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General Discussion => Welcome and General Discussion => Topic started by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 09:53:56 AM

Title: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 09:53:56 AM
I've spent a total of FIVE hours diagnosing 3 different sewing machines everything from sticking bobbin drive wheels, shaft transfer issues, thread tensioning, BOBBIN tensioning(!?), too thick of thread, curling fabric, too many bobbin thread tangled up messes that I have to cut apart.  I JUST WANT TO SEW A STRAIGHT, STRONG SEAM FOR MY BICYCLE FRAME BAG.  I'm dying over here.

I'm so tired of watching YouTube guide videos, reading manuals, how can I be this dumb?  Why is this so hard?

Are there any sewing masters in Denver, CO that want to take pity on a dumb-dumb and want to meet up and teach/help?   I can buy you food :)
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 20, 2020, 10:19:42 AM
I've spent a total of FIVE hours diagnosing 3 different sewing machines everything from sticking bobbin drive wheels, shaft transfer issues, thread tensioning, BOBBIN tensioning(!?), too thick of thread, curling fabric, too many bobbin thread tangled up messes that I have to cut apart.  I JUST WANT TO SEW A STRAIGHT, STRONG SEAM FOR MY BICYCLE FRAME BAG.  I'm dying over here.

I'm so tired of watching YouTube guide videos, reading manuals, how can I be this dumb?  Why is this so hard?

Are there any sewing masters in Denver, CO that want to take pity on a dumb-dumb and want to meet up and teach/help?   I can buy you food :)

Maybe it's time to take the machines in for a tuneup?  Thats where mine are right now.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cranky on September 20, 2020, 10:26:15 AM
What kind of fabric are you using?

What kind of machine are you using?

Have you sewn before?
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Goldielocks on September 20, 2020, 11:25:21 AM
Oh boy.  Take it in for a tune up, especially if you are borrowing or inheriting another person's machine.  Most people don't do this for years and it becomes worse and worse.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: former player on September 20, 2020, 11:51:14 AM
My (free) sewing machine is too lightweight to deal with much of anything thicker than two pieces of cotton, so I suspect that may be your problem: you are trying to sew heavier duty fabric than your machines are designed for.  They may cope better if you go very, very, slowly.  Or take your bag to an alterations tailor (try a dry cleaning place).
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: GuitarStv on September 20, 2020, 02:11:12 PM
I do all my bike related sewing by hand.  With dental floss (which is about 1000000000 times stronger thn regular thread so stuff stays sewed).

:P
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 02:49:26 PM
Ripstop fabric.  Using a heavy duty needle, using heavy durable cotton thread.
All three were old singers.
Never sewn before :(

Tried going through every tension setting, but each time it bunched up below the bobbin plate.

Starting to think it may be the machines and not me.  Of course that would be what feels best too haha.

What kind of fabric are you using?

What kind of machine are you using?

Have you sewn before?
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Linea_Norway on September 20, 2020, 02:51:18 PM
My (free) sewing machine is too lightweight to deal with much of anything thicker than two pieces of cotton, so I suspect that may be your problem: you are trying to sew heavier duty fabric than your machines are designed for.  They may cope better if you go very, very, slowly.  Or take your bag to an alterations tailor (try a dry cleaning place).

For thick fabric an older machine (from the 60-ies or so), might do the job better than a modern machine. The simpler the machine, the better.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 02:52:35 PM
Oh boy.  Take it in for a tune up, especially if you are borrowing or inheriting another person's machine.  Most people don't do this for years and it becomes worse and worse.

Ah I see. I didn't know sewing machines required upkeep.  All were borrowed from different friends so I doubt they were maintained unless they were active sewers (sew-ers?..... stitch making people). 
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 02:54:31 PM
My (free) sewing machine is too lightweight to deal with much of anything thicker than two pieces of cotton, so I suspect that may be your problem: you are trying to sew heavier duty fabric than your machines are designed for.  They may cope better if you go very, very, slowly.  Or take your bag to an alterations tailor (try a dry cleaning place).

Hmmm I want to learn how to sew simple things, but seeing if they can sew it sounds pretty tempting.  If there is a coworking hobby space in Denver with a pro I'll probably chase that.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 02:56:22 PM
I do all my bike related sewing by hand.  With dental floss (which is about 1000000000 times stronger thn regular thread so stuff stays sewed).

