/diy/ - Do It Yourself

how hard would it be for someone with zero sewing experience to learn to sew by hand, and how feasible is it to make clothing, even a t-shirt, completely by hand.

>>19539
Quite easy, and it would. Just don't expect fast results. Really, get a sewing machine.

>>19539

It's not hard, but it's going to take a lot of patience and practice. I've never constructed a garment *entirely* by hand, but based on my early experiences with machine sewing I predict that your first few items won't be very wearable; they just won't fit very well. I recommend starting with less critical things like bags.

As for hand sewing a t-shirt, I'm not sure it would work. Most people overlock Ts with stretch thread so that the seams and stretch and move with the material. To be honest, unless you're making a really unusually designed t-shirt (pic related) then you aren't saving any money at all by making your own.

Do you have any guides or tutorials for making jeans' legs shorter but keeping the original hem so it doesn't look like you got them off a person who had their feet cut off?

My jeans are pretty much hand-me-downs that fit well around the waist, but are a bit long. I need to take a good 3-4 inches off the bottom.

Thanks for any help!

I have a little mini sewing kit with 6 needle things along with 6 color threads (white, green, pink, blue, red, black) already looped through the circle of each one, plus two buttons and that pin thing, I don't remember the name, the thing you can close diapers with, baby pin? idk.

I also have absolutely no idea how to sew or anything.

Can I fix holes in tshirts with this? And how? Just small holes, the biggest less than the size of a penny. My puppy made a lot of small holes in my tshirts by jumping up and grabbing on.

>>19593
Hemstitch sewing machines aren't that much more expensive.

>>19593

Google "tricky hem" or listen up: Just cut off the hem, leaving some fabric above it for seam allowance, then cut off the rest of the excess fabric. Instead of sewing a new hem just sew the old hem on with a standard seam.

>>19609

You can darn the holes shut, which involves placing a piece of fabric behind the hole and sewing thread through it, but this style of repair is really meant for woven fabrics. The only way to properly repair a knitted fabric like a t-shirt is to take it to a reweaver, but you don't even want me to tell you how expensive that is. You're best off just buying new tshirts.

My friend wants to start designing and making clothes and costumes. What can I do to support her?

>intellectual property
>intellectual property
>intellectual property
>intellectual property
>intellectual property
>intellectual property
get the fuck out.

>>19639

Give her honest and constructive criticism but remember to differentiate between matters of taste and objective fact; if it fits like crap, tell her so, but if you just don't like the way it fits then don't tell her that it's bad, tell her that it's not to your taste. The same goes for the design, fabric choice, etc.

Buy her work if you really like it. Don't treat her like a cheap way to get fashionable clothing - some of my friends tried this when they learned I was studying fashion design - but rather as a friend whose craft you respect enough to support and to wear.

>>19656

No.

>>19629
Seriously? They're pretty small holes. Can't I just kind of stitch them together?

So...how do I sew?

>>19629
How can I make that mask for a halloween costume and is that whole ensemble some kind of genre in fashion or what?

>>19692

Yes. I said you could sew them together. They probably won't be noticeable either. I'm just saying, the proper way to repair them is so expensive that you're better off buying new ones.

>>19696

You puncture fabric with a threaded needle.

>>19703

If I was going to make that mask I'd sew together strips of gauze and attach a handband with horns. Alternatively you could make a hood out of a piece of gauze fabric and attach a headband with horns. The piece is part of an art installation that utilizes fashion, photography, and craft.

http://the8thday.tumblr.com/

>>19679
>>19726

fuckin' tripcodes

I'm pretty handy with a sewing machine (button-downs, darting, etc.) but my final goal would be to make my own suit from scratch.

Alas, it is fucking impossible to find any resources for learning how to make a suit. Suggestions? Where do the fucking Seville Row ateliers learn their shit?

>>19951

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com/
There's also books available, but I can't recommend any because I learned from other people.

Most tailors apprentice to other tailors.

How would one go about constructing a sort of coat? Image very much related, since I'm a cosplayer.

Also, while I do have a sewing machine, might you recommend a good sewing machine for an average user (cosplayer, some repair - not professional or anything) that's reasonably-priced?

>>20007
It also looks like that whole cloak is...part of the coat?

