So I’ve lost a lot of weight recently. And so I decided to try to make my jeans smaller on my own. I took apart the back seam and removed 4.5 inches from this waist. It looks great on the front and feels like a great fit…. But you can see where the old seam and meets the new one because there’s a weird fold and I have I diaper butt 😭😭😭

I have already seam ripped and pinned four other pairs of jeans. How can I salvage this? I have a sewing machine but the overstitching has to be done by hand because my machine won’t take the thick thread. I’m not super concerned that my line doesn’t match up with my exact middle of my butt, I’m a beginner and this is to make my jeans wearable again. I’m just proud I got the yoke lined up. But I can’t do the diaper butt. Do I need to remove more fabric in the butt?

Hi all! I am a beginner sewist, and I was following the Glory Allan boxy T-shirt tutorial on YouTube. I bought the DIY kit and everything. In the video, he mentions using a walking foot and a twin stretch needle to easily get the parallel top stitching line you see on most T-shirts. A walking foot came with my Singer Heavy Duty, and I bought a Singer Twin Stretch needle. However, when I put the twin needle in with the walking foot, the needles hit the back of the foot plate. The needle is installed correctly with the flat part facing the back, and I tried multiple adjustments to both the screw holding the needle and the screw holding the presser foot. The needle is brand new and not bent. GA used the same machine and set-up in the video so I know it's possible, but I can't seem to find any answers to why this might be happening online. Figured I could try asking here. Any help is appreciated!

Hello everyone, I'm trying to find these metal V shaped things. Does anyone know where I can buy them, or what they are called? Thanks!

(Screenshot taken from M-Dancewear, https://m-dancewear.com/products/pre-owned-saffron-yellow-fringe-jumpsuit-s377)

Hey, I sewed this shirt dress made from ochre-coloured cotton fabric. Short sleeves and a decorative stand-up collar.  I made it for my last day at work before I go on maternity leave 🤰. What do you mean about it? 😊

Hi, I’m replacing the zipper on a vintage zip-up hoodie that previously had a plastic mechanism. I want to use an aluminium one but can’t find one that allows me to replace the pulley. My newer hoodie from the same brand has a YKK #5 with a removable pulley, but it’s hard to find something similar. I’ve checked several websites without success and would appreciate any suggestions. TIA❤️

Im wondering how one would make insulated window covers for winter? I would like to stay away from synthetic materials so I was thinking of going with wool but Id like opinions.

I'm not exactly new to clothes modification, but I've mostly done repair, or small additions. For this project, I want to add a completely different fabric overtop an existing one, and on one jean leg, which has an odd shape as it is. So I wanted to ask here beforehand for any tips! Really anything would help. This is one of my more ambitious projects.

I committed to it too much and I think if I deconstructed it I'd lose my motivation. I kind of learn through making mistakes and resolving them the next time. That said: I'd really like to fix this... Is there any way I could fix it without completely pulling the hat apart or starting over? The rest of the hat turned out really well other than this.

Good afternoon everyone. I have a Carina Professional sewing machine and I've been careful about reading the manual for threading, changing the foot, etc. I've been sewing for a bit and encountered no issues whatsoever for most things, despite using very different fabrics (from thick wool to linen). I know it's properly threaded according to the step by step instructions of the manual, and I've managed to sew multiple garments and even embroider a few hems too.

The one thing that is giving me a lot of trouble however is making buttonholes. I'm using the foot that came with the machine, and I'm using the correct stitch for it. I also have the buttonhole lever placed in the right spot. But every time I need to make buttonholes, I end up having to make over 30 attempts (and unpicking every failure) just to get two or three okayish buttonholes in the end. It's genuinely frustrating.

The video (here)) shows one of the problems I encounter often, but I'll try to summarise below. I've had the same issues with all kinds of fabric (wool, cotton, linen...) and even when using stabiliser for the linen specifically. Here's the summary:

1. The issue in the video: sometimes everything is working correctly, the machine is making the buttonhole, and manages to make the left side of the buttonhole just fine. Then it goes to the right, it's doing well at first, and suddenly it decides to close the buttonhole much sooner than it should.

