Hello All! I need some help and advice

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Hello Mike,

yes, some gents here to :)

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Probably already been said. Good and low-budget do not usually go together ? Also, It is difficult to reccomend a machine as they all have different demeanors, personalities and tradeoffs etc. it would be ashame to diminish your enthusiasm by naming a good machine that you personally don't get along with.

I have a small collection of machines, all the ones i like were built before 1960, they only do either basic straight stitch or handful of fancy stitches and they work great. You might not like any of those.

Anyways ... Lowest budget is to find a loaner machine , collecting dust in a closet or hall way, from family or friend etc ? Read manual, then clean it, clean out thread dust and then oil it as shown in its manual. Get some new needles and new thread then try it out. If it has a problem it will cost you $50-80+ to get it fixed at a sew shop.

Next low-budget is the Giant retailers, all these machine are basic *cost-conscience* built machines that are fairly reliable and do an ok to good job most of the time. More cost gives you more stitches, more features or bigger name. If you have a problem then you are going to either return machine, solve problem yourself or pay a sew shop to solve it and you will probably pay the sew shop half the cost of machine to look at it.

Next, a sew shop, The best reasons to buy from a sew shop are to

1. have some free service available if you run into problems (their guarantee or operating warranty)
2. have them give you a lesson or two or three on how to use the machine if you buy from them.
3. Their vast and helpful knowledge of machines.

CON - it sort of like shopping for a car

If i were to buy from a shop knowing what i know now, i would probably do the following.

Go to a sewing shop (or better visit couple of different ones) . Don't buy anything your first pass visits because you do not want buyers remorse. Be honest and tell them you want to try sewing as hobby and don't want to invest alot to begin with. Ask to see the lowest cost entry level machine they sell. Ask how much it cost before anything happens. If they do not give a number below ~$170 and give it quickly i would be suspicious. Then ask

*them* to show you the entry level machine sewing a straight stitch and a zig zag. Then ask what is the next step up machine and how much ? probably get a number less than ~$195 ask what are differences, take notes etc and so on until you hit your budget discomfort. Go home digest the stuff and GO back to the shops you liked the best, you play/sew with the machines some and then maybe go back another time and buy.

Anyways you stop where you have the features and cost you like. Consider a used machine if a shop sells them. Nothing wrong with entry level or used as long as it does what you want and the shop guarantees the machine to work and to repair or replace if it developes a problem within 3-6-9 months helpfrom some others on these figures.

I would advise a sewing reference book as there is more subtleties to making garments than shooting some thread into fabric. You may soon find that your machine choice is least of your trouble and worries.

I recently bought the "Singer Sewing Book" ('71) and "Readers Digest: complete guide to sewing" ('78) off the web $7-15 and both books will tell you everything you will want or need to know to complete a garment sewing project. Any thing you do not understand will likely be easily explained by any of the many great sewers here in "alt.sewing" (not me though... not great...not yet)

to move

easy enough ....

offer to alter some clothes she does not like the fit (everone has clothes that they want to fit better) Hemming some pant legs or taking in or shaping a dress or skirt ? thats a good simple place to start too (small easy projects really helps the ego/confidence)

or then ... Make her a nice dress ? or what she likes to wear ... something simple with no frills to begin with nice simple black evening dress and go out on town maybe simple summer dress and wear it to a party/picnic

hopefully she won't mind you measuring her ? I can't remember if my wife (durring girlfriend stage) would have let me measure her though ?

YMMV

yes, alter, repurpose, make

as does everyone on the first step

HTH robb

Hi Mike! I would also suggest that you ask at the sewing machine, or fabric store about sewing lessons. If they do not have a class, ask about private lessons, or if they have a list of those who will teach you to sew-----how to measure yourself and your pattern, and the basics of how to read a pattern. I think that you might could find a pattern in the costume section of the pattern books that are at the fabric stores. Maybe your girlfriend knows of a friend who sews and could help you get started. HTH Barbara in FL

Fairly early in your sewing journey, you might want to pick up a copy of Cabrera and Myers' Classic Tailoring Techniques: A construction guide for Men's Wear (Fairchild, 1983) -- it goes through the construction of a man's suit, in photos and text, complete with measuring and fitting issues.

It's a really bad idea to measure yourself. Almost certainly, you're going to induce inaccuracies. Some of the best measurements I've had done for myself by people who don't sew have come from clerks in the better mens' stores -- I've just walked in and asked if I could be measured for a fee, and explained that I needed a new set of measurements carefully done, as I had a sewing project I needed to work on.