>>20007

I can't sit here and tell you how to construct a coat from start to finish because there just isn't enough time left in the day. But I can tell you that the easiest way to make a coat that looks like that is to start with a reasonably similar coat pattern from Burda, Simplicity, or another major pattern company and add whatever elements are missing. That's exactly what it sounds like; you try to construct the coat differently until you have one that fits well and looks like that. I recommend buying a lot of $1 muslin for test fitting.

Another method would be to find a similar coat at a thrift store and deconstruct it for a pattern or alter it to fit and look the same if it's close enough to your size.

As for a sewing machine, they're all pretty good. I use a lower-end Husqvarna or the industrial Juki machines at school. My advice is to do a little research and ensure that the internal mechanisms of your machine are made from metal and not plastic. That and regular oiling will make a machine last almost indefinitely without the need for servicing.

>>20037
Thanks, though my question about the coat was more regarding the sort of material one would use for it (thus far, I've just used more normal fabrics and don't know where to even get whatever I'd use for it) and how working with the material would differ from working with more 'normal' fabrics. And trust me, I've got enough muslin.

>>20071

Well, there's no way to tell what material it's made out of because it's a drawing. But most coats are made out of somewhat heavyweight flannel or twill. These are both extremely normal fabrics and don't really require any special work.

Normally a coat would include linings and interfacings, which increases the complexity of the garment dramatically, but since this is for cosplay it's up to you to decide if this is necessary.

Not only do I keep forgetting my trip, I keep forgetting to post fashion stuff.

There. That's better.

>>20185
Since you don't have the time to post a detailed walkthrough that the moment. Perhaps next time you do you could do a simple walkthrough for something like a hat or purse or I don't know something useful.

>>20185
>>20181
>>20177
please forget your trip and stop posting fashion stuff. just tell use how to do it ourselves.

/diy/, you know.
don't be posting pictures of shit you can't or won't tell us how to make or talk about making.

/fa/ is that way ------------>

>>20190

Well, let me put it this way: To make a proper coat takes an entire day of dedicated work, if not more. If you're a raw beginner then you're probably going to take all month and up with an unwearable garment.

>>20227

I can tell you how to make everything I've posted. I don't want to make a detailed guide for coats because it's going to be different for every coat depending on what sort of details you want to add to your coat; piped pockets, flap pockets, patch pockets, peak lapels, pick-stitched lapels, shawl collar...

Furthermore, making a tailored greatcoat just isn't the sort of project that's meant for someone that doesn't have a clue about making clothing in the first place. This thread is more for answering specific questions - how to properly set sleeves, how to properly finish a seam, etc.

The final issue is that it would simply take too long to ensure that my guide was complete, and did not misplace or omit any steps. By the time I was finished the thread would be long gone.

the other purpose of these images is to generate inspiration and discussion, and they've already successfully done so.

I'm a student who works as a stitcher in our fashion design program. that is, I do the legwork for the upper-level design students. that's right, they don't actually sew most of the shit here after a certain level of classes. no. I do. I do that shit and then I get to hear about how easy my life as a pre-med/neurobiology student is, after all, nowhere near as demanding as FASSS-SHUN.

i hate my life.

>>20279
Then make a blog. As appreciated as your opinion is. We want something we can DO. Not sit here on our asses going oh that's pretty boy I wish someone could help me.

>>20007

I have a low-end Brother machine that works well- don't be fooled into anything too gimmicky (tiny machines, character machines)-- just look into a basic Brother. At work I use both Berninas and Jukis, and the Jukis are very cool, but expensive. My first machine was a Singer-- but it broke easily. Look for something with a drop-in bobbin case, it's the easiest for beginners.

As far as the coat material, where are you wearing it? indoors, outdoors, to a con in the summer or the winter, when? I'd almost say a mid-weight wool for it, given cape drape and seaming. You're on your own for a pattern though, get something similar at a sewing shop and have at it, you'll need a lot of modification for that one.

also obivously try /cgl/

>>20296

Feh. I went into fashion design first because I wanted clothing that no one is making, and second because I love craft. You can feel free to tell them that other fashion design students think they're gits.

Especially since, in order to design truly original and creative garments you really should work directly on them; even professional designers with big workshops do a lot of things themselves.

>>20310

You're really underestimating the complexity of producing a coat. Just to demonstrate what a tall order that is, I'll do a complete guide on sewing a simple t-shirt. This guide assumes that you are finishing the collar with rib knit and that you have a serger.

