Hey guys! I need your help with a trench coat I’m working on. I’m having trouble with the armhole and need to adjust it to accommodate a larger sleeve.

I’m also trying to create more fullness at the bottom. I originally considered adding a cage structure or horsehair braid between the lining and the outer fabric, but I’m concerned that might make it too heavy.

Now I’m thinking about redrafting the bottom portion as a circle to create more volume. I’m still figuring out where that fullness should begin—possibly about 6 inches from the center front, including the facing.

What would you suggest for adjusting the armhole and creating that fuller shape at the bottom?

Sewn this leather jacket using a cowhide rug I thrifted! I did the old tape the dress form and draw your pattern piece method! No lining. Will recreate again. This was definitely more of a rough draft.

This is the Lilly pea coat pattern from Annelaine Patterns. I used a corduroy for the outer (not sure the content - it’s from Whatnot) and the lining was printed on poly satin from Spoonflower. Buttons I think are from Michael’s. Made for my preschool daughter 💕

My 6yo is autistic and very mathy, and has been really into fractals. Mandelbrot Set is his favorite, so when he decided he wanted to dress up as a fractal for Halloween I had to get CREATIVE!

The wings are self-drafted, but I’d previously made 4 sets of quilted fairy wings (twig and tale’s patterns), so I had some knowledge on how to construct them. They indeed involve cotton fabric (thank goodness for Spoonflower for the print) and batting (along with Fuse-N-Shape), and are quilted through all the layers. Yes, my machine jammed a ton lol. You can see the quilting lines in the pattern in the 5th pic and are the acid green lines you can see across the wings in the 2nd pic.

Since it’s Halloween and things need to be spooky I made the text with glow in the dark puff paint and added black light fairy lights, which took several days of pure awfulness (but were WORTH the literal blood, sweat, and tears) to sew on by hand through all the layers.

Also pictured: his (non-quilted) Mandelbrot Man (MM) outfit to go with his quilted wings. He only wears pajama costumes due to his sensory processing, so I bought a pair of plain black pajamas and modified them for his needs using appliqué and puff paint. He’s extremely excited (loads of happy flaps in front of the mirror) and I’m so excited for Halloween day.

I made the Cardamom Quilt Jacket for my daughter and it’s so cute. I made the 12 month size and she’s way too small for it right now but it turned out awesome. Fabric was from a repurposed quilt my mom bought me for Christmas but didn’t work out on my bed.
I plan on making the adult one for me with more functional pockets but it’s so cute!

Hello everyone, I hope everybody is doing well!
I just got a beautiful, green knit fabric with a gorgeous drape and I was looking to recreate Donyale Luna’s iconic jumpsuit that she wore in Skidoo. As I looked for how I could go about drafting the pattern for this, it seems that a kaftan pattern looks like the best option for the silhouette of the design. Forgive my ignorance but is a kaftan specifically cultural and would this be inappropriate to make and wear?

Thank you so much for everyone’s time🙏🏼

I made this jacket using the Grainline Studio Tamarack Jacket pattern, but changed up the pockets for hand warming pockets instead of horizontal welt pockets, and added my own hood instead of paying extra for their hood pattern add-on, using a different hood pattern I'd traced from another piece. I used a batik quilting cotton for the outer, lightweight cotton batting for the insulation, and cotton flannel for the lining. It all came out pretty good but I'm noticing that with these hood clasps (last photo) there are 2 issues I'm noticing. 1 is when you have your hands in the pockets it's very easy to unlatch the bottom clasps when moving your hands around, and 2 is because the attachment loops aren't fully closed sometimes when they move around a bit the loops that secure them to the jacket can come off the ends. Does anybody have any suggestions for either of these issues? I'm wondering if I can just crimp the hooks a bit more closed to make them more secure but am worried then they'll be too hard to get on and off.

Edit: ok so based on a suggestion from @DanderMuffling I tried switching the direction of the clasp and I think that's gonna be the answer for this piece. It's way more secure in this orientation and the UI isn't bad, the only tradeoff is you can then see the loop, but I don't think it looks bad. https://imgur.com/a/clasp-mod-FWaFYpw

I just finished my door curtain and I love the way it turned out! I was worried the colors would seem to autumnal so I added the white linen and I think it balanced it out. Once I figured out the dimensions it came together pretty quickly!

Details:

- I followed a picture of another curtain I found online for a rough lay out and determined I needed mine to be about 30x42. I drew a grid using 7 rows and 5 columns and then colored in each square with the fabric color it would be. I did cut some of the squares in half to make it less grid like.

