If you sew, here's some sage advice from the 1949 Singer Sewing Manuel!

[MoonRiver]

Last edited Wed Feb 26, 2014, 02:50 PM - Edit history (1)

[madokie]

1. I love the sound of a sewing machine

Mother sewed all us kids shirts and blouses when we were kids. As good as any shirt I ever wore too, best I remember.
I remember after all of us were grown she won a new sewing machine, my younger sis still uses it as sewing is her past time and how she made money while going to college. Anyways mothers old sewing machine is still in the family just never used by anyone anymore. It was a Singer pedal that they converted sometime to electric. Early on she was using it with the pedal then the change came and mom was thrilled but never really got the hang of it as the control with the pedal was so much better.
Back in those days during the summer we'd pick black berries to sell for 2 cents a gallon. All of us kids would pick enough to buy us a new pair of jeans, sorry can't remember exactly what the jeans cost back then but if I remember it was less than a dollar including the tax. I could go on and on as I have a pretty good memory but I'll stop here, don't want to bore anyone more than I already do

[MoonRiver]

2. My mom sewed too, as I do.

But I seriously never remember her making sure the dishes were washed and beds made before starting. Sewing was like second nature. She just did it. Singer had some really bizarre perceptions of women!

[PotatoChip]

8. I think it had more to do with the

happy homemaker propaganda of that time period rather than Singer itself.

madokie's real account was far more appealing than Singer's advertising silliness.

[KitSileya]

9. I think that kind of advice was ubiquitous back then.

It was all about how to stay pretty while being your husband's cook/nanny/laundry maid/seamstress/scullery maid/nurse/house keeper. Wouldn't want him to think it took any effort to run a house, right?

Many women like to do crafts/sew, but here the emphasis is that her interests should come last, because his should always come first.

[niyad]

23. "wives and lovers"

[PotatoChip]

4. No, that was nice.

I could actually picture it. Sweet!

[hootinholler]

6. My Mother Sewing

Is one of the ways I learned how to swear with real emotion and verve.

She never quite got the hang of allowing the machine to move the material and would break a needle. When that happened, it was ON!

[winter is coming]

12. LOL, my mom had a Singer Touch and Sew machine, which we called the Touch and Cuss.

We never did get the thread tension on that machine right, despite multiple adjustments. Later on, she got a Viking sewing machine and loved it to bits.

[hootinholler]

18. It was a Singer

In its own cabinet complete with a foldout table. It had a brazillion cams for fancy stitches and I think monograms.

One year Santa slipped a box of 100 needles into her stocking. She said that should hold me for a month.

[winter is coming]

19. Sounds familiar. 100 needles. Yeesh!

I've had my Viking for twenty years and have used nowhere that many needles.

[enlightenment]

34. Actually, you should change needles out

after seven or eight hours of use (combined or continual). They get dull; more likely to break the thread, pull the fabric, or just snap at the most inconvenient moment.

[winter is coming]

90. Good to know. I do change them from time to time, although perhaps not that often.

I misspoke: I should have said I've broken nowhere near 100 needles in 20 years. Probably more like a half-dozen.

[Nay]

107. I've had a needle break and a piece fly out and <tink> against one glasses lens.

Nuthin' like almost losin' an eye. . .

[winter is coming]

109. Yeesh! Sounds incredibly scary. n/t

[Mojorabbit]

60. I have my mom's sewing machine and you just described it! :) nt

[polly7]

7. Aw, that brought back memories.

My mom sewed and mended for all of us too, she was so creative making new outfits we otherwise wouldn't have had. I remember my closest sister and I having the only sparkly! vests and plaid skirts for school pictures ... was a bit dubious about them then, but I realize now how much she put into making them.

I sew and alter old vintage things .... I too love the sound of the machine, except that 'clank'!! when the needle breaks.

[HappyMe]

11. I wasn't bored. Your post was a pleasant memory.

I used to sew. Clothes and Halloween costumes for my sons, dresses and stuff for myself. I made dolls too. As frustrating as it could be (self taught), I loved it. I did get any dish washing or cleaning done first. Mostly because then I had a good chunk of uninterrupted sewing time, and I didn't want any residual gunk on my hands while handling the fabric.

[sdfernando]

63. We still have Grandmother's Singer in the family.

This was no electric machine..no this has a foot pedal. It is an antique for sure. Used as a display piece of furniture now. No one sews on it although it still works.

[Ms. Toad]

89. I have one, too.

But I use my White Jeans Machine - one of the only all metal ones made when I bought it 30 years ago, and my BabyLock serger - which I bought with the little money my grandmother left me about 20 years ago. (The sewing gene skipped a generation. My mother sewed because she had to - I picked up my grandmother's love of sewing.)

