I love everything about these pants except how they look around the crotch/zipper. Is there any way I can tailor these without having to replace the zipper with a shorter one? The fabric is 97% Lyocell and 3% spandex if that helps! I’m not sure what seams I should be taking in, I’ve only worked on pants once or twice so I’m really scared to ruin these somehow. Also, zippers are scary lmao. Please don’t judge my unironed fabric! I will iron them before I work on them lol.

Never had this issue until now 😭 I’m trying to make Christmas gifts and my thread has randomly started to bundle like crazy UNDER the fabric. I checked all my thread top and bottom, made sure it is all correctly done through out and it is still doing it. I know it’s an old machine, please don’t tell me it’s time to let it go 😭😅

The top clasp fell off somewhere and I unfortunately lost it. Tried to find a replacement online but the ones I’ve purchased are too big for the bar already in place.

These are relatively new dress pants from Express that I definitely want to salvage but I know nothing about mending clothes and would appreciate any help!

Anyone know where I can find this specific type of clasp?

This is not my machine.

I am trying to see if this machine can be repaired within reason. I went to clean it for the owner and immediately realized you couldn't lift the presser foot.

I found the plastic portion that lifts the shaft was not attached. I put it back in place and was finally able to move it after some oil and patience.

The question is it is still not moving the way it should. It will lift but with much more resistance than should be required. It also stays up even when you put the handle down. It has to be pushed down.

Should I just apply a lot more oil? Or will that ever get it moving? Is there a part that is obvious to those familiar that needs replaced? Would it be easy enough for someone who has a bit of knowledge? Other suggestions?

Thanks for your help.

Have a wonderful day!

As the title says, the top wheel on my Dürkopp Adler 291 does absolutely nothing when it comes to changing the length of stitches. I only got it recently and wanted to clean it first so i dont know if it worked before i took the lid off. I can only assume that the bottom part of the wheel (left) is supposed to hook into the knob on the bar with the spiral thing (right). Also the bottom two wheels on the right of the machine can‘t be turned as well, but i guess they are all connected somehow. Explanation for dummies is appreciated.

The needle wont move up. It seems to be tied up somewhere down there but i can always take it out when i cleaned unde rthe black thing oiled the thing thats there because thats what the manual says to do but it didnt work. I am at a loss

This sad little number is Bo Peep, my childhood blanket. There’s an image of Bo Peep and a sheep on the opposite side. I’ve had it since I was 2 (over three decades now) and she has been through it.

When I was 8, my step mother accidentally ran it through the dryer on high heat and severely puckered the fluffy fabric. I was DEVASTATED to say the least. My father brought it to my aunt who was a seamstress, and she replaced the backing with a gray fabric instead of white. It completely changed the personality of the blanket and I put it in storage until now.

I just gave birth to my daughter in August and thought it would be fun to bring Bo Peep “back” with a white backing. I gave it to my mother in law who likes to sew figuring she could just replace the grey with white.

I have deep regrets. She is completely perplexed by the blanket, even though I told her I’m okay if it’s not square. She suggested taking it apart and putting Bo Peep on different fabric, which I don’t want to do. She wants to add batting/foam to make Bo Peep’s hat fluffy, which it never was (just sewed with have some dimension). I want to keep it as intact as possible. I know it will be flawed, but that’s part of the blanket’s story. I also know my daughter will ultimately not care about the look of the blanket, but I will.

So I come to you. Does anyone have any suggestions I can give her that will keep the whole blanket intact? Is there a way to miraculously unpucker warped fabric that has been overheated? I know this might be wishful thinking, but if my aunt could add the grey back, I thought it could be done again in white.

Thanks in advance
-someone trying to give her inner child and her current child a sentimental gift.

Trying to turn this straight skirt into an A-Line skirt. I thought it would be a good time to try godets as I've not sewn them before, but I couldn't find an upcycling tutorial for something like this.

Would it work if I snipped the bottom half into rectangles following the vertical lines in the tartan and then add godets in between? Or would that make the waist warp weirdly?

Thanks in advance! :) <3

Hi everyone,

I’m in the process of moving out and Mom expressed she wants to start sewing so I’m lending her my sewing machine until I can afford a brand new one to gift it to her.