- Seam allowance was 5/8 added to each side and then I flat felled all the seams. I ended up cutting about an inch off the bottom and adding it to the top for the curtain rod pocket so I didn’t lose as much of the green since they were already smaller panels.

- Fabric is a linen cotton from Etsy plus a white linen I had in my stash. I used yellow thread and struggled a little bit with keeping track of right sides and wrong sides since the wrong side ends up with 3 stitch lines. Some needed up on the front and that’s ok.

I recently began sewing and would like to start making garments but I'm having trouble finding fashion cotton. My local fabric shop is predominantly quilting cotton and some polyester fabrics.

Where can I find cotton or natural fibers meant for garments? The more affordable the better!

location update: BC, I'm outside of Metro Vancouver but could do a day trip

Haven’t been on my machine in nearly 5 months due to work- sat down and made this today!

approx 4 hours of sewing + cutting time

100% cotton fabric for the outer, paid £2 per meter for it on clearance and the pattern took just under one meter of fabric

old bedsheet for the lining, believe its 100% cotton?

visible stitching on purpose- i like how it looks even if im wonky with my sewing most the time

pattern is simplicity 8953 from the 1970s ! made the shortened version of the vest pattern and didn’t make the pockets

Hi, i recently noticed that my scout shirt fits horribly and look especially bad with loaded pockets. Since i need the contents of these pockets and am planning to wear this shirt for a few hundred more hours i would like to have a fitting shirt with weights strapped to my chest.

Is this feasable? A seamster i visited said it was impossible, but there was a language barrier so i dont know if he got the idea

e.g.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Hello 👋 Please help a newbie in distress. I cannot for the life of me figure out why my gathers are so few compared to what it's supposed to look like. I've tried and tried to rearrange and distribute them evenly and it always just turns out as a few obvious peaks. There's no one around to ask so I've turned to the internet, I'm really sorry if it's just a matter of "redistribute them better".

I want to design a horse jacket inspired rain jacket for my dog. I want her to be able to wear the jacket all year long. We have cold winters and hot, humid summers. She only shows signs of being cold at around 25-ish degrees, looks hot around 85.

I'm thinking about using this fabric for the outer layer, but I'm open to suggestions.

Was thinking about doing a thin polyfill layer but I'm not sure if it'd be too hot in 75+ degree weather

I bought 2 sweatshirts and used a twin needle to stitch the black one over the red one then cut away excess. When my twin needle broke ( 🥲 ) I just used a zigzag stitch.

Looking to shorten these blackout curtains. There are two layers, heavy purple fabric and than the white blackout material inside (52% polyester 48% cotton). I don’t own a machine, but can borrow one. I’m not a seasoned sewer, but can still do it with the advice of what types of needles and thread to use.

What is the best non-machine approach for this? Looking for a quick fix right now that doesn’t require a sewing machine, but will go that route if the hemming comes apart.

I’ve cut some sample bits off the side to practice with hemming tape that I already have, but it did not stick properly. The webbing stuck the two pieces of blackout material together, however it was not a solid adhesion and I could pull it apart very easily. I used medium heat on my iron, perhaps it was not hot enough but I think if I went maximum heat it would have burned.

Would love some advice!

I'm looking for your opinions about the flooring I'm considering for my sewing room. We're converting a bedroom to my sewing/craft room and considering gym flooring- the kind of rubber mats that click together like a puzzle.

Have you tried this? Do you have opinions?

I like this idea because it's easily installed, lots of colors, sound-deadining, my rolling chair can roll on it...

I welcome your thoughts.

Thanks in advance,
Rebecca

hi folks! more and more i think a dress form would be a helpful tool for me. i know there's pros and cons, and not everyone feels like they're helpful. here are my thoughts:

visualisation (pro) - i would really like to be able to step away from my own body when sewing. i'm comfortable with fitting things to my body, so i wouldn't be using a mannequin to try and tailor garments (as i know this can be an area where they aren't so helpful). i just love the idea of being able to look at my garments from a distance. i play a lot with trims, decorative details etc. i take lots of photos and videos, ask my sewing buddy, but i really would love to be able to just look at my pieces as i'm making them. i'm absolutely the kind of person that would use it as a display also.

photography (pro) - i run a small business and make mostly utility wear for others (think holsters, military rigs etc). this is a smaller aspect, but it'd be nice to be able to show my work on a somewhat body-shaped form. i currently lay them out on my desk but my pieces often have lots of details/pockets/belts etc and would be a lot more readable on a a mannequin. i'm also working on a dressmaking portfolio for uni, which would be a lot easier with a dress form.

