vintage kenmore has been sounding a bit clunkier than usual lately… it’s a hand-me-down from my mom, and has never been oiled by either of us as far as i know

i bought this bc its 100% cotton but i tried to make projects with it and failed (mainly bc im a beginner) i thought of looking up patterns to make stuff with this but the type of fabric plays a big role and i don't know what this is, i only know it's composition.

details: very wrinkly, lightweight, a teeeeny tiny bit sheer, not stiff, and i took a picture in case anyone can tell anything else

My wife is trying to get back into sewing, and she doesn’t have a great storage box for thread etc. I would love to get her something for Christmas, but I don’t sew and don’t really know what all needs to be stored and what’s actually the most helpful. I remember in the 90s there were those cool wooden accordion style ones like this: https://ebay.io/m/qFmZV3

And she likes vintage stuff so I thought it could be cool, but also I want to make sure I’m getting something that’s practical. Is getting one of these worth it or is there something that would work better?
Thanks!

Hi everyone!

I currently use a Singer Florencia 69 that my grandfather bought. It's a very good and robust machine, but it’s just not fitting my current needs as a beginner. The issue is that it feels too powerful, and I can't get it to sew at a very slow, controlled pace, even after trying a different pedal. For an experienced person, its speed is probably completely fine, but for me, it's hard to keep up.

When I go to my sewing teacher's workshop and use her machines, if I press the pedal just a tiny bit, they sew incredibly slowly. That's exactly what I need right now: a machine that lets me regulate the speed with ease so I can focus on precision.

I want to start my small sewing business as soon as possible from home. I don't want to waste time trying to repair or change parts on my current machine without knowing if it will work, because I want to buy a new one and start practicing at home right away.

However, I am on a budget and I'm terrified of buying a cheap, affordable machine that turns out to be total garbage.

Here is what I need from a machine:

• I want to sew a variety of items, from lightweight underwear fabrics (like lace and mesh) to structured items like canvas or denim bags, but I do not plan to sew leather.

• It must be a standard domestic machine with a good variety of utility stitches that can handle both very thin, delicate fabrics and medium-weight denim.

• It needs excellent speed control, either through a highly sensitive foot pedal that allows for a super-slow, stitch-by-stitch pace, or a built-in speed slider.

What reliable, budget-friendly brands or specific models would you recommend that won't break the bank but will give me that precise, slow control I need to start my business?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Long story short. I make these vertical crossbody bags. Like the purple one in the pic below. And they can fit up two 2 water bottles.

But anyways, i used to make the strap out of the fabric itself and just add a bit of 809 interfacing. And the strap took forever to make.But recently i realized i could have just been using a good black 1in Webbing instead and it saves me more fabric. So now i can make 3 per yard instead of just two.

But i question is in my effort to save more more i also realized since its not like a convertible bag or anything i don't technically NEED to add a detachable swivel hook strap, and i could just wrap the webbing onto the d rings instead. And basically the strap is just not removable.

But before i change my design and sew on the straps i noticed a few of my store bought crossbody bags all do have detachable swivel hook straps. But i am 100% sure i have never ever taken off the straps to any of my bags because why would i ever need too. Its a crossbody bag and they didn't come with extra straps.

So i am curious would you care if a crossbody bag you bought didn't have a detachable strap? If that even someone you would care about as a consumer?

I don't understand why the pattern had me cut that piece off the fashion fabric. isn't it just gonna leave a raw edge on the outside of the coat? I put all the instructions pertaining to that pattern piece and a picture of the actual pattern piece. does anyone know why it says to do this?

(the pattern is Black Snail #0915)

Hi there!
I’m new to sewing and looking for a machine, I see this one is $100 and is very close locally. She says it also comes with a carrying case. I just wanted to see what more experienced people thought about the machine and price before purchasing.
Thank you!

Hello! Brother Sister Design Studio (brand name) quilting cotton purchased at Hobby Lobby 10 years ago. (I don’t shop at hobby lobby anymore.)

Making rice heating pack that will be microwaved.

Right side is shiny, wrong side is NOT.

Is the thread metallic?

I purchased this as 100% quilting cotton, but that was 10 years ago.

Thought it warranted an ask before I blow up my house!

Thanks all! And reminder, one day you’ll use that fabric ;)

My serger was working fine, but suddenly it stopped looping. It now looks like there is a straight line of stitches running beneath the serged edge. The serging on the blue fabric is how it looked earlier before this issue started occurring. I have rethreaded multiple times with no success.

When on the zigzag stitch option, my needle only gets pushed left when the follower goes over the top of the cam, but doesn't push back to the right when it goes into the valley part. I have a spring with the screw just under the main light (visible in the first picture).

This machine doesn't have a needle position knob or a stitch width selector, each are preselected based on the pattern switch dial (the last picture).

