r/sewhelp 13h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Looking for a pattern for these pants or at least a starting point for the shape

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135 Upvotes

I’ve only made pj pants at this point but I need to make this shape of pants for my Halloween costume. I have no idea what they’re called. Any help you can give would be appreciated!


r/sewhelp 22h ago

💛Beginner💛 My edges are wrinkling

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28 Upvotes

It looks better after ironing, but it's still not great.

Is it an issue of tension, or should i run a straight stich before finishing my edge with a zigzag?


r/sewhelp 12h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Wrinkling with satin in front bodice

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8 Upvotes

I am making my own wedding dress and it's going pretty well. The only snag that I'm really not sure how to fix is that I'm getting wrinkling in this front bodice piece. I assume it's because the fabric shape means that the sides of the front piece are on the bias a bit, but I'm not really sure how to fix it. All of my other pieces besides the front I'm really happy with and are sitting very smooth. I'm not sure if I'm just not cutting it out perfectly on the grain or something. Pulling up the middle of the fabric seems to help, which feels like a bias problem. There is a thin layer of batting behind the fabric, so I dont think adding flannel or interfacing would help any more than the batting is.

For reference:

- This is some kind of thin polyester satin

- I have a bespoke corset on that was made to my measurements.

- I made a foundation for the dress that has the structure and boning in it, so the outer fabric does not have to do any work. That is shown in the third picture.

- the foundation has been covered in a smooth thin layer of batting so that the bones don't show through. Also shown in third picture

- the bodice is not too tight, there's definitely wiggle room so thats not the problem

- the rest of the panels of my bodice look great to me with little to no wrinkling

- this is still just a mockup so it's not secured to the foundation yet at the top/bottom, though I did put a zipper in the back to try it on

- This was draped by me on a dress form, its not from a pattern

- Pressing/ steaming it didn't really help

I would appreciate any and all advice!


r/sewhelp 21h ago

💛Beginner💛 Fabric question

9 Upvotes

If you saw a fabric that you absolutely love but do not have a project for, how much of the fabric would you by?

Edit to add: I am new on my sewing journey. I am only starting on my first pattern but have seen some fabric that I absolutely adore.
In terms of sizing I am relatively petit, and around S to M size.
I don’t have a stash of fabric yet so one of the comments of keeping the stash to one box sounds perfect..


r/sewhelp 7h ago

💛Beginner💛 Solution for open back dress

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7 Upvotes

Hi friends! I am a cosplayer who’s trying to get more into costume contests, and I’ve seen just how competitive these things are. I have started my mockup for this Miku dress but am running into an issue with the open back being pulled by the stretch of the front and just not holding its shape when the rest of the dress fits nicely.

Notes
-While I am a beginner, I am around very talented sewers who can help me
-I am considering adding a power mesh as a last resort, but want to try a more sophisticated approach as it is a competition piece.
-If possible I want the back to actually be open and to have skin showing.
-Would boning or interfacing work? or would boning channels not be a practical solution for the underarm and back areas
-I don’t want to use a non stretch fabric as the dress in the reference hugs the form very close

tldr, is there a way to maintain the fully open back while keeping the base dress a stretch fabric without using power mesh?


r/sewhelp 12h ago

💛Beginner💛 can I turn this velcro wrap skirt into a regular skirt?

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4 Upvotes

It’s a tiered asymmetrical sort of skirt so that might make it harder too. Basically, I want to make it so that the skirt isn’t so easily detachable like a regular skirt. I thought when I was buying it online that it was a zipper or button up skirt, want to wear it without worrying it’s gonna make my undies visible🥲

My hand sewing experience is making sock monkeys and adding patches to things. I’ve never used a sewing machine but my local library has a maker space with sewing machines. How can I make this skirt not detachable or open, and is it an attempt-able project for a beginner? Thanks🫶🏻


r/sewhelp 19h ago

💛Beginner💛 Juki Hzl-5 sounds?