[Sarah Ibarruri]

79. Me too! I associated it with grandma and mom loving us and doing things for us. nt

[Nay]

105. You won't bore me. My mom sewed, too, but she didn't consider herself

a seamstress. When I was very young, in the 50's, mom sewed elastic-waisted shorts for me and my brother to wear all summer. We never wore shirts when we were under six years old.

Mom couldn't do fancy sewing like regular men's shirts with buttonholes. She did do lots of fitting and adjusting of clothing for neighbors and customers.

Mom once made me a cloth baby out of blue cotton; she embroidered it a bit, and when I was 4 or 5, that baby went with me everywhere. Somehow, baby disappeared and years later mom told me she had taken it and thrown it out because she was ashamed of how poorly made it was.

I sure wish I still had baby.

[malaise]

3. Bwaaaaaaaah

They should see what I have on when I'm using my Singer

[hootinholler]

5. What do you expect when you get advice from a Spaniard?

[BrotherIvan]

41. OMG

You win!

[hootinholler]

55. I have officially watched too many Fawlty Towers episodes

[BrotherIvan]

58. Que?

[hootinholler]

62. The British comedy Fawlty Towers

Sitcom set in a hotel staring John Cleese as the owner, Basil Fawlty. One of his employees was a waiter who immigrated from Spain. The character's name was Manuel and communications issues caused all manner of difficulty for Basil.

[BrotherIvan]

65. Que?

[eShirl]

86. heheh

[Arkansas Granny]

74. Is he, by chance, from Barcelona?

[BrotherIvan]

96. Don't mention the war!

[RC]

10. I'm showing that to my SO.

A dress? Lipstick? Housework done first? bruahahahahahaha!!!1!!! That'll be the day. And she sews a lot.
She doesn't wear dresses or makeup. Doesn't need to to look good.

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

13. I love sewing.

I consider everything else a distraction. I learned on my mother's 1929 Singer. I wouldn't touch a modern Singer - they're plastic crap. I use a Swedish Viking now. In high school, I made my hippie dresses out of India print bedspreads. I sewed my daughter's clothes from babyhood to her prom dress, including school uniforms without using patterns. I sewed costumes for my students in my annual Greek myths program. I sewed everything for my house from curtains to quilts. Then I slowed down. The teaching job took sixty to eighty hours a week. I just didn't have the time or energy. Now that I'm retired, I hope to get back into it once I have the curriculum for my new little home preschool all done. I bought a new machine. It's in the box taunting me. I never ever wore make up to sew.

[DoBotherMe]

32. Welcome to DU

I wish I had more time to sew as well. Congrats on the new preschool! Dana ; )

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

71. Thank you and thank you.

I've been a faithful DU reader since 2003. I just got brave enough to write.

I am in heaven teaching at home, but it broke my heart having to leave the public schools to be able to teach.

[northoftheborder]

59. which brand of machine did you choose?

I'm at that stage - a new machine - after a lifetime of Singer & Kenmore (latest thing at the time - did zig-zag stitches). I'm so intimidated by all the computer run machines - don't know where to start. I mainly do plain sewing of things like curtains, table toppers, but would at least like a needle threader and a serge edge. I may do more craft sewing (small quilt, etc..)

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

70. I got the bottom of the line Viking.

They're great machines. It took me 25 years of constant use to kill my last one. The high end ones are computerized and very fancy. They're also called Husquavarna. They're made in Sweden.

[grasswire]

75. The Kenmore I have runs like a top.

It is fifty years old this year. Never been serviced, and runs like a top. They were very well made.

[winter is coming]

99. My best friend has one of those, and I have to agree. n/t

[DamnYankeeInHouston]

131. That's because it's fifty years old.

The old Singers have metal parts and are indestructible. The new ones have plastic pats and are crap.

[demigoddess]

97. the best machine I know

I have the early edition of a Janome HD3000 and they now have it with those features and an up/down button, I believe. I own 3 machines.

[winter is coming]

98. I've got a machine with a crapload of stitches, and only use a handful of them.

The "extras" I like most on my computerized machine are the needle down/up button (always stop with the needle either in or out of the fabric) and the speed range button (pressing the pedal down further still gives you faster speed, but the speed changes depending on which speed you've used). Oh, and the "select the fabric weight/type and we'll choose the stitch length for you" is nice, although I don't always go with the first choice.

