Sew I started learning how to sew today

lee · Feb 18, 2016

rad said:
Sewing, really a lost art in our throw away society.

.

A long time ago my wife used to sew for a living and she used to make a lot of our clothes because back then it was hard to find clothes with long enough arm and legs for us.
She got where she stopped making garments for people because she was lucky if she made minimum wage. She could make a better wage on alterations.
Once in awhile she still does some work for friends, mostly alterations for bridesmaids or prom dresses.
I think the biggest project she ever did was my sister's wedding dress. She's 6'2" tall and could not find a ready made one.

Bud · Feb 18, 2016

My mother worked at a department store doing alterations. Try that at Macy's today!

She was still trying to sew at 92.

I'm only doing this because I'm too darn cheap to pay the prices that boat canvas people want for a bimini and dodger. I told Nancy that I could pay for the machine and have money left over with just those two projects.

akbeemer · Feb 18, 2016

I had a Cadet once who was 6'4", very athletic and a karate instructor; his first name was Claire. He worked his way through school making wedding dresses and making and selling a variety of bags for use in the outdoors (map cases, toiletry kits, duffle bags). I have often wished I could sew. Very often I have wanted somthing made that I could not find or an item altered but the price at a seamstress was too high. I admire your initiative, Bud... how long until you are taking in work, with a MOA discount, of course.

Bud · Feb 18, 2016

shortythorne said:
Looks pretty good to me! I HATE, HATE, HATE to sew. Can I send you all my stuff that needs to be sewn?

Sure thing! :wave

Bud · Feb 18, 2016

akbeemer said:
I had a Cadet once who was 6'4", very athletic and a karate instructor; his first name was Claire. He worked his way through school making wedding dresses and making and selling a variety of bags for use in the outdoors (map cases, toiletry kits, duffle bags). I have often wished I could sew. Very often I have wanted somthing made that I could not find or an item altered but the price at a seamstress was too high. I admire your initiative, Bud... how long until you are taking in work, with a MOA discount, of course.

Kevin,

I think it will be a while before I could sew well enough to charge people (even at a discounted rate).

Paul_F · Feb 18, 2016

Bud said:
Kevin,

I think it will be a while before I could sew well enough to charge people (even at a discounted rate).

Don't dismiss your ability so lightly Bud. I've seen you take my bike apart and then reassemble. You are quite the craftsman in your wood workshop and spend your summers navigating a sailboat when you are not touring new roads on your bikes. And now you are using a sewing machine, embarking with a new talent.

Bud, you are a man of many talents.

akbeemer · Feb 18, 2016

Bud said:
Kevin,

I think it will be a while before I could sew well enough to charge people (even at a discounted rate).

Ah ha!!!! Sew, free sewing.

Bud · Feb 18, 2016

Paul_F said:
Don't dismiss your ability so lightly Bud. I've seen you take my bike apart and then reassemble. You are quite the craftsman in your wood workshop and spend your summers navigating a sailboat when you are not touring new roads on your bikes. And now you are using a sewing machine, embarking with a new talent.

Bud, you are a man of many talents.

Paul,

Remember last spring when I took my RT apart so we could put the HES on your bike to get you back home?

Well, the RT looks just like it did when you left here.

I rode the Wee Strom, then the GS and Nancy thinks this is the perfect time to reassemble the RT and sell one bike! Imagine that.

Paul_F · Feb 18, 2016

Bud said:
Paul,

Remember last spring when I took my RT apart so we could put the HES on your bike to get you back home?

Well, the RT looks just like it did when you left here.

I rode the Wee Strom, then the GS and Nancy thinks this is the perfect time to reassemble the RT and sell one bike! Imagine that.

OK Bud, so you work better under pressure. You cannibalized your bike for the HES just to get me out of Illinois and home in time for the Ontario wedding. That's called motivation. :dance

With the V-Strom, and now the GS, there was no rush putting your RT back together. Nancy's just applying pressure so the RT will be ready as a backup ride for riding season. As I remember, she said that you should have two bikes. Nancy is just motivating you; not wanting you to sell it. I sure of it.