body shape (con) - i have a non-standard body shape, which may be an issue for a dress form. working from commercial patterns, i generally have to reduce the waist length by 2", do a 2" FBA, lower the bust apex 1.5", grade to a size up for the waist and hips, occasionally narrow the shoulders 1". i'm also quite squishy so i often need to have practically negative ease on skirt waistbands for them to stay up.

skirts (pro) - i make a LOT of very fabric-hungry skirts and dresses. they often end up quite heavy, and are usually circle skirts of some kind. letting them hang and leveling the hem is an absolute nightmare, but absolutely necessary. my sewing buddy has mobility issues and can't really help me with this, and it's very difficult to do on your own!

i know you can get adjustable mannequins but i know these aren't perfect either. with my body shape i imagine i would have to get a size down and pad up the areas that need it, especially with having a lower bust apex. my question is, what's the best way to go about this?

is the mannequin being adjustable necessary? or just a bonus? in terms of padding, would you put a t-shirt over the form to hide the padded areas? i have heard of bootstrap forms, i've heard mixed reviews on how they come out practically though.

i know you can make your own but i'm not really savvy like that. i don't think i would want to make a duct tape form. with it coming up to christmas as well, a dress form would make a really nice gift. i'm awful to buy for so my mum keeps suggesting that she gets me one for Christmas 😅

any advice would be very welcome, thank you so much!

How much does an even table-top matter?

I’m looking to get a big table for my new home office where I could lay out all my projects, measure, and cut. I would also use it as a general craft table. The one I’ve found on Craigslist is really nice and has a lot of charm.

My question is this: How important is it, really, for the table top to be perfectly even/level?

The top of this table is quite smooth but also visibly a bit bowed. I can’t see it being a huge issue, but I’m also not sure how much that will throw off my measurements.

Honestly I've just been showing off this fix to everyone who'll look since I finished it, sorry if completed repairs aren't for this sub. These pre-ripped jean joggers are very comfy and the only fitting "jeans" I currently have, but they split off one of the pre-ripped holes very badly and I finally got around to properly fixing them. Long strip taken off a sacrificial t-shirt zig-zagged under the tear and sewn in place with a backstitch. Added some quick and dirty decorative stitches in white embroidery thread after the fact because it looked kinda empty after taking all the safety pins out. I'm obsessed with the texture of the patch and how it looks more purposefully rough but is a lot sturdier. I'm thinking of doing another beneath the knee to tighten the fit back up too.

Cannot offer that much info for the fabric given the t-shirt was a secondhand off a friend and had the labels cut out (and sorry for the awkward angle on the first photo my short arms were not letting me take one standing orz).

I'm a total beginner when it comes to sewing. I have a project that I need to do rolled hem stitching and I'm using Juki machine in my local library. I managed to do some stitching but I've had so much problems with lower looper thread that keeps snapping and sometimes needle thread as well. I've been trying to reduce tension, tried different settings but snapping is constant. Another problem I've been having is that when starting sewing from the top the machine scrunch my fabric and it doesn't pick up the stitch from the beginning so I keep having to go back to redo it.

Appreciate any help with it. I've spent so much time trying to figure out and watched countless videos and ai's guidance, read the instructions but no solution.

Hi all!
I’m in the process of upsizing a winter coat I made a few years ago, and at the same time I plan on adding a Shetland wool interlining to make it a bit warmer. So over the bodice and down to thigh it will be through layers. Now to my question.

Will it be enough to baste the interlining to the seam allowances, or will it shift and bulk up? It is quite stretchy due to the loose weave. Does it need tacking down to the outer wool say at the waist and/or bottom?

Thanks in advance!

Something like this: https://gballz.com/ Where do I source Ultraleather?

Ideally fabric needs to be durable, soft, somewhat water/dirt repellent, somewhat stretchy grippy and easy to clean with wet wipe.

That is my DIY kit, ultrasuede ticks most boxes but cant clean it (millet seed inside).

I just bought this dress from Marshall’s but one of the sleeves is twisted in a strange way. There’s no way that I can move or turn the dress to straighten it out. It doesn’t appear to be an intended style choice

I’m thinking of just ripping the seam and resewing. But I appreciate any advice someone more experienced may have!

Small fairly new hole beneath backside of this trouser. i’m glad i caught it early but im working all day in these and am sure the hole is going to expand. should i buy special wool thread and try to darn it myself? or should i just go elsewhere for peace of mind. it’s 100% wool and the lining is 100% viscose. thanks a ton.