In reality though, if you want to get a non-computerized Viking, I've used one of those, too and it sewed very smoothly. And let's face it, what you really want when you sit down to sew isn't fancy stitches; it's being able to make something without feeling like you're the Secret Service and the machine is a suspect you need to wrestle to the ground.

[northoftheborder]

102. Which brand do you use & like that is computerized?

There probably are a few extras I might like, but I don't even know what is available. I just need to get up off my butt and go do some research at the stores.

[winter is coming]

104. I've got a Viking 1100.

It was a present about twenty years ago, and at the time it was worth more than the old car I was driving. I'm not sure I'll ever own another machine. The thin plastic on the rectangular cartridges you swap in and out has cracked on my "A" cartridge (the one I always use). I bought some Contact paper (transparent, self-adhesive, sometimes used for shelf paper) and recovered the cartridge. Problem solved.

I've been very happy with Viking, both my mom's machine and mine, but I've used a lot of different types over the years. I've never care for Pfaff, but some people love them. My sister had a Bernina that was very nice. I've borrowed a Kenmore that was nice. If I were you, I'd try a lot of the brands out there and see which ones have features you like and which appeal to you. It might not be the fanciest machine out there. It might not even be a new machine. Pay attention to the little things you use all the time, and go for a machine that does those well for you. Life is too short to put up with a machine that does a crappy job of winding bobbins, or that is inconvenient in some other way you'll encounter a lot.

[catrose]

115. My first appliance was a Domestic sewing machine, the last metal one before the plastic deluge

I started on my granny's treadle machine, went to my mother's Singer, making all my clothes, including prom dresses and other formals, and, later, men's shirts, pants, etc. I remember the day I stopped sewing. I was standing in Wal-Mart 25 years ago with my young son and looking at children's clothes, specifically the price tags. As a single mom working a million hours a week to make ends meet, I knew I couldn't make anything for those prices. Better to pay $3 for a shirt and spend the time I would have spent sewing playing games with my son.

Later I resumed sewing as a decorative art, and I remember the day I decided to start making my clothes again. I was examining a dress with a $100+ price tag and marveling at the crap fabric, almost transparent (not in a good way), guaranteed to fall apart quickly, and the lousy stitching. It looked like a pile of laundry. I knew I could do better than that. But the piece de resistance was when I did buy something from the shop, an evening jacket with beads, sequins, and fringe (also $100+). And everywhere I went in that jacket, I dribbled beads, sequins, and fringe, handfuls of them. I wondered how much you had to pay for clothes that would hold together, and I knew I could do better than that.

[Mark Baker]

14. I don't think I'll be following that advice

A dress and lipstick recommended?

Even in these more liberal times, I think I'd get rather odd looks if I answered the door dressed that way. I hate to think how a visitor dropping in would have felt seeing a man dressed that way in 1949.

And they're quite right, if I was fearful of a visitor dropping in, I think it would put me off my sewing.

[niyad]

25. you nearly owed me a monitor!

[RBStevens]

91. Hah!

[amuse bouche]

15. "a little bag full of French chalk' sounds delightful

I want one.

I love to sew. Recently, I made new covers for a couple of old Papasan Chairs and sold them

There are lots of fascinating sewing projects on youtube. I encourage everyone to pick up a used sewing machine and give it a try.

[JDPriestly]

24. At one point in my impoverished and zanily interesting life, I bought a cheap, really cheap, treadle

sewing machine. Best, most even stitch you will ever see. But no buttonhole, zipper or any other attachment. It did two things. Sew forward and sew backward. It did both perfectly.

No jack of all trades that machine. If I could find a machine that good with an old-fashioned treadle, and if I had the room for it, I would buy one to use for straight stitching and have a modern machine for the other things. One of my daughters also loves to sew, and she swears by a surger. I have no idea how those things work.

But a treadle machine is great for straight stitching if you can find one.

[pipi_k]

37. Oh the memories

My grandmother had a treadle machine too.

I remember watching her use it to fix my poor French Poodle dress after the skirt got separated from the bodice out on the playground at school one day.

My favorite dress. I was heartbroken, but she fixed it, good as new.

That must have been 53 years ago, yet here I am, with tears in my eyes.

Thank you, Memere...

[JDPriestly]

52. Memere? French?

[laundry_queen]

69. Yep. I had a Memere too. nt

[Alameda]

56. you can do anything on a straight stitch machine

you just need the attachments to do it. I made a living on one for years in NYC. I used a treadle because in NYC where I was we had black outs and I needed to be able to get the job done. I still have two treadles, even though

They aren't that hard to find, but it's sad to see when people make lamps out of them, or use them for plant stands.

