Peggy

Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 13:58:59 -0800
From: "Robyn Coburn" <dezigna@...>
>
>
> If you do a lot of sewing and have a serviceable machine, why not try a
> serger (or as we say in Australia, an overlocker ) I have one that I
> just adore. They are really zippy. Of course you have to follow the
> diagrams exactly for the different threadings, but it is worth it for
> me.

Would love to have one of those. Saw something cute yesterday made with
a serger or overlock at the toy store. "Book Socks" make out of cool
stretchy lycra non-run fabric in outer space planet fabric or clouds,
something visual. I turned it inside out to figure out how it was made.
It a book cover but made from a long rectangle with, oh how do I
describe this? You know how it looks when you take a square and fold up
four triangles to form another square shape? Well in this the triangles
were what is formed the backside of the rectangle and then the made a
slit in the middle to slide the book into. So, it looked like zip up one
side with the overlock then cross over the other then cut up the middle.
quick fast easy and cheap if one already had an overlock. You could make
some in time for the new Harry Potter book and sell them! ;)


>
> BTW you can turn those jeans into jean skirts pretty easily.

Still have zippers. I always liked those skirts. Now they rip off the
top waistband and let them hang low. ;)

Peggy

kayb85 <[email protected]>

I had a sewing machine given to me and I lost the instruction
booklet. I tried and tried to figure out how to thread that thing
but couldn't get it. I tried to find the instruction book online but
couldn't. I found other instruction books for other machines and
tried to figure it out from those but couldn't.

Finally, because I was so determined to figure out how to sew, I went
out and bought a brand new sewing machine. I couldn't figure out how
to thread that one either, but dh helped me get it. It came with the
bobbin threaded and I am not looking forward to the time when that
runs out! lol I don't care if the bobbin thread is bright blue, I
will put up with having the underside of the fabric showing blue
thread instead of figuring out that bobbin. It scares me to death
for some reason.

My daughter needs jeans, and she is finding she needs plus sizes
right now. Plus girls sizes aren't in Wal-mart, and I don't have any
put back from yard saling. I'm not about to pay 30 or more bucks for
a brand new pair of jeans from a department store. So I took her to
the thrift shop and let her pick out bigger sized jeans and I'm
hemming them for her. I had her stand on top of the table and I cut
off about where I thought they should be cut off. No one told me to
measure an inseam--dh mentioned that to me afterwards. ;) I hemmed
them, and one leg is a little longer than the other. And because the
thread is bright red on dark denim (to match the thread on the rest
of the jeans), the places where I didn't go straight and have double
layers of thread show a lot.

So I went to Wal-mart and bought trim for the bottom of them. I
figure if I let the trim hang a little lower on the side that is
hemmed higher, it will make them look about even. I also let her
pick out some cool appliques to put on the jeans. Hopefully I can
figure out that zig-zaggy sewing that the instruction book says you
should use for appliques.

I just pray that the blue bobbin thread holds out until I finish
these jeans. Changing that bobbin thread just might stress me out
too much! lol

Geez, sewing is just about as scary to me as algebra. ;)

Sheila


> > BTW you can turn those jeans into jean skirts pretty easily.
>
> Still have zippers. I always liked those skirts. Now they rip off
the
> top waistband and let them hang low. ;)
>
> Peggy

[email protected]

HEE HEE HEE! Too funny!
I have used ten+ different sewing machines, and if you can send me a pic
off list, I can probably draw you out a diagram on how to thread it and
change bobbin thread. As for the appliques...much, much easier to sew on
by hand, and dd could help you that way. It's also fun for them to puffy
paint on them, and sew beads, sequins, bits of lace, etc. on them to make
different designs. And if the cuffs that you cut off are big enough, I've
used them to make cool little denim purses. You can use brik-a-brak or
some other trim for strap, and use Velcro for closure. My 5dd likes to
decorate them too.

