Tuesday's Tute: Sewing Machines...how, what, where, how much??????

This week's post isn't our usual type of tutorial.  I'm going to address my most frequently asked questions....  Where to I get a sewing machine?  What kind do I get?  Do I have to spend a lot?  Should I just get the $50 special at the super store?
First I'm going to address the super store question.  Honestly it's the easiest.  No, No, No.  Do not buy an inexpensive machine from a chain store.  You can do better for the same or less money.  In all of the classes I've taught, these are the most problematic machines I've seen.  Not to say all of these machines cause problems, but many do.  Also...the higher end machines at the chain store can do a nice job...but I'm talking about spending a few hundred there, not the under $100 special.
Next.  Where do I get a machine?  The best answer, if you have $100 to spend. Is a dealer who will include free lessons.  You can get a nice and great working machine for $100 at a dealer.  The free lessons will be invaluable as you learn.  You should be able to negotiate the free lessons, if they are not already included. 
The $100 dealer machine will be a simple mechanical (not computerized) machine.  It should do a zigzag stitch, have an adjustable stitch length, and have a reverse option (used to "knot" the ends of your seams).  This is all you "need" to sew basic things.
If you have an unlimited budget and have never sewn, the dealer is still a great place to go...free lessons.  Be careful that you don't buy more machine than you can handle.  Don't get overwhelmed with bells and whistles.  I've had my machine for 20 years.  It has a lot of stitches.  Most, I've never used.  Extras I like are the button hole stitches, a few small embroidery stitches, the triple zigzag, and the overcast stitch.  I paid a lot, but got a quality machine that has been a workhorse for 20 years.  Durability here was my key!!!  I asked the dealer for the "toughest and most durable" machine he had within my budget.
No dealer nearby...shop online.  I've dealt with Ken's Sewing Centers and love them.  They sell new, used, and refurbished.  They sell supplies.  And, they service.  Mostly, they're customer service is absolutely wonderful.
Now for those who are looking to spend little and get "big" results.  I love this part.
It is possible to get a great machine for free.  Yes, you read correctly.  Start by asking friends and relatives, acquaintances.....   You never know who has a machine in the closet.  If it doesn't have a manual, find one online and get to work with it.  At most it needs serviced.  Although, most things you can service through the manual.
Another free place is http://www.freecycle.org/ or even Craigslist.  Be careful to always meet in a public place for this.
You may take in a few junkers, but free may be worth the effort.  By the way, if the free machine isn't worth fixing you may find it as a helpful trade at the dealer...or they may be able to reuse it.  Don't toss it.
Inexpensive sewing machines (under $10)...can be found at thrift stores and garage sales.  Take an extension cord, thread, and fabric scraps with you.  Give it a basic spin.  You'll be able to tell if it works at the store. Check the store's return policy.  If they have one, take it home and work it over. Again, it may need some service.  Use your manual.  If it needs more, take it to visit the dealer and ask for a look over and fix estimate.  If the fix estimate is too much, return it and try again. 
A good dealer will give you the time of day.  They'll want your business one day....  If they won't help you, kindly, find another one who will.
A few extra tips:  Heavy is good.  Older is good.  These are mechanical and made with metal.  Easily fixable.  Great older machines are made by Bernina, Viking, Kenmore, Pfaff... Lighter and newer may not be as good.  Newer models vary so much in quality that I can't give you a definite reliable brand at this time.  Some of these are made with plastic parts and meant to be throwaways. 
Also, ask the sewing machine fix it man which (newer) models he sees most often and then stay away.  And...google reviews and read them.  One review doesn't make or break a model, but many, good or bad, can help make your decision.
When it comes to free or $10...just go for it!!!  You may find a diamond in the rough!
Happy Sewing!!!!
Debbie

Tuesday's Tute: Fabrics: The What and Where

This is not a photo of my stash, but a nice looking one found on google pictures.

Two of the questions I get most often, are what types of fabric can I use and where do I buy it. Getting quality fabric is getting harder and harder to find at a good price.

For the past year, I've been searching for different types of fabrics to suit a varied number of purposes. I've been searching for the best prices and highest quality for the price. Although, what I've found is, I am sure, not a final list, it's worth sharing at this point.
Today I'm going to share some of the fabrics we use, what I do with them, and where I get them. Hopefully some of what I've learned this year will help you as you create for your family, and save you some money.

