#but no.. it’s too tiny for a sew machine

[wool-string]

I haven’t taken Kei out in a while. He’s getting dusty.. so I took him out to pick some mint n make some lemonade

[the-skin-inthe-bath-is-mine]

My beautiful girlfriend who's so small I had to crochet his outfit out of embroidery thread

[sheliesshattered]

somehow, I don't know how, but somehow sewing machines always know when you're nearly done with a project and pick that exact moment to throw a hissy fit

[dinosaurcharcuterie]

My sewing machine decided it's time to start giving random error messages again whenever I sew.

It's a cheap, 200 euro digital machine, you get what you pay for.

First repair was 3 years back, 110 euros.

This time the estimate is 120 euros.

I am gladly gonna pay for that because 1) I refuse to buy a whole new sewing machine just because the bobbin tension fucks itself every 3 years, 2) sewing machines are one of the few things that still have repair shops semi-widely available, and 3) machine quality and inflation are making it that I couldn't even find an equivalent machine for the same price if I wanted to.

[bumblebeerror]

Hey buddy!!! I have a few embroidery hoops, needles and thread, but aside from YouTube, nobody I know nearby does it often enough to give firsthand experience. I embroidered a thatch of lavender and a little bee on one of my battlejacket pockets, but it was with regular thread and a regular needle. Can you offer any insight when it comes to the actual hoops themselves, what material works best, any insider tips?

So I’m not a regular embroiderer because it hurts my hands really easy, but I AM a moron who does everything the hard way first so I do have some tips:

If you’re using regular thread, it will help the design if you a) use an embroidery needle [I think you can get them separate from other sewing supplies for like a buck or two, and I recommend getting some kind of needle polisher as well bc then it will last 538463936472 years] and double up the thread 2-3 times to bulk it up and 2) use a smaaaalll bit of glue mixed with water [or spit, I’ve done that too] to twist together the threads along their length. It just helps them go through smoother and lay flatter with less overall fiddling, and if you use School glue or spit it will wash out 👍

If you’re using bulk dollar store quality embroidery thread, you have to be *gentle as fuck* with it while youre working the design. So, work patiently in small sections and try not to yank it too much, just generally be aware that its not gonna stand much abuse until it’s actually stitched in. Also, it’s totally possible to take a pulled end, tie more on, and keep on a-truckin - just make sure you pull a few previous stitches to get to a more sturdy bit, and tie it real close so you’re not trying to pull the knot thru. It’s strength when pulled on leaves something to be desired, but it IS infinitely cheaper than buying every color ever individually for a few bucks each, so pick your poison on that one. If you wanna use good thread basically you need to have planning skills and the patience to wait till stores are open to drive out and go get shit, neither of which I have :D

As for hoops, they are So, So helpful oh my god. You can use them for darning, you can use them for embroidery, you can use them for cross-stitch, you can use scrap fabric to make patches, you can even use them to hold fabric taut to hand-stitch on patches if you need to.

Basically, If you need fabric to stay where the fuck you put it while you work, an embroidery hoop is a godsend. Most are also pretty adjustable - though you may have trouble using them with really really thick or stiff fabrics like fur or denim seams. in those cases you can always use scrap fabric to embroider your design, and then iron on or sew on your new patch.

In order to use one, you just need a bit of fabric that can reach to every curve of the hoop. you place your inner hoop under the fabric, plop your untightened outer hoop over it, and then tighten it up. in order to make the fabric taut, you can leave the hoop a liiiitle loose, and then pull at the fabric till it feels kind of like a drum. then tighten the outer hoop as far as it'll go :D Once youve done that, youre good to go.

I'd advise sketching your design in chalk/charcoal/pencil/washable marker before starting, and if you feel like it you can also mark out a grid pattern of dots using a ruler to keep your stitches the same length, but thats not super necessary.

As for fabrics that work best for embroidery, tight-woven felt is a nice backing for patches but you will struggle to get a clear sketch of your design. Cotton is gonna be easiest to use for a sketch, but its gonna be flimsier. If you can layer both inside the hoop, that would probably work out pretty well, tbh. I wouldnt use stretchy fabrics if you can help it- the resulting patch will likely shrink and the fabric itself is going to be difficult to work with especially if you arent using more expensive thread or a sharp, polished needle.