First, iron your jersey fabric to remove any creases. Jersey has a "face"; that is, a definitive front and back, so it's necessary to identify the face and place your pattern appropriately. Some rib knits have a face and some do not; examine your rib knit to determine whether both sides are identical or non-identical and place the pattern for the collar appropriately. Whether you're pinning or tracing your pattern pieces to your fabric it's important when working with any knit to ensure that you are not accidentally distorting or stretching the fabric; you may find it necessary to attach interfacing.

With your pieces cut your first step is to place the RIGHT SIDE of the front and back torso together. Sew the shoulder seams and side seams, then press each seam completely flat.

Take your collar piece and fold it in half, making sure to put the RIGHT SIDE together if your rib knit has a face. Sew the collar into a loop and press the seam flat. Since the collar is not the same size as the neck hole - it's not supposed to be - it's necessary to divide the collar into precise quarters. This is done by holding the loop together at the seam and placing a pin into the seam and into the loop opposite the seam.

I'm out of characters and we still don't have a wearable garment.

see, now THAT we can maybe use.

just facewhoring your trip and some random pictures is not fit for /diy/>>20416

>>20416
We had a guy describe in detail how to not only construct a makeshift forge and anvil but also create some simple knives as well as melting down iron sand and forming it into an ax head. I'm not the same guy who asked about the coat. I'm not saying make a coat. That's why in my original post I suggested something far simpler. I learned how to program myself I didn't start off making huge programs I made calculators. I'm just starting to learn sewing and clothworking I don't need to make a coat. Just give us some direction here jesus fuck.

OP what do you think about button up shirts with graphics on them?

Nigger related.

Also you should revolutionize the fashion world with collarless button ups ala Clockwork Orange.

>>20356

Good work on cracking my trip.

>>20416

Divide the remainder of the loop in half and mark them with pins. The pins are only to mark the quarters of the loop, it is not necessary to use them to attach the collar to the torso unless you feel it necessary to do so.

Your neckline will be notched, corresponding to each pin on your collar. Place RIGHT SIDES together and begin to serge the seam; note that due to the nature of an overlock sewing machine it's necessary to begin sewing at the edge of the fabric and move inwards, akin to a car entering a race track. Align each pin with each notch, stretching the collar to fit, and sew all the way around the collar until you reach the beginning of your seam. Again, sew off of the seam in the manner of a car exiting a race track. Press the collar seam flat.

To hem your shirt, first press the hem into place. If your serger can do a coverstitch you can hem your t-shirt in this manner simply by sewing all the way around the hem, taking care to ensure that the side seams align properly. If your serger does not coverstitch, you have three options: serge the raw edge, turn up and press the fabric once, and sew in place with a straight stitch machine OR press the raw edge under the hem and sew as you would hem a woven shirt. The final option is to merely serge the hem; most consider this a raw edge unfit to wear without an overshirt. As always, press the seam flat.

To prepare your sleeves, begin by crimping each sleeve with a straight stitch machine. Beginning at one notch, sew a basting stitch to the other notch with your thumb pressed firmly against the back of the presser foot. The fabric will bunch at your thumb, which is exactly what you want it to do. ensure that this basting stitch is inside of the seam allowance so that it will not show or leave needle holes on the finished garment. Do NOT press. Sew the sleeve together and hem in the same manner that you hemmed the shirt.

Out of characters again.

>>19593
I'm not OP, but I did something similar with my jeans. I got thread to match the color used for the original hem, and used it to sew the new hem. You could only tell the difference if you looked closely...and who looks closely at your ankles?

>>20480

Align the appropriate notches in your sleeve with the notches in the armscythe. Pin the sleeve to the armscythe at the notches and, if the sleeve's seam matches the side seams, you may pin them here as well. Going back to your overlock machine, serge each sleeve all the way around. Press the seam flat. Remove the crimping stitches, if they are still present, as well as any excess thread that you did not remove.

Also, I neglected to mention pressing the sleeve seam and hem.

There. Now you have a t-shirt.

>>20444

Then ask me!

>>20455

Collarless button ups are readily available.

>>20494

The tricky hem is mostly intended for jeans or other faded pants; if you re-hem a beat up pair of jeans with a fresh, clean hem, it's actually very obvious and strange looking.

>>20497
The trick with most of the people I've seen on /diy/ is that we're interested but not necessarily sure where to take our passion and often don't simply start out experimenting. Give us a guide on something we can do and it usually picks up from there. My first program was some shitty insert first number insert second number sum is this program that I got by watching a youtube tutorial.

