Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sewing and fabric

What kind of fake fur is this?

arnicae — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:11:12 -0800

What kind of fake fur is this? Bonus points for where I can find 20 yards of it cheaply. (The fabric in question is the yellow and white fur that the small child is wearing)

Sewing a dust-cover. No sewing experience. Looking for "good enough".

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:04:01 -0800

I need to make a dust-cover for a plotter (dimensions: 36" x 11" x 10"). I would like it to be: cheap, easy, functional. I have no sewing experience, but can follow directions. I am also open to other suggestions. More detailed information and questions follow. I have no access to a sewing machine; and while I hold those who possess sewing skills in high regard, I would like to learn the absolute minimum it takes to complete this dust-cover in a satisfactory manner. It doesn't have to be beautiful, and it doesn't have to be particularly durable, it will be gently and infrequently used.

A couple of questions:
* What, in your opinion, is the best fabric to use?
* What materials do I need?
* Is there a cheap, pre-made alternative to sewing it myself (or something that can be converted to this purpose)?
* What are some design features that I not addressing or overlooking that will only become apparent to me after the product is made?

The physical dimensions are 36" x 11" x 10", and a photograph of the object in question can be found here. Will provide any additional information should anyone need it. Thanks a ton.

Social networking for fabric geeks?

nax — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:36:12 -0800

I'm looking for a project management/social networking site for fabric craftspeople, artisans and hobbyists (can include sewing, weaving, whatever) on the MyFolia model. In other words someplace on line where I can organize my projects and connect with other craftspeople. The forums just aren't working for me-- too much chat, not enough organizing.

Make me a Master Tailor...

Hollowman — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:11:09 -0800

Make me a Master Tailor: I know how to plug in a sewing machine and use a cloth ruler. Assuming nothing more, where do I begin... A chance encounter with the Book Shirtmaking: Developing Skills for Fine Sewing last week has lead to a weekend and more of sleepless nights, thinking about a possible career change.

I've always been very crafty (woodworking, knitting, cooking, baking, cake decorating, etc.) and meticulous in all of my work, but had never considered making clothes for myself, let alone others. After reading, er, devouring the book, my brain has literally run away with itself trying to come up with ways to ease into a more tactile and creatively oriented career. I know that the bespoke industry is no picnic as far as hours, pay, etc., but I'm very much interested in what 'I' would need to learn in order to be a "Success" technically, not so much financially. I'm not that interested in the fashion design aspect, but the creation of perfectly fitted, intricately constructed, and beautiful clothing. Primarily for Men (myself especially), but for anyone willing to have custom work done.

So with that said, I'm asking the hive mind for suggestions on:
- References. Books, magazines, websites, blogs, etc. to learn sewing, fitting, tailoring techniques from absolute beginner to professional levels. Especially, anything more focused on Men's clothing. I do realize from reading what I have been able to find, that most of this information isn't in book form, but gained through apprenticing, classroom, or on the job type of training.
- Educational programs. From DVDs to Design School, what would I need to look for to be taken seriously. Is there a certification process, some sort of art degree?
- Equipment. I essentially, just have my sister's sewing machine on loan for now, and a pair of scissors. It is a mid level machine in the $500 range, but I can't remember the model right now. I'd like to get some idea of what would be needed to do one-off, or very limited copies of tailored clothes. I am not really interested in doing "sewing room" work as a main focus. So I'm not sure what features are necessary, and what ones are not needed. I don't see a massive computerized embroidery robot with 5000 fonts and Disney characters in my future.
- What else? Free for all category or wish lists.

I have a good job with regular hours with enough extra income to "invest" in myself to turn a fantasy into reality, if the reality can be anything like the fantasy. I have 10-20 hours a week to develop skills and do practice work. I realize that this is a long term plan and so I want to lay a solid foundation going forward. Worst case scenario, I have some new shirts that I can wear under my suit jackets :)

I want a MANLY sewing machine!

SpecialK — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:44:58 -0800

Heavy duty sewing machines? What do I need? I have a few things that I need to fix around the house after my dog ate them, and the plastic cheap-feeling sewing machine that I have access to (borrowed from neighbor) doesn't seem to have enough umph to do it. I also want to make my own UtiliKilt and I'd like to make and/or customize some bags for my camera and computer gear. If the only sewing machine I have access too won't do three layers of upholstery fabric without getting kinda warm and melty-smelling, I don't think it's going to handle four layers of 1550 Ballistic Nylon and padding...

Although I'm mostly a manly man, I'm not a sewing machine neophyte. I made my first few sewing projects in middle school and have since made a few small things like beds for my dogs and to do simple clothing and motorcycle luggage repair. The motorcycle luggage is where I found out about the accidentally-partially-melting-plastic-parts when sewing heavy nylon using my neighbor's machine... and now I have two futon covers, several pillows or pillow cases, a robe, and now some of these other projects that I want to try out, and they're ALL heavy and/or thick fabrics.