TLDR: Bulk up your normal thread and smooth it with watery glue, use an embroidery needle and make sure it stays polished, embroidery hoops are lovely, make any threadwork easier, and work best on non-stretchy fabric like denim, cotton, non-spandex poly blend, plastic leather, and probably natural leather if its thin enough.

[myfriendtheghost]

and when I learn to sew and make myself a green version of fav jumpsuit? or candlelight sessions jumpsuit? what then???

[monsterbroth]

i woke up early today and am way too energised my brain is like spilling in circles but I still have not the right energy to be coherent or focus on actually doing anything with it

[cuartist]

being not medicated for my adhd currently is sure. showing. i worked on two different sewing projects, a sketch for a print idea that i just had, and a sketch for a little sign i’ve been meaning to make for the kitchen door this evening... jumpin around

very excited about all of the things though. hoping my fingers won’t be rude about it

[aeide-thea]

me, full of ongoing scrupulosity abt microplastics and also a vague sense that it would be good for me to take another crack at incorporating running into my life for 'holy shit i desperately need endorphins' reasons, scouring the shorts market for anything natural-fiber but also functionally/aesthetically fit for purpose and coming up almost* entirely blank: what if i bought another one of the merino-tencel tanks whose fabric i'm in love with (or‚ you know‚ sourced similar fabric somewhere that wasn't already a different garment‚ but like‚ that would involve learning things about 'where to get specialty fabric' in addition to the 'how to sew it' part) and turned it into running shorts? surely it couldn't be that hard??

⸻ * in fairness, icebreaker does make some that tbh are probably ideal except for cost but like. do i want to go running in basketball shorts? not really. and the tiny (women's) version only comes in black which is so dreary. i keep hoping they'll come out with some other colors but so far no dice! also an extremely crunchy-granola company makes some weird little gym shorts in a hemp knit which. i'm sorry, i grew up in manhattan and i'm dubious! they might be great but! 🧐

[yellowjavkets]

things that would make life worth living:

1.) if they made almond joys without the fucking almond (feasible. go online and find a recipe idiot)

2.) if my sewing machine had an automatic threader (hand tremors. also feasible I'm just fucking cheap)

3.) not working for my father (I'd have to fake my own death)

4.) if every against me! song was like twice as long

[vincentbriggs]

Another thing that had been on The Pile for some time was this velvet mite brooch, which I got out and finished today! I'm not entirely happy with it - the body is much too flat and the overall size is a bit bigger than I'd intended. But maybe someday I'll make another one that's smaller, with way more batting.

This red poly velvet had been in my stash for as long as I can remember and I don't know where it came from, but I'm glad I kept it even though I knew I wasn't likely to use it on actual clothing items. The legs are made from wire covered with little fabric tubes, and the body is 2 layers of buckram with some cotton batting, then another bit of covered buckram for the belly. I tried machine sewing the leg tubes at first, but it was a huge wonky mess, so they're all hand sewn.

I think it's much too big for a waistcoat, but could perhaps do on a jacket.

(For anyone who hasn't seen velvet mites, they're just as fuzzy and bright red as this, but plumper and more strawberry shaped. They're very very tiny and harmless. The ones I've seen in parks and on riverbanks are usually about 2mm long.)

[dresshistorynerd]

Sewing 1890s Day Dress in Doll Scale

I went slightly overboard with this second historical doll project. Here's my first one. The style is from around 1897 and more of a middle class style. As with my first doll outfit, I tried to stick to historical methods as much as possible, but the scale forced me to do some deviations. I hand-sew everything though sewing machine was already widely used, because in this scale it's easier to control the stitch, there's not that much to sew anyway and also I just really like hand-sewing. Here's all the items I made. As said, I went a little overboard. One thing that's missing is the corset cover, but the layers of fabric were creating enough bulk on the waist as is so I decided to not make one.

This time I decided to try repainting the face. I don't have any doll customization materials, so I used acrylics. After couple of attempts I got decent results. Acrylics can't make as smooth and delicate finish as pastels, pencils and gouache, which can be used on vinyl with basing sprays, and I'm not experienced with painting small details on 3D objects, so it's a bit smudged at points, especially with the other eye. I aimed for 1890s very neutral make up and the type of expression that was popular in fashion plates and other illustrations.

