Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sewing

Correct parts for a Bernette/Bernina 812 sewing machine?

Perplexer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:19:01 -0800

Correct parts for a Bernette/Bernina 812 sewing machine? I'm a sewing novice, never owned a sewing machine. Thus, many of my pants and jeans are too long, some garments have the ugliest button threading ever, and I still have an unmended hole in my jacket pocket.

I picked up a Bernette 812 "Made for Bernina" at a garage sale for two bucks, and it appears to be in good working condition. I can't tell, however, since it is missing the power cord and foot pedal.

Does anyone know the proper parts for this unit? I can't find a service manual or a whole lot of information on this model, and don't want to order the wrong parts.

Thanks!!

All about sewing machine cabinets

dilettante — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:08:41 -0800

So I've been coveting a sewing machine cabinet for a couple of reasons. They're expensive, but I find affordable used ones at a local thrift store and on craigslist pretty regularly. However, I don't know what I'm doing! Does anyone have any advice on:

- choosing a cabinet (I'll probably have to evict an older machine, will try to get one with a non-working non-antique machine in it to reduce the guilt)

- installing the machine? I wrote to my machine's manufacturer (Singer) to make sure it can be installed in a cabinet, and they said I'll have to buy a couple of little parts. The manual didn't have anything about this, and I'm still not sure how this is generally done.

- operating the lift?

Note that I do not sew well or often, and am trying to protect the machine and get it out of the way (and out of sight) without just adding a big useless lump of machine-in-a-case.

I ripped my pre-ripped jeans... oops?

Jacen Solo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:18:04 -0800

So I have these pre-ripped jeans. But, then I actually ripped them. What now? So I have these jeans, with those designer-ey pre-ripped areas around the knees. (An example of what I'm talking about is here, although that's a lot more rips than the ones I have---but it gives you a good look at the feature in question.)

Well, one day while dressing, I accidentally poked my toe in the pre-ripped area, and now there's an actual rip. Like, a big hole, through which you can see my hairy knee. I'm pretty sure that's not a desired look. (But, I could be wrong?)

How would I go about fixing this? If you take a look at the picture I linked, you can see that it isn't exactly sewing-thread that fills in the pre-ripped areas; it's this kind of jean-type thick string stuff. Can I buy that somewhere, and do a somewhat reasonable job reassembling the old look? Should I just not worry about this at all? (Yeah, I know this whole question is a bit neurotic :P.) Throw these jeans out, and buy new ones? I dunno. I only started wearing jeans in the last couple of months, so it's all a bit new to me.

Dresses, pants, whatever.

bendy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:43:49 -0800

I will make you a dress but I will also make you pants. I am planning to hang out my shingle as a "dressmaker" and maker of custom clothing, mainly for women. But what is the modern equivalent of a dressmaker? To me, dressmaker conjures up a nineteen-fifties person who carefully fits women into gowns of the era. What can I call myself today? Seamstress? Sewer? Also, any tips for people who are beginning a career in [whatever we are calling it]?

Automatic sewing machine - I provide the design, the machine does the rest!

WhereAmI — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:04:48 -0800

Do programmable sewing machines exist? I want to be able to provide the sewing machine with a design or logo and have it sew it for me - in this case, a nice little dog to go on the breast pocket of a golf shirt. Surely something like this exists for a reasonable price? I'm thinking that a sewing machine exists that can take an image/cad file/etc. from a computer and then I just secure the material within the sewing machine's needle range, hit start and off it goes (think CNC machine or laser etching, except with needle/thread).

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)

Cheap, good dressmakers in London?

shewhoeats — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:25:39 -0800

I have a dress that I love. I want more dresses just like the dress that I love. Help me find someone in London who will make me cute dresses! I bought a dress last year from a high street retailer, and I absolutely adore it. It's a perfect cut for me, I look damn cute in it (if I may say so myself), it works for work and play, winter and summer. But it's only the one dress. I'd love to have it reverse engineered and several copies made of it in different fabrics. Short of rustling myself up a crafty friend with a sewing machine, how do I do this in a vaguely affordable way?

A search for tailors or dressmakers in London just brings up endless bespoke Saville row tailors and high end dressmakers (all far, far out of my budget), and I'm having trouble searching for the right thing. Any recommendations for tailors/dressmakers/seamstresses(seampersons?) in London who could do this kind of thing would be much appreciated.

