guys and sewing?

Sometimes I wonder why I get a bad rap from some selected members of our community. Some of the best and most well known designers of the world are men. Makes me wonder just how educated those people really are.. I like to make quilts and things like that.. The one thing I would like to master is the stretchy material like jersey and the like. Any tips? Later friends

Reply to
Kelly and Robert
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Precisely. Alot of female "sewers" are too. When I was looking round uni's for a fashion technology course we were asked the same question at many places. How many of you have used a sewing machine? Usually under 50% replied yes...

Charlie.

Reply to
Charlie

My DFIL made his own trousers for years! He made the suit his wife wore to their wedding, AND the one she wore to mine! He made her some slacks this past summer coz she lost a lot of weight and her last lot dropped off (Hm... Health scare took this already tiny woman down to about six stone! NOT good!). I would only encourage blokes to sew!

On investigation, you might find that a lot of male designers are just that - designers! They hardly know how to thread a needle, never mind set a stitch! SOME do, but for REAL male stitchers, look to a good old fashioned Saville Row bespoke tailor...

Sewing stretch knits is easy - there are a few rules to follow, but no mysteries. The easiest and best way to tackle them is with a serger, but failing that:

Use a ball point, Jersey, or stretch knit needle: you will need to experiment each time to see what suits the fabric you have. They are all subtly different...

MOST knits don't ladder or ravel, but test to make sure. On a spare bit, pull the fabric and stretch it across the gain: if it ravels, it will need finishing, if it doesn't, it won't!

Sew with a small narrow zigzag stitch to put some stretch into the seam. Also, stretch the fabric taut either side of the needle while sewing - but be careful NOT to pull it through the machine! Let the feed dogs do all the pulling. Forget about most of the fancy 'stretch stitches' on a fancy new machine: this is the best way to do it! I have a pile of those fancy stitches, and rarely use them except for decorative effects. If you have a ravelly knit, they are quite useful. If you DON'T have zigzags, you can still get quite good results on moderate and stable knits just using the small stitch and the taut sewing technique.

Reply to
Kate Dicey

Scary, really! I made some jackets for kids to dance in at the Royal Opera House once - mine were OK, but those that came back from some fashion students in Brighton all had the sleeves in back to front, and the seams were unfinished on the inside!

How's Wales - wet as ever? ;)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

It's been really nice today actually. Have to go to work later which sucks though. Had some crazy students protesting about something in Welsh earlier down out road. Unfortunately the one person who I'd got close too as a friend moved away to London Tuesday, so I'm a little bummed about that but I get to see him when I come home so that will be good. Oh, and the mean hotel owners where I work are making me work every day over Christmas and New Year. My first Christmas away from home and my BF won't even be here! Ah well, a friend from the Uni might be moving in with me for a week or two.

Charlie.

Reply to
Charlie

For the same reason that selected members of "our communities" are ignorant, racist, sexist, bigoted royal PITA.

Designing doesn't necessarily have anything to do with actual sewing.

You just answered your own question.....they AREN'T!

Terrific! I had my son mastering laundry, an iron and needle and thread before they got their first Cub Scout uniform. As grown, very manly men, they can keep their clothing clean, groomed, and mended. Also run a sewing machine as well as a table saw and any number of other power tools. Do what makes you happy.

I think Kate pretty much covered that, ask away if you need more help.

Yes we are!!

Val

Reply to
Valkyrie

DOn't know why you get a bad rap. The only reason I do the sewing in our house is because DH works outside the house...and I won't let him near my machine . It's kind of like him and his power tools....he's afraid that i will do damage to them that will cost a fortune to fix. However, he CAN sew, and did sew all of his things when he was in the Navy.

When the children are al ittle older, I plan on teaching both of them hos to sew and cook. That way, I won't worry so much about when the time comes for them to be out on their own.

LArisa, 1 boy, 1 girl

Kelly and Robert wrote:

Reply to
CNYstitcher

I' ve made jokes about sewing not being manly but that's all that they were , jokes. And they were directed at myself.

I have no problems with men sewing I have been sewing for years, hand sewing that is, I only recently enherited a machine. And I found use for it. Setting aside the fact that sewing is historicaly regarded as women's work because it falls under the general heading of houskeeping, men who realise that a sewing machine is actualy a power tool ( or at the very least a machine tool ) shouldn't have any prejudice about it.

I grew up surronded with power tool from table saws to chain saws, from vertical drills to welding equipement, and I was surronded with them most of my adult life as well, until recently. My sewing machine is the first power tool I have had unrestricted access to in the last 3 years, and I am going insane just thinging of all the possiblilies.

I mostly look at it as a money saving device ( heck it was free after all), so I don't realy intend to make clothes at this point ( not realy good enough yet). But I am now in mending and repait mode. I have already salvaged a bunch of towels which were unraveling at the edges, re-fitted my not so fitted sheats, flipped around the well-worn collar of an otherwise perfect shirt, and I am now embarking on the re-lining of a long wool coat I have had for ten years. Next I am going to do some Upholstry.

All in all, sewing is just that for me, a way to be self suffisient, and save some money (I actualy cut my own hair). I have a great deal of respect for professional but if and when I can do something myself I like to.

And as far as the manlyness of sewing is concerned, I bodybuild on a daily basis ( I mean I excersize on a daly basis, for the purpose of body building). And when I started to realy get into sewing that is all I would talk about at the gym, and no one thinks I am gay because of it so there. But they did get a little boared with my goings-on.

So there I am man, I am 35, I am straigth, and I am a seemster.

