Anyone here into making clothing..tailoring/sewing?

[sneha1965]

This could have been yours!

REX 11-155R Industrial Sewing Machine

You could have sewn all the corpses I mean leather jackets you wanted.

[bolophonic]

Originally Posted by sneha1965

This could have been yours!

REX 11-155R Industrial Sewing Machine

You could have sewn all the corpses I mean leather jackets you wanted.

Wow, that is a nice machine!

[sneha1965]

Thanks! It ended up going for $300.

[KCLRbass]

My girlfriend is an extremely rad seamstress. She just picked up an old Viking machine on Craigslist for $50 and spent another $50 to get it tuned and it's frickin awesome. Powerful, quiet, and two tone mint green. +1 for vintage machines.

[rosanne]

This thread has made me think about sewing again. And it's the rainy season, so the right time for it.

[Lady Kayri]

Also should add, with most fabrics you need to wash it BEFORE you cut it. Even stuff that says pre-shrunk. Nothing worse than making up a shirt and have it turning out great, then the first time you wash it, it goes wacko with stuff shrinking in weird directions. Stuff like wool, velvets, etc that have to be dry cleaned is obviously an exception.

[Tat2dHeart]

Originally Posted by Lady Kayri

Also should add, with most fabrics you need to wash it BEFORE you cut it. Even stuff that says pre-shrunk. Nothing worse than making up a shirt and have it turning out great, then the first time you wash it, it goes wacko with stuff shrinking in weird directions. Stuff like wool, velvets, etc that have to be dry cleaned is obviously an exception.

Very good point!!!

[Unprofessional]

Relic,
I've got a good bit of experience with historical reproduction clothing. You're doing it right; you have to learn by doing and making mistakes.
IMO, a waistcoat is an excellent place to start. Remember though, colonial era clothing was tailored to fit the individual. The pattern is merely a starting point for a fitting "linen". Cut the pattern out of some cheap cotton, press the seams out and check the fit. Take in, let out, add to, etc. the "linen". It is a mistake to cut expensive reproduction type cloth straight from the pattern. Pattern sizing in this particular form of madness is all over the place! Make allowances for material thickness differences and lining if any. Start out using about 1/2 inch or even 3/4 inch seam allowances. As you get better, you can cut down on your seam allowances. Real 18th century tailors (both professional and amateur) used really small seam allowances because the material was high cost and labor was relatively cheap.
Don't totally discount the idea of doing something 100% handsewn.

[Unprofessional]

Originally Posted by Lady Kayri

Also should add, with most fabrics you need to wash it BEFORE you cut it. Even stuff that says pre-shrunk. Nothing worse than making up a shirt and have it turning out great, then the first time you wash it, it goes wacko with stuff shrinking in weird directions. Stuff like wool, velvets, etc that have to be dry cleaned is obviously an exception.

I couldn't agree more except that even wools and velvets can be "set" if you do it carefully. There doesn't have to be soap involved. Do not believe anyone's claim that their material does not have to be "set". I set everything before I make the first cut even including the cheap cotton I tend to use to make "fitting linens".

[Relic]

Lots of good advice here, thanks everyone!
The first thing I've tried to make was out of a thick coarse wool so I did not wash it to be honest. I cut the pattern out, fit it inside out on my oldest son who's about the same size as me, pinning it along the seam lines so it was tapered and form-fitted to him. I had him carefully take it off (obviously!), then I hand-sewed along the seam lines where it was pinned, kinda carefully removing the pins as I went. The end result....meh... not horrific. Certainly not professional looking but yeah, it looks and fits like a waistcoat. The biggest issue for me was the "clumsy" way it felt to be holding the thing a certain way while trying to sew at a correct angle, while trying to make each stitch relatively the same size...I felt like two arms just ain't enough!

[Unprofessional]

Originally Posted by Relic

... The first thing I've tried to make was out of a thick coarse wool so I did not wash it to be honest. ...

You might have problems the first time it gets wet with sweat or you get rained on. You don't really have to "wash" the wool in the conventional sense but everyone has their own opinions on this subject. Some use Woolite; some use other soaps. Lately, I've been just "setting" the wool by submerging it in clean hot water in a washtub or large bucket. You should be careful to make sure all of the fabric gets evenly soaked and to work out as many air pockets as you can. Don't put it in there folded. You may have to weight the fabric down in the water with something. Walk off and leave it for a while.
When you remove the soaked fabric, handle it carefully so as to not stretch it in any particular way. Do not "wring" it out under any circumstances. You can dry it indoors by rolling it up into well broken-in towels that aren't going to bleed any dye. Outside clothes line is optimal IMO for drying but don't pin it tightly on the line; allow some loose fabric between pins for shrinkage. Allow the shortest dimension of the fabric to hang to minimize stretch due to water weight. If you put it into a clothes dryer, it may fuzz up on you.
As far as body position while hand sewing, you'll just have to work that out for yourself. It will get easier with experience. Are you waxing your thread and using about 18 inch pieces at a time? These things will help. Abandon the idea that each seam is to be done with one piece of thread. When you reach the end of your thread piece, put in a couple of back stitches, leave a thread tail and don't tie knots. Old school sewing books can still be found in the library that will show you all of the hand stitches including the hand button hole stitch.