:P

That's clever, I wonder if the cycling weight weenies use this as their backup if the snapped-in-half-toothbrush fails :D
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: deborah on September 20, 2020, 04:11:16 PM
Have you checked that you’re threading them correctly? It sounds like you’re not putting the thread the right way over the tension wheel, or you haven’t threaded the bobbin correctly. If it’s the same on all three old machines, they would probably all have similar threading. Most modern machines are much easier to thread, but won’t sew thick fabric.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cranky on September 20, 2020, 04:34:00 PM
Ripstop fabric.  Using a heavy duty needle, using heavy durable cotton thread.
All three were old singers.
Never sewn before :(

Tried going through every tension setting, but each time it bunched up below the bobbin plate.

Starting to think it may be the machines and not me.  Of course that would be what feels best too haha.

What kind of fabric are you using?

What kind of machine are you using?

Have you sewn before?

You might need a specialty needles for that, and I definitely would not use cotton thread. But I would play around in some scrap fabric, and I do think this is likely to be rather finicky. It’s probably not you, and it’s probably not the machine either - there’s a reason why stuff like that is ordinarily sewn commercially on specialized machines.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: JLR on September 20, 2020, 04:35:53 PM
Oh boy.  Take it in for a tune up, especially if you are borrowing or inheriting another person's machine.  Most people don't do this for years and it becomes worse and worse.

Ah I see. I didn't know sewing machines required upkeep.  All were borrowed from different friends so I doubt they were maintained unless they were active sewers (sew-ers?..... stitch making people).

Even just opening up the easily accessible parts and sweeping/brushing/sucking out the accumulated dust, then using a bit of machine oil can be magical for a tricky sewing machine.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Missy B on September 20, 2020, 05:26:42 PM
Have you checked that you’re threading them correctly? It sounds like you’re not putting the thread the right way over the tension wheel, or you haven’t threaded the bobbin correctly. If it’s the same on all three old machines, they would probably all have similar threading. Most modern machines are much easier to thread, but won’t sew thick fabric.
This... I would check on a piece of lightweight cotton with  regular thread to make sure the seams are normal and that there is not an issue with the threading. One of the things that causes major tangled mess issue with the bobbin is putting it in backwards or having an uneven wind on the bobbin. 
If you can sew a nice long, clean seam on light cotton with medium thread you can eliminate basic threading and bobbin issues.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Cork on September 20, 2020, 06:12:56 PM
Have you checked that you’re threading them correctly? It sounds like you’re not putting the thread the right way over the tension wheel, or you haven’t threaded the bobbin correctly. If it’s the same on all three old machines, they would probably all have similar threading. Most modern machines are much easier to thread, but won’t sew thick fabric.
This... I would check on a piece of lightweight cotton with  regular thread to make sure the seams are normal and that there is not an issue with the threading. One of the things that causes major tangled mess issue with the bobbin is putting it in backwards or having an uneven wind on the bobbin. 
If you can sew a nice long, clean seam on light cotton with medium thread you can eliminate basic threading and bobbin issues.

Ohhhh good recommendation ya'll.  Making sure it works with the normal materials gotcha.  I really didnt expect to learn so much about sewing, but man it's complicated.  Respect to the thread masters out there.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: OzzieandHarriet on September 20, 2020, 06:15:43 PM
Rip stop nylon is rather thin fabric, isn’t it? Aside from threading issues you might be using the wrong kind of thread and/or needle.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: OzzieandHarriet on September 20, 2020, 06:17:29 PM
Some tips here:
https://bigduckcanvasblog.com/2015/09/02/7-tips-for-sewing-ripstop-nylon-fabric/
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: draco44 on September 20, 2020, 07:51:05 PM
My library carries the book Heavy Duty Sewing: Making Backpacks and Other Stuff by Anton Sandqvist. Maybe yours does too? That could be a good resource for you. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36204391-heavy-duty-sewing
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: ministashy on September 21, 2020, 12:25:40 AM
You may just want to try hand-sewing instead, depending on how extensive the damage is--there are lots of Youtube videos on mending out there and it usually requires pretty simple stitches.  You just have to be patient and invest a little time.  (and use good/strong thread, not standard cotton/polyester stuff--I've heard other hikers recommend the dental floss trick that @GuitarStv uses)
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: AnnaGrowsAMustache on September 21, 2020, 01:31:46 AM
My friend and I did a night sewing course once. It took me a whole term to sew a square pillow with a zip. And I bought a pattern for said square pillow. On the plus side, I'm an unpicking DEMON :)
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: BikeFanatic on September 21, 2020, 07:43:30 AM
I LOVE the dental floss as thread idea, I have 2 Ebike battery bags that need some repairs for rips. Have to get a biggger needle though.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Sibley on September 21, 2020, 08:16:08 AM
Ok. Big picture.