Love me or leave me, if you love me do it slowly if you leave me do it quickly

Jean Péloquin, insudtrial designer

PS: French canadien, Jean is a man's name

Reply to
Jean

Jean murmured while asleep:

I've never had second thoughts about men sewing... maybe because I run in outdoors/gear sewing circles, and I know lots of guys who don't think twice about sitting down at a sewing machine. It's fairly common in outdoors circles. My hubby learned to sew from his mom, one of his first xmas gifts to me was a Frostline (kit) Goretex parka.

have at it

Penny S

Reply to
Penny S

Penny, my middle daughter's boyfriend sews, she was so proud to tell me! He is a mountaineer/climber type, and makes very nice hats out of something that looks like a dry wicking fabric fused to a Polarfleece type fabric. I was impressed.

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Reply to
SewStorm

Another field where you may find more male seamsters than female is in kitemaking. We sew very thin slippery ripstop nylon. The way we sew affects the flight characteristics of a kite. Precision and symmetry are very important. To improve my skills at the sewing machine and to find different ways of precision sewing, I took a course in quilting at our local community college. I learned a great deal and will use what I learned on my next kite. I was the only male in the class but no one was uncomfortable with that. I highly recommend such a course to anyone who wants to become a better seamster.

Ray in Washington state, USA, who started sewing four years ago at age 80.

Reply to
Ray Gelotte

There are lots of guys who sew out there, but not necessarily in the fashion/clothing field. For my part I sew large art kites (think 15 ft wide,

6 ft tall and fully appliqued) and I know many male kiters who also sew all their own kites. Then we have all the boating types and sail makers who are predominantly male and all use sewing machines. Let's not forget all the upholsterers too and the guys who make custom car/boat seats and the like.

I was taught needlecraft at a very young age by both my Mother and Grandmother. Not only can I sew by hand (not the neatest but I am out of practice) but I can also knit, do tapestry work and cross-stitch (tried crochet but could never get the hang of it!). My Uncle (also taught by my Grandmother/his Mother) was so good at fine crochet work he made several COMPLETE bridal outfits (bride and all the bridesmaids!)

If someone has a problem with you being male and sewing then guess what............IT'S THEIR PROBLEM not YOURS!!!! Just tell them a sewing machine is just another power tool and if they have a problem with that .......... TOUGH!!!

I can't help you with the stretchy material as we normally only sew ripstop nylon/polyester but Kate gave you some good pointers on that one.

Enjoy your sewing and to hell with what anyone else has to say, it's your life so damn well enjoy it (we only get one issue after all!)

Larry

Reply to
Larry Green

Reply to
Kelly and Robert

a walking foot, and a good medium zig zag stitch..

My hubby sews he's tr>Sometimes I wonder why I get a bad rap from some selected members of our

Reply to
MinnieNeedles

I got back into large kite making/flying 18 months ago after an absence of

30 years after I became disabled (ME/CFS) and could no longer work and needed something to keep my hands/brain active. I too have had many hobbies over the years but I found that once I mastered a hobby then I became bored with it and it was time to move on to a new challenge. There are only four of those hobbies that have continued to challenge me and so have remained as favourite pastimes. They are kites, music, photography and ham radio (but not necessarily in that order all the time).

There is a whole world of information on the web with regard to kite flying and there are many distinct 'specialisms' within the sport. The world's fastest growing extreme sport at the moment is 'power kiting' where large kites are used to propel people on snow boards, surf boards, skis, buggies etc. There are kites for every person and age group, kites with 1, 2 or 4 lines (2 and 4 line kites are steerable and can move gracefully across the sky), kites that lift cameras to take aerial photos or antennas for ham radio buffs, kites that drop teddy bear parachutists, kites that are flown as pairs or in teams of up to six fliers who perform 'sky ballets' to music, kites that can lift people into the air in baskets, kites that are used for warfare. There are international competitions for kite flying and people in Asia have been using kites for 'battles' for centuries.

If you are interested in seeing some of my kites check out the links below.

Larry

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Reply to
Larry Green

Just take a look at the alterations dept. of many high-end men's clothing stores, many of them are men. They had to learn to sew to alter clothes. Both my DS can sew anything they wish to wear, one actually enjoys it, says it's a great form of relaxation after seeing patienst all day. Emily Emily

Reply to
Emily

I earned my General Class license in 1985. It was something my Dad and I could do together (He had his Extra Class). We had 8 years "hamming" together, doing field days, and we even did communications and search and rescue in West Virginia in 1985 when they had some severe flooding. He died in 1993, and I never picked up a radio again, although it took me 6 or 7 years to part with his equipment. The idea of using a kite for the antennae was intriguing. Sharon

"Larry Green" They are kites, music, photography and ham radio

Reply to
Sharon & Jack

Sorry to hear that your Dad went SK :-(

I know all about 'Field Days' and search & rescue as I was the local ARES EC for 10 years before my disability prevented me from continuing. I always used to love that side of the hobby.

The first ever Trans-Atlantic radio signal was received on an antenna held aloft by a kite on December 12, 1901. The signal was sent from Poldu, Cornwall, England to St John's, Newfoundland, Canada and consisted of a series dits. The experiment was repeated 100 years later on December 12,

2001 using modern equipment. Box kites were also standard issue on military aircraft during W.W.II (known as the 'Gibson Girl'), the idea was that a 'downed' pilot could fly the kite using a length of wire as the flying line and radio for help.

Here are a couple of links to Ham kite related sites (and it is even 'on topic' as some have links to kite building/sewing sites)

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Larry VE3YET (formerly G1YET)

Reply to
Larry Green

Heh. I took up sewing a few months ago with the intention of some projects for myself since my wife doesn't sew. HA! Dream on. My wife got visions of wardrobe additions and I've been making clothes for her since. Still haven't gotten one of my projects done . Oh well, love means sacrifice Mike in Wisconsin

Reply to
Mike Behrent

See, Jean, you are a type of engineer... and making clothing is engineering in fabric! ;)

Reply to
Kate Dicey

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