MetaMind, what do I need to sew heavy duty fabrics? I know that my mom does some of this kind of stuff and has a sewing machine and serger, but she even shrugged when I asked her about heavy duty nylon and padding... and her machines cost thousands of dollars, because my dad refuses to buy cheap tools.

I'm not going to be doing a ton of this stuff so I don't need an industrial machine with a thirty year lifespan, but I figure that getting a machine that will handle the weights of the fabrics that I'm going to need to work with is worth spending the money... keeping in mind that I live on a state employee budget. If only I could figure out what that was, and what I need to look for in the machines to know if it'll do what I want...

Do I need a serger? What is the difference between it and a normal sewing machine? How do I tell how heavy of a material can be sewn with a machine, or how thick the material can be (i.e. layers of fabric + padding)? What features do I need for basic, occasional but heavy use -- I don't need an auto-embroidery library or some of the electronic stitch selection tools that some of the high end machines have. And please, share your wisdom. I'm new to this and it's not really a man's world... give me a two-stroke or four-stroke engine and I'll have it in parts inside of a half hour, but I'm kinda lost here.

Looking for classy, contemporary fabric and pattern shops online.

suimin — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:07:25 -0800

Are there any trendy, fashion-forward fabric and sewing-pattern shops online? One of my friends is teaching me the basics of how to follow a pattern to sew clothing. I've been to my local fabric shops and they all have similar fabrics available, and the same clothing-pattern brands, such as Vogue and Simplicity, etc.

Now, I don't want to waste my time sewing clothes that I'm not going to like. A lot of the fabrics available in my local stores are...matronly? Country-kitchen? I've seen lots of boring florals, unoriginal stripes, and tacky satins. Even the plaids are these obvious sugar-sweet color combinations.

The patterns, by and large, tend to be boxy, frumpy, and outdated. I found a few nice dress and skirt patterns, but it seemed odd that, out of so many catalogues, I could only find a handful of designs that seemed at all well-cut, sleek, or original. I personally know a lot of younger people who like making clothes, so why did so few of the patterns seem to appeal to a younger demographic?

So I wanted to check out the competition online before I purchased anything. I mean, I see clothes in stores made from beautiful, creative fabrics. They must get the fabric from somewhere, right? And I'd always assumed that clothes made by the individual would fit better than clothes that are mass produced--and yet, a lot of the common patterns seem to be designed to fit in a boxy, not-tailored way. So, are there any online fabric and pattern shops that are more cutting-edge? (They don't have to cater to beginning-level sewing or anything--I plan on getting good at this, eventually.) I'm willing to do some work on my own--if someone could even just point me in the right direction, maybe recommend a magazine or a blog, I'd really appreciate it. All the searches I've done online have led me to more of the same tacky stuff I can find in the fabric stores here, and I'm looking for something a little more attractive.

Where can I find this awesome fabric?

Medieval Maven — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 06:40:51 -0800

I need to know if there is a particular word for this kind of brocade. I think it's a brocade. Here is a terrible picture from my cellphone of a kimono made out of this fabric. It's blurry I know, but maybe you can get the idea - it's a black background and the pattern is picked out in gold thread. It looks like the pattern is done after how oranges look when they are cut in half, but very stylized.

Does any one know if this is a particular kind of brocade? Where I could find some? I've looked on eBay and I've googled but I think I am missing some sort of key word here - I'm just getting run of the mill brocade, not this awesome stuff. Thanks!

How to design a stuffed animal?

apfel — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 19:06:01 -0800

Sewingfilter: Please show me how to design a stuffed animal for my young niece. She wants a doggie doll, but I've never done anything with a snout before. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to design a pattern on my own. I've botched several attempts and am running low on scraps. I have a specific idea in mind but I can't seem to transfer it to fabric.

Specifically, I want to design a dog shaped ragdoll. Dog head, human body. Something simple, classy, similar in shape to this but with a long, upturned snout. The 3D aspect is throwing me off. I can't seem to get the crest/top of the snout to match up with the sides of the face. Usually the head comes out too fat and the nose comes out too thin.

Can any crafty design veterans recommend how to approach this project? Or at least good resources online on making your own pattern? None of my searches have brought up much.

I appreciate any help you guys are willing to throw at me.

I need to line a hoodie with fabric, HELP!?

taita_cakes — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:31:25 -0800

I have an average, zip-up, grey marle hoodie. I need to line just the inside of the hood and about 5 inches or so inside the zip each side. I'll be lining it with a paisley or bone china pattern. Like this.

I want to know how I can do this without having obvious stitching showing through, and what sort of shape I'll need to use for the hood (diagrams please?).

And yeah, I already have a grnappletree hoody. Trying to make my own now.