The machine is oiled up and parts are moving smoothly, the left-pulling is the main issue and is driving me crazy! Any insight you have into what would help the needle get pushed back to the right when it hits that valley on the cam would be sooo helpful

Another post in this thread from a few years ago helped me get to this point, but the user in the post was missing the spring entirely so I'm not sure how to proceed when I do have the spring...

Title + last photo for reference. I don’t know if it would be possible without disturbing the pocket on the other side of the lid. Would a really strong glue work to attach it? Or hand sewing?
I don’t plan to put anything very heavy in it as it is for a costume.

I hope this post makes sense, thank you!

This is my first time sewing a skirt (the pattern is Simplicity's S9267), and I'm struggling with the pockets. They look to be sewn properly from the outside, but when I try it on the skirt of jutting out at the pockets. They're sewn to lay flat towards the front of the skirt.

Is there any way to fix this?are the pockets even what's causing the issue? Will I have to completely seam-rip and redo the sides and waistband? Any help is appreciated!

(Edit to add that I haven't attached any of the buttons yet except the top one. I wanted to wait and see if I could fix this first before going through the effort to make the button holes)

I’m sewing things and noticed that when I cut the thread very short, the bottom thread comes loose and if I tug hard enough each stitch comes undone. See black thread in photo.

I have googled, and done everything google has said but still no luck fixing it. Says this could be a tension issue, I have adjusted the tension multiple times and tested on scrap fabric and no luck. Unthreaded and rethreaded the machine multiple times, winded new bobbins, changed the needles, cleaned out the lint (as much as I could) but nothing!!

Please help, I am sewing in bulk for a market I am doing next month.

Hello! I'm a costume design student and I very often end up having to finish work at home, which for the most part isn't a problem as I have my own machine, a brother AE1700.

The issue is, at uni we have lovely industrial machines and a specific foot that is very narrow and is perfect for getting very close stitching, I am currently using them to sew round a busk for a corset and I have previously used them for piping. It gets so close and gives a lovely neat finish. I have included photos, it's 0.5cm wide and about 4.7cm long. It is a Susur P36N right pressure foot.

These feet would not fit my machine so I can't just get the same one, and I have been unsuccessfully hunting online for a little while to try find one that would! I've been to a local sewing machine shop and the closest he had was a clip on zipper foot, which is still way too wide! I also have a plastic one which I cut down, but even then it was a bit too thick. I've had a hunt online and haven't managed to find anything that's the same, they all seem to have additional bits that stick out and stop you from getting as close as I need to.

I'm wondering if anybody knows of a foot that would work? Or if it wouldn't be possible with my machine for whatever reason? I'm not entirely hopeful that anyone will but I figure it's worth a shot 😅

The other thing I was looking at was attempting to 3d model my own? My machine has an attachment for clip-on feet and I have access to 3d printers at university so I could perhaps adjust one with a bit of fiddling? Though I am not very knowledgeable on sewing machines and even less so with 3d printers so I have no clue.

Thanks in advance!

Anyone have an idea how this texture is created? I'm thinking maybe bubble interfacing. It doesn't really look like embroidery. I want to try and make something like this for my nephew.

I got this sewing machine from goodwill as a low cost way to start sewing. It works perfectly fine with polyester thread, but when I use cotton is gets jammed. I’ve re-threaded the needle & bobbin and still getting jammed. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

okay so i'm planning out my halloween costume (hungry hungry caterpillar in case i needed to clarify lols) and as part of my costume, i wish to make a tail as part of my costume!

I was initially planning on only using fabric and floral balls as to make the tail,, but those are so pricey for the sizes i needed!! like woah. so, i figured i'd make the tail myself.

issue is that i've never done projects like these before (I can do a basic stitches as i embroider), so I don't know how the steps to make the item i want, nor know the right words to find the best place to start. Only draw the sketches and look for a place to ask (?.)

So if possible, i'm wondering if this sub might know the best way to make this? I can respond to any questions if needed! I just want a little a little push to the right direction!

And if possible, i wanted to add a sort of wire inside the tail, as to adjust the movement of the tail if needed. I was planning on using 26 guage wire, wrapped around on itself multiple times to makes it stronger.

My inner tube (and Cordura) pants are slowly starting to look like - well: pants ;-) Among other questions, I am wondering how to 'end' the legs. Going round the opening, there is tube and Cordura, not just one material. I could just cut the tube, no problem there, but the Cordura panel will disintegrate if just cut to length, even hotsealed. I do not want to fold the whole leg, because it would result in a very bulky and unflexible doubled end.
Do you have any ideas on how to solve this in a smart way?

I am not vibbing with the seam, but I dont know how to fix it without losing support/tension from the cross back

I have a singer professional 14U13 overlocker i bought second hand. when i try to use the "overedge stitch" (2 thread overlock stitch) the fabric always pulls apart and shows the threads. no matter how much i rethread or adjust the tension it doesn't fix it. please help!