1. Each of those machines is likely filthy. Find the manuals online if you don't have them, and read the directions for cleaning and oiling.
2. Sewing machines are generally EXTREMELY particular about how the bobbin is inserted and the needle is threaded. And it's easy to do it wrong. Getting it wrong frequently results in extremely frustrating results. The original manuals for the machines will tell you what the machine needs. Follow it to the letter.
3. You've messed up the tension. I don't know how to fix that. Unless you're a mechanical genius and understand the tension, you may need to get the machines serviced.

In general, the machines probably need to be serviced. That would take care of 1 and 3. And why do you have 3 anyway?

Once the machines are properly running and you've threaded everything correctly, older machines generally will be fine with canvas weight materials. They may have difficulty with extremely thin fabrics, or with synthetics. No idea why, but I've seen that with my 50's machine. Going slowly has helped with that.

If you post which machines you have, specifically, then we help you figure out which one to focus on.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: PMG on September 21, 2020, 09:00:30 AM
You’ve got a lot of good advice here.  I second making sure your needle and thread is appropriate and new.  Never underestimate the need for a new needle.

A good cleaning and oiling is magic. Use sewing machine oil.

I find a machine that has been sitting dormant for a while sometimes needs a while to warm up and start sewing well. Sometimes that is sewing without thread on thin woven cotton fabric (think, old pillow case) for half an hour.  Definitely do some testing until it’s running smoothly and sewing well on cotton before moving to your project fabric.

Check that the feed dogs, the little grooved metal plates under the presser foot are engaged.  They should be moving while you’re sewing and will move the fabric through the machine for you.  You don’t move the fabric, you only guide it. Feed dogs can be disengaged for darning, etc, so it’s possible they could be down. 

There is a tiny screw on the bobbin that can be adjusted but that is usually left to the experts. Your top thread is more likely to be the issue.  Can you tell which thread is snarling? Is it the bobbin or the top? Get yourself very familiar with how threading works.  On one of my machines unless I’m intentional about making sure the thread slips between the tension wheels it will often run along side them and therefore will not be held tense and it will not function properly. 

There are facebook groups for this type of work where you could post a video.  Or post here and maybe we can help further.

It’s worth figuring it out and learning the basics, this is knowledge and skills that can really pay you back for the time you put in. 

Or, you can take your project to a sewing shop and they may be able to have you fixed right up. 
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Loren Ver on September 21, 2020, 09:03:41 AM
I do all my bike related sewing by hand.  With dental floss (which is about 1000000000 times stronger thn regular thread so stuff stays sewed).

:P

Floss works great, avoid the stuff with mint coating :).  I might know from experience....
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: PMG on September 21, 2020, 09:08:08 AM
Ripstop fabric.  Using a heavy duty needle, using heavy durable cotton thread.
All three were old singers.
Never sewn before :(

Tried going through every tension setting, but each time it bunched up below the bobbin plate.

Starting to think it may be the machines and not me.  Of course that would be what feels best too haha.

What kind of fabric are you using?

What kind of machine are you using?

Have you sewn before?

Ding Ding Ding! Heavy cotton thread may be your issue!  Usually you want to match the weight of the thread to the weight of the fabric (kind of).  I don’t know what to recommend for ripstop use without researching, but probably not heavy or cotton.

You probably don’t want a heavy duty needle either.  Again, without research I can’t tell you exactly what you need, but ripstop is something you want small holes in, so it doesn’t rip, so my guess would be a small sharp needle.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Rosy on September 21, 2020, 09:44:24 AM
Here is the info on the proper needle and thread from https://www.rlrcreations.com/rlrsewingblog/2016/1/21/gogreenripstoptips#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20worried%20about,or%20nylon%20thread%20is%20best.