Can Nylon/Plastic gears be recut in steel?

Tchad — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:46:03 -0800

Sewing Gear Filter: I have a number of sewing machines that have nylon or plastic composite gears that have broken. Some of them I can have replaced, some of them are no longer made. I am wondering about DIY bionic sewing machine parts. My machines have gears similar to these. Some of them are beveled drive gears as well.

I have some access to machine shop equipment and think I could probably make the gears myself with a little patience and a couple of books, but was wondering:

If the gears were originally nylon or plastic are there reasons that go beyond cost, noise, maintenance, and weight? As far as I know it is just a function of them being cheaper to manufacture, quieter in general, and requiring less lubrication.

If I grind or cast the same shape gear out of steel am I going to ruin the other components? It doesn't seem like I would, but I thought maybe they made the gears more flexible/fragile so that they break before bending other parts.

Are there any book or tips you know of for this kind of thing? They need not be specifically sewing related, but not having a degree or experience in engineering they need to be approachable.

I have tried to get answers from antique car repair shops, but none of them want to take on small work like this. I have tried google and dealerships, but most of the information seems to be proprietary - which is fine but a few of the pieces are so old that they are no longer manufactured.

Thoughts or ideas? These machines are so good I am willing to put work or money into them.

Help label me!

bunnycakes — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:11:44 -0800

CraftyFilter: Help me find a woven or pvc label maker! CraftyFilter: I would like to buy either woven (embroidered) or pvc labels -- the kind you put on clothes to denote trademark and/or care labels for clothes. Examples of what I'm talking about can be found here and here. I have found a number of sites that offer this service, but I seem to be at a loss as how to figure out which place to go with. Does anyone have experience with a provider that they were happy with? Have suggestions on how to find someone reputable?

I am not looking for a huge order, only 50 - 200 to start off with. My logo and words are black and white and the entire label would be approximately 3 inches by 2.5 inches.

What kind of weaving method is this?

Xere — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:31:08 -0800

In this picture, what particular kind of sewing? knotting? weaving? technique is being used? It looks super difficult, and I want to try. Help me, MeFi! From what I know, the colorful strip is made up only of those threads, without any foundation/warp. From the photo, it looks like the hands are currently doing some hand-knotting, and presumably the needle is used, too.

The black cloth is not very significant, it only serves as something to attach the woven piece to.

I've looked up knotting, handweaving, needle weaving, and tatting, but neither seems to fit the bill of sewing and weaving together threads to form a strip of cloth. Hopefully someone knows the specific name of this method?

Backpack repair 101

mudpuppie — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:07:43 -0800

One of the two straps on my backpack is literally (no, really, literally) hanging on by a thread. The strap itself, where it's detaching from the bottom of the bag, is very frayed. How can I reattach the strap to the backpack? Specs inside. My everyday backpack is a small REI number. Smaller than your average Jansport, and therefore not subjected to all that much weight, backpack-wise.

The part that's frayed is the part where the strap was sewn into the seam between the front and back of the backpack (it's two-tone, not all one piece), at the bottom of the bag. Immediately above the frayed spot is the buckle that adjusts the length of the strap.

1) What's the best material to use to reattach the strap to the bag so that it's fairly sturdy? 2) And how do I do it? Should I reattach it at the seam, which is where it was sewn in before? 3) How do I deal with the frayed part? If I cut it off, there won't be enough of that loop left to sew back onto the bag. Should I simply reattach the part above where the fraying begins to the bag?

Note that my sewing skills are limited to replacing missing buttons, and I've just learned that my ability to describe sewing-related problems is equally weak. Sorry if this isn't very clear..

Zipper For My Lovesac

shew — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:31:29 -0800

I have a Lovesac (circa 2003) with a microsuede cover in the 'Ton-O-Love' size (now called MovieSac) that has a broken zipper. I've been to three alterations places trying to get the thing fixed with no help. Finally, I found someone who will replace it if I can find the zipper (she was unable to). It's 140" long and the color is white/gray. Is this something I can purchase online? I'd like to find one that won't break again. More questions:

1) It looks like it's going to cost about $50 for the labor alone. Does this sound reasonable?
2) I've researched buying a new cover but they are in the ballpark of $200-$300 (too much for my budget). Other creative options?

