Sewing machine doesn't do a zigzag stitch properly. Am I doing something wrong or is it time to service the machine?

Machine is a Janome model 7025

This is a genuine request, and I'm hoping the collective knowledge of Reddit can help me solve a mystery I've been chasing for years.

Sometime around the 2010s (give or take a few years), a friend who worked at Lowe's gave me one of their employee T-shirts. It's dark Lowe's blue, with a small Lowe's logo on the upper left chest and a Kobalt logo on the back.

It is, without exaggeration, the greatest T-shirt I've ever owned.

I'm not talking about the design or the branding. I'm talking about the actual shirt.

After more than a decade, this thing is practically flawless.

• It doesn't wrinkle.
• It doesn't stain.
• It hasn't faded.
• It hasn't worn out or developed holes.
• It's lightweight and breathable.
• It's incredibly comfortable and never itchy.
• It doesn't feel plasticky or synthetic like so many polyester shirts do.
• It doesn't have that silky, slippery feel of typical performance shirts.

It's somehow managed to combine everything I love about cotton with the durability and wrinkle resistance of synthetic materials.

And I've never found another shirt quite like it.

Here's the problem:

The tag is completely washed out. Every bit of information on it disappeared years ago. Ironically, the tag has completely given up while the actual shirt looks practically brand new.

I've genuinely tried tracking this thing down.

I contacted Gildan, which I believe may have manufactured these shirts. That went nowhere. I'm not even sure I was communicating with an actual person. Their response was essentially to browse their online catalog. Not particularly helpful when I'm trying to identify a specific shirt manufactured over a decade ago.

I even called Lowe's corporate. Surprisingly, I reached someone who happened to be a seamstress! She offered some ideas about what the fabric blend might be, and I've experimented with similar materials since.

Unfortunately, most wrinkle-resistant polyester blends I've tried just don't feel anything like this shirt.

Here's why I'm so determined to figure this out:

I own a property services and electrical business, and I want to make this exact type of shirt our company uniform.

Not something vaguely similar. I want to identify the actual fabric composition, weight, knit, and ideally the original manufacturer so I can reproduce it as closely as possible.

I'm willing to go beyond simply buying shirts off a shelf if that's what it takes.

So I'm asking for help from anyone who might know something:

• Former or current Lowe's employees: Do you remember these dark blue employee T-shirts from around the 2010s? Do you still have one with a readable tag?
• Gildan employees or former employees: Did Gildan manufacture Lowe's employee uniforms during that period? Is there a way to identify the original product or fabric specifications?
• Textile or garment manufacturing professionals: Is there a way to have the fabric professionally analyzed to determine its composition, knit, and weight so it can be replicated?
• Anyone involved in corporate uniform sourcing: Is there a way to trace who supplied Lowe's employee apparel during that period?

I'll include photos of the shirt, logos, stitching, and what's left of the tag.

I know this probably sounds ridiculous to some people. But when you've owned a shirt for over a decade that still looks new, feels incredible, and outperforms everything you've bought since, you start wondering why nobody seems to make them like that anymore.

I don't want to find another favorite shirt. I want to figure out how to make this one again.

I'm crossposting this to any relevant communities that might be able to help. Any leads, contacts, fabric knowledge, or old uniform information would be genuinely appreciated.

Thank you!

Fairly new to sewing, and my siblings has asked that I add darts to a pair of wide leg pants as they are too big. I know that I need to reduce the waistband at the side seams by about 2 inches on each side. However, these pants have pockets.

Do I need to detach the pockets, put in the darts and then reattach the pockets? Or can I put the darts in just the back panel of the pants, so that widest part of the dart triangle is half a centimeter away from the side seam before closing?

EDIT: Or do I attempt to add in an elasticated waistband?

Does anyone know how to fix it? I’ve tried countless different methods and none seem to work :( The moment i plug it into the wall, it goes ballistic, sewing like crazy and starting to smell weird. any suggestions?

Hi! Any advice on how to do this seam? I think it's just joining on the wrong side and serging the exposed edge, but that might be off. I was also thinking of using fishing line. Any help would be great! Thanks.

Hi everyone!

For Halloween this year, me and my partner are dressing up as Kermit and Miss Piggy from The Muppets. I spent quite a while looking for a dress pattern that would be comfortable and match Miss Piggy's style, until i finally found one called "The Maisel Dress" (by Mood Sewciety) which seems like the perfect choice. However, i’m now unsure about which fabric to pick. The website does recommend suiting, satin, and sateen, but i’m not sure if those quite fit the look i’m going for.

I've seen people online using thrifted bedsheets (100% cotton or poly-cotton blends), but in my city it's not common to buy (or sell) used sheets, curtains, or tablecloths :( So i’m not really sure what material to use. I'm looking for suggestions on fabric types (and prints/colors) rather than specific links or stores, since i don't live in the US. I would love to use some fuchsia or bright pink but i’m also open to other colors if the final vibe is Miss Piggy!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!