Quote


7 Helpful Tips when sewing with Ripstop Nylon

1. Choose the correct needle. I recommend a new sharp Microtex 80/12, but any brand of a sharps needle will do.

2. If you are worried about the ripstop being too slippery you can use a Teflon, Roller Foot, or even a Walking Foot.

3. An all-purpose polyester thread, or nylon thread is best. I use Dual Duty XP General Purpose Thread.

4. Use a little longer of a stitch length when sewing ripstop nylon. A small stitch length can cause the seams to be weak as they simply perforate a line down the fabric and can pull apart over time. It can also cause your fabric to bunch up or “pucker”. When sewing I recommend somewhere between 8-10 stitch per inch (2.5-3.0).

5.  When cutting out your pieces use sharp fabric scissors or a new rotary blade to get clean straight edges; this can also aid in helping with fraying. If you are going to use a serger or overlock stitch option rather than the seaming techniques listed you can help prevent the edges fraying by using Pinking Shears.

6. The bags will bear some weight when you put them to use, so you will want the seams to be reinforced. If you are not finishing them off with a serger it is highly recommended that you use the felled and french seams that the pattern calls for. This will not only give you stronger seams but also a nice professional finish the bags.

7. Last but certainly not least, be sure that you set your iron on setting that is appropriate for nylon to get smooth seams. You do not want to burn the pretty fabrics. Use the nylon or silk setting on your iron.

 

Hope that helps:)
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: TrMama on September 21, 2020, 10:42:30 AM
More tips:

Make sure your bobbin is loaded so the thread is coming of in the right direction. Clockwise vs counter clockwise matters a lot.

When oiling the machine, only use sewing machine oil. DO NOT substitute whatever other oil you may have laying around. Sewing machine oil is very thin and is designed to just evaporate over time so it can't gunk up the machine. If any of these machines has been oiled with the wrong oil it may be toast.

If the machine isn't designed to use thick thread, then it won't work. Despite being an old workhorse my machine cannot use "heavy duty" thread. Nothing I do to it will change that. If I need heavy duty thread then I take the item to a cobbler for repair.

You don't need heavy duty thread to sew ripstop nylon. Just use regular polyester thread. If it's a seam that sees a lot of stress, double the seam.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 21, 2020, 12:29:57 PM
Lots of great troubleshooting advice here.  Another thought -- is the thread new or old?  Older thread isn't necessary weak or dry rotted, but it can be.

Definitely don't use heavy cotton thread with ripstop nylon.  The posted advice above to reinforce the seams is important, too.

What exactly do you mean by "old Singers"?  There's a world of difference between a 1930s - 1950s Singer 201 and a later Singer Touch and Sew (Touch and Swear), although some old T&S machines have steel gears.  Some 3- 40 year old Singer machines can be even worse, because of a switch in manufacturing and a switching in what home sewists were sewing.  (This isn't specific to Singer, or even sewing machines.)

Have all three borrowed machines been used regularly and recently?  Have they been cleaned and maintained?  Do their owners report tensioning and bobbin issues, or are these problems unique to your use of the machines?

If you have a friend with a maintained, working Bernina 830 Record, I think it might sew what you want.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: geekette on September 21, 2020, 02:36:53 PM
What exactly do you mean by "old Singers"?  There's a world of difference between a 1930s - 1950s Singer 201 and a later Singer Touch and Sew (Touch and Swear), although some old T&S machines have steel gears. 

I've heard them called Touch and Throw ;-)

Put me down for the "bird's nest" being caused by the bobbin being installed in the wrong direction.  Although with the same problem on three machines?  Hmm...  Another thought is that you need to thread the needle with the presser foot up.