Cotton woven (quilter's cottons):

I use these for blouses, skirts, and pants. Basically anything I sew that has much of a print to it, and isn't knit is cotton woven. They are easy to sew with come in a huge variety of prints. Their one draw back is that they can wrinkle. I wash them in cold, dry in the dryer for about 10 min., then hang them to dry. Some pieces are good to wear, others need a light iron. I only buy these from a quilt store. The pieces that I've purchased from the chain stores wrinkle much, much more and have shrinkage to a larger degree.

I buy many of the prints we use at http://www.fabricshack.com/ They have a wonderful clearance section online with prints prices from 1.98 and up. I often find everything I need for $3.98 or less.

Twill: I use this for jumpers, pants, skirts, and shorts. This fabric has more body than the woven cotton. I get most of my twill from http://www.chezami.com/ or reclaim it from a garment purchased at the thrift store for that purpose. Nice prints can be easily found in the clearance section of the chez ami site.

Knit: I use knits for anything that should/could use stretch or extra softness. We've done shirts, dresses, nightgowns, shorts, and bathing suits.

I get knit from http://www.chezami.com/ in their clearance section, mostly. I do buy select pieces in their regular priced section when they have a sale. It pays to get on their mailing list. Their colors cross over years and lines very well, so stocking up and being able to use some with a later print isn't a problem.

The knit section I'll separate some for more clarity.

Interlock: T-shirts, polo shirts, dresses. Two way stretch (horizontal). Comes in a variety of weights 11 oz.-16 oz. (light weight is good for shirts, heavy weight is good for jackets/pants).

Jersey: Dresses, skirts, pants. Two way stretch (horizontal).

Cotton/lycra: Shirts, leggings, etc. Four way stretch (horizontal and vertical). Great for leggings as it springs back well for the knees. No baggy knees. This can also be used for bathing suits, but can get heavy when wet.

Tactel/Spandex: Bathing Suits, dance wear. This is the slippery fabric that most bathing suits are made from. It can be tricky to sew with because it is slippery. But, bathing suits aren't as hard as I thought they'd be and the fabric and I got along very well. (I've only used this type of fabric from ChezAmi and can't speak for other companies. However, I am going to order some for me from Needlenook as soon as we locate what I'm looking for.)

ITY knit: Dresses, tops, skirts. This works nicely for anything you want to have a nice flow and stretch. It's soft and silky on the skin. I use this mostly for my things that need some stretch to them. I've purchased ITY knits from http://www.fabric.com/ and from Anne St. Claire at http://www.needlnkfabrics.com/ Anne doesn't sell from her site, but is very accommodating and will help you choose what you'd like from her wide variety of fabrics. You can email or call and describe what you want. She'll help you find it. Her prices are very reasonable. She's a wealth of information also.

Denim: Skirts, jeans, shorts. I get all my denim from thrift store items. I buy larger than I need and cut up the garment to reuse. It's already preshrunk and is a much better quality than I can buy at a fabric store. I also like the feel of the worn denim, so do my children. They also love to choose pocket designs.

Velour, velvet, and corduroy: Tops, dresses, jumpers. We get this by reclaiming thrift garments. We look for pieces with lots of yardage or at least large pieces (dress with no waist).

Satin/Taffeta: We reuse satins/taffeta from formals at the thrift store. There is plenty of yardage for a beautiful dress in the skirt of a formal. We've even found a dupioni silk dress there for about $20. It's usually more than that per yard. These fabrics can also make wonderful curtains. After silk is washed and dried (shrunk), it is forever washable.

Sheets: Dresses, tops, pjs, curtains, bedding, shopping bags, and gift bags. Reclaimed sheets are soft and easy to work with. Depending on the print they can become nearly anything and per yard are an unbelievable bargain.

Fleece: Mittens, scarves, hats, jackets. We watch the thrift store for this too. A fleece coat can make many mittens, and such and is already washed up so you can see the pilling you'll have, if any. We do buy some at the chain store for special prints. Although we learned that anti pill just means pills more slowly than regular. It still pills.

Sweater knit: Tops, dresses, mittens. We buy large women's sweaters at the thrift store and make cute sweater dresses. You just have to be careful not to unravel the weave after you cut the sweater apart. We cut and sew quickly and gently. Wool sweaters are wonderful fabric after washing. Yes, buy big wash in hot and dry (repeat until the weave is tight). You can make mittens, hats, purses, small clothing pieces that are now washable.

I do buy some fabrics from chain stores, but they have to be a type that doesn't wrinkle or shrink (no cottons/no knits). The Simply Lovely dress was made from a polyester fabric found on the $1 table at Walmart three years ago.