Undergarments

Combinations and stockings

The combinations are split crotch as they were in the period. They are from thin cotton voile I have a lot of and is very appropriate. I didn't have really tiny enough lace for this, so it's kinda bulky, but I think it's okay enough. The stockings are cotton knit, which fits well. The garters are not actually necessary for this doll since her legs are rubbery.

Corset

I made the corset from a firm-ish linen and satin rayon pretending to be silk as the fashion fabric. The stitching of the boning channels is not super neat, this fabric is very unforgiving, I didn't have exactly matching thread and the scale made it very difficult. I of course didn't have tiny busk, so I used small hooks, sewed thread loops for them and used narrow metal wire for the edges. I think it looks surprisingly right on the outside. I used the same wire as the boning to reinforce the lacing on the back. I didn't actually use boning elsewhere but the tightly packed linen edges in the boning channels kinda work like lighter boning. I think it keeps the shape pretty ways even with just that. I stitched cotton tape inside to shape the corset further. I also didn't have tiny metal eyelets so I hand-sewed the lacing holes.

Bustle pad

The bustle pad is from linen and stuffed with tiny cabbage.

Petticoat

The petticoat is from the same cotton as the combinations.

Outer wear

Skirt

The fabric is cotton half-panama. It's pretty thin, but firm. I would have liked to use a woven wool, but I didn't have any that's thin enough to work in this scale. I think this cotton looks close enough in this scale to a wool with a tight weave, so I'm imagining it's that. My problem was that the cotton was white, but I wanted light brown. I wasn't going to buy any fabric for this, so I did the reasonable thing and dyed it with red onion peals (I've been doing natural dye experiments so this worked well for me).

Shirtwaist

The shirtwaist is from the same cotton as the undergarments. Yes, I dyed it too. I didn't have thin enough cotton in a color that would fit with the skirt and the purple bow, so I dyed it light blue with fabric color. Since I already went the trouble of dyeing I decided I might as well make a small flower print to it since that was popular in the era. I didn't want it to jump out too much but the lighting makes it even less visible. I made it with a white fabric pen. The collar and cuffs are reinforced with linen. I also sewed small stick-like beads to the cuffs on both sides, so one acts as a button (I sewed a buttonhole too) and the other makes it look like they are cufflinks. The bow is from the same fabric as the corset and the belt is sewn from the same cotton as the shirtwaist. The buckle is from a barbie belt.

Waistcoat

The waistcoat is from the same fabric as the skirt, thought the lapels and the back are from another satin rayon. I tailored the front panels and the lapels by stitching the linen interlining with tailor's stitches (I don't remember if that's the correct word in English) into shape. There is some wonkiness on one side of the hemline for some reason.

Boots

I made the slightly insane decision to make the shoes fully from leather, like they would have been in the period. I had an old broken leather wallet I had saved in case I needed some leather scarps. It has fairly thin leather, so it was workable here. It's light brown though, so I used black shoe polish to darken it. I wanted black or very dark brown shoes. I stacked the heels from glue and leather pieces and carved them into the right shape and sewed the shoe itself to leather shaped as the sole and glued it to the heeled and shaped sole. After I had shaped the shoes and the heels as much as I could I painted the heels black.

[armory-rasa]

COUCH POUCH!! Free Pattern & Tutorial

...called thus because they use upholstery-weight leather for the bag body, that in my case was in fact skinned off a couch. 🤣 Turns out they are relatively quick and easy to make, so I tidied up the pattern for printing and took pictures to document the process when I made another five of them.

First off, print your pattern, 100% scale:

The bag shape was a modified version of the pattern I used for the Morpheus sandbag, but sized to fit in the roughly 11" squares that my couch skin came in. It makes a bag that sits very well on a tabletop, thanks to the flat base.

Though it turned out to not be the most efficient use of material, because that plus-shaped pattern tessellates well, if you're cutting them out of a full hide, but makes a lot of waste when you're cutting them out of squares of material. A more efficient design would have a half-rounded front and back, and a gusset between them, like so:

Ah well. It's not like I have any shortage of couch skin, though for the next round I'm going to experiment with a more efficient pattern.