A French seam is a great idea.  An overlocker or serger would work, but they can be fussy and you're already about to defenestrate a couple of machines.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Dr Kidstache on September 21, 2020, 06:01:29 PM
Lots of good advice in this thread, but probably difficult to apply if you don't have basic sewing knowledge already. As someone else mentioned, there are fantastic FB groups about sewing. You can post pics of the sewing machine and of the fabric you've attempted and get detailed feedback. I would suggest starting with either a beginners sewing group or a group specific to the type of machine that you're using (I think you mentioned it's Singers?). If you're not interested in FB help, take the machine(s) and fabric to a sewing machine shop in-person and get assistance.
Just off the top of my head (not an expert but I sew most of my clothes), you need to get the tensions back to "normal", verify you're threading the machine correctly and setting the bobbin in correctly, practice sewing on quilting cotton or paper (yes, you can sew paper for practice!). If the machine sews a straight stitch fine on quilting cotton or paper, then you're onto finding the best materials for ripstop nylon. Firstly, you definitely need 100% polyester thread. You may need to try Microtex needles (they're especially fine and sharp). Fabrics that slip & slide and are thin are prone to getting sucked into the baseplate - if this is happening, you can sew on top of a piece of tissue paper (tissue like you would use in a gift bag, not nose blowing) and tear the tissue paper off after. There are so many tips & tricks that could help you but you've got to get the basics worked out. I'm gonna ballpark 75% of sewing problems are from incorrect threading and the other 25% from matching materials/techniques to the specific fabric.
Keep at it and you'll get the basics worked out. Sewing is super rewarding hobby & way more complex than most non-sewers appreciate.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Dr Kidstache on September 21, 2020, 06:28:05 PM
I'll also add that the repository of all sewing knowledge is Pattern Review (sewing.patternreview.com). People on there know EVERYTHING about different machines and there are many expert sewers. You can't post for some time period after you join but you can read the forums. I watch a lot of YouTube sewing videos and participate in FB sewing groups but I take advice from those sources with a grain of salt because there are a lot of the blind leading the blind. Pattern Review is a bit stodgy but those folks are the OGs of sewing any fabric or project.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: K_in_the_kitchen on September 21, 2020, 09:06:55 PM
If you do decide to test sew on paper, use an old needle, or if you have to use a new needle, replace it before you sew on the nylon.  Paper dulls the needle quickly (just like paper dulls scissors, which is why you never use your fabric shears on paper).  As noted above, a Microtex needle is recommended for ripstop nylon, and I'd definitely recommend it since it will pierce the fabric more cleanly and combined with a longer stitch length you'll have a stronger seam.

Speaking of the needle, you also need to make sure it's mounted correctly, as not all sewing machines have you face the flat side of the needle in the same direction.  In my old Singer (222K) the flat side of the needle goes to the left.  In my newer machines and my vintage Bernina, the flat side goes to the back.  It's not foolproof -- it's easy to put in wrong and then the stitching isn't right.  Oh, and not all sewing machines take the same length of needle, although the vast majority do.  I was once given a vintage Singer that took a specific non-standard needle size, unfortunately it was a long time ago and I was inexperienced with old machines and got rid of it, not realizing I could probably find the needles online somewhere.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: OtherJen on September 22, 2020, 08:42:23 AM
Ripstop fabric.  Using a heavy duty needle, using heavy durable cotton thread.
All three were old singers.
Never sewn before :(

I think the bolded line is a big part of the problem. It's not a simple process for beginners because both the technique and the machine have to be learned. Even after a bit of training and practice on simple materials, I found it so frustrating that it generally wasn't worth the angst and time spent. (And I cook/bake from scratch and knit my own sweaters so I'm not afraid of handiwork.)

If it's a small flaw, hand-sewing will probably be less frustrating. I would strongly recommend a good in-person sewing class if you want to use this skill regularly.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Goldielocks on September 22, 2020, 01:28:14 PM
Oh boy.  Take it in for a tune up, especially if you are borrowing or inheriting another person's machine.  Most people don't do this for years and it becomes worse and worse.

Ah I see. I didn't know sewing machines required upkeep.  All were borrowed from different friends so I doubt they were maintained unless they were active sewers (sew-ers?..... stitch making people).

Think of them like bicycles.   And instead of road dirt and sand, you have a LOT of fabric lint building up on the once oily gears and precision moving metal parts inside.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: RetiredAt63 on September 22, 2020, 03:16:10 PM
Oh boy.  Take it in for a tune up, especially if you are borrowing or inheriting another person's machine.  Most people don't do this for years and it becomes worse and worse.

Ah I see. I didn't know sewing machines required upkeep.  All were borrowed from different friends so I doubt they were maintained unless they were active sewers (sew-ers?..... stitch making people).

Think of them like bicycles.   And instead of road dirt and sand, you have a LOT of fabric lint building up on the once oily gears and precision moving metal parts inside.

Exactly.  Think how much lint builds up in a dryer.  Fabric gives off lint.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: GuitarStv on September 22, 2020, 05:07:40 PM
Think of them like bicycles.