Seams:

First, the standard seam; place two fabrics with the RIGHT SIDES (the front) together, and simply sew to any of the seam allowances marked on your machine. Press the seam flat and press each side of the seam outwards, away from the seam itself.

There's several methods to finish a seam. The fastest is to use an overlock machine and serge them, but you may not have this available to you if you don't own an overlock machine.

Using a traditional straight stitch machine, there's three major ways to finish it. The first is to simply press both sides of the seam to one side and sew them down. This is called a "welted" seam. You may note that this still leaves raw edges exposed; it's generally use on thick fabrics that don't fray, and the seam itself will prevent most excess fraying. However, it's not suitable for fabrics that are very susceptible to fraying; in this case we would serge or otherwise finish the seam before using the welted seam.

The second is the flat felled seam. After sewing your first seam, trim one side of the seam allowance down and press it onto the untrimmed seam allowance. Then press the untrimmed seam allowance down once, sewing it in place, and press it down again, sewing it in place once more. This is an extremely strong seam used on almost all heavyweight fabrics like denim; however, due to the bulky nature, it may not be suitable for excessively thick fabrics. These would call for a form of a welted seam. Note that it's also possible to skip the middle seam, sewing instead only the initial seam and the final seam. However, this is a little trickier since you have to firmly press or pin the fabric in place.

The final method is the French seam. Instead of placing RIGHT SIDES together, begin by placing WRONG SIDES together and sewing a seam. Press it flat. Now flip the garment so that RIGHT SIDES are together, and sew once more. This is used most often on sheer fabrics, where the seams will be visible from the outside.

>>20599

Some commentary that did not fit in the post:

On a fully lined garment, finishing the seams may not be necessary; the lining will protect the seam from fraying.

I use the latter method of the felled seam. Saves time, and two seams are nearly as strong as three...

The French seam is probably my most used, because it's very simple and suitable for a large number of garments. Sometimes I combine it with welting to do a sort of lazy man's flat felled seam; however, this isn't suitable for bulkier fabrics.

Lastly, the somewhat less common method of finishing a seam: using bias tape or making bias strips, simply sew the tape over the unfinished edges.

>>19656
It's even funnier because though you can copyright a print, you can't copyright a garment itself

His patterns might be IP, but we could take something he made and make as many duplicates as we wanted as long as the design wasn't fully separable from the functionality of the garment.

In other words: "baaaw, original design, do not steal"

this thread has made me remember that 4chan is a site mostly filled with underage b& and weeaboos. i'm sorry that your advice and knowledge falls on deaf ears.

I'm getting into sewing, this is actually relevant to my interests. I don't post much because I have little useful insight to offer, but just so you know, your contribution is much appreciated.

>>21990
Same here. I have a sewing machine but it's a more recent model and I'm not used to it, so I haven't tried anything with it. I'd like to get back into sewing, I made a ton of stuff in middle school when I was in a sewing club.

Quick bump before breakfast.

>>20869
>>21990
>>21997

I appreciate your support.

Tell me about draping. I've been sewing for ~5 years or so, mostly from patterns. Shirts, pants, coats, dresses, etc. (mostly for cosplay). Never tried draping, and I don't get how it works. From watching Project Runway, draping seems to be 1. Tape lines on a dressform 2. Pin fabric to dressform along the tape lines. 3. Sew?
But I don't get how to know where to cut the fabric for proper seam allowances, or how to machine sew what seems to be an all-handsewing arrangement of fabric.

>>22927
When you drape you're creating the pattern, not the garment. So once you have all the pieces up on the dress form you mark where they'll connect, unpin it, cut off the excess, then put it on your actual fabric and add seam allowance while cutting/marking.

Hey OP, there is a dress that I want to understand how to make. Pictures from all angles are here: http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2011/09/a-diy-wedding-at-a-youth-hostel-antonia-stuart/
and the article states that it is DIY. I know there is a "base" for the overlaying fabric, but that's all I can discern with my limited knowledge of garments.

It would help more someone posting cool patterns instead of durr "intellectual property".

Hey OP. I sew a lot of jersey/quick to fray cotton/whatever, but I can't afford an overlock. I've been using a zig-zag stitch as a stand in, but it pulls, and tends to look quite bulky. Is there any better tips you can give me to stop the fray?

Where is your favorite place to get patterns and/or fabrics?

