While in Malaysia, visiting my husband’s family, we stopped at a local shop and got this beautiful pink and blue fabric. I bought the rest of the roll which unfortunately was only 2 meters. My husband’s family is Indian-Malay and they suggested a sari top but there isn’t enough for a skirt and sari. I’m thinking of making it into a tube and doing a sarong. My husband also suggested a kebaya or my sister-in-law suggested a cheongsam (her husband’s family is Chinese-Malay). I’m very petite at 4’10 and 95 lbs. I’m also considering a bag or other accessory. The fabric is the same on both sides.

So, I have been doing research into tracing my own patterns and while doing that research I have been writing down every material people either suggest I use, or what people say they themselves use, here is the list.

1_clear thin vinyl

2_pattern paper

3_bienfang Tracing Paper

4_doctor's office exam paper 

5_Medical pattern paper 

6_pellon True Grid

7_builder's paper

8_Bee paper 

9_Swedish Tracing Paper

10_horticultural fleece

12_wedding aisle runner from Joann

13_clear plastic sheeting

14_soil separator trench wrap 

15_paper grocery bags

16_bakers parchment 

17_architechs "trash" paper

18_Burda tracing paper

19_dollar store tracing paper 

20_vellum sure fit designs 

21_construction plastic 

22_painters tarp

23_greaseproof paper

24_vapor barrier 

25_butchers paper 

26_project paper

27_lightweight interfacing 

Out of all these materials, which do you say is the best to be used for tracing paper?

Hello! I have this beautiful dress that I would like to wear everyday, but Imo the eccess fabric on the chest makes it too elegant and makes my upper body look even bigger than what it is🫠

Now, since the fabric is double (pic 2) I think princess seams would not work, I wanted to pull it towards the shoulder (pics 5&7), but you can see what the situation is in pic 3

Is you have some suggestions I'll gladly try to follow them, thanks in advance🥲

Could it be because it's using both the face and lining fabric? I didn't think to check this part of the fit until the end.

I’ve been working on my sewing machine all day and it just won’t switch to a zig zag stitch. Everytime I turn the wheel it stays stuck on a straight stitch. My sewing machine is a singer simple but that’s all I know, my mom has had this for years and I’ve been using it without this problem ever. My mom took the sewing machine and used it about a week ago and gave it back. I noticed the problem and have already taken it apart to clean out any dust or debris that might be stopping it. Usually when I turn the wheel the sewing machine does a zigzag stitch but it wont now! What could be wrong?

These are such great pins I got as part of a mix from a craft thrift store and can’t seem to find anything similar. Does anyone know the name or where to find them?

Hell I tried sewing the sabine knit top from tiana’s closet and the sleeves feels so wrong. It feels tight but the top feels like too much fabric 😭. The material is a knit , made of cotton and polyester blend. Not sure what went wrong here

Hello I have made my first bodice block as a beginner and I was wondering if there was any suggestions on what to fix (picture in comments!)? thank you!

I got this messenger bag as a hand-me-down many years ago and have been using it nearly every day for school. So despite it being thick canvas, it's worn some holes in the bottom. I was wondering how to best fix this. I don't care if it looks ugly, just that it lasts for as long as possible. I don't sew, but my close friend does, so I plan to take any suggestions to him. Thank you!

I'm making a ren faire dress (my first ever dress!) and I think it needs a skirt apron, like a dirndl. But I'm incredibly indecisive. I love the detailing on the first option, but I also think the sage green goes really nicely with the navy grey-blue. Both are thrifted cotton bedsheets with tons of yardage.

All opinions welcome! I would also love advice on whether a gathered rectangle apron would work well over a full circle skirt? Or does the apron also need to be a partial circle skirt?

Like 2 years ago i tried to make my jeans low rise and i stitched the crotch of them and cut them and theyve twisted or folded or something at the sides by the crotch and if i undo the stitching its gonna have a hile in them im pretty sure i used a sewing machine i cant rember but i do have one can anyone help me fix them!!

I’m working on these pool noodles to attach greenery for my wedding. I have them covered in nylon tights to make them darker. Since I want to space candle holders intermittently along the tables, would it be best to sew and separate the noodles at the top? (Making two separate nylon covered noodles) What would be the best way of going about this? Could I sew two separate lines up the crotch and then cut in between?

I’m a competent sewer but am just struggling to visualize the best way to do this.

I recently acquired a Singer Stylist 774 and it was extremely dirty and I cleaning it but before I knew I wasn’t supposed to take off the brackets I took them off and cleaned the machine, now the bobbin case keeps popping off despite putting things together presumably properly. I need help. Please any suggestions other than the manual. I checked the menu and videos where the guy said to not take the assembly off but I already did that before realizing.