Wende
On Sun, 09 Feb 2003 16:42:39 -0000 "kayb85 <sheran@...>"
<sheran@...> writes:
> I had a sewing machine given to me and I lost the instruction
> booklet. I tried and tried to figure out how to thread that thing
> but couldn't get it. I tried to find the instruction book online
> but
> couldn't. I found other instruction books for other machines and
> tried to figure it out from those but couldn't.
>
> Finally, because I was so determined to figure out how to sew, I
> went
> out and bought a brand new sewing machine. I couldn't figure out
> how
> to thread that one either, but dh helped me get it. It came with
> the
> bobbin threaded and I am not looking forward to the time when that
> runs out! lol I don't care if the bobbin thread is bright blue, I
> will put up with having the underside of the fabric showing blue
> thread instead of figuring out that bobbin. It scares me to death
> for some reason.
>
> My daughter needs jeans, and she is finding she needs plus sizes
> right now. Plus girls sizes aren't in Wal-mart, and I don't have
> any
> put back from yard saling. I'm not about to pay 30 or more bucks
> for
> a brand new pair of jeans from a department store. So I took her to
>
> the thrift shop and let her pick out bigger sized jeans and I'm
> hemming them for her. I had her stand on top of the table and I cut
>
> off about where I thought they should be cut off. No one told me to
>
> measure an inseam--dh mentioned that to me afterwards. ;) I hemmed
>
> them, and one leg is a little longer than the other. And because
> the
> thread is bright red on dark denim (to match the thread on the rest
>
> of the jeans), the places where I didn't go straight and have double
>
> layers of thread show a lot.
>
> So I went to Wal-mart and bought trim for the bottom of them. I
> figure if I let the trim hang a little lower on the side that is
> hemmed higher, it will make them look about even. I also let her
> pick out some cool appliques to put on the jeans. Hopefully I can
> figure out that zig-zaggy sewing that the instruction book says you
>
> should use for appliques.
>
> I just pray that the blue bobbin thread holds out until I finish
> these jeans. Changing that bobbin thread just might stress me out
> too much! lol
>
> Geez, sewing is just about as scary to me as algebra. ;)
>
> Sheila
>
>
> > > BTW you can turn those jeans into jean skirts pretty easily.
> >
> > Still have zippers. I always liked those skirts. Now they rip off
>
> the
> > top waistband and let them hang low. ;)
> >
> > Peggy
>
>
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kayb85 <[email protected]>

--- In [email protected], love-it-here@j... wrote:
> HEE HEE HEE! Too funny!
> I have used ten+ different sewing machines, and if you can send me
a pic
> off list, I can probably draw you out a diagram on how to thread it
and
> change bobbin thread.

Thanks. I have the directions to this new machine though, and dh
doesn't have this phobia that I have of anything technical. He'll
probably be able to figure it out for me and patiently explain it to
me. :) I just don't want to tackle it YET. ;)

And if the cuffs that you cut off are big enough, I've
> used them to make cool little denim purses.

Alisha wants to make matching jeans for her American Girl doll. I
calmly said "Oh, that would be fun to do" while inside I was having a
secret panic attack. ("Oh no, that would mean putting on a snap!") lol

Sheila

[email protected]

You might want to take some basic sewing classes at Jo-Ann's. They teach you
all about the machine and the basics of sewing to advanced sewing techniques
if you want to take additional classes. You definately were inventive on how
to cover up the problems. ---Tammy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Kelli Traaseth

Sheila, I'm with you!! I can't thread the damn thing either!! Got a used one from me aunt. I just sew everything by hand, which limits me a tad! <g> But I'm a good hand quilter!



I would go a step further, sewing does scare me more than algebra!! I can do the x and y thing, now the automatic sewing thing is a different matter.



Kelli





"kayb85 <sheran@...>" <sheran@...> wrote:I had a sewing machine given to me and I lost the instruction
booklet. I tried and tried to figure out how to thread that thing
but couldn't get it. I tried to find the instruction book online but
couldn't. I found other instruction books for other machines and
tried to figure it out from those but couldn't.

Finally, because I was so determined to figure out how to sew, I went
out and bought a brand new sewing machine. I couldn't figure out how
to thread that one either, but dh helped me get it. It came with the
bobbin threaded and I am not looking forward to the time when that
runs out! lol I don't care if the bobbin thread is bright blue, I
will put up with having the underside of the fabric showing blue
thread instead of figuring out that bobbin. It scares me to death
for some reason.

My daughter needs jeans, and she is finding she needs plus sizes
right now. Plus girls sizes aren't in Wal-mart, and I don't have any
put back from yard saling. I'm not about to pay 30 or more bucks for
a brand new pair of jeans from a department store. So I took her to
the thrift shop and let her pick out bigger sized jeans and I'm
hemming them for her. I had her stand on top of the table and I cut
off about where I thought they should be cut off. No one told me to
measure an inseam--dh mentioned that to me afterwards. ;) I hemmed
them, and one leg is a little longer than the other. And because the
thread is bright red on dark denim (to match the thread on the rest
of the jeans), the places where I didn't go straight and have double
layers of thread show a lot.

