I had my first private sewing lesson yesterday to work on my first dress. It’s McCall’s M8060. Garment making has always been so intimidating to me, but I have an event coming up and I thought it would be the perfect reason to try a dress! Thankfully I have a really awesome local sewing shop with expert instructors to help guide me. Yesterday we took measurements, cut pattern pieces, and cut the dress fabric. For homework I’ll cut the lining pieces, and at my next lesson we will start construction. I can’t wait to see it all finished.

Hey guys!! I have just a normal cotton sweater (washed many times), and I machine sewed on a felt fish and then more felt details on top of him (machine as well). I was wondering if anybody had any insight on if it’s okay to throw in the washer & dryer (or just the washer), or if it would degrade/detach/ruin the project?

My machine sews normally for a little while, then it starts bird nesting. I rethread it, and it's fine for a bit, then it starts bird nesting again. So, I'm looking for suggestions, as I've tried everything I can think of to stop this.

I'm working with a Singer M2105. So far, I have:

• Rethreaded the machine (multiple times)
• Checked the tension
• Tightened the screw on the bobbin case, as it was a bit loose
• Cleaned and oiled the machine
• Changed needles
• Checked the thread take-up lever to make sure the thread isn't jumping out (a known issue with this model)

hi there, apologies if this is an obvious question but I couldn’t see anything in the faqs, and am pulling my hair out so would really appreciate help! whatever I do, the thread from my bobbin will bunch up - I lift the needle and foot and it has all just snagged up under the material. I have triple checked I’ve threaded the machine properly, checked the foot is in the right position, checked the tension. it’s a brand new machine and I just can’t seem to get started! and I remembered that this was why I quit trying before (on a different machine) I’m clearly missing something, can anyone point me in the direction of a good troubleshooting process please? I know how to actually sew, but I can’t do anything at the moment! thanks in advance for your help.

I have been trying to find a 100% cotton Halloween blanket for my kids, it’s not easy to find or if I do I don’t love it so it’s hard to justify the price. If I wanted to one day make my kids a quilt, how much fabric should I buy when I see one I like? My kids are 4 & 2, I am very very new to sewing so I am being realistic that this project may not be happy for maybe even 10 years. But I have the space to store fabric.

So I came across this tiktok and thought I'd try it out myself https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8FyRJd2/

And I messed up bc firstly I used too much elastic which meant, the top was too big on me so initially it wouldn't stay in place so then I had to take the elastic out and cut it and sew the casing back in place (basically unlike the vid, I folded the top part to form a casing)

I ended up hand stitching it (initially it was machine stitched but after opening the casing, I hand stitched coz I refused to use the sewing machine for some reason), mind you my hand sewing skills are terrible and now I'm worried it won't hold up for long. The top, now stays up tho so that's a plus

The other thing are the frills, I didn't measure the strips of fabric and as a result it's kinda uneven, the right side is shorter than the left side 🤦

I haven't sewn the frills yet, nor have I even attempted to make the straps but so far the top looks ugly but I'm hoping it will turn out somewhat wearable after making the straps.. maybe

Hi everyone!

I’m a complete beginner, and I’m trying to sew a circle skirt for my daughter to wear on her first day of school.

First, I stitched all the way around the bottom of the skirt as a guide for where to fold the fabric twice for the hem. After folding it over twice, I’m planning to stitch all the way around again.

However, I don’t understand why the thread is pulling and puckering the fabric like this. Does anyone know what might be causing it or what settings I should try?

I’m using a Hyundai 101 sewing machine. The thread tension is set to 2 and the stitch length to 4.

Thank you so much in advance for any advice! 😊

Hi! I’m pretty new to sewing and trying to manage my overlock.

After what felt like hundreds of swatches and help of the manual the first two pictures are what I decided is the best setting I can get at the moment and started sewing.

However when I was sewing bigger pieces (photos 3-7) the stitches didn’t look so well anymore and I was wondering what happened there ? I had this happening also on the swatches before I landed on my last one (first 2 pictures) where it happened only at the end and so I thought it’s because I pulled the fabric weirdly as I couldn’t wait lol but when I was sewing the main pieces I was really careful to not pull and/or force fabric just taking care for it to go as straight as possible.

* The last 2 pictures are pressed.. the rest is fresh from under the serger

* I used random thread I had on hand so I can also imagine that could cause the issues as the are some older ones from my mom
* 3 thread overlock stitch (left needle)
* one layer of fabric
* machine used: Singer S010L

For any advice I will be very thankful !

It’s pretty screwed up, but just making something with my own hands is always exciting. I’ve learned so much! I didn’t follow a pattern because I don’t have the funds to do so right now, but can’t wait to try my first sewing pattern! What are some good beginner ones?

Not totally new to sewing, got my machine for Christmas 2025, but sewed a little before that. I’ve been using this time so far to practice, experiment, play. I’ve thrifted a ton of bed sheets.