[amuse bouche]

61. I dragged around one of those for years

only because I loved the look of the wrought iron. I made a butcher block out of it and finally sold it off. They really are beautiful

[winter is coming]

100. I wondered if "French chalk" was a euphemism for cocaine. n/t

[jmowreader]

123. No. Talcum powder.

You use it when your hands get sweaty, so you don't leave marks on the fabric...which you will do if you wear lipstick while you sew.

I wonder...would it be acceptable to put lipstick and compact in a drawer in your sewing table, so you can fix your face quick if hubby comes home early from work?

[winter is coming]

128. LOL. Ever have one of those mark-your-own-hem gadgets?

It's a small container of French chalk on a little stand with a ruler that you can slide up or down and a squeeze bulb. Basically, you put on the skirt/dress you're making and slowly turn while squeezing the bulb, which then causes a narrow line of chalk to be squirted on the garment. I just got a mental image of the housewife storing loose face powder in one of those so she could stoop down and give herself an emergency powder application in case of surprise visitors.

[jmowreader]

135. No, never made anything that needed it

[Lochloosa]

16. That is from a time when one income could afford someone to stay home and raise a family.

These times are a-changing....

[Mira]

17. I am laughing so loud my birds are beginning to sing.

This is wonderful, and damnit, I remember it pretty well. It was the time when my (Ex)husband said that taking me out on a lark brings him great pleasure.

We have come a long way. And we have a long way yet to go.

[JDPriestly]

20. Priceless! I learned to sew in jr. high. I was awful. But I love to sew.

I have a stack of fabric, and as soon as I finish a couple of knitting projects, I will be sewing.

The problem that we who llke to sew face is that there is no sense in cleaning up the mess until the project is sort of done. Of course you don't leave scraps around. You clean up the obvious stuff. But I find it hard to put my sewing materials and the garment-in-process neatly into a box. I don't know what is more of a waste of time -- putting the pieces and materials into a box after you quite sewing but are not finished -- or taking everything out of the box and trying to start over where you left off.

So sewing is messy. The advice about cleaning house first is, for that reason, very helpful.

How quaint.

[fadedrose]

21. Lipstick & age are handcaps

I don't leave the house without a dab of lipstick, but when you moisten thread to put it through the eye of a needle, it looks like hell.

Best to sew when hubby's not home. He always seems to have a dozen questions when after sewing a couple feet of a curved hem he wants answers before you can finish the last 3 inches; normally the thread gets stuck, breaks, jams in the bobbin case, uh, he's knocking now...waoto waitomg. see wjat I mean?

[MoonRiver]

35. What, you no have an automatic threader?

Just got a Baby Lok, after not sewing for 20 years, and was amazed and delighted over this new feature. Now I can slap on my brightest red lipstick, right after doing the dishes and making the beds, and have no worries about staining the thread.

[fadedrose]

42. Longevity

Don't think I'll live long enough to use a new machine.

Dog's on the bed and doesn't like me making it. I used to make dust ruffles and machine-quilted tops but they're just too heavy now. Also made leisure suits for him and almost all my clothes.

This month I got closer to 80 than 75 (using decade system) and am just sewing stuff for granddaughter, mostly size 3 or 4, and caftans for me or daughter. Nothing fancy.

Interruptions worst enemy.

[MoonRiver]

44. Sounds like you're still going strong!

I figure I have another good 10 to 15 years of sewing and crafting. My fingers are still fine, no arthritis yet.

[My Good Babushka]

22. I'm of two minds about this

On one hand, I wish people would take a little more care of their appearance, when you compare pictures of people out shopping in the forties and fifties, they always look so snazzy with tailored clothes and hats and gloves. But on the other hand, I don't really want to put the work into getting all dolled-up, so I can't expect everyone else to do it, either.

No matter how nice I look for my sewing machine, I know it won't cooperate with me!

[MADem]

33. I concur, and think there are times and places to make a small effort.

Weddings and funerals, most particularly.

I've been to both lately where a guest or two didn't get the word that shorts-n-flipflops, or jeans-n-tee shirt, aren't probably the best thing to wear to those sorts of events.

I remember watching, I think, Ronald Reagan's "lying in state" at the rotunda, and noticing how many people in the crowd were in shorts, jeans, fanny packs, tee shirts, etc., and I couldn't help but, in my mind, contrast that with the images I have seen of the JFK funeral.

Different times, different styles, I guess. We are a more casual society, we prioritize comfort. As I age, I can't really gripe too much. Hell, no one would listen if I did!

[navarth]

26. Manuel Who?

I didn't know Singer hired Spanish people as their representatives...good for them!

