sew in fashion

[stooboy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8283615.stm

Tesco recently reported that sales of sewing machines had reached two a minute

seems that sewing machines are being snapped up by more than just bushcrafters, i got one at start of year, is gathering dust but i do have some camo material i got of ebay to make some tent pole bags etc.

Do you know of anyone who is living by make do and mend? Or someone who needs Mary Jane to lend a hand in exchange for board and lodging? Send your ideas using the form below.

I might suggest she come and live here in if she can make me a canvas bell tent...

 

[gregorach]

I've always made do and mended, even when I could easily afford not too... I was gutted when my favourite bushcrafting trousers finally got so worn out as to be effectively unrepairable - I'd invested many, many hours of sewing in them over the years. Why spend money replacing perfectly serviceable things you've already got, when you could be spending it on new toys?

 

[John Fenna]

I have a B-tec in Fashion Design, worked as a freelance designer for the outdoor trade, had my own "Label" for a while, have wriiten DIY booklets and still make a lot of my own gear.
And it all started from repairing my outdoor gear.....

 

[Melonfish]

i had a cracking old sewing machine from the early 80's it blew up a few years ago however and i've never found a decent replacement.
damned useful things to have imo.

 

[Moff8]

Does anyone know any good books on the basics of how to - and I mean from putting the threads on basics


I would love to try and make my own kit.

 

[RGRBOX]

I got one several years ago, and have already used it enough to pay for itself. I need to get busy on it again..

 

[stooboy]

Does anyone know any good books on the basics of how to - and I mean from putting the threads on basics


I would love to try and make my own kit.

you might find something usefull on you tube think there is an expert village or something with loads of tutorials.

 

[RGRBOX]

Agreed, I would just look up sewing.. you could also take a sewing course. Either with someone who already sews or go to a shop that sells sewing machines. Over here they offer free courses when you buy a machine.

 

[RGRBOX]

http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ne+how+to&search_type=&aq=0&oq=sewing+machine

 

[Gailainne]

Actually the "expert village" aren't so much, there are better sources out there, google is your friend. youtube has quite a few decent how to's if you can search them out.

I forgot, hammockforums has a whole series of how to with a sewing machine with one its members, I'll dig out the link, its here

 

[Kroozin]

Im 18 now, and i really love building and creating things. My parents are/were the make do and mend type, my mam is good at sewing and my dad is good at scavenging things. I recently hand made a pillow for my girl friend with a love heart and "love" on it and she loves it. I think making something is far better than buying because its unique and no one else has something the same.

 

[Cobweb]

I'm mad on making my own things, being a big girl, I find it difficult to find clothes that fit properly, most clothes for big women are just larger designs
of those that fit the skinnies. We have a completely different body shape so I'm forever altering clothes that I have bought.

I don't have an electric sewing machine, I've got a Frister & Rossmann from 1890 that does the job perfectly and if it buggers up it's easily enough fixed.


Edit: If you want to learn sewing and general mend and make do, 'ThreadBangers' on YouTube are excellent and so much better than expertvillage

 

[pwb]

Does anyone know any good books on the basics of how to - and I mean from putting the threads on basics


I would love to try and make my own kit.

A really great book is the Readers Digest Complete Guide to Sewing . Covers just about every thing you need to know .

I've got an old copy and sometimes see them in charity shops.

Cheers,

Pete.

 

[Toddy]

I was three when my Grandmother, my Aunt and my Mum started to teach me to sew.......I still have the tiny silver thimble .......I think it's a Victorian one meant for the Christmas dumpling . I made, and embroidered, my own nightgown by the time I was five.

I think sewing is one of those utterly practical life skills that everyone ought to be familiar with. From garments to leather, bags to shelter, lots of use for folks like us.

I do have two sewing machines, and l use them but no where near as often as a needle and thimble.
To be honest if your machine does forward, back and zigzag, you don't need anything else. KISS is far more use to the vast majority of us than the all singing all dancing ones that get fankled on a regular basis, and cost £80 a year in servicing.

Try before you buy if you can, and take along your own bits of cloth and suitable threads.
Patience is the biggest thing you can offer when learning to use one on your own at home.

Lots of patterns out there, but remember (and echoing what Michelle said ) generally commercial clothing and patterns are, "One size fits no one very well, but it'll do , sortof "

The worst stuff I have ever tried to sew was Goretex (ask PatrickM ) neither machine was up for it. It really needed an industrial one. Wax fabric is pretty heavy going too, but so long as you use meths to keep things clean, it's do-able. All the other outdoors fabrics just take time.

Best of luck with it, if we can help, just ask.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[slammer187]

If you want to learn to sew...just ask some old(er) people lol....they learned to cope without new clothes every week by repairing the old ones!

 

[demographic]

I don't suppose anyone has some form of patterns for Ventile jackets kicking about?

I wouldn't mind one but there's no way I'm forking out the kind of money they go for when my wife makes costumes for museums and theatre shows, so there's no problems whatsoever with her sewing ability.

She has been known to adapt and make up her own patterns but that takes more time.

Anyone?

 

[Air Pirate]

I love to sew. I used to borrow my mom's sewing machine until my wife got her own for X-mas one year, then she never used it. I used it all the time until she took it in the divorce the b*tch. Now I'm sure it's sat gathering dust while I'm hand stitching things for my new wife.

 

[Cobweb]

Have a look on car boots, most people are getting rid of the old manual sewing machines, I see them all the time on car boots, dunno if they are antique or not. Normally going for about a tenner, good working order, if you turn the handle and the needle goes up and down, it works

 

[Gailainne]

My latest DIY project;

First test piece, a Bridge Hammock, based on GrizzlyAdams on Hammockforums design.

Holds my weight and everything

If I can do it anyone can.

Stephen

 

[Shewie]

I salvaged a sewing machine from a house clearance with lots of good intentions but I've hardly used it much. Now the nights are drawing in I might get cracking with a project of some kind.


What's the idea of the bridge hammock Stephen ? Not knocking your work in anyway but it doesn't look that comfy, maybe I need to do some reading.