stretch zig zag, etc, but its top stitching isn't up to snuff and it's a struggle to get edge-stitching neat.  I believe it's something to do with the pair of feed dogs being wide apart.  If I make a flat fell seam to the inside of a garment, meaning the bobbin thread is on the outside, it's a mess.  For that I use a 1978 Singer and it's immaculate.

Once you've defined your broad requirements you can narrow down your options.  It's easy to be dazzled by complexity but if you're never going to use all the bells and whistles, why bother?

12
Hi, I'm new... / Re: Hello
« on: March 06, 2024, 13:19:26 PM »
Hello and welcome.  I too am deeply impressed by your early projects.  I once house-shared with a draughtsman who, seeing me make stuff, asked if he could have a go.  Long story short, he made an immaculate shirt for himself at the first attempt with only a bit of guidance from me on materials and how to use the machine.  Transferrable skills indeed :-)

13
Overlockers & Coverstitchers / Re: New overlocker tips
« on: March 02, 2024, 10:54:08 AM »
@Celia £4.5k and they still feel it necessary to supply:

Threading Wire
If the air threader is out of work or a looper pipe blocked, the wire can be used temporarily to thread in order to complete the started sewing project.

 :scream:


14
Overlockers & Coverstitchers / Re: New overlocker tips
« on: March 01, 2024, 13:14:45 PM »
I have a pre-nosedive Singer.  My experience of it would lead me to suggest that you are better off getting a machine that takes standard needles if at all possible - easier to source.

15
In the wardrobe / Re: Men’s pyjamas
« on: February 25, 2024, 14:07:20 PM »
Had a squint at sewdirect.com men's patterns and found three in the first couple of pages:

Simplicity S9650 (scrubs); S9211 (jammies)

McCalls M8443 (jammies)

I made DS a bunch of PJs in brushed cotton Stewart tartan a couple of years back.  I bought about 10m and did one jacket, two or three pairs of trousers and a pair of sleep shorts.  He wanted inseam pockets (welded to mobile phone!) and I found that it was necessary to reinforce the bottom of the pockets with a bit of cotton tape zig-zagged to the inside to prevent tearing but otherwise it worked just fine.  Results will be somewhere in the Inside the Wardrobe board.

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