[whistler162]

27. Better advise from Betty Hutton

[NBachers]

28. Many, many nights I fell asleep with the sound of the old Singer singing down the hall

as Mom made the most amazing clothes for herself, and all of us.

Thanks, Mom!

[winter is coming]

101. +1. My mom made all sorts of things, but one of my favorites was a light quilt for the couch.

All of the squares on it were leftover fabric from clothing she'd made for us. It was like a nice stroll down memory lane, decades after we'd outgrown the actual garments. I'd look at it and remember how much I enjoyed the clothes.

[sinkingfeeling]

29. What are 'urgent housekeeping chores'? Having a sink full of

dirty dishes and unmade beds are natural and on-going in my house. And I didn't know my sewing machine cared if I was in my PJ's and hadn't combed my hair!

[4Q2u2]

30. Well OK

But my Wife's dresses will not fit and I am pretty sure none of her lipstick colors match my eyes.

I am very confident that for most people sewing was not a hobby or a pastime but a neccessity. So getting all Glammed up to make clothes for the kids was not on the check list.

[HockeyMom]

31. I did it professionally from home for a time

I had girls and women coming to my home for fittings. Did they care what I LOOKED liked? Only thing that mattered was if the (special occasion) dress or gown looked nice and fit. The machine didn't care! lol I sewed in my pj's many a time which there was a rush to finish something. Do people today who work from home get all dressed up and make sure the housework is done before they sit down at their computers??????? Dumb.

Sounds like the same "advice" they gave women back then before husband came home from work.

[whistler162]

49. So did my mom to help make ends meet.

My mom still has, somewhere her old Singer(mid 1950's), now uses a newer machine when she sews.

My middle brother as a few old machines but taught his son on a newer machine. Brother taught himself to sew while in the Air Force.

[magical thyme]

36. I love that advice for all creative endeavors...

Nesting. Get everything in order and then let go and create!

[MoonRiver]

39. It's kind of like preparing for your first child.

Second one, not so much!

[uponit7771]

38. I love sewing but I don't look good in a dress or lipstick, high heels don't come in size 13.5 and

... if they did they don't support 275lbs of man feet

[GoneOffShore]

45. You'd be surprised.

[uponit7771]

47. lol... I stand corrected

[GoneOffShore]

68. Or wobble on six inch heels corrected.

[snooper2]

40. that is the dumbest advice I have ever read

Everyone KNOWS you are supposed to sew naked


idiots

[eridani]

125. I think you're confusing instructions for sewing with instructions for frying bacon

Just sayin'.

[toby jo]

43. I've got one of these - Moms'. It still works great.

She bought it in '52, right out of hs, paid $2.50/month on it, even saved the receipts. I found them all in a box of 'stuff' she kept - a mountain of old Cleveland '40s and '50s trivia in that box.

She made a lot of our clothes back then, but, I agree with some of the others, you didn't really hang around for the 'enjoyment' energy. That bobbin was hell, as I recall.

As for being nervous for visitors, I recall still one time when Father Costello came for a call, I'll bet I was 3 or 4, she was running herself crazy around that little house. She outgrew the faith, eventually, out-argued it. Mom was a liberal's liberal piece of work.

[ananda]

46. Whoa.

It was really hard wading through that sexist mound of treacle.

[lumberjack_jeff]

48. I fancy myself as mechanically inclined

but I never have gotten the hang of a sewing machine. Even bought an old Pfaff 130 to teach myself. Never could learn it.

So I defer to Ms Lumberjack, "neatly put together" or not.

[KT2000]

77. be kind to that 130!!

a gem for the ages - truly.

[lumberjack_jeff]

82. I sold it

It was a constant reminder of failure. Bitter, abject failure.

[TlalocW]

50. I took up sewing to make my own vests

I entertain with magic and balloon twisting. I'm a single male, but I guess I should heed their advice once to see if it helps.

TlalocW

[MoonRiver]

83. After completing 9 Christmas stockings, I'm making my husband a reversible vest.

Any advice on patterns?

[TlalocW]

88. I don't know how often (or if they even do) recycle pattern numbers

But I've made 15 vests with Simplicity 2346. I add 3 inches in length to it as well because my body type is not the kind that can pull off a short, tight vest like what the kid on the cover of the packet is wearing. This one is nice because it comes with the pieces necessary to put some straps on the back to tighten it if you need to. I also add seven pockets onto it. The examples only shows two wide ones on the bottom part of the front, but if you take the piece for those pockets and take off an inch in width and add an inch in height, you can make some nice breast area pockets, which I put on both the outside and inside. The 7th pocket is a little horizontal pocket on the inner edge of one of the front pieces between two buttons that I put a magic tool called a thumb tip in. I can easily jam my thumb into it and pull it out without looking suspicious. Your husband won't need that.