Uber-butch fabric

Ogre Lawless — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 12:15:18 -0800

Fabric for Ogres! Newish sewer with aggressive bent seeks suitablly badassed fabric prints for purchase via the internets. For reference. After a number of years of wanting a few items I finally married a woman who'd allow me to use her sewing machine and would teach me the rudiments. She was also kind enough to purchase me some of this fabric which I thought was a bitchen find and felt that it allows me sufficient gruffness to say "grrr...yeah, I sewed this". Sew haha, help me find some similar (though not necessarily skullish) prints to help me get over my boy-sewing titter?

Something that says "bad motherfucker", if you please.

We'd 'let our freak flag fly', but it needs some TLC first.

datacenter refugee — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 12:18:22 -0800

Flag-Craft 101: fabric and stitching advice needed . . . Im looking to replace an aging flag which can't be bought or custom-made without great expense. I'm fairly crafty and have all of the flags parts vectorized and ready to cut and stitch, but I'm having trouble finding appropriate fabric and nailing down a stitching method.

Fabric: The goog says I should use heavy-duty woven polyesther to ensure it lasts outdoors. The local craft shops only carry really lightweight fabrics (Michaels, Rag Shop in central NJ) and internet ordering for such materials looks to be bulk-only. Any ideas for local alternatives?

Stitching: Does it have to be machine sewn or can it be done by hand? Any recommendations on a good outdoor string?

Thanks Hive Mind!

Lead us not into the Garment District...

hermitosis — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:01:58 -0800

Fabric Stores in NYC? We want to buy fabric and patterns this afternoon. Despite our proximity to the Garment District, what we are looking for is a more comfortable, familiar shopping experience. Like when you go to gigantic fabric stores in the suburbs and there are five women all named Louise wearing red aprons who can answer all your questions. Call it a sociological craving.

Is there a store in (or accessible from) New York City that provides a less hectic, less cramped, friendly fabric-and-pattern-buying experience?

Which is the cheapest fabric store in Toronto?

Sallysings — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:44:40 -0800

Diaper fabric wouldn't cost too much, would it? We have a baby on the way, and in order to make his/her coming as environmentally friendly as possible, I'm sewing all of the diapers, bedding, and nursery decorations. We're moving to the "new toronto" southwest area, near Humber College.

Any locals know where I can get cheap 100% cotton, terry cloth, fleece, drapery fabric, and more cotton for bedding, for cheap? I've only ever done alterations on my clothes so my knowledge of how much stuff should cost is nil. A visit to MacFab downtown, as well as the surrounding queen w. stores, scared me off a bit with their high prices. I'm on a shoestring budget.

A bit of a headsup on how much I should be expecting to spend would help as well.

Help me make a belt

amtho — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 09:56:54 -0800

Wanted: tips or detailed instructions for making a belt (clothing) out of fabric, iron-on "waist maker" tape, needle, thread, "belting" strap material, and (probably) some hooks. I'm not 100% sure how to fold/sew the fabric around the tape, especially the ends. No luck with Google, and the package instructions are sparse. I've got this kind of nice 50s-style dress I'm working on accessorizing with white shoes, hat, gloves, and a string of fake pearls; it needs the perfect belt. I've decided I need to make the perfect belt: simple, fabric, about 1" wide, buckle optional (can't find the right one anyway). I went to the fabric store and found the materials described above and now own them.

The iron-on tape will let me use heat to stick the fabric to it, but what about the back, where the fabric would probably be two layers? And what about the ends? I'm thinking the ends should be rounded or pointed, but what's the best way to fold the fabric over?

I've got a thinner fabric and a thicker fabric; I think I'm going to try to make belts out of both of them. Oh, and I have to have it done by Friday.

(I already made my own crinoline - _without_ instructions or any experience, so I'm feeling pretty able)

Surely there are some instructions out there somewhere...

Where can I buy trench coat fabric?

orange swan — Fri, 29 Apr 2005 08:28:45 -0800

Where can I buy trench coat fabric? I want to make myself a spring coat, but I can’t find suitable fabric. I’d like the kind of fabric they use to make trench coats – water resistant fabric, not nylon or anything that will make me feel like I’m wearing a sandwich baggie. I’m told one brand name for this type of fabric is Thunderbolt. I live in Toronto and have tried Fabriclands, BouClair, Finer Fabrics, the Fabric Factory Outlet Showroom, the Designer Fabric Outlet, one other store at Keele and St. Clair (the name of which I can’t recall), and every store in the Queen Street fabric district. Only the Designer Fabric Outlet carried it, and I didn’t like any of the colours they had. I’m hoping for a cream, rather than that ubiquitous and ugly trench coat tan.

I thought perhaps I could order it online, but I can’t seem to find any on the (admittedly few) sites I looked at. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get my hands on 3 metres of this fabric?