First step, trace and cut out the bag body from your chrome-tan leather:

Like I said, this was upholstery leather, but anything that's flexible and ~1.5 mm thick will do.

The flap and front need to be a stiffer leather though -- I used 7 oz latigo, but veg-tan would work equally well. (And then you could ✨tool it!✨)

Cut them out, and then use the pattern to mark where your holes are going to be. Mark the holes on your bag body too:

The latigo pieces get hand-stitched to the bag body, so I used a stitching groover to carve out little channels for the thread -- it's not strictly necessary, but it makes your stitches lay a lot more neatly:

Punch the holes shown below:

I used a ~5 mm hole punch for those, and a 1.5" slot punch for the belt loops. Some of the holes on the front piece you're not punching yet, because they need to go through both layers.

I put a dab of contact cement on the pieces (circled in white) to help hold them in place when I go to punch the stitching holes:

(Make sure you're not putting glue between the belt loops)

Wait fifteen minutes for the contact cement to dry until tacky, and then line up the holes and the edges and press the pieces together:

Punch stitching holes:

Saddle-stitch both pieces in place (takes 28" of thread per):

Now you can punch these holes:

(I used a slightly smaller hole punch than for the others, but it doesn't really matter.)

Now press the right sides of the leather together and sew up the seams from the inside:

A regular sewing machine should be able to handle this, though you will need thicker thread, a heavy-duty leather-sewing needle, and a walking foot attachment. (If you don't have a walking foot attachment, it is SO WORTH getting one, even if you don't expect to sew much leather. Seriously, I use it for everything -- once you go walking foot, you don't go back. 💀) Because you can't pin leather without leaving permanent holes in it, tiny binder clips can be helpful for keeping your material lined up.

What they look like when you're finished sewing:

Cut 19" of lacing for the drawstring, and 11" of lacing for the toggle:

I use the 1/8" EcoSoft lace from Tandy, I think it's stronger than real leather would be at that thickness. The only important factor here is that you need something with a bit of texture and friction -- a silk cord isn't going to stay closed, it's going to slip open.

MANY BAGS.

For these I used a wooden toggle -- cut another 8" of lacing, looped it through the toggle twice, and then made a tight square knot on the back:

But another option is putting a concho or a large button on the flap. The bag I copied this design from, in fact, uses a concho toggle:

Thread some beads on the laces to keep the ends from getting lost, and you are DONE! 😁

Happy Bagging!

[astraystayyh]

Photobooth

Your first date with seungmin, except he pretends he's confident when he's just as nervous as you.

You quickly go down the stairs, trying your best to steady your racing heartbeat, but it only quickens as your gaze lands on Seungmin. He's wearing a black blouse, his hair slightly tousled as if he ran his fingers through it multiple times. His face lights up once his eyes set on you.

"Hey," he smiles as he walks up to you, a single red rose in his right hand.

"Hi," you smile back, a rush of butterflies erupting in your stomach, fluttering their wings all across your body.

"You're beautiful," he compliments, eyes tracing your face over and over, drinking in each one of your features. He didn't tell you that you looked beautiful, rather that you are beautiful. As if it doesn't matter what you wear, as long as it's you.

"Thank you," you reply, a wide grin spreading across your face. "You're beautiful too."

"I know," he smiles confidently, prompting a playful eye roll from you. "Right, let's go," he abruptly says, handing you the flower and grabbing your free hand into his. His fingers seamlessly intertwine with yours, and he doesn't look at you as he starts walking, as though this is second nature to both of you. As if your heart isn't on the brink of bursting from your chest, ready to spill its emotions at his feet.

Seungmin leads you to a hidden arcade, where the next two hours quickly go by as you take turns playing the various games- and competing in them. Your stomach aches from how hard you've been laughing; joy coming naturally to you when you're with Seungmin.

You're standing in front of a claw machine- your third attempt to retrieve a frog plushie. It's kind of weirdly sewed, and the color is neon rather than pastel, but you want it still.

"Still not giving up?" Seungmin smiles, as he leans against the machine's glass. "These are a scam, the odds of you winning are very slim."