What's the secret to making a vest reversible?

TlalocW

[MoonRiver]

94. The secret is following instructions!

I just made my daughter a reversible apron. You sew the two sides together then turn them right side out through a little slit left open. Of course you have to slip stitch that opening after turning.

Thanks for the tip about that pattern!

[TlalocW]

95. I'm not wrapping my head around how buttons would work...

Would you just put buttons back to back (both on the "outside" and the "inside" of the vest) so when you flipped it "inside out," you'd be buttoning on the opposite side?

You do the turning them right side out though a little slit with this vest as well. I'm quite proud of how small a hole I've been able to get the vest through now compared to when I first started.

TlalocW

[MoonRiver]

113. It's been over 20 years since I made a vest.

When I get to my next one I will have a clue, lol!

Congrats on your success with turning through the little hole. I know what triumphs like that mean!

[Ms. Toad]

92. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use Vogue.

Ever single time I have used Vogue, there has been a mistake in the pattern which made it impossible to assemble. The most recent was my daughter's prom dress - I had sworn off Vogue after the previous disaster (which had me sewing - ironically - a vest). Following the directions resulted in a vest which could not be turned right side out after assembly, so I had to rip it out and use my topological skills to figure out how they intended me to assemble it.

Against my better judgment, I allowed my daughter to pick a Vogue pattern. This time I started the dress way in advance. I read the directions through twice - slowly - to see if I could find the "easter egg" which has been in every previous Vogue pattern I have used. Couldn't find it. I ran into several defective zippers (not Vogue's fault). Then, once I got a zipper which was not defective, I continued my assembly and found it. It was subtle. They had identified the inside of a piece facing out for assembly - when they intended it to be the outside facing out. It was designed for sheer fabrics, so sewing it and ripping it out damaged the fabric. I was pissed enough that I wrote them and pointed out their error, after I was all done. Even though the pattern had been released two years earlier, and they had identified the error almost immediately, they had not sent out replacement directions (or a warning sheet to slip into the patterns already printed, or a note to print in future pattern books) to prevent the kind of damage I did before I realized the subtle error.

[AlbertCat]

51. I used to make costumes for the movies....

..... and I'm sorry, we just don't have time for all that. They want it yesterday!



(Tooting my own horn: My big claims to fame where stuff I made is all over the screen are "Last of the Mohicans", "Interview with the Vampire", and the miniseries "Queen".)

[okaawhatever]

67. Awesome. How cool is that? You must be incredibly taleented. nt

[KittyWampus]

110. Congratulations. I did children's theater costumes. Can only imagine doing it professional

the pressure must be intense.

[Coyotl]

53. Sexism to be sure. Put on a clean pair of pants!

What, only women sew?

[OldRedneck]

54. "advice," NOT "advise"

I'll probably be flamed for playing netcop, but, the headline should read ". . . here's some sage ADVICE . . ."

The word ADVISE is a verb meaning to offer an opinion or suggestion to someone.

The word ADVICE is a noun meaning the assistance, opinion, or recommendation that is offered.

One does not give other people ADVISE. One gives them ADVICE.

"I advised him by offering advice."


I realize I'm and old guy who learned English grammar at the feet of Mrs. Eaves, Mrs. Gardner, Mr. Kelley, and Mr. Sanders. I learned my English grammar back in the day when we learned to diagram sentences and, in doing so, we had to learn the functions of nouns, pronouns, verbs (both transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs, interjections, and the other parts of speech.

Flame away.

[northoftheborder]

66. Total empathy for you; the spelling and grammar online is annoying and sad.

But I must add, not just online; otherwise intelligent TV speakers also use sloppy English - maybe it's the writers doing their words.

[amuse bouche]

73. I will happily flame you

Typos and bad grammar bug me too. However, if I only had a few posts on a site, I would surely let it slide

If you are capable, think about why that might be a good idea.

Plus...you didn't even bother adding to the discussion. Now, that's classy

[MoonRiver]

84. No flames. I changed. I am usually very grammar astute. But that one slipped by.

[Fearless]

57. Do I really have to wear lipstick and powder my face?

Ugh!

[MoonRiver]

85. Yes, you do!

[jmowreader]

122. Pearls and clip-on earrings too

[vanlassie]

64. I sewed piecework at home to help pay bills when my kids were young.

I have to laugh, thinking what the writer of that silly article would think if he had seen me, sewing away, with a two year old standing next to me, nursing.