Great.  So now you need to make space for three or four of them and piles upon piles of sewing machine parts strewn all over the house?
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: mspym on September 22, 2020, 05:30:16 PM
Think of them like bicycles.

Great.  So now you need to make space for three or four of them and piles upon piles of sewing machine parts strewn all over the house?
Sounds about right. piles of fabric, patterns and associated whatnots (thread, buttons, feet etc).I have the sewing pile, Ofpym has the bicycle and brewing pile.

All of this is reminding me to get my machine serviced.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Dr Kidstache on September 22, 2020, 06:07:29 PM
Think of them like bicycles.

Great.  So now you need to make space for three or four of them and piles upon piles of sewing machine parts strewn all over the house?

You have no idea the truth of this. Sewing has a ton of gear & attracts gearheads. I have 4 machines, a closet entirely full of fabric, cabinets of notions, and my living room is taken over as a sewing studio. Thank goodness I have a garage for the bikes ;-)
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: MrTurtle on September 22, 2020, 07:35:13 PM
I do all my bike related sewing by hand.  With dental floss (which is about 1000000000 times stronger thn regular thread so stuff stays sewed).

:P

This has to be the most Mustachian post of the year.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: GeneralJinjur on September 23, 2020, 09:57:56 AM
I'd be willing to meet up.  Sewing for 40 years now and I have fought with my share of machines.  Getting over a stomach bug at the moment so would be better to meet later in the week. 

Also, you will make tremendous strides if you let the forum know what model(s)of machine you are using so we can pull the manual and start there.

A picture of what you are working on would also be helpful.  Are you repairing an existing item or starting from scratch?

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: PMG on September 23, 2020, 10:49:16 AM
We might all be more invested in OPs sewing than OP actually is. hah!

Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: phildonnia on September 24, 2020, 10:09:37 AM
I feel your pain.  I don't sew much, but every time I do:

Bzzzzz. Ca-chunk! Ca-chunk! Ca-chunkachunkachunkachunkachunka CLUNK! Bzzzz. S*%&$! 

I've cleaned out and rethreaded everything so many times I think I'm like one of those marine dudes that can assemble a rifle in ten seconds.  Except that my machine will surely jam again.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: markbike528CBX on September 24, 2020, 11:06:56 AM
HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING?

Perhaps you might visualize several men sewing, as in one sewing with lots of "coaching".
Add beer....


Disclosure : Male, haven't done any sewing since Home Economics class a loooong time ago.  Still have the project backpack (that I think my mother did).
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Luke Warm on September 25, 2020, 09:11:03 AM
i've been sewing off and on for a few years. i don't do it enough to get good at it so i can count on ripping out the first set of stiches i sew. i had issues with the thread getting jammed when i first started making a stitch. there would be a bird's nest of thread and the machine locking up. one thing i found that helps prevent this is making sure that i'm holding the ends of the tread tight before i start the stitch. it seems that if i don't hold those loose ends that the machine pulls them back under the presser foot and creates a mess. i found a pretty good youtube channel that has helped me a bunch. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFcLcuNRrmdeWw3OLPbFPEA (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFcLcuNRrmdeWw3OLPbFPEA). i sewed one of the shirts he did and it came out pretty nice although i had to rip out stitches on just about every seam.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: familyandfarming on September 25, 2020, 11:39:41 AM
Forty years ago, one of our first purchases as a married couple was a Kenmore sewing machine. Included with purchase was a series of free lessons. Most of our other items from that time are long gone, but that Kenmore is still working well!

It's amazing how much that machine has saved us money. The purchase/classes are still paying off! Are there any hands-on classes you could take at a sewing/quilting place?

If you think that idea is a waste of time, just hire someone to do the job for you.
Title: Re: HOW CAN ONE MAN BE SO BAD AT SEWING
Post by: Goldielocks on September 27, 2020, 10:39:45 AM
Think of them like bicycles.

Great.  So now you need to make space for three or four of them and piles upon piles of sewing machine parts strewn all over the house?
Exactly.   And then start spending a lot of non MMM money in getting one, but then it may be great at sewing heavy duty backpacks but doesn't have serger, so you get another.  And replace "machine parts" with "notions" strewn all over in every drawer.

OP is already ahead of us. Apparently he has several from friends right now.