BTW, most of the Big 4 patterns for men that I've tried range from mediocre to woefully inadequate. The good news is that once you've got a shirt block and pants block that work well, you can get most modern men's clothing from those blocks. KwikSew and Jalie seem to produce the best modern men's casual patterns. Plus size mens patterns are extremely scarce -- Connie Crawford has a good standard shirt that works well for big guys if you raise the center front neckline a half inch and swap right and left front plackets. Pants, to my thinking, are easier to draft yourself to your own measurement than to fight with a commercial pattern that has to be altered.

Have you found the site

yet?Have you examined the men's book Winifred Aldrich did?Kay

On finding used machines, remember the thrifts! They can be a treasure trove of great stuff. Many times the heirs aren't interested in Grandma's old stuff, so it lands at Salvation Army or Good Will.

Research first: make a list of some brand names and vintages. Try before you buy. An unrepairable $15 machine is just a doorstop.

HTH

--Karen D.

---- or a parts machine!

-Irene

All very true. Also, don't forget the pawn shops. The DH of a good friend of mine found her a very nice older Singer in a pawn shop for $40. All it needed was one rubber foot on the bottom, cleaned and oiled. I sent him to the hardware store and he found a suitable rubber foot. I cleaned and oiled the machine. And off she went. :) It was great.

Sharon

I'm not Mike, lol, but it's available. Based upon your good words, I just ordered one from Albris at $3.89. Thanks for posting this!

Hi Mike, I'm a guy and a beginner also. First, I think that you should know that tailoring is not easy, and requires LOTS of practice - since learning how to sew, I have new-found respect for the little, old Italian tailor who makes my suits! Even a shirt is difficult; I have a book & video for shirtmaking and find that making a fine dress shirt is so overwhelming that I have decided to put my efforts into a camp-shirt or pajamas for my first garment project (my first projects have been drapes and my own garment alterations, you might want to dothe same before jumping into a garment-from-a-pattern). Most of these gals on this list are quite accomplished and make it sound easy, but it's not!

Learning to sew is not hard, however; I prefer videos and DVDs because my local sew shops give lessons aimed mostly at kids and women's clothes and besides, I have a very limited schedule: I'm a lawyer by day. Adult education may be an answer also; check your local adult school. Designing is another huge step, and one learns it at an art/fashion/design college or as an apprentice.

Best of luck; IMO sewing itself isn't hard to learn, making a professional-looking garment is!

--also, don't forget friends and neighbors. Since word got out I 'collect' vintage machines, I've had several given to me by co-workers, friends, and friends of my friends....

Garage sales, estate sales, and auctions are another excellent source. I've had the best luck at garage and estate sales.

-Irene

Here is the link to "An Introduction to Pattern Design," written by a man named Don McCunn:

is a link to his e-book, "How to Make Sewing Patterns": also has online Patternmaking Classes: Past men's patterns:

link for a site with vintage patterns for men and women: men's patterns: As for a good, low-budget machine that is reliable and sturdy, I would recommend a Kenmore or a Singer. I have a Kenmore and both my daughters have old Singers, one inherited from me and one we got from a local Freecycle group. The Singers are from the 50's and 60's and still function well. If you watch Craigslist and the like you can often find machines for very little money. My Kenmore was under $400 brand new and it is a workhorse, as are the Singer machines my daughters own now and the ones I have owned in the past. I got the cabinet for mine for $169 and it was delivered to my house. You won't need a machine with embroidery options and such so a basic machine is probably better. Don't go cheap. You'll get what you pay for. There is a difference between basic and cheap. My most favorite machine was an old Singer with a knee pedal my first husband found on the edge of a curb before garbage pickup day and brought home for me. It didn't do much more than the straight stitch but it was very reliable, easy to maintain, and since it wasn't computerized I didn't have to worry about crashes and such. You can get reasonably priced older machines, reconditioned, from sewing machine repair stores. I've bought them from prices ranging from $25 up to a couple hundred dollars. The nice thing is that they've been cleaned and oiled and such so you are starting out with something that has already been looked at and will do good basic sewing.

Tell your girlfriend both of my son-in-laws sew. Here where we live, it is not an odd thing. My husband crochets and also knows basic sewing.

I do hope this information has been of some assistance.

Trisha in MO