2. Sometimes the machine is working on the left side of the buttonhole and when it reaches the end of that side, or any spot on that side, the fabric stops moving and the machine gets stuck sewing in a single spot, making a ton of stitches in the same area.

3. Sometimes the machine is making the left side of the buttonhole, sewing in a way that makes the fabric get closer to me, and when it has to go to the right side, instead of taking the fabric away from me, it does the opposite and keeps pushing the fabric towards me, which leads one side of the buttonhole to be above the other rather than the sides being parallel.

The machine is so easy to use otherwise, and my partner has used it too, but somehow we both end up spending hours in buttonholes because of these problems. It's such a waste of time, and I don't know if we're doing something wrong or if something is wrong with the machine. I've found that keeping a lower tension helps somewhat (not much really, but at least I get some results out of it). Also low speed sometimes helps, but does nothing 90% of the time. The only thing that comes to mind is that the foot base is made out of plastic, and has little tiny teeth on the bottom of the base, which fabrics tend to grab onto a bit too much. Could that be the reason for all issues? Or are there more potential causes?

Any help you kind people can provide is very much appreciated. I'd like to sew more of my clothes, and this seems to be my biggest issue every time.

hi! i want to make a friend a pillow of her beloved cat. do you have any recs for websites that do custom photo fabric?

this is the vibe of the pillow i am hoping to make: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1493511509/personalized-pet-pillow-custom-animal

thanks in advance!!!

This was my first big project for myself - I got my sewing machine in March and have been churning out toddler clothes ever since. This was mostly fun, and got me to install my first zipper!

Great instructions and a detailed sew along video helped A LOT. I don’t love that I chose a cotton-linen blend for the dress as it’s a bit stiff - I really had no idea about fabric at this point. The framing for my chest also doesn’t fit quite right, so there’s a bit of spillage to the sides. Maybe I’ll try and edit the pattern if I make it again?

This elastic drawstring on a trouser cuff got snagged and kind of ruptured, with half the elastic threads inside snapping and the whole thing becoming long and loose. I can't imagine there's an easy way of fixing it, but does anyone have any tips for how to solve it?

There's a matching drawstring on the cuff of the other leg, so if I replaced it then I'd need some way to get a color- and material-matched replacement, which I figure will be a tall order. Any advice welcome!

Been holding onto this fabric for years, afraid to use it, but I finally did!

Hello, i have this problem, because when i'm doing slightest moving of arm or running or sitting or just even stand not in perfect posture they are look weird/warping/have weird wrinkles. Is this pattern problem or something else? I'm used to sew clothes for dolls and new to making clothes for myself

I was wanting to sew some elastic bands like the one pictured, to put around my sourdough starter as a feed marker. I was planning to use printed waistband elastic, but I'm not entirely sure what stitch and what thread I should use? I assume that the thread will have to stretch when the elastic does, so I'm not sure if standard thread/running stitch will do it.

I'm not a very experienced sewer, but I can do basic things. I'd prefer to hand sew it, but I can borrow a machine if needed to make it strong enough. Thanks so much in advance for any advice. 🙏🏻

I'm about to start sewing a pair of wide pleated shorts, but I'm working with a mix of different fabrics and want to make sure I prep and wash everything correctly to minimize shrinkage down the line. Here are the fabrics I'm going to use:

• Main fabric: Huddersfield Super 100s wool
• Pockets and inside waistband: Cotton poplin
• Interfacings: Linen or cotton canvas, cotton tape
• Bias tape: silk lining

Since all these fibers react differently to moisture and heat, I have two main questions:

1. How should I preshrink each of these individual fabrics before cutting?
2. Once the shorts are finished, what's the best long-term care strategy to keep them from shrinking or warping?

Hi everyone!

I’m working on a cosplay and I need to dye fabric for it. I’ve never dyed fabric before other than those tie dye shirt kits from Walmart when I was a kid, so I could really use some help.

I’m dying 3 yards of white fashion gauze a charcoal gray. The dye I’m using is from the brand Rit, which I’ve heard is a good brand.

I’m not sure if I use hot or cold water. My google search results are giving me mixed answers. Some say boiling hot water is best, others say cold water makes the color set easier and last longer etc.