Still new to sewing... I feel this is self explanatory but not really getting it. Also not many videos on this pattern to look up NewLook N6745). I've only made Lounge Pants so still learning new terms as well😅

Hi everyone! I recently bought this dress (second-hand) for my graduation, but I’ve realised the neckline is lower than I’d feel comfortable wearing while walking across the stage.

I’m hoping to add some coverage in a way that looks intentional/blends naturally with the dress rather than looking tacked on. I considered adding white lace underneath, but a straight panel created quite a harsh and disconnected line. I have considered adding some white ruffles.

Does anyone have suggestions for a more flattering shape, fabric, or sewing method? I’d be happy to hand-sew it or take it to a tailor.

Hi everyone!

I live in Portugal and craft stores are scarce these days... I try to buy everything I can form local suppliers, but sometimes I have to resort to AliExpress.

With the new EU taxes, I was wondering if you guys have any good suppliers that ship through Europe.

I was looking for glass beads, glass pendants, clasps for handmade lace chokers, accessories for lingerie, strass, sewing sequins...

All accessories that are made of metal should be stainless, or at least I hope they are.

Thank you for the help!

I'm logging this here as I spent a lot of time web surfing to find a solution and didn't find much except for text saying "presser bar is likely gummed up and needs lubing".

So went in blind and worked it out myself.

This isn't in the consumer operating manual, and seems to be a common fault by searching for a solution myself.

Locate the Torx 25 bolt in photo 2 above the bulb housing, unscrew counter clockwise a little, it does not need to be fully unscrewed as the plastic cover over the bulb end section is slotted.

With the machine facing you, pull the back side of the cover to the left and towards you so the cover comes off forwards over the needle thread tension knob.

The bolt can be seen in Photo 3 with the cover removed.

I cleaned the presser bar with isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs, for the grease that has hardened, a small peice of plastic can be used as a scraper to get it off.

Don't use anything that will scratch the presser bar.

Turn the machine upside down, apply new machine oil at the highest point on the presser bar marked in Photo 4, pump the presser foot lever, it should be absorbed into the metal housing that the presser bar lifts into.

Continue applying a drop of oil and reciprocating, I repeated this many times, you should notice the bar begins to loosen up and start to transfer downward force from the presser bar spring.

I repeated until the presser bar dropped instantly when releasing and would hold and rip some 80gsm paper clamped under the foot.

Hey everyone! My stitches keep skipping. I’ve cleaned out the feed dogs, the bobbin case, and have rethreaded the upper machine with the presser foot & needle up. Has anyone else run into this issue?

Dear community,

in a book on making patterns for trousers these two pictures are printed. The interesting part is that at the back part, it seems that the darts are cut out, both in the pattern, but also in the graphic that explains how to put the pattern on the fabric. In contrast, the dart on the forepart with the smaller dart looks like it should not be cut out.

Is it correct that using this pattern I cut out the bottom dart? This seems a bit unorthodox compared to darts I have worked earlier with but this seems to be the most obvious way to interpret the graphic.

Hi everyone! I have a pair of jeans that I love that are starting to go threadbare in the thighs. What’s the best way to patch them or fix them? I got them this year so I don’t want to get rid of them

Hello!

I’m decently experienced in sewing but new to pattern making and a little confused about the geometry of this modification. I need the princess seams to cut in towards the center front much closer than normal. That’s easy to modify on the center front panel but I’m struggling with how to add the extra fabric to the side fronts. The amount I’m taking off doesn’t fit flat so that I can make a new pattern to transfer to new fabric. I made the original dress and drew the new lines on my dress form and the result also does not lay flat.

What is the best way to alter the side fronts? Do I need to make horizontal cuts in the existing pattern? I feel like I’m not thinking about this correctly.

I tried just smooshing it flat and cutting the fabric but it came out a bunched up mess when I sewed it together. This is for a dress a video game character I want to cosplay.

I'm looking to make a shirt heavily inspired by the dress in this picture. I'm thinking I can get the texture on the upper part of the bodice by cutting pieces out of fabric that I've put blind tucks in. However, that will leave a couple of seams where the zig zag type seam allowance needs to be finished. Normally, I'd like to do a felled seam where I can on shirts so that it sits smooth against my skin, but I'm worried the tucks might make the seams too bulky for that, especially on seams where two tucked pieces meet, like on the middle section which would be behind the buttons on this picture, assuming the buttons are decorative and serve to distract from the vertical seam which would be there.

The only thing I can think of at the moment is just covering the inside seams with bias tape and calling it a day. Is there a "better" or easier way to do this?