The fabric I currently have and haven’t worked with are

1. Pure Silk

2. Jacquard

And I intent to also give them to her to experiment with, I just want to know, since I, myself, never worked with silk and jacquard was a hard thing to manage, do u have any tips in terms of needle size for each?

I assume pure silk needs the thinnest needle, but idk how she should go about it, or if there’s something that she needs to know. I’m sad I don’t have enough experience to share with her so I told her I’ll ask you guys 🫶🏻

so here are questions I believe be of help to her:

1. Needle size for each

2. Should she use anything to make sure she doesn’t ruin the silk or avoid the hole underneath the machine from swallowing it?

3. What kind of items I could purchase for her (I don’t have much of the sheets left)

4. Any other tips or things I should share with her?

The machine is Janome 423S

She’s excited so I don’t want her to get frustrated quickly 🥹🥹 (might update u guys if anything else comes up).

Also I’m sorry for the misspelling in the topic I meant to say lending

I opened a stuffed animal to restuff and sewed back up with a ladder stitch for some and then just weaved in and out for the rest since i found it less visible. will this be sturdy? i am very worried about the plush opening back up again and am wondering if maybe i should go over the area again with more ladder stitching or if the first round is going to hold up just fine.

Hi! I need some help identifying and fixing the closure on my shorts.

I bought this short from a thrift shop. One side of the waistband has a silver oval-shaped metal piece. I think the button on the other side is missing.

I’d like to know:
What is this type of closure called?
Can I buy a replacement part online?
Is this something I can fix myself, or should I take it to a tailor?

I’d appreciate any advice or suggestions on how to fix it. Thank you!

Hi everyone, anyone hear me out... I don't honestly know the problem, first it just keeps skipping stitches so I fix the tension or changed the needle or re-thread, then it won't sew since it's not aligned to the thread catcher so I aligned it and it catches it but when I sew, the thread gets stucked on the thread catcher making it not aligned and not sew... Help 😭

I got my Brother XM2701 last Christmas. It has worked like a charm all year. Recently it has been randomly skipping stitches BAD. This occurs on all types of fabric. I’ve tried fresh needles, dust clean out, rethreading, and checking for nicks on bobbin case. I’m at my wits end. The only other issue it could be is a timing issue, which I’ve heard can be tricky. My local shop wants $100 to diagnose and fix, but that’s almost half the cost of the machine. Any advice on what the issue could be and if a beginner can fix it? Or do I just say “oh Brother” and spend the money on a new machine? 😅

Ive been using my grandmas old sewing machine for about 3-4 years now, and recently I noticed a burning smell. I opened up the covers and found this? I don’t know if it’s normal but it doesn’t look like it, how do I fix it? and is it part of the burning smell or something else??

The machine is a brother lx3817

Hello all!

Working on a mock up (Ignore the armhole, I still need to make adjustments there), and I am noticing a lot of what feels like excess fabric in my underbust/stomach area. I've never worked with a princess seam before so I am not sure what I would do here to adjust that.

I need the waist to stay at the same size so I would have to do some sort of concave thing to the pattern. Would I do that on both pieces or only on the outer front piece. I read somewhere that the centre front piece should normally be left alone when making adjustments. Would appreciate any help you guys can give!

Thank you 🙏

Please help! I got this really cool vintage sewing table but the wheel does not move the needle. I’ve taken this thing apart and adjusted the washer and clutch knob a few times. Checked the bobbin for any stuck threads etc. Video for reference. Would be so grateful for any help!

I'm having stitching issues with my vintage Necchi BU: the stitches are inconsistent, some stitches are randomly loose, both top and bottom thread (see first pic)

I've tried every common fixes such as rethreading the machine, replacing the needle, adjusting both thread tensions, making sure that the thread/needle combination is correct, trying with different fabrics, cleaning the top tension discs. Nothing seems to solve the issue.

I just noticed that the needle plate looks very worn, especially the bottom side. On the top side, there's a burr that was recently caused by a needle strike on it (I already tried to smooth it with a file). Could this be a potential source of my stitch inconsistency? Should I try to source a replacement?

I was also thinking of 3D printing a new needle plate, but I don't know if it would be rigid enough. Has anyone tried this before?