Back to a bit of sewing

Hello all!

I'm the guy who learned to sew a bit about three years ago, and during the time I was laid-off from work for a year and a half, taught myself to make shirts, and became fairly good at it. I haven't posted much at all, but I do read and lurk twice a week - I enjoy reading about all of your projects!

Well, I got a job about 7 months ago in a different area of law and at 66 it takes up a LOT of my time, so I haven't opened my machine for 7 months.

I bought two pair of Dockers shorts, and decided to alter them myself - I'm a big guy, but I don't understand why Dockers makes the legs so wide and why they come down a few inches below my knees. So I tapered the legs and shortened them,and have to tell all of you that I've lost most of my speed and agility!

It took me about 7 hours! OK, I hand-baste everything which takes time, but I'm going to have to sew more to keep my skills sharp!

Take care, everyone!

Reply to
Sparafucile
Loading thread data ...

That's wonderful news, congratulations!

Ouch!

I think they make them big, wide and long for the current "in look", (just take a look at what pro basketball players are wearing

formatting link
giggle!) although as I recall you are in England so maybe the current style isn't quite so big and baggy. Just a guess...

I'm not sure why you are hand basting alterations. although I hand baste some zippers, and really fussy squiggly fabrics, I find pin-basting works for most other things.

You too, and welcome back, Serge!

Reply to
BEI Design

Good to see you here Serge, nice to have males doing sewing too.

Is it my imagination or is Sewing making a comeback among the young ones lately. Yeah!!!

Katherine

Reply to
jones

I'm much the same, I always read what is going on although I too don't post very often.

I can go better than that! My sewing has been primarily for dressing dolls that Audrey and I make, but the muse has well and truly deserted me - haven't done any serious sewing for the best part of a couple of years. I have three dolls to dress and another (one of the first I made) to rework the body so she's a lot firmer. Talking to friends here who are doll mnakers, it seems they too go throiugh spells when the just don't want to do anything with their dolls!

I too do a lot of hand basting, it's far better when you're dealing with the smaller sizes associated with dolls. I reckon sewing is like riding a bike, though, it's a skill you don't lose even if you don't put it to much use for a while!

Reply to
The Wanderer

Well done, Serge!

-Irene

Reply to
IMS

Project runway ?

[trim]
Reply to
robb

Unfortunately, even though I don't completely loose the skills, I do get very rusty. I don't sew nearly as well as I did when I operated an industrial machine sewing lingerie 8 hours per day and sewed for weddings in the evening. Similarly, in addition to being less fit, my bike handling skills are a fraction of what they were in the era when I rode 300 miles per week.

--Betsy

Reply to
Betsy

It sure inspired my DGD! :-)

Reply to
BEI Design

I find that true as well. I now have so many different interests which call me away from the sewing room, that I find myself making errors I would not have made just a few years ago. The invisible zipper insertion with DGD was a prime example. She basted it in following my instructions, and I failed to see that the second half was twisted a full turn until after she had carefully (and perfectly) sewn it in. Ah, well, it was a good teaching moment for the necessity of "tearing it out and doing it over."

Reply to
BEI Design

Umm I guess if you have the body of an athlete, but I'm an old fat guy...

After tapering shorts (if you remember back, you taught me this) you have to slit the inner and outer seams to a "V" to give it ease since the turned-under hem is now a smaller diameter than the outer leg.

Since you're an accomplished seamstress, you can pin better than I, but the only way I can get it right is to hand baste in four steps: center crease to inseam or outseam, repeat. Then everything lays flat and even, and I can just zip along on the machine.

Good to hear from you again!

Reply to
Sparafucile

Thanks, but all of my sewing friends IRL are men also!

Not around here (NYC burbs): the only fabric stores are in the garment district, and all of the sewing machine dealers have closed (except for JoAnne)!

Reply to
Sparafucile

Join the club...

I'm delighted to learn someone has made use of my hard-won experience. :-) Now I'll have to remember to take some pictures of that process in order to add it to my site.

Whatever works for you... works! I think you could probably draw in the new seamlines with tailor's chalk, then pin baste, and sew, but please carry on. ;->

Thanks, it's very nice to have you back "here" as well.

Reply to
BEI Design

Another male here is Richard, who dresses dolls, and IIRC Robb, who dresses his wife and daughter, and made a kilt...

Oops, my memory did not serve me well, I misremembered where you are. I am so fortunate in having two very large locally owned fabric stores here, in addition to several JoAnn's and a Hancock's, as well as some sewing machine shops.

Some online fabric stores are really great, and most do swatches.

Reply to
BEI Design

Gravity: Not just a good idea. It's The Law.

Reply to
Pogonip

LOL! Not one we can dodge, either, no matter how we might wish to.

Reply to
BEI Design

Serge Well done i appreciate you abiloity and the clever way you spent your time , Can you now learn to sew other things , When my children were small i made their clothes and Pjamas from our older clothes ,,it helped us a lot. mirjam

Reply to
mirjam

Sorry to get into this conversation late, but kudos to you Serge. I found long ago that I don't have the patience to achieve symmetry, evenness, smoothness etc. in even the simplest hemming and tailoring projects. I'm not so very accomplished that I can dash them off quickly. I appreciate very much that you do whatever it takes (like hand basting) to do it right.

Cheers, Pora

Reply to
wurstergirl

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.