Rethreaded

mippy — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:19:23 -0800

I'm looking for a conversion chart that converts VA and Trebla/Duchess thread to one of the major brands (DMC or Anchor). A lot of googling hasn't turned one up - any leads? There is one for sale on a website, but it would cost £7 so I'm sure there's another out there online somewhere! I'd rather spend £7 on more threads, but I want to organise my sewing bits. I'm really liking having a thread/bobbin box and keeping all my off-brand threads in a plastic tub isn't cutting it anymore :)

Help me win the lace race.

ostranenie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 07:13:16 -0800

I have become fascinated with cable lacing in lieu of zip-ties. I want to do it in a plenum ceiling, but I read that's a no-no... ..because of the materials. I'm using plenum-rated Cat-5e and I'm smitten with the idea of a long running lockstitch. Call it romantic geekiness or something. But the waxed twine/ribbon you can buy from various supply houses don't say anything about being plenum-rated, and I've read (somewhere) that cable lacing isn't meant for plenum areas.. how true is this? I'm in the US.

For the extra bonus pretzel, how is the lacing needle used? I can't find instructions anywhere.

Thanks very much.

tent repair - sewing canvas help

bystander — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 04:48:19 -0800

Sewing-filter. I need to replace the fly-screens in a canvas tent. Hints/Tips? The canvas tent on my camper trailer (looks like this except 20 years old) has ripped window screens.
I am a sewing novice, but my wife is a sewing goddess. Will her Janome normal domestic sewing machine handle canvas? I've been quoted about $300 to get a professional to replace the screens in three windows. I reckon it is about $20 in materials, so will be keen to do it myself if it won't kill the sewing machine.
I figure I can get some help from the goddess, maybe even get her to drive, but I live in fear of hurting her machine - mefi hope me?

Where's the "make a shirt" button?

tomatofruit — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:08:43 -0800

My sewing machine is on its last legs. What should I look for in a new one? I'm not looking for a beginner machine--I've been sewing clothes and costumes for 15 years, but I've never had access to anything but the most basic and run-down of sewing machines. Some sewing machines on the market now look like they could fly the space shuttle, and I really have no idea what features might actually come in handy for me if I decide to stop being so lazy and using a regular straight stitch for almost everything.

So far just about all I know is that I want to be able to sew buttonholes without snapping an attachment onto the machine. If it helps, I mainly sew regular clothes that have at least a little stretch to them. When I make costumes, I often find myself sewing through many layers of fabric, so I'd like a machine with the power to punch through some heavy stuff. And I'm interested in learning how to make some fancier items--specifically, corsets and hats.

So, crafty MeFites--what sewing machine features could you not live without? What might I find handy for my usual sewing projects? I'm mainly looking for a list of features to consider while I do my research, but recommendations for specific brands or models are welcome, too.

Cross my heart

mippy — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:26:47 -0800

I've been doing some cross-stitch after a break, and have been enjoying it. Where can I find some cool, non-chintzy designs? Especially if something other than cards or big projects. Recommendations for pattern software good too! I did the blackwork Mucha lady from this book a few years back and really liked it, but I'd like some small projects too. I know there's one site that does swear cross-stitch, but it seems a bit naff - I'm looking for the cross-stitch equivalent of Sublime Stitching (I can't embroider freehand yet, but really love the designs on there).

How does the bobbin work on this sewing machine?

gregr — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:15:34 -0800

I can't figure out how the bobbin works on this sewing machine. It's a Kenmore model 148.19370. This is a picture of the important parts. I have tried everything I can think of. The pieces all seem to fit and lock into the machine, but when I try to sew the needle hits part of the bobbin carrier.

This is how the pieces seem to fit together: the piece second from the left has a little piece that you flip up to load the bobbin. You then take the piece with the bobbin in it and put it in the area below the needle. Then the leftmost piece gets locked in with the two little black fingers at the left and right of the bobbin area.

(I found a website that sells manuals for this machine, but I feel like it's not worth spending any money on this machine because I can buy a new(er) sewing machine for almost no money.)

Yoga Pants Pattern?

gomichild — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 23:29:39 -0800

Looking for a sewing pattern for yoga pants. The pants pattern was originally in Burda World of Fashion 11/2007 (I don't have a copy of that magazine however). An example here.

This is similar but the Buy PDF button is broken and appears to have been broken for some time.