So I went to Wal-mart and bought trim for the bottom of them. I
figure if I let the trim hang a little lower on the side that is
hemmed higher, it will make them look about even. I also let her
pick out some cool appliques to put on the jeans. Hopefully I can
figure out that zig-zaggy sewing that the instruction book says you
should use for appliques.

I just pray that the blue bobbin thread holds out until I finish
these jeans. Changing that bobbin thread just might stress me out
too much! lol

Geez, sewing is just about as scary to me as algebra. ;)

Sheila


> > BTW you can turn those jeans into jean skirts pretty easily.
>
> Still have zippers. I always liked those skirts. Now they rip off
the
> top waistband and let them hang low. ;)
>
> Peggy


~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject line! ~~~~

If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list, please email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll (fetteroll@...), or the list owner, Helen Hegener (HEM-Editor@...).

To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or address an email to:
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Robyn Coburn

<<I also let her
pick out some cool appliques to put on the jeans. Hopefully I can
figure out that zig-zaggy sewing that the instruction book says you
should use for appliques. >>



Two tip for this:



If the appliqués do not have adhesive, get some iron on fusible webbing.
It is double sided with adhesive. These will hold the things in place
while you sew. My mother used to sew on appliqués without worrying about
satin stitch, and then go over the stitching with fabric glitter glue.



Jeans are easier to embellish if you lay them flat. Unpick the seam that
is a plain seam, rather than the overlapped and topstitched side. Do
your embellishments and then sew the seam back up. If you then press
with a hot dry iron and a wet cotton cloth you will get a good result.
Of course you will have to do your hemming again, but that is about 10
thousand times easier than struggling to sew on the leg while it is
still a tube shape.

BTW, with trousers, I always pin to fit, then do the cutting on a flat
surface after ironing up the hem fold. Truly an iron is just as
essential a sewing tool as your machine.



Robyn Coburn



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 2/9/2003 4:24:37 PM Central Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:


> Changing that bobbin thread just might stress me out
> too much! lol
>
> Geez, sewing is just about as scary to me as algebra. ;)
>
> Sheila -
>
> I can so relate! Last year (2001) for Halloween, my son wanted to be a
> moose (as in If You Give a Moose a Muffin). I made his costume. I got so
> stressed by that damned bobbin, it was so tangled and bouncing
> uncontrollably and making a horrible metal on metal scraping noise inside
> the bobin case, that I ended up sewing the whole thing by hand - just to
> avoid having to deal with the bobbin.
>
> Then, after Christmas this year the kids both wanted capes to go with their
> reenacting of various ballets. I ended up hand sewing those too. I
> remembered the bobbin is all tangled and stuck in the machine and just
> couldn't get up the nerve to check it out.
>
> Maybe there is hope for folks like us, I'm not sure.
>
> Elizabeth



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[email protected]

In a message dated 2/9/03 9:46:36 AM, sheran@... writes:

<< It came with the
bobbin threaded and I am not looking forward to the time when that
runs out! lol I don't care if the bobbin thread is bright blue, I
will put up with having the underside of the fabric showing blue
thread instead of figuring out that bobbin. It scares me to death
for some reason. >>

If you take it to a sewing machine supply and repair shop, the tech will show
you how to thread it, and also sell you extra bobbins. Maybe you could fill
up three or four while you're there just to make sure you know how to do it
right. Then if you forget, you'll still have bobbins.

I'm sorry you're afraid of the machine. If I lived closer I'd come over and
help you.

Sandra

Tia Leschke

>Truly an iron is just as
>essential a sewing tool as your machine.

And about the only thing it's good for. <g>
Tia

Heidi Wordhouse-Dykema

>He'll
>probably be able to figure it out for me and patiently explain it to
>me. :) I just don't want to tackle it YET. ;)

Sewing machine's are fascinating things, aren't they? I could never
remember how to thread mine until I figured out what each bit on the
threader path does - from keeping tension, to keeping the thread in the
pathway to etc... Maybe if you can get to know what each place on the
thread path does, it will be easier for you to remember how the path goes?

(Mine's an old, single stitch, $25 at a Kiwanis sale, runs like a top, came
in its own wood cabinet with lots of attachable gadgets! Have a newer one,
but prefer the oldie. I have a third one that's hand-powered by a 'crank',
but I haven't given that one a run yet.)

>secret panic attack. ("Oh no, that would mean putting on a snap!") lol

If you can squeeze a set of pliers, then snaps are easy to do! There's a
gizmo that's like a pliers that squeezes snaps onto the fabric - no sewing
required, just squeeze. ...of course there's always the old sew-on kind too.