"Keep your pragmatism to yourself," you reply, inserting another coin. The allotted fifty seconds go by in a blink of an eye, and you fail once again.

"Forget it," you pout. "I'm thirsty do you want something to drink?"

"Sure, just water. Can you order? I have to go to the toilet."

"Okay," you give him a thumbs-up before heading to the register. The queue is long, since apparently, everyone around is craving something too. Fifteen long minutes go by before you finally receive your coffee order. You bought an iced americano for Seungmin too, you know he can never say no to those.

"I'm back," Seungmin drapes his arm across your shoulder, drawing you closer to him. "Here," you bring the straw to his lips and be sips from his drink diligently.

"I thought you only wanted water," you chuckle and he scrunches his nose at you.

"Fine, keep your coffee and I suppose I'll keep this," he brings out the plushie you've been dying to win.

"You got it?" you ask incredulously, taking it from his hands excitedly.

"Mm."

"But I thought these machines were a scam," you repeat his earlier words and he shrugs. "I mean they still are. But you really wanted it."

"Thank you," you murmur, pulling him into a grateful hug, your chin resting on his shoulder blade.

"Anything for you," he mumbles into your hair, his arms blanketing you in a warm embrace.

You are walking hand in hand, stomachs full from the dinner Seungmin just treated you to. He insisted on paying, and you made a mental note to buy him coffee for the next following weeks.

"Look!" you point excitedly to a photobooth on the side of the road. "Should we go in?" you propose and he nods, pulling you in.

The booth is tiny, leaving room for only one stool at the center of it. Seungmin settles on the seat, before pulling you on top of his lap. You feel a crimson red blush bloom on your face, as Seungmin fixes up the camera's setting. He seems at ease by your close proximity, and you take in a deep breath as the timer starts counting down.

You plaster a smile on your face, Seungmin's hand wrapping around your waist as you both pose, flashing a peace sign. A giggle escapes you as he gently tickles your sides. "What should we do now?" he asks.

"Let's blow a kiss to the camera," you suggest, and he shakes his head slightly, an amused smile drawn on his lips.

You pucker your mouth, blowing a flying kiss as the camera snaps a photo of the two of you. But you soon realize Seungmin isn't staring ahead- he's looking at you.

"What?" you giggle nervously, and he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ears, eyes fixated on yours. "I really like you," he confesses in a hushed tone, leaving you overwhelmed by the warmth of his body, his velvety voice and the weight of his words.

"You make me very flustered."

"So do you," he giggles sheepishly and you raise a brow at him. "Really? you've been so sure of yourself this entire date."

"Can't you feel my hands shaking?" he asks softly and sure enough, slight tremors are cursing through them. Almost imperceptible, but it's there.

"You drive me insane. I think I almost died each time you smiled at me tonight."

"That's a lot of near-deaths."

"I know," he smiles at you, but it slips away slowly as his eyes land on your lips. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes." Your reply comes out breathless, as his warm hand cradles your cheek, beckoning you closer to him. His mouth falls perfectly on top of yours, the camera's click a mere echo to you as you lose yourself into the kiss. His cheeks are heated up under your touch, a contented sigh leaving him as your lips meet once again. And again, and again, until you lose count.

You pull apart dazed, and Seungmin places a much sweeter kiss on your forehead. "I really like you. I'm afraid of messing this up."

"You won't. I really like you too."

Seungmin buries his head in the crook of your neck, as you rub your hands softly across his back.

"What is it?" you smile and he shakes his head. "I'm malfunctioning give me a minute."

"What happened to your confident self?" you tease and he chuckles lowly, the sound traveling in your body and carving its melodies into your heart.

"Got tired of pretending."

"You don't have to. I really like you, if I hadn't made it clear."

"Yeah I don't think I will make it through the night," he sighs and you laugh loudly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. It felt comforting to know you were both just as flustered by each other's existence.

You finally get out of the booth to find the picture printed out. You and Seungmin doing a peace sign. You blowing a kiss while Seungmin stares fondly at you. You and Seungmin looking at one another. You and Seungmin lost into the kiss.

"It turned out nice," you hum and he nods, throwing his arm over your shoulder once again. "It really did."