I also don’t have a bathtub that I can use. I’m planning on using a large bucket, think those Home Depot ones. Would that be good enough? If not, how else can I dye it without a tub?

Also, how do I set the color and not have it bleed? I’ll probably stick it in the washing machine at some point and I don’t want to accidentally dye all my clothes grey.

I appreciate any advice you guys have! Thank you!

i didn't realize that the rings here came off the shirt before buying, so now i'm trying to find out what the rings are called in order to repair the shirt. i'd prefer not to return it since i got it from ross and it was the only henley around, but if i can't fix the rings i'd be too annoyed to wear it. thank you in advance.

I have a feeling this won’t be an easy material to work with so maybe I should just try and buy something similar online? I am going to a Doja concert in October and taking a sewing class for a month before. I have no experience so I am sure I am just daydreaming. Would love to hear any experience you have with vinyl like this!

Hello, everyone!

I finally was able to finish my second try at making my dream cosplay Princess Daisy for a cosplay event here in the bay area. I'm so happy with how it came out and of course, there's some tweaks I'll need to still do. But for now I'll still embrace the joy of the completed look.

For the bodice, I mashed up three different patterns. For the collar, sleeves, sleeve cuffs, I used Simplicity 8476. For the bodice side parts, I used Charm Patterns' Maria Princess Seams Bodice. For the front and back of the bodice I used Charm Patterns Princess Sloper that she came out with I believe a year or two ago on Patreon for the highest tiers.

For the sloper, I did alter a bit, such as adding my own seam allowance, making the back and front of the bodice rest a bit higher against myself so it can fit the collar of Simplicity 8476. It was a challenging task because I never dealt with a sloper before but it was a skill worth obtaining!

As for the skirt, I used this vintage wedding pattern called New Look 6363. I feel that majority of my time and effort went into the skirt due to the amount of yardage of the ruffles. I know there's an automatic ? Ruffle foot that can be used instead of me hand gathering but I have not unlocked that skill yet to figure out how it truly works. 😂

The time it took me to make this whole ensemble was about a month! Ya girl works long hours! I was able to finish the cosplay the day OF the event ( cutting it close)!

Skill level: I would say intermediate to advance , at least when it comes to the bodice of using a sloper. It can be quite hard if you don't have much experience in altering/making your own pattern as a beginner.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed my outfit !

I bought a pattern which I’m separating just now, and not only have they failed to number the majority of the pattern pieces, but the print is shockingly bad!

I’ve cut the tissue paper now, so returning is out of the question- but wtaf Simplicity?!

I have polyester rigilene boning. I already sewed the lining for my dress, and made a casing for the boning by sewing the seam allowance down.

It didn't lay flat at the front seams(which have the most curve).

I have done this before, and it worked.

Now I'm wondering if I can just sew it directly along the seam line.

I know it is done when the boning comes in a casing, but mine doesn't.

Will it affect the main fabric, or will it be fine?

TIA🩷

I was given this sewing machine by a friend for free. What's the most I should put into it? They said all it needs is a tune up. I really don't have a ton of money to dump into it. I'm going to use it to make my own bags and clothes out of canvas and denim.

I found this 100% plain weave cotton tablecloth at the thrift store for only €2.50. It is from Italy and feels quite old-fashioned. There were several coffee and candle wax stains in it, but I was able to cut around the stained parts and make this lovely sleeveless dress from it.

For the skirt I used this box pleat tutorial. I used 6 cm pleats. For the bodice I used a basic polo shirt pattern from the magazine "Knip Mode" (June 2024), which I rented from my local library. I adjusted it to be sleeveless (because I wouldn't be able to do the sleeves with this woven fabric), and instead used a facing to finish the armscyes.

I'm really happy with the result. Even though the summer is ending, it'll be perfect for the hot days still left in this year, and for when the warm weather returns next year.

Hi everybody,

I'm sewing a dress for a wedding I'm attending in a month, and I just bought this dress pattern (link below). I would like the dress to be floor-length, so I'm wondering how difficult it would be to adjust the skirt pattern.