I "used up" a Viking, and moved on to an industrial Bernina. It's my favorite personal possession, after my mother's jewelry. I loved that Viking so much, though, that a couple of years ago I bought a completely refurbished one in EBay. Gave it to my DIL.

[Romulox]

72. Vintage Singers are superior to today's home machines. Some progress since then, much regression. nt

[grasswire]

76. Kenmores, too.

Mine is fifty years old and never needed to be serviced. It runs very well.

[Romulox]

78. Nice. Every blog I read when shopping for a machine said to go vintage.

And you'll have a machine for life.

[Laffy Kat]

81. My mother bought a Necchi when my sister was born in 1954.

I used it for awhile to make simple things. Now it sits in the basement. I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.

[Ms. Toad]

93. I learned to sew on a Necchi.

Loved it!

[vanlassie]

116. Me too! My mother bought her Necchi in about 1954 as well- paid for it by sewing drapes

for the county hospital. I learned to sew on it at around age 11. I almost bought one that I saw online just for sentimental reasons.

[LeftyMom]

117. Make sure to oil it every now and then.

Old Necchis were made extremely well. So well that if oiled properly they're nearly indestructible, but also so well that their very tight gears tend to lock up if not lubricated frequently.

Take care of that thing and it will last forever.

[Laffy Kat]

121. Guess it already has.

It's all metal and extremely heavy.

[vanlassie]

136. Well here's what happened to Moms. She took impeccable care if it for years.

Then one day she took it to a repair shop. When she got it back she could tell that the machine had been switched with another, in not as good condition. I remember her treating the situation as something she really couldn't prove, so she never followed up. My Bernina is all metal. I just hope I never have to replace the hook. That would be expensive. My machine would take a bullet for me!

[winter is coming]

103. I learned to sew on vintage Singers. No way would I trade my Viking for one. n/t

[Romulox]

112. *In the same price range* there's no comparison. Sub $500 in a modern machine is junk.

Vikings can cost many thousands of dollars, no?

[winter is coming]

114. Yes, computerized machines are expensive. I used a manual White machine several years ago that

would be comparably priced to a vintage Singer and it was a far superior machine. Most of the machines I've used over the years are manual ones, and all of the non-Singer ones I borrowed (except for a Pfaff) sewed more smoothly. I don't doubt that there are vintage machines in the sub-$500 price range that are superior to modern ones.

[LeftyMom]

118. My Singer treadle is 98 years old and works as well as the day it was delivered.

If a single sewing machine sold this year works in 98 years I'd be shocked.

[CountAllVotes]

130. Agree!

I guess my Singer Stylist is a vintage machine these days. However, I still consider it to me modern!

I had a Kenmore for awhile (wow what a nightmare -- all of these wheels to switch around for various stitching). I left it at home with my mother when I moved out of the house at the tender age of 17 years.

The machine I still have today works just fine and is made out of steel, yes, steel, not plastic!

I had it tuned-up not that long ago and the man that did the tune-up on it said it was still a great machine and had obviously been well cared for (anything I have that I paid the equivalent of an entire month's paycheck for is treated like solid gold to me).

I'm glad I have kept it and I do not plan to replace it ever as I am totally unimpressed by these new plastic machines, likely Made in China specials.

Sad in hindsight really as I have spent much time over the years sewing and making things.

For awhile I made elaborate pillows filled with buckwheat hulls. I made/sold these for awhile but the profit barely covered the cost of the materials I was using. I was making these for quite awhile and most of them ended up being given to relatives as gifts. In fact, every person that got one of these "pain pillows" as I call them from me still have it (if still living that is ...) and I still get an occasional comments about them and how well they have held up (I did this about 20 years ago). My house is filled with them as they are great comfort for anyone to use. They are especially kind to one's back and cats just love them.

[Rider3]

80. I'm glad it's not 1949 again...

too bad many of the politicians out there want to bring us back to this day and time.

[glowing]

87. I love to sew and do other hands on projects...

I wish I could do it more often!

[csziggy]

106. I sew the same way I read DU - in my pajamas!

It's more comfortable and I can concentrate on my work.

My most recent sewing project was making memory bears from my Dad's old shirts. Since Dad passed away in August, my sister and I wanted memory bears to remember him by. I made ten from the eight shirts we found in his closet. Mom has them now and when she's ready, she will give them away to her grandchildren.

[polly7]

129. Those are really adorable.

Such a great idea, I'm sure they'll be treasured.

[csziggy]

133. Making them helped me work through my grief

And family members can each pick one to remember Dad by.