Omega Man · Apr 19, 2020

Anyone else taking this home time to do some sewing? I’m doing some hand sewing on a 12ga leather cartridge belt that the stitching has given up on. I don’t really use it but the leather is still in all but perfect shape. These belts are still available, currently selling at $105.00 sew it’s worth the effort and it’s still sewing repairs that I do pretty regular.
OM

skibum69 · Apr 19, 2020

I got back to sewing this year too, it had been many many years. Nothing special but a few projects have gone by such as Roman blinds for upstairs in the B&B and a few masks for friends. We're considering getting into upholstery which will require an industrial machine at some point if we do.

leftover fabric from the blind made for good masks

36654 · Apr 19, 2020

skibum69 said:
I got back to sewing this year too, it had been many many years. Nothing special but a few projects have gone by such as Roman blinds for upstairs in the B&B and a few masks for friends. We're considering getting into upholstery which will require an industrial machine at some point if we do.
View attachment 78085
View attachment 78087
leftover fabric from the blind made for good masks
View attachment 78086

Since you're in a sailing area (St. Johns region), what kind/brand of machine do the local sail shops use?

skibum69 · Apr 19, 2020

I only know one shop and I don't know how much sail work they actually do anymore as I know they do a lot of fabricating of tents tarps etc. I got them to make canvas curtains for my outdoor shower. As for machines I have no idea what they're using as I didn't look at them when I was in there and it's been a number of years. I'm on a sewing thread on ADV and there are plenty of industrial machine options out there. The one posted earlier in this thread looks pretty cool but is it designed specifically for sails? I just have an older used Singer Debutante, nothing special but it does work well and gets through some heavy material.

akbeemer · Apr 19, 2020

skibum69 said:
View attachment 78087

I hope the smallpox has cleared-up. That could put a real damper on the B&B business.

Omega Man · Apr 19, 2020

skibum69 said:
I only know one shop and I don't know how much sail work they actually do anymore as I know they do a lot of fabricating of tents tarps etc. I got them to make canvas curtains for my outdoor shower. As for machines I have no idea what they're using as I didn't look at them when I was in there and it's been a number of years. I'm on a sewing thread on ADV and there are plenty of industrial machine options out there. The one posted earlier in this thread looks pretty cool but is it designed specifically for sails? I just have an older used Singer Debutante, nothing special but it does work well and gets through some heavy material.

The Sailrite name is perhaps a bit misleading. It’s a great machine that can be run by hand- no electricity allowing a repair while sailing. It will sew 4 layers of denim with ease. Customer service and support is excellent and they still publish a catalog. If you have an interest, check out their website-

https://www.sailrite.com/

Omega Man said:
This is the one I have Bud- your's the same?

Gary

OM

skibum69 · Apr 19, 2020

Yeah we were planning to open our Moto B&B this spring but obviously that has gone down the tubes for the foreseeable future.

Thanks for the link to those machines, I can see the benefit of non electric for being on a boat. Looking at the website they have all the upholstery tools you need plus about 15 sewing machines aimed at that. Good resource.

36654 · Apr 19, 2020

Omega Man said:
The Sailrite name is perhaps a bit misleading. It’s a great machine that can be run by hand- no electricity allowing a repair while sailing. It will sew 4 layers of denim with ease. Customer service and support is excellent and they still publish a catalog. If you have an interest, check out their website-

https://www.sailrite.com/

OM

I'm on their mailing list, but I'm looking around for a used machine of similar build, but I don't know all the brands. Besides being cheap, I don't need the service life of a new industrial machine. A used one, would do just fine.

It's a bit like buying woodworking equipment, there's lots of brands which sell the same products and Companies with multiple brands at different levels of quality.

skibum69 · Apr 19, 2020

It looks like used machines pop up quasi regularly, I would probably do the same but a little less likely around here. I need a planer too but a guy I lent my floor nailer to has one he's going to give me to use, just need new blades for it.

lee · Apr 19, 2020

Lee said:
I think the biggest project she ever did was my sister's wedding dress. She's 6'2" tall and could not find a ready made one.

Here's the dress Debbie made.

akbeemer · Apr 19, 2020

Judging by the picture of the two of them, your brother-in-law must be around 6’5”.

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