The next time the stitching goes crazy and is in an 'obvious' color, just
go to your marker set, grab the best color and Marker Over The Thread! If
the thread's cotton/blend, it'll take on the color of the marker and not be
so 'obvious'. ...and staples can be used instead of sewing if you're in a
rush. I once had a stapled hem that lasted for a good 2 years before I got
around to sewing it up. (staple so the 'legs' of the staples are showing,
not the big part of the staple.)

...and that's the tricks for now,
HeidiWD

[email protected]

In a message dated 2/9/03 3:22:37 PM, dezigna@... writes:

<< Of course you will have to do your hemming again, but that is about 10

thousand times easier than struggling to sew on the leg while it is

still a tube shape. >>

If you're doing it by hand that's not necessary.

If you're doing machine applique, it truly helps.

I did some inlay kind of stuff on a pair of Holly's. Appliqued satin
inside, outlined it with machine zigzag (solid, like the outline of appliqued
patches) and then cut the denim out so the heavy purple satin showed. One
was right over the heavy side seam. She was sad to outgrow those. It was
fun.

Sandra

kayb85 <[email protected]>

> I'm sorry you're afraid of the machine. If I lived closer I'd come
over and
> help you.
>
> Sandra

Thanks, Sandra. :)

I DID IT!!! Her jeans are finished. One leg still looks a little
longer than the other, but dh says he doesn't think anyone will
notice and dd says she doesn't care. I hope they're not just being
nice. ;)

But still, it's my first time. Now the next time I do it I'll be
that much better at it.

This was important to me, because I want to set an example of
tackling hard things and figuring frustrating things out. I know
that my attitude towards sewing comes from my mom's attitude toward
sewing. I can't tell you how many times as a child I heard, "I'm not
very smart at sewing" with joke after joke about how bad at it she
was. She bragged about how bad she was. So I always looked at it
like this big, complicated monster that only experts could do well.
Like there was a mysterious, unattainable ability that surrounded the
sewers that I couldn't even touch and shouldn't even try.

I want so much to pass on to my daughter the idea that we can try
hard things with confidence and that it's ok to have fun messing
around with difficult stuff. That difficult means fun and
challenging, not depressing and daunting.

I can't wait to take her to the thrift store again for another pair
of jeans.

Sheila

[email protected]

In a message dated 2/10/03 12:44:01 AM, sheran@... writes:

<< I DID IT!!! Her jeans are finished. One leg still looks a little
longer than the other, but dh says he doesn't think anyone will
notice and dd says she doesn't care. I hope they're not just being
nice. ;)
>>

GOOD!

Tape measure.

Measure the inseam to the top of the trim, and then measure the outside seam
to the top of the trim. If they're the same (within 1/2") then your family's
not fibbing.

And with the next pair, you can do that to figure out where to cut or hem or
put trim!

I use colored chalk when I sew. I mark all kinds of stuff, and then after
I'm done, I throw it in the washing machine to take all the chalk off.

Sandra

Nora or Devereaux Cannon

and don't forget glue - Elmer's blue school glue is best, but
glue sticks are great too. Glue that hem up, and the trim on,
then stitch away!
----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 12:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: My sewing adventures


|
| In a message dated 2/10/03 12:44:01 AM, sheran@... writes:
|
| << I DID IT!!! Her jeans are finished. One leg still looks a
little
| longer than the other, but dh says he doesn't think anyone will
| notice and dd says she doesn't care. I hope they're not just
being
| nice. ;)
| >>
|
| GOOD!
|
| Tape measure.
|
| Measure the inseam to the top of the trim, and then measure the
outside seam
| to the top of the trim. If they're the same (within 1/2") then
your family's
| not fibbing.
|
| And with the next pair, you can do that to figure out where to
cut or hem or
| put trim!
|
| I use colored chalk when I sew. I mark all kinds of stuff, and
then after
| I'm done, I throw it in the washing machine to take all the
chalk off.
|
| Sandra
|
| ~~~~ Don't forget! If you change topics, change the subject
line! ~~~~
|
| If you have questions, concerns or problems with this list,
please email the moderator, Joyce Fetteroll
(fetteroll@...), or the list owner, Helen Hegener
(HEM-Editor@...).
|
| To unsubscribe from this group, click on the following link or
address an email to:
| [email protected]
|
| Visit the Unschooling website: http://www.unschooling.com
|
| Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|
|
|