I hand sew, sadly, everything. I've made pleated skirts and simple dresses, none in stretchy fabrics. I'm the type where I have a key piece that makes an outfit, not a whole head to toe ensemble. My hair color is a copper and I have actual porcelain skin (but not a ginger, I dyed my hair this color) as a result most any colors look great with my skin but not my hair. As a result of this, it's hard to find what I'd need in Louisville, Ky. Not exactly a fashion or design capital.

>>23570
seriously? warm cream colours and olive green.
I'm in the same boat.
Also, I shop at fabricland. I find there's a huge difference between stores as far as selection/price goes.

>>23570

I'm in a similar boat fabric-wise. Usually I just resort to shopping in thrift stores and de-constructing. It's cheaper then buying new, and I prefer re-formed garments anyway.

>>23570
Heyyyy! I'm from Bowling Green. How are you, fellow Kentuckian?

How likely is it that a person with a very limited knowledge of sewing could make a Plague Doctor costume from scratch by this weekend? Everything that isn't the robe and mask I could thrift or already have. I need to make a mask and an ankle length black robe. How would you go about making the mask? What tips would you offer for somebody trying to make a robe like the one in the picture? I have no problem finding patterns, tips and how you would make the mask are my biggest concerns.

>>23815

IMO, the robe, just drape a black bed sheet. Little to no sewing required. The mask, I'd shape it out of chicken wire, paper-mache, and paint. It'll be tight, but if you get your speed on, you could manage to pull it off.

>>23815

You are so original bro

Been asleep all day.

>>22927

The tape isn't vital, it's just used to establish style lines. It can also be used to hold pins instead of the form itself. Draping is essentially just patternmaking by way of fashioning the garment on a body or a form. It's done so that you can get a more 3 dimensional garment without getting stumped trying to figure out how to tilt something forwards or backwards in two dimensions on paper. I'll double check the ISBN of the draping textbook I learned from and get back to you.

>>23527

It's just a really thin, breezy, and draped fabric. It's twisted, it's shirred, there seems to be release tucks. I can't tell you exactly how to make it, but if you want to come up with something similar then you're going to be looking at buying a dress form and draping to it.

>>23541

Burda, Simplicity, etc. patterns aren't bad and are readily available at any sewing store.

>>23555

The BEST thing would be to get an overlock. They aren't cheap, but you won't regret it if you work with a lot of knits. For a straight stitch, all I can really say is to use stretch thread and a zigzag stitch. You might try using French seams to prevent runs in the raw edges.

>>23570

I live in LA and buy my fabrics in the Fashion District. As far as what would be available to you, http://www.moodfabrics.com/ has an exceptional selection and is priced okay.

>>23815

Best/fastest way to make the mask would be paper mache or styrofoam. The coat doesn't need to be very fitted, so here's what I recommend: divide the coat into front and back and cut them out of some black fabric. Your sleeves will be dolman style, which just means that they're the same piece of fabric as the torso instead of sewn from a seperate cut. Sew up the sides and the shoulders and fashion a seperate hood.

Okay, so my text books were actually right next to me.

First, the beginner's guide:
Fundamentals of Draping & Pattern Drafting by Moira Doyle & Jason Rodgers ISBN 0-9748206-4-4

The more advanced guide:
Draping: Art an Craftsmanship in Fashion Design by Annette Duburg and Rixt van der Tol
ISBN 978-90-89100-87-0

These books are pretty straight forward and have a lot of pictures of the process. You'll learn a lot by investing in them and you'll always have a resource to turn to instead of having to hunt down my threads on /diy/ and constantly re-asking me everything. Still, I can answer more focused questions you have about the specifics of draping.

Ive recently enrolled in a beginner's sewing class, and I'm quite enjoying it so far.

Outside of tailoring, what career paths are available involving sewing/fashion design?

>>26361

Fashion design itself can be split widely into "named" designers, like Christian Dior or Rick Owens who usually work under eponymous labels or for major houses producing wholly original designs, "stylist designers" who reinterpret classics, such as those who work for GAP or Express, and freelance designers who sell the ownership of their work to other labels to be produced.

People with majors in fashion design also frequently go into other fashion fields, such as celebrity styling, or technical things like textile design, costume design, etc.

Sewers can become seamsters, which runs the gamut from semi-legal Mexicans sewing American Apparel to the very talented seamsters working directly with designers to help them realize their collections. Some of them go into tailoring or dress making, or other permutations of the craft.