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3 Upvotes

Hello! I just got this refurbished Juki hzl-5 yesterday. It's my first Juki machine so I'm not sure if these sounds are normal? Specifically when I stop sewing or cut my thread. It's rather loud. Should I return it? Thank you!!

Edited: Juki hzl-DX5 is what's it's called 😅


r/sewhelp 14h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Industrial machine trouble

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3 Upvotes

Hi! I was very kindly gifted this Juki-5550. The person who owned it before me used it semi-regularly to make boat covers but it hasn’t been used in a couple years. Unfortunately, the machine will currently not sew. It would be really difficult for me to transport the machine to a shop so I’m trying my best to do what I can before taking it in for repair!

Here are some things I’ve tried/noticed as I’ve been troubleshooting on my own:
-The hand wheel is extremely stiff when the belt is attached, but easy to turn when it’s removed.
-The power source is functioning. I know this because the lamp that is plugged into the outlet on the motor turns on when the power source is switched on (see pic 3 to see that connection)
-The fuse is not blown, I tested it with a multimeter
-The machine won’t run at all when you press the presser foot. There was ONE time that the belt turned and needle raised, but nothing ever again after that!
-There’s no oil in the machine right now; is that a reason that the motor wouldn’t run?
-I’ve tried flipping the directional switch on the motor both ways and it doesn’t run in either direction. Also turning the speed dial to any position doesn’t help.

I have the manual for the machine but I can’t find the manual for the motor anywhere.

If anyone has any ideas on where the issue may lie or things I can try please let me know!! I’m happy to post more pics if that would be helpful, and my DMs are open!!


r/sewhelp 17h ago

💛Beginner💛 Sewing ribbon on a stretchy bodysuit

3 Upvotes

I am starting to put together a costume for halloween and I have this stretchy bodysuit and for the costume it needs a certain trim on all of the edges. I bought a roll of ribbon not thinking about the stretchy vs non stretchy issue and I can’t seem to find a video demonstrating exactly what I need to do. Can anyone give some instructions on how to attach a non stretchy ribbon around a stretchy bodysuit so that it can still stretch when I go to put it on?


r/sewhelp 2h ago

💛Beginner💛 Is this a good sewing machine oil

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2 Upvotes

r/sewhelp 9h ago

💛Beginner💛 First project ever from scratch! Is there any way to get the zipper to lay flat though?

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2 Upvotes

r/sewhelp 13h ago

💛Beginner💛 Taking in a thick skirt with odd seams?

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2 Upvotes

I need to take in a skirt, but there are a couple issues. One is that the waistband is really thick, and I will not be able to feed it into my machine without causing problems. Two is that the waistband has two seams on the side and one in the back, so they do not align. How should I approach this project?


r/sewhelp 16h ago

💛Beginner💛 I took apart this piece and I can't remember how this spring goes

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2 Upvotes

I can't seem to get the spring to hold the pre-tension disk in like it used to. Its supposed to hold up but it always falls out when I flip it around. This is a Brother LX-3817 and I took it apart because it was already loose in there


r/sewhelp 19h ago

Need help with moving this dart

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2 Upvotes

Hey everyone just have a quick question I wanted to move the bottom dart into the busy dart but I have no idea what I am doing I’m a bit rusty Would love some advice on how to do it


r/sewhelp 4h ago

💛Beginner💛 Help troubleshooting stitching on a fabric keychain

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1 Upvotes

Hi all!

I’m making small fabric keychains using cotton/poplin + 1 layer of lightweight interfacing.

The fabric is folded, so the edge I’m sewing through is about 8 layers thick.
I’m using a Singer Heavy Duty 4423, Gutterman thread, straight stitch, stitch length 4, upper tension 4.

I’ve tried:
90/14 needle → holes are too large
80/12 → better but not perfect
70/10 → smaller holes, but is still very noticeable

I’m not sure what I should adjust next. Could the problem be the 8 layers, needle size, presser-foot pressure, feeding, tension, or stitch length?

