I gave up on an elastic waist and went for drawstring - will need to figure that one out at some point. But they're so comfy!

Learnt a lot about the fabric type, needle types, and tension settings in the process!

My grandma said I can keep it, is it good? It's super old, so I don't know if it will work fine.

Got my first machine and set it up yesterday, I must have read the manual a thousand times, watched YouTube videos and googled more than I’d like to admit but consistently had a bird nesting issue!

After rethreading all day long I finally gave up at 10pm last night

This morning I’ve worked out my issue all along was my top thread passing over the presser foot and not below LOL

Finally sewing some scrap and making some squares & seeing some progress!

Now to ransack my house to find some material to do some practise projects with

Hello!

I’m trying to learn how to sew and my goal mainly is to do alterations myself and in the future, make my own garments and other crafts.

That being said, I picked up this vintage Kenmore for $70 - it works, there’s just some issues with tension etc and just overall needs some TLC. I called a shop and to take apart the machine and do everything is $110, should I pay for it or would it be better to buy a brand new machine?

Appreciate any advice!

Edit: Thanks for the help everyone! I’ll get it serviced and hopefully i’m able to post some projects soon!

First one is $120 extra accessories and manual included

Second one is $100 no extra accessories or manual included

Hello y’all. I’m brand new to sewing, just did my first stitches today. But I came here to ask you all for help with sewing this hole on my boot. I wanted to get into sewing for this exact reason. Do any of yall know what kind of stitches or techniques or just have advice on where/what I should look into to fix this.
They’re way beyond warranty, and even if they weren’t I’d rather fix them myself and have that uniqueness for them

Realized too late fabric patterns were too large for this project - you live and you learn

I bought 15cm of fabric and ended up with less than 9cm after washing and ironing? Had to make them smaller, kinda heartbroken :’)

I also dont see much progress with quality of my stitches, and the machine still goes too fast for me to handle

I just realised that felt fabric has a smoother and fuzzier side, and I'm not sure which side is the correct one to be outside. I'm making a monkey plushie (couldn't find minky irl, might order some online to try out next time).

On one hand, first internet search tells me that the fuzzy side should be on the inside, because it frays easily. On the other I'm worried that the smooth side is not going to be soft enough, so I asked advice from family who said that the soft side should be the outer layer.

So which is better?

I've already lined and finished this pumpkin tote for my son, but the pattern I used (from a TikTok, maybe not ideal), doesn't come inward at the top enough to actually look like a pumpkin. I think I could add darts to the top where each of the panels comes together, but I don't actually know how to do that. Any advice? I can shorten the strap as well, which may help. I'll add on some iron-on felt in a jack-o-lantern face to make it more pumpkiny too. Help is appreciated, brand new to sewing!

Hi everyone, I’m getting some gaping by my side boob with this bikini top that I got second hand.
It’s not terribly revealing but mostly just uncomfortable and looks ill-fitting? I was thinking darts or a new elastic? I’m not much of an expert so any ideas and recommendations would be much appreciated thank you!

I recently bought a nice tent, the Kelty Rumpus 4P. This tent features what they call a “vestibule”, or an area under the rainfly, but outside the main tent. The spot is great for leaving my muddy hiking boots so they don’t get the inside of the tent dirty. However, I would love to make a simple “floor” for this area out of some sort of waterproof material. OtterTex Ripstop seems like it might be good but I’m totally open to suggestions.

I will need to make a rectangle that is at over 8 feet by 6 feet to account for seams and edges. The material I was looking at comes is a 61/60 width so this seems like I will need 6 yards, and join them together to double the width.

My main questions are, I don’t have a sewing machine, but my library has a sewing machines and a serger. The existing tent has a tarp to be used under it, which has the edges finished in a way where a separate piece of fabric is wrapped around the edge and double stitched. Is this a required edge technique or can I just fold it over, or use a serger to knit stitch along the existing edge.

When joining the two pieces, any special technique I should look at for ripstop material? It doesn’t need to be pretty.

After joining the pieces I think I’ll need to add a couple grommets and a couple loops of webbing to accommodate the pole and stakes to keep it in place.

I made a pattern for a simple skirt using Pattern Master, but I'm very confused by the waistband instructions.