I can only purchase online because I am in Japan. Google-fu has failed me as to an alternative source to get this pattern.

Does anyone know of an online site where this (or similar) pattern is available?

SewingFilter: How to set in a gore without it looking bad?

oblique red — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:27:48 -0800

I can't get the hang of inserting a triangular gore (godet?) into a slit in the fabric. All the online instructions I've found gloss over the really tricky bits (the point, and finishing the seams afterward.) Can anyone point me to the broken-down-for-complete-newbies instructions? I will be sewing by hand and need to use a historical seam finish. I do historical costuming. A great many of these garments call for inserting a triangular gore (I've also seen these called godets, not sure of the difference) into either a slit in the fabric or a seam. The ones on the seam are easy to do - you just sew the gore to one panel then sew the other panel onto the combined piece- but I continually struggle with the ones set into a slit. The point at the top always comes out looking wrong! I've tried it by hand and by machine and can never seem to get the hang of it.

I am currently working on a 14th-century wool buttoned hood that contains two gores to add fullness to the shoulders. I want to enter this for competition, so I'm taking a great deal of care with it, handsewing throughout using period materials, etc. But these gores are giving me FITS. I can't figure out a way to get them in so that I can finish the seams neatly (either by flat-felling or by just stitching them down) and so the point doesn't look strange.

Can anyone point me to some sort of tutorial, or give me instructions yourself, on what I should be doing here? Hand-bound buttonholes don't give me pause, but I'm tearing my hair out over the gores.

What can I do with this wonderful fabric?

faunafrailty — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:25:20 -0800

I fell in love with some fabric yesterday but it's a nubby thermal knit (like for long-johns). I don't sew with a sewing machine but have done a lot of hand-sewing. Do you have project ideas for me, using this potentially hard-to-work-with material? My main sewing projects in the past have been sock monsters, two small purses (unlined, one with a snap closure and one with a drawstring), pants-turned-skirt, and lots of miniature felt items.

My main fear is it'll be too stretchy for a small coin purse or something like that. The print is so wonderful (OWLS!) that I don't want to relegate it to a doll that just sits in a corner. And, of course, that my hand-sewing skills aren't ready for this type of fabric.

Any clever ideas?

Does anyone have a bobbin I can borrow?

ginagina — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:22:27 -0800

What tools should I bring to my first sewing class? I'm enrolled in an adult learning "Sewing 101" class at a community college. The description says to bring your sewing machine on the first day of class and that no materials are included.

I'd hate to be that kid in class who always had to borrow a pen. What are the essentials that I bring on a first class? I've got the machine, but what else should I bring? Scissors, thread...what else?

Thanks for your help!

What is this? Domestic Sewing Machine part, but what is it? Pictures inside!

MMALR — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:58:20 -0800

What is this? It's to a Domestic Sewing Machine, definitely an older machine, pictures inside. What is this? Please help me!

Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

Who in San Francisco can fix my coat for me?

gingerbeer — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:52:49 -0800

Can you recommend a seamstress or tailor in San Francisco? I need to replace the lining in my favorite vintage winter coat. I had a great seamstress who made my wedding dress, but she is no longer around, and I need to find someone new. Replacing the lining's a pretty simple job, I would think, although I have a few other things that could use some alteration.

Someone in the Mission or Marina would be ideal, but I'm happy to go anywhere in the city for a good person. Competent, quick, friendly, and not wildly expensive are other criteria.

Helful tools for sewers and crafters with chronic pain?

palmcorder_yajna — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:26:52 -0800

My mother-in-law loves to sew and knit, but fibromyalgia is slowing her down. Can you recommend any tools or gadgets that might help her? My mother-in-law has been suffering from fibromyalgia for quite some time. When she has a good day, the first thing she does is bust out her sewing machine. She also loves to knit. The trouble is, the repetitive motion involved in sewing and knitting is really hard on her body, and it exacerbates her symptoms. The day after a bout of crafting, she aches like she's run a marathon.

Can any of you crafting, stitching, and knitting gods and goddesses recommend some tools that might make her hobbies a little easier for her? For instance, are there especially gentle and well-designed scissors out there? Ergonomic knitting needles? Etc.?

I'm not much of a DIY-er myself: I have a bare beginner's understanding of sewing and no knowledge whatsoever about knitting, so I don't even really know how to look for this kind of thing.

Thanks so much for your help!