This is not an exhaustive list of fabric types or where to get quality fabrics. It is a list of the types I use most often and where I've found them. I hope it was/will be helpful to you.

Happy Sewing!

Debbie

PS...We're getting close to follower #75. Watch for the next e-pattern winner!

Frugal Fabric Finds

Now that we've created a pattern, I thought it was a good time to tell my fabric finding secrets. Sewing can be expensive if you go to the fabric store first, that is. I don't start there when I get a new sewing idea. So where do I go...
My Closet...or a friend's closet...
It seems as though I always have something in my closet, drawers, mending pile, etc. that I'm no longer going to use. When making children's clothes small pieces can be amazing things. And sometimes my spare clothing can render a larger piece...for a little girl dress or skirt.
All you need to know is what size of piece does your pattern need. All of my patterns use a rectangle of fabric. You'll need to know how wide and long your rectangle needs to be. You find these measurements by measuring the widest part of the pattern piece (dresses/skirts-the bottom width) and desired length of the item. Sleeves can be a different fabric than the body, too. Keep in mind the pieces that lay on the fold will need the width measurement doubled for a fold. Some children's pants are cute out of two coordinating fabrics, one fabric for each leg with a cuff or ruffle that corresponds to the opposing leg. Jeans can become a skirt. I'll tell you how another day.
I use this method especially for denim, velour, or other special occassion fabrics. Men's shirts can make nice bloomers, or small jumpers and peasant shirts. Think about those dresses with full skirts or no waist line....lots of good yardage there. And, save the buttons. Buttons can be expensive.
Repeat the same thinking with your husbands closet. T-shirts make great sleeping shorts/shirts for girls or boys.
Next...the linen closet. Sheets are great night gowns. Pillowcases are wonderful jumpers or tops, especially vintage ones.
After you finish scavenging your house, check with family and friends for extra pieces of clothing. What you can't use pass on to someone else. Keep in mind...any small/long piece could be a ruffle or cuff someday. Although you will need a place to keep it until you need it.
A stranger's closet...no not literally
Now you're ready to check with http://www.freecycle.org/ It's an online e-group for exchanging free stuff with others in your area. You usually need to give something before you can "get" something. Also, be aware of going to strangers homes or giving out your address to strangers. And, you may need to be prepared to get some rather nasty bags of clothes. I've had the occassion where I sorted, outside, on the porch in old clothes and had to send most of a bag or two to the garbage. But in 5 years that's only happened once, and had some really good finds.
Thrift stores
Most thrift stores have discount days. I hit them only on that day and look for the more expensive types of fabrics, denim, velour, high end cottons (men's shirts), etc. in large pieces. I look for the biggest shirts I can find...at least a 17" neck. For women's fabrics, look for skirts with lots of fullness or dresses with no waist, or a full skirt. Denim pieces are found in the women's dress and skirt section. It's ok to have a seam down the back, this looks cute down the front or back of an A-line skirt for a daughter. Just put that seam on the fold crease and it will be down the front or back of the new skirt.
If your thrift store doesn't have a discount day...full price day may be worth a hunt.
Also, our thrift stores have a fabric bin of fabric for sale. And, remember the sheets and pillowcases...great yardage there.
Now to the fabric store....
I've learned a valuable lesson recently. Cheap fabric or even chain store fabric is likely to disappoint....especially when purchasing 100% cotton. Now, I have found non-cotton buys at Walmart on the $1 table and made some cute things. But, I'll never buy cotton there again. And, I may not even buy cotton at any other chain store. Not because it's unusable, but because I don't like to iron. Every piece I've gotten at a chain store has needed ironing to a greater extent than the quilt fabric pieces. However, as you learn to feel for the best cottons, some can be found at the chain stores...in the clearance section of course, lol.
So where do I shop...quilt stores. The owner or worker there will teach you a lot about cotton fabrics. Price is not the determining factor all the time. You may even find that as you develop a relationship there, they may give you some of their scraps...One scrap I was given recently is several yards long. Just not a quilters type of fabric so they didn't need it.
Another great place is http://www.fabricshack.com/ The saleabration part of the site is the place to start. They carry all high end, high quality fabrics. As new lines come in they discount the older lines. Same quality as low as $2/yd. That section doesn't usually have much in it. But there's quite a bit in the $4 section. Keep in mind you're probably buying in 1 yd or less pieces...not much fabric is needed for children's pieces. So it's not a bad price in the long run. Some things can be made for growth...a little wiggle room in a tiered skirt width. and a ruffle added later to extend length can make a $6 skirt do a couple of years.
Happy fabric hunting....