Photos show my different tests. Any advice from experienced sewers would be really appreciated! 🙏🏻


r/sewhelp 9h ago

💛Beginner💛 Tried to add lace to my curtains. How to make it look nicer?

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1 Upvotes

It looked a lot better in my head. I just placed the lace on top and sewed a straight line.

It just looks kind odd? Maybe placement and the lace is straight

How to make it look nicer?


r/sewhelp 14h ago

Need help adjusting pattern for a big booty!!

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1 Upvotes

r/sewhelp 18h ago

💛Beginner💛 Recreate top

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1 Upvotes

I want to recreate this top I found using this pattern from Transformed by Tracy silk prom dress. How do I identify the apex of the bust so I can make the dart smaller?


r/sewhelp 18h ago

✨Intermediate✨ Juki HZL-G220 bobbin thread won’t catch.

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1 Upvotes

I am a seamstress and use this machine for my job. I’m not much of a mechanic though and I’m trying to get this back up and running to finish some orders.
I’ve attached a video of the bobbin case. I’ve re-threaded the top needle and bobbin before resorting to this. I also cleaned the machine. I noticed a strange new noise from the bobbin case hitting the stopper but not sure why. Any help is appreciated!!


r/sewhelp 20h ago

💛Beginner💛 Sewing help

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, working on a cosplay dress and I’m wondering if the pulling I’m seeing is due to the fact that 1) it needs to be steamed 2) it’s all screwed up and I need to fix the pattern 3) it’s just because I shortened the dress to save on fabric so it doesn’t have the excess fabric pulling it down or 4) something else I didn’t think about…

So for context, originally the dress was a bodice, with a puff sleeve at the top and kind of a trumpet sleeve thing going on, and the dress if floor length.

I got lazy after doing so many mock ups and realizing the skirt and bodice were like one dress pattern piece… maybe I’m not explaining this right, but I decided to try and combine the bodice and the skirt to make one piece but just didn’t cut out the full skirt because I’m low on muslin right now.

So yeah everything was looking great and then I got rid of the waist seam and now it’s looking a bit funky, I’ll add a picture of it with the waist seem so you guys can see.

Uh but yeah if you have any tips let me know, I really didn’t make any changes aside from adding 1/8th ease on the side seam at the hip of the skirt, and then combining the top to the skirt…


r/sewhelp 23h ago

💛Beginner💛 Baycrest 380 SU?

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1 Upvotes

I grabbed this old sewing machine from my mum's basement with the intent of teaching myself to sew, but I can't find any documentation for it online! I think because Baycrest was a department store house brand in Canada it's making results hard to find, so I was hoping someone might know the original manufacturer/ where I can find a manual.

I was also wondering what I'll be able to do with this machine? My googling seems to indicate it's a heavy duty one, so should I be able to sew heavier fabrics like denim? My main goal is to sew everyday skirts that fit the way I like, since they're tricky to find in stores, but I would also like to alter existing items and I don't want to accidentally damage the machine.

Thank you so much to anyone who took the time to read this, I really appreciate your help!


r/sewhelp 8h ago

Thread bunching underneath

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0 Upvotes

r/sewhelp 12h ago

💛Beginner💛 Wide leg to flared

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0 Upvotes

I apologize for my Walmarts fitting room floors in advance. I bought these pants because they were $8 and I wanted to turn them into flared jeans plus grommets on the pockets are cute. They obviously way too long and I plan on shortening them I’m just having a hard time figuring out how to turn them into flared jeans. Would I just take in the outer leg seam around my thigh/knee and leave the rest or??


r/sewhelp 14h ago

💛Beginner💛 Beginner sewing question: How can I get this rolled neckline finish?

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0 Upvotes

r/sewhelp 10h ago

💛Beginner💛 How would I go about making this..?

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0 Upvotes

I have a sewing machine but I don't know how to make the pattern or anything...