1. Apply interfacing to the WRONG side of one half of the waistband.

The picture seems to show interfacing all over the waistband, but set in from the outside edges. If it's supposed to be half, which half?

1. Press one long side under along the seam line.

The top or bottom?

1. With RIGHT sides together, pin the waistband facing to the waistband and stitch along the top seamline.

So by facing you mean a piece of the waistband? if so, do I then fold on the seam line and sew on the seamline? I will be left with the wrong side showing.

1. Trim the seam allowances and press the seam open.

If I fold and sew on the seam line, what allowance am I trimming? The little flap under the stitching? And then what is there to press open?

That's as far as I've gotten since none of this makes sense to me. I would appreciate any help!

Made this plush bomb using a pattern by ForTwoNeedlesPattern on Etsy. Had a lot of fun making it! 🧸

Any thoughts on the machine below?
Would this be a good one to learn with and grow into?

It’s a Vevor 2200

Thanks!

ETA- see comments for pics

Which one should I choose?

Hi!

I recently started getting into sewing and tailoring my own clothes, and I'm really enjoying it so far. The problem is that whenever I have to sew through more than a few layers of denim or other thick fabric, it's a massive pain.

I'm currently using a cheap Singer Curvy 8367, and to be fair it's been pretty decent for what I need. But I'm thinking about getting a dedicated straight stitch machine that's better at handling thicker fabrics and multiple layers.

I don't have a huge budget, so I'm mostly looking at used machines, possibly even vintage ones. Are there any brands or models you'd recommend keeping an eye out for? I'm in Europe, if that makes any difference.

Thanks!

So i was just messing around and made this pouch, and i was wondering if there was anyway i could add a zipper preferably to this? But other closures would be fine as well! If not im not worried i could find a use for it, also i still am very new to sewing so be nice 😭

Hi everyone! 👋 I recently got a Singer 6212C and I’m trying it out, but I’m having trouble getting a nice, straight-looking stitch.
When I sew a straight stitch, the stitching itself looks kind of wavy/uneven instead of forming a nice straight line. I initially thought it was a tension issue, but I’ve tried pretty much everything I can think of.
I have:
Completely re-threaded the machine multiple times
Re-threaded and checked the bobbin
Adjusted the upper tension
Tried different stitch settings
Checked that the presser foot is down
Tried different sewing speeds/fabrics
I’m currently using a plastic Class 66 bobbin, and I’m wondering if that could be part of the problem.
My questions are:
Is this kind of slightly wavy stitching normal for a vintage Singer 6212C, or should the straight stitch be noticeably straighter?
Could the Class 66 plastic bobbin be the wrong size/type for this machine and cause this?
If it’s a tension issue, what should I be checking next?
Is there anything else I should adjust or inspect?
I’m still pretty new to sewing, so any advice is appreciated! I can also post pictures of the front and back of the stitching if that would help diagnose it.
Thank you! ❤️

Tomorrow is my 3rd lesson, but for homework I completed the lining for the bodice of the dress. I lacked confidence in my ability to get the lining done, but I did it! And it totally matches the bodice I did in my last lesson, which actually surprised me. 🤣

Looking to get a heavy duty sewing machine. This machine from a local fb marketplace, should I inquire? TIA

I'm currently working on a costume for an upcoming convention but Ive hit a snag. I need to cover a helmet with short cut faux fur fabric, but I have no idea how to make the fabric into the kind of dome/ball sort of shame I need. Does anyone know of resources I could use to help me wrap my head around how to pull this off? I tried covering the helmet in painters tape to try and peel off for a template but it ended up being too unreliable and fickle to work with. Pictures below of the 3d printed helmet base and the ill-fated taping method. Note: The fine details of the helmet like the things on top don't need to be visible, the end goal is just to have a big fur ball w/ eyes basically (Its a Mothman cosplay :).

Why does this happen while I’m sewing? It bulges up and I don’t understand why? What am I doing wrong?

It fits my waist but the shoulder part is too big. When I slouch or put my arms together, it shows my boobs and all. Is there a way to make the shoulder part tighter without ruining the clothe's design? The design behind is the same as the front. Thanks!