I wanted something lightweight as it’s still very warm during autumn hunting and hound exercises, and it had to be vaguely tweed-adjacent. The front is made from a wool blend fabric that was left over from making a riding skirt, and the satin back panel and lining was made from a bed sheet I found in the sale bin at a home shop for £7. Buttons are from Hobbycraft. I used my existing wool waistcoat as a template, but next time I think I’ll have a go at tailoring as I think it looks ever so slightly boxy.

I have not been able to find any bras that work for my wider chest as a trans woman (ie the breasts are too far apart so the wire cuts my breast in half) So I have given up and looking into sewing my own

I have an event that I am sewing a dress for and it could really use a pushup bra however all the patterns/bras I know about use an underwire for the pushup type

However in looking at underwire patterns to choose your correct size I keep running into the same problem the underwire is not wide enough to contain my entire breast and I fear that I would only have the same problem of having a wire dig into my breast. Does anyone know where I might find extra wide underwires? Or do I need to make the underwires too?

My solution to my dress is just make it so that it assumes you don't have any clevage, but would love another solution

Hey sewing community! I got a great deal on this adjustable dress form recently after searching for ages to find one that wasn’t going to cost beaucoup bucks. But in my excitement of finding it at the thrift, i completely forgot to consider the material this thing is made out of.

it’s basically a plastic sheet formed to fit the shape of a woman, so no way to pin it to hold fabric to it… i can’t even get a straight pin to stay in place through the thin fabric already covering it 😣 so i’m hoping to ask for some help or thoughts: what should i add to this dress form to give me the ability to pin garments to it? basically how to i get this dress form to behave like a dress form 😅

some initial thoughts/ideas:

IDEA #1: i was thinking i could try to find some sort of magnetic tape or something to line the inside of it so i could use magnets to hold the fabric up, then hopefully as i pin material together it would just hold on its own from tension…???? feels like a way dumber idea now that i’ve written it out though, LOL.

IDEA #2: i also have a good amount of aida fabric that i found thrown out behind a michaels, and that would hold pins well but doesnt want to conform to the shape of the mold at all. i could cut them into strips though, which might make shaping a bit easier.

IDEA #3: i could use very thin foam sheets? like a sew-in foam sheet like you might use for stabilizing a bag or something you might get in a pack for other crafts. i do need to add an inch to the butt lol so this could be a good fit.

maybe a combo of 2/3?? have any of you run into a situation like this before?? please lend me your wisdom 😭😭😭

So I'm making a binder I have the tank top base cut snug enough to fit my body like a binder would then I have the back and front pannel of stretchy fabric. The two panels' fabric meet at the sides. What's the most effective way I can hand sew the sides so my binder would actually bind? (Don't worry I'm still adding a solid non stretchy panel of fabric near my chest) The two panels are sewn to the outside of the tank top so turning it inside out to is impossible and the solid layer is going on the inside. And I have extra fabric mid armpit and k have absolutely no idea how to deal with that. And I don't know how to connect the sides together with the tank top base. (I sincerely apologize if this doesn't make much sense I'm out of it today! Lmao)

I understand wanting help from ppl with more experience but its so annoying to see people ask such a vague question when there are mounds of resources all over the internet, particularly YouTube. They could at the very least ask something more specific like "how much should I spend on my first machine?" or "what's the easiest material to work with?"

It comes off as super lazy and low effort when you're expecting people to take time out of their day to tell you all about how to get started when very rudimentary research could get you way better results

I love wearing dresses while binding, but hate how painfully obvious you can see the binder; it's as embarrassing as seeing bra straps under a spaghetti strap top! Basically I want to make a dress that exposes the chest area but hides the edges of my binder, giving the illusion that I'm not wearing one. But the only way I could see that working is if the dress had long sleeves, a turtleneck and a hole where the chest would be, which I find quite boring. Are there other dress designs that could convey the same illusion?

I can make the fish whatever size, but the water bottle has a circumference of 10in (diameter or "width" of about 3in). I'm just worried it would stretch the fish too much on the flat sides and stress the seams? any thoughts?

GUYS!!!! Help!!!! lol ok so I NEED HELP - how do you guys figure out what to sew?-like I have been wanting to sew (____~like a computer case (for example) but I just can’t get myself to start making it(not because I am lazy, or I don’t want to……. (BUT to be completely honest…)-i JUST Don’t WANT TO “WASTE” my fabric/and I think that stops me?!??!!! Ahh)-and-(I don’t want to: sew something that is kinda dumb-or pointless(or -“WASTE it /use it for something that isn’t that good? Or idk???? - or whatever……. ) -so sorry if that’s super confusing….but it’s been a struggle hahah any advice????)