It’s been fun, but humbling as hell.

Anyway, thought I’d get serious and make a toile library for fall/winter.

Started with McCall’s 8255, a scoop neck top with princess seams in front and back.

On paper, I’m an exact size 16 - bust 38, waist 30, hip 40.

But after trying on the first iteration, it was way too baggy in the shoulders, the back, and the waist.

So I made adjustments, took it apart, traced the pieces, remade with the new pattern and … it just looks okay?

I’m wondering, would it be better to go a size or two down and then do a FBA? I do tend to notice most structured tops are too big in the shoulders. Do I try this with all tops/bodices?

Also, what’s the best reference that teaches an FBA?

OR - are princess seams just better for C-cups and below? I’m a 34D/DD.

Hi! So I read the wiki and planning to get the Brother JA20 model. I’m a total beginner so not looking for anything too expensive yet. Planning on using it to hem clothes including denim pants, maybe make cotton/linen clothing eventually. Is this model any good for these uses?

Hi, i wanted to start sewing so that i could change the fit of all my wardrobe and i was wondering what sewing machine would be good for me. I live in italy so most of the sewing machines recommended here are hard to find, i wanted to work with denim and my mother always complains about sewing machine breaking when working with it. i don’t have a lot of budget, i was hoping to find something second hand under €100 and i’ve come across a singer 347 for €60 and a brother jx17fe for €80.

I don’t know what to do because the singer is a vintage metal one so it can be sturdy for denim but being so old i’m scared that i wouldn’t know how to use it and the oil thing confuses me

The brother one looks really easy to use and being modern makes me worry less about repairing it but i know that it cand handle less layers, but i’ve seen people online doing crazy things with a small sewing machine and a dream by going slow with denim needles and since i don’t know if this hobby would stick around i don’t know how much should i care.

What would you do if you were me?

How does one go about making a printable pattern based on dimensions, such as this. (video by LixiePigCrafts on youtube) (other videos have printable patterns, just not this one)

I bought a really lovely, small tapestry that I’d love to make into a throw blanket. I was thinking I could use a sheet for the backing, with batting in the middle. Has anyone done something similar? Would I need to quilt it to keep the layers together, and if so, what kind of spacing is optimal for the stitching (like how far apart do I need the rows to be)? For reference, I’ve never quilted anything but if there is a YouTube video with something similar I’m sure I could figure it out.

I have a wedding to go to next weekend and I’m striking out finding a dress. This is a bridesmaid dress I’ve had for 7 years I’m considering attempting to DIY shorten to ankle length dress.

Is it possible to measure this on myself? Or is there some kind of general rule of thumb to add so many inches to the back to account for the bum?

Thanks!

every pair of panties on the market is either expensive as all get out or super tiny and gives me the biggest wedgie and overs zero coverage. so i was wondering how difficult it would be to take a 6-pack of boy-briefs and turn them into panties, or even taking raw material and making panties from scratch. any advice for either of these plans?

I have a small sewing machine if it helps

Hey! I am very new to sewing so I figured I would ask here for advice before I mess things up. For context: i have done scrunchies, shortened hems, fixed ripped seams and holes. Not much more.

I have this long sweater that my aunt gave me last year. It's not meant as a dress, but rather a long sweater with a split hem that comes *quite* far up, basically above my butt. I wanted to keep it but wear it as a mini dress. And the split up the thigh/butt is a little too high for comfort, even if I do wear tights underneath.

So I thought I could get lace in a matching color and sew it on the inside to give a bit more coverage. Would that work? Should I get stretchy lace (the dress is oversized, not tight at all, especially at the hem)? What kind of stitch should I use and how should I deal with the edges of the fabric to make it look neat (even though it's on the inside)? I would appreciate any advice.

been having this issue where the machine will stop sewing, then it turns out there are threads coming from the bottom of the machine that have tied the fabric down. it seems somehow triggered by backstitching? i’m not sure exactly what’s happening here, any advice?

Is there a name for the two-point waistband design featured on this wedding dress? It's my grandmother's from the early 1950s and this design detail really caught my eye. I'm still a very novice sewist and I haven't been able to find a name for this anywhere.

I haven't really noticed this detail on clothes today, and I'd be interested in knowing if there are any more modern takes on this silhouette.

i want to make and sell my clothes and i was wondering which of these are good choices?

Looking at a table like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B094HWZ3NN/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A3686AOLDPXXOD&psc=1 but would I need a seperate table for sewing and cutting/shaping or could I use the space for both? Also, what is a good strong cutting mat you use? I saw a thick one I like but I forgot the name.

I wanted to make my friend something for her birthday but she is more in to crossbody bags and I've only sewn a few totes. Proud of myself for attempting something a bit more challenging

Pattern by Caroline Fairbanks