[polly7]

134. I bet they did.

I have my Dad's sweater here that I wear when I need to feel better. Maybe when it gets too ratty and worn out I'll make something out of it. So nice that you're sharing such meaningful items with others that loved him too.

[Warren DeMontague]

108. ...If you prick your finger, under no circumstances say the word "Rumplestiltskin"

[jmondine]

111. I sew...

I don't wear dresses, powder or lipstick, and don't have a husband.

But that's probably because I am a heterosexual man who isn't into cross-dressing.

I do make the bed and wash the dishes, though.

[LeftyMom]

119. Sewing while listening to baseball in the radio, in one's pajamas, while nursing a soy latte,

is one of life's great pleasures. I will not be convinced otherwise.

[Kennah]

120. That's the thing I love about my little local sewing studio

I'm away from home, so I don't have to worry about the wife or the kids.

Found the place almost 2 years ago. My genius plan was that I would take the Sewing 101 class, learn some basics, and the wife would then take up the repairs and maintenance sewing I asked her about to one up me. My plan didn't quite work out.

Instead, I found that I rather enjoyed sewing. It is antithetical to my professional work as an application developer. Sewing is artistic and physical. There's a piece of material before you, and you don't get to screw up. Once you cut, if it's wrong, you have to start over or figure out something else.

Sewed a buttonhole last night for my 4 year old's pants. That was WAY cool. Buttonhole jig is a piece of plastic, but it's freakin' magic on a machine that can do a buttonhole stitch. Actually turned out looking pretty good, and works great.

Have a crocheted baby comforter that my Mother In Law made for our oldest. There's a rip through it, and I want to repair it. They have a knitting/crocheting group that meets Tuesdays. Got a field trip this week to find color matched yarn.

[zabet]

124. I sewed professionally for years....

I made custom order wedding dresses for a bridal shop. Made many sets of matching bridesmaids dresses too. Not too many types of specialty sewing machines I don't know how to use/have used.
The only sewing machine in my home is a fully functional treadle singer with all the attatchments that could be purchased for it. I acquired it from the original owner. It sews like a dream.
I NEVER worried about how I looked sewing.....only about how what I was sewing looked.

[CountAllVotes]

126. I spent one of my first paychecks on a Singer sewing machine

This was in the 1970s. I still have said machine and it still works very good. I've had it tuned up a few times and it has done lots of work over the past 40 years.

It is a Singer Stylist, one of the first "free arm" machines ever made.

It cost a lot of money at that time (close to $300.00!). I didn't realize what a mess I gotten myself into with said purchase as the place I bought if from threw in a lot of "extras" with their financing of 21%.

Once I realized this, I paid it off as soon as I could.

At that time a $300.00 machine was like buying a $1000.00 machine today.

The last thing I made was drapes for my home when we moved here as I had no money to buy some so I bought some huge tapestries and made drapes out of them and received many comments/compliments about them, like, "Where did you find these? They are great!". When I told admirers of these drapes that I made them with my own two hands and no pattern, they were shocked I tell you, shocked!

Sewing kept me busy as a teenager and kept me OUT of a lot of trouble in my day no doubt. My late father would always have a few bucks to give me if I told him I wanted to make a new dress, etc. for school.

to sewing for whatever reason!

[lostincalifornia]

127. I wonder if Katrina Helmkamp has done her dishes and made the beds? Ms. Heimkamp is the CEO of SVP

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=10319891

[Le Taz Hot]

132. Can someone please define to me

what "urgent housekeeping chores" are?

The only one that I can think of (WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION AHEAD) is that time the kitten got sick in the middle of the night and stuff was comin' out both ends. All over the house. In that my first clue was that I actually stepped in one of the piles -- barefoot -- I decided that was an "urgent housekeeping chore" but other than that, nothing else comes to mind.

I stopped worrying about always having a clean house decades ago.



N.B.: The timing on this is perfect. I start a new sewing class next week.

[Doremus]

137. Her sewing machine was my mother's most cherished possession

She made all her children's clothing, sometimes much to our chagrin (my brother's naru jacket 4th grade picture a case in point), but mostly with appreciation for her awesome talent (new upholstery for the '31 Ford and the best Halloween costumes in town!).

All my special dresses for school dances, my brother's wedding, even my own wedding dress were stitched by my mother on her 50s-era Singer. She taught me to sew on it too. I crafted some memorable outfits for high school home-ec class, lol. Once, while making a cute pants suit for her Mother's Day gift, I managed to get my finger under the needle and it went right through my nail. She ran downstairs to get the pliers but couldn't bring herself to pull the needle out. I took care of it then promptly passed out. LOL

Mom's gone now but her sewing machine will stay with me until I rejoin her.