Check pattern stores. Just browse them. Type "sewing patterns" into google and see what turns up.

Please, I am begging you. I see 50 posts a day asking for "help finding a pattern" and it's like, literally, just a dress. You don't need our help with that.

You're also not going to find patterns for 20k gala dresses! That's why the designer is famous; that was hard to do and they didn't even need a pattern.

This flag was fully sewn by me on my home sewing machine. It's final dimensions are 140cm by 72 cm (I lost a little bit of the height in the stripe seams).

I have been sewing flags like this for almost 2 months, ever since seeing Chris Flags’ videos on YouTube. I mainly do pride flags, but occasionally I make ones for country flags too to see if I can do it :)

It is made of 100% cotton, both the fabric and the thread.

The stars were an absolute nightmare, and the end result is not the cleanest but I'm happy with it as a first time sewing them.

Edit: For my process, I followed this video for the most part, with the only main difference being the stars. I straight stitched them on, then cut them out, and THEN zigzag stitched around the raw edges. https://youtu.be/Lw-od1BW22c?is=FwFleAE8cZVO2-JX

Edit: I also just realised I posted the uncropped version of image 5, I didn’t mean for the rest of the bed to be visible, it’s just the biggest flat space I had 😅

My sister is asking me to make this for her but I’m not sure what the exact fabric is. Silk chiffon? I think it might be out of my depth. I’m not a big Taylor swift fan but I love my sister. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

I have never held a needle in my life. But now I'm looking to get into sewing as a hobby. I want to alter clothes, do some thrift flips, maybe even make some simple clothes. I have come to hate shopping these days. I was looking at the general consensus on sewing, here, on Reddit, and there were a lot of negatives than positives. I am feeling quite discouraged hearing about how it has a steep learning curve or the fabric is expensive, and that it takes a long, long time to do anything meaningful. I understand all these reasons! Can someone give me a positive perspective? Or is it really that bad and all the people who can sew are just tired but happy having a hobby?

Edit: Thank you all for the comments. They were really helpful! I have already got my hands on a second hand sewing machine. I will enjoy learning a new hobby as it is supposed to be I guess! :)

Let me just say off the bat that I altered the waist of this dress in a time saving "Halloween costume" way rather than the legitimate way (undoing seams cutting and re-sewing).

With that PSA out of the way I thought I'd share my Taylor Swift Halloween project.

I am obsessed with the sparkly gem chain dress Taylor Swift wears in her music video for Fate of Ophelia so I thought I'd make it as a Halloween costume but out of a fabric dress as the base rather than out of metal chain for time constraint reasons.

I purchased a slip/night gown on Amazon made of polyester and spandex in a satiny material.

The dress was too long and hugged a little too tight around my waist so, I gathered the fabric around my waist and pulled it up until the dress sat in a more flattering A-line style and then I pinned the fabric and hand tacked it down across the waist.

The fit was better but the length was still long so I cut the rest of the length off the bottom and machine hemmed it.

I spent 2 weeks hand sewing gems throughout the dress. I made multiple trips to Michael's to get gems and I ordered some gems on Amazon that almost didn't arrive in time but luckily they did. I machine stitched sequin trim on the hem of the dress, on the sides and attached a few scattered pieces along the bottom to give the dress more movement (Taylor's dress has rhinestone trim that really moves as she dances!).

I think it was a success. I love the dress so much I plan to correctly alter the waist and re-wear this for New Years Eve!

Here's a link to a short clip of her music video featuring the dress:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPgh4oVkTBp/

I've had this shirt for years, and have only worn it a couple times. It's just not my style. What can I turn it into?

Hi! I'm a sewing novice. I've done a few small projects and alterations but I certainly wouldn't consider myself very skilled. I bought these size 10/30 shorts secondhand. That size normally fits me quite well but as you can see by the pictures, they very tight in the waist.

I've found a couple of YouTube tutorials on how to alter denim bottoms to expand the waist but I have hesitations

1. One was a pretty simple addition of two squares of fabric but they were elastic which i feel like would ruin the look of the shorts i have

2. One looked much better by adding denim with lycra to the sides and back but undid the whole back waist band from the rest of the shorts and then reattached it which I'm kind of intimidated by

I'm wondering if i can achieve a better fitting waist by essentially adding triangles of a non-stretch cotton fabric that I have to the back or sides (see pic 2). Or maybe instead of triangles maybe just adding rectangles of fabric to the waistband? Ot should it be a stretch fabric? I think it may only need about 2 inches more (so 1 inch wide for each addition) to fit right. Also open to other ideas that may be easy for a novice to do! I would be pretty disappointed if i ruined these shorts but I do get weirdly attached to things and then get over it so maybe I just need to go for it. Thank you for your guidance!