You keep the picture safely tucked in your wallet; only taking it out to frame it in your new house with Seungmin, five years down the road.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Oh, I love her! Too cute, tiny 1930 hacienda in Spokane, WA has 1bd, 1ba, 486 sq ft, $270K. I would move right in, if WA wasn't clear across the country from me.

Surrounded by a wall and fence, it's like your own private little fortress.

Isn't this sweet? A little sitting area in front of the wood stove. They have a table for 4 made out of an antique sewing machine base, for dining, in front of the kitchen, and there's room for 2 larger chairs on the side.

Look at the details, like the little niche in the wall.

Cute little kitchen and I like the stairs going up to the sleep loft. I would probably reconfigure the kitchen- at least get an island with a counter and some storage.

The kitchen could use a nice Mexican tile backsplash and a small exhaust hood over the stove.

Under the sleep loft there's a bath and some shelving.

Is that a washer/dryer?

Very nice shower.

View of the sleep loft.

I don't think that I would use the loft- Where the armoire is, I think that I would put a Murphy bed and move the love seat over.

Then, I would remove that built-in bench and put an armoire next to the window, b/c there are no closets. Maybe, I would even remove the shelving and make a closet there, too. I would reconfigure it all.

A nice outbuilding. Was this a chicken coop?

Inside it's a great storage shed.

The yard is pretty.

So, when I saw all of this firewood, I went back to see if the wood stove is the only heating source, but it's not. There's a gas furnace.

Look at the nice covered patio.

There is quite a large front yard that has potential.

The corner lot measures 6,098 sq ft.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4128-N-Monroe-St-Spokane-WA-99205/89446486_zpid/

[bookshelfdreams]

I know it's been half a year and I don't feel like digging up the original post rn but I finally got started ooooonnnnn

✨The American Duchess Wrap Cape✨

Carol Kimball made a printable version of the pattern which she generously shares for free on her blog along with instructions for alterations and assembly (PLUS pockets! And a hood!). This is what I'll be working with.

I forgot to take a picture, but I'm using a grey-green (sage? I'd call this sage) boiled wool as top fabric, and dark blue flannel for the lining. Because I am an idiot, and also due to my general hubris, I have forgone the mockup. Instead, i decided to try on every pattern piece as I go along and see what alterations it needs. I am sure I will not regret this.

(I do have a lot of fabric, so there's room for error. When I bought it earlier this year I thought I would do the hood, but I have since decided against it - with the colour, a hood would make me look like some twee forest creature. Not that that wouldn't be an amazing fashion concept. Unfortunately, hoods don't work great with scarves and shawls, so no hood this time.)

First (after printing and taping together the pattern pieces) was extending the shoulder seam. The original pattern has tiny shoulders, which might work fine for some (although, tbh, even the og pictures of AD's reconstruction seem to fit the model kinda awkwardly), but for me, too small. Kimball recommends making a sort of bulge on the front piece so it actually goes over the bust, which I did; I freehanded it and figured I would cut it out, sew in the darts and then check if it fits.

I wasn't sure how to mark where to put the darts without cutting up the pattern. In the end, I just put a little bit of white thread through the start and end points, pulled off the paper and tied them off loosely. That worked really well, and it made folding the darts easier, too.

Anyway, the front piece seemed to fit! So I used it to adjust the pattern for the lining, cut out the two front pieces, and put in the darts there. Then I cut open the darts, finished the seams that needed finishing, and pressed all my seams, as if I knew what I was doing and wasn't a chaotic craft gremlin.

Next, I cut out the back piece (the pattern prints only one half, but I mirrored it and then taped the two halves together, so I wouldn't have to fumble around trying to cut it on the fold. That would not have ended well) in both top and lining, sewed them together with the according front pieces at the shoulders, and pressed the seams again.

Then I ran out of blue sewing thread. But since it's 20:00 anyway, and my sewing machine is very loud, I'll be a considerate neighbour and stop with the noise-heavy activities. Tomorrow I'll have to go to the inferior craft store (the good one is closed on tuesdays) to get some fusible interfacing for the collar and pockets (up next!). Also blue thread.

(The cat was helping, as always)