A dress from 1952 – cutting out

August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 ElenaLeave a comment

My first make from the 1951/1952 vintage pattern collection from the German Praktikus Modenblatt! After a lot of dithering, I’m doing it! No more procrastinating making alledgedly urgently needed jersey tops! No longer impersonating that donkey who starved facing two stacks of hay not being able to decide where to start eating! Huzzah! My dithering was abruptly…… Continue reading A dress from 1952 – cutting out

Clothes · Jersey

A successful pattern

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 Elena2 Comments

For me, a successful pattern is one that I made many times over, with variants, in different colours and fabrics. Admittedly, I haven’t got many of those! But this is a story of one such pattern which is still going. The summer dress Some years ago I bought a viscose jersey dress which fitted so…… Continue reading A successful pattern

Attachments · Clothes · Feet · Jersey

The gathering foot, the ruffler and differential feed

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 Elena4 Comments

Differential feed is when the upper and lower layers of the material are fed at different speeds, or as in overlockers when the front and rear of the feed dogs are moving at different speeds. The result is that the sewing gets stretched or gathered, either all of it or just one layer relative to…… Continue reading The gathering foot, the ruffler and differential feed

Breaking needles · Needles

Why you shouldn’t stitch over pins

August 6, 2017August 6, 2017 Elena2 Comments

Because then this happens: That old machine packs quite a punch if it managed to bend the pin and to break the needle on impact. And that was size 90/14, so not that thin! Fortunately, nothing else got damaged.

Fabrics

Those wonderous fibres

August 4, 2017 ElenaAsideLeave a comment

Milk? Don't drink it - wear it! Swicofil website has the most wonderful articles on so many different textile fibres, old and new. Just click on Products and scroll down...

Bobbins · Feet · Needle plates · Needles · Skipped stitches

Skipped stitches and their remedies

July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 Elena4 Comments

It’s one of the most common problems in sewing: skipped stitches. But it can have many different causes and so may require different remedies. So let’s take a closer look! Needle and thread Special needles Thread tension The right needle plate The right foot The right foot pressure Mechanical issues Needle and thread Of course…… Continue reading Skipped stitches and their remedies