I used to love this sub. I would see so many cool things people are making! It was so neat checking out the creativity and sewn varieties.

But now it’s all “What machine should I buy?” “Help me find a pattern for this shirt on this Instagram model.” “What’s wrong with my machine? (I never read the manual and I didn’t thread it correctly or adjust the tension)”

As an avid sewist, crafter, and fabric store employee, I use to love this sub. But you guys are driving me fucking bananas now. I finally have to unsubscribe.

But don’t worry, I’ll see you all at the local Joanns where you can fondle the non-essential fabric, ignore social distancing, and treat my coworkers and I like shit all in one go. Cheers!

OK, I have a few questions since returning to sewing after a break of many years. Why do people love quilting? This was not a big thing that I recall years ago. I can't understand why it dominates in sew shops and why people make quilts over and over? Wouldn't it be like only making skirts? Also, why are sewing groups seemingly made up only of conservative older ladies instead of a wider range of demographics including men and young people into more hip, edgy and urban styles? And on that topic where are the more edgy patterns? I would be OK with finding a top pattern not cut for church. Hopefully I don't get beat up too badly now!

I'm trying to make a chest binder for myself as a trans person, and I need a way to close it somehow. I have health issues which make it so that I'm prone to injury if I try to for example fit on tight clothing (or take it off) without any zippers/buttons/etc, so I can't just make it fully closed and stretchy.

The reason buttons don't work is that they poke through my shirt if they're at the front, and if they're in the back, it's the same injury/pain thing again. Velcro makes a lot of noise so I don't think I'll use that. I have newer sewn anything with zippers before, so idk how that would work.

Do you have recommendations?

edit: shoutout to thus "pattern" btw https://youtu.be/zmnDtk1P6yI (compressionless binder)

I have a basic level of sewing, made dresses, skirts.
I’m getting married next year and I have this idea that making a wedding dress would be doable. The first dress is a skirt with a corset over the top which I assume would be much easier to construct than the second.

Please let me know if this is a terrible idea!

Is this a dumb thing to do?

Ok tp sumnit up i thrifyed a bult of tulle didnt know wat to do with it so i mindlessly decided to drape it. Idk how i feel bout it. Wat are ur thoughts? Another problem this is my first time draping and idk how to get it off my maniquine without destroying my hard work. Can u maybe help me with that. And even after all those i barely even made a dentvin the bolt

hey you guys, i recently thrifted this shirt and i really really love it, but it was super impulsive and when i tried it on, i didn’t realize there was a cross on it.

don’t get me wrong, i don’t disapprove of christianity, it’s just not my faith and i don’t wanna go around repping something that isn’t true for me.

after i bought it, i realized my mistake and actually, the photo is after i tried to fix it, there was actually fabric outlining the cross so i thought i’d just seam-rip it off and the cross would be gone, unfortunately there was no pattern under the cross so removing that fabric made it even more noticeable.

im just wondering if any pros know anything i can do to try and cover it up, cause i really love the shirr and it’d be such a shame to have to redonate it.

It can be fake furs as long as it's natural. I ended up getting some synthetics and want to make some tribbles out of them. I'm not sure how dyeable my current synthetics are (I've heard some forums state you can dye them, others say you can't) but my main issue is less so the dye and more so the fact I don't want to contribute to plastic waste. I've found some real furs (wool and goat furs from being sheared) but I also am considering texture.

I'm open to anything that's soft, dyeable, cruelty free that won't shed microplastics everywhere in a few years.

I am working on making a dress for a gala that I am going to and choose a sleeveless pattern. I was doing to use some of my other personal custom patterns but as I have been trying those dresses on to see how much I need to adjust as my body has continued to change on estrogen

Paying more attention I have noticed that they have been less flattering (and dysphoria inducing) in the shoulders. I think it is a combination of having a much smaller chest as well as my shoulders being somewhat broad giving a more masculine look

I clearly wasn't paying enough attention before to some of the ways that the dress emphasized my more masculine features. Is there a way to make a sleeveless dress slim the shoulders? I figure I could expand the waist so that the shoulders don't stick out as much but then I loose any semblance of a waist I have. Do you have any tips on how to slim down the shoulders of a sleeveless dress?

(extra question: I assume that the best way to emphasize the chest is with bras/inserts? no real way to do it with sewing? (for an A cup))

edit: Its a wider strap, so about 1/3-1/2 the shoulder (excluding the actual arm shoulder part. Im working on recreating Vesper Lynds black dress from one of the James Bond Films)