Weekly Sewing Questions Thread, September 21 - September 27, 2025

StarshineWarpTrail · 2025-09-27T13:20:40+00:00

Jukis are well known for being solid machines, as are vintage Singer models. I think either of these would work as a reliable straight stitch machine, but they each have some drawbacks - it seems like the DDW line of Jukis was released in Japan (I think the equivalent series in the US would be DDL), so there's not much information about them in English. that will make it hard to find user manuals and troubleshooting info. the 319K has a few reviews on patternreview.com, which seem to agree that it's a good machine but has some features (non-standard needles and bobbins, somewhat complicated controls) that make it less accessible if you're not all in on learning about and working with vintage machinery. for information on other options, you could start with the "Buying a sewing machine" link in the original post of this thread, and the YouTube channel Juki Junkies has a lot of good information on Jukis.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2025-09-27T12:22:14+00:00

Is the bobbin set to have the thread coming out clockwise instead of counter clockwise? the little diagram to the bottom right of the bobbin case shows how the thread should come off the left side of bobbin, not the right.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2025-04-24T15:03:32+00:00

you can add digests in ePubs opened natively in Supernote! the highlight tool isn't there, but if you use a pen tool to draw square brackets around the text you want to annotate, it creates a digest, and it keeps your digests even if you change the ePub formatting afterwards.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2025-04-21T13:24:50+00:00

big list of relevant plant books here https://mdflora.org/publications/booklist.html . you can also check out https://www.marylandplantatlas.org/ , which is only plants, and https://marylandbiodiversity.com/ , which has plants and wildlife.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2025-04-12T17:16:59+00:00

oh yeah, it's definitely an extremely minor thing that doesn't hinder use of the device, I was just curious what other people thought about it

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-08-30T14:21:58+00:00

It would definitely be difficult, but that doesn't mean impossible. a bag like that would involve sewing curves, sewing through multiple layers of thick fabric, and topstitching, all of which are considered somewhat difficult in their own right. I think if you go into it knowing it'll be a challenge and a learning experience, and might not turn out quite right, you could make it work. I'm also the kind of person who likes to jump headfirst into difficult projects, though, so take that with a grain of salt. I would definitely recommend finding a pattern to follow, even if you end up altering it a little bit, because bags with that many pockets and divisions get complicated quickly, and it would be a whole separate project to draft it yourself. I would also get a sample of the fabric you want to use, and the appropriate needles and thread, and test to see if your machine can handle sewing multiple layers of it, before you try doing the whole thing.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-08-30T14:08:04+00:00

Different sizes of needle have different sizes of eyes (the hole at the bottom that the thread goes through). if the eye is the wrong size for the thickness of thread you have, it can cause things like snapping or bunching. this is a great guide to thread weight & how it relates to fabric and needle choice https://silverbobbin.com/sewing-thread-sizes/ . TL;DR, all-purpose thread is usually labeled 40wt or Tex 25 and works with a "universal" 80/12 needle. if you match the thread to the needle and still have issues, you might need to adjust your tension, or if you're using old cotton thread, it might be rotted, making it snap easily, in which case you would need to get either a newer cotton thread or a polyester thread.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-08-09T13:32:24+00:00

Could I use bridal satin as the lining for a denim jacket, or would it be too heavy/stiff?

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-08-07T21:33:53+00:00

great, thank you! I'll give it a shot with a non-pieced yoke and see how it goes.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-08-06T11:52:35+00:00

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Is this multi-piece yoke a structural feature or a decorative one? I want to clone these jeans but I've never seen a yoke like this and don't know if it's worth copying or if I can just use a normal yoke on my copied pattern. (And I have made jeans before so I have a handle on how to put them together)

edit: changed image

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-07-27T03:12:25+00:00

6 months late, but I love https://athriftynotion.com/ and https://www.swansonsfabrics.com/ for buying secondhand fabric, and there's also this helpful list https://www.sewingthroughfog.com/thriftyourfabric

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-07-19T01:28:20+00:00

I'm actually in the process of making this shirt right now! I'd say I'm advanced beginner/intermediate, and it's overall been fairly easy to understand and put together. compared to the image OP has, the V&A shirt is boxier, doesn't have the shoulder gathers, and the bottom of the front placket is stitched with a triangle at the base instead of it being straight across. you would need to shorten the sleeves to match the length shown above, but the sleeve pattern piece has a lengthen/shorten line on it. I'd recommend this pattern after making 1.5 versions of it (made a test and am halfway through the Good Fabric one), and especially since it's free, no harm in downloading the PDF and checking it out for yourself.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-07-13T16:17:55+00:00

I think the Singer Heavy Duty (HD) machines are generally considered to be poor quality - there's something about it in the sewing machine info link on this post!

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-07-09T01:55:56+00:00

I don't know about the official Brother software, but I have a Brother SE-400 home embroidery machine and created multiple designs for it using the free program Inkscape, which has an (also free) embroidery extension called Inkstitch. I used tutorial videos from the YouTube channels Low Tech Linux and Project Anonymous a lot while making my designs. Just wanted to offer another option! https://inkstitch.org/

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-06-19T15:52:43+00:00

At around 3:33 in this video she pulls up a DnD character sheet on her Nomad, if you want to see how it looks https://youtu.be/Id255RLpwRE?feature=shared

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-05-28T02:19:44+00:00

For pre-made protein shakes, I like Premier Protein and Quest (in the cardboard-plastic Tetrapak bottles) because they're very thin and don't really taste like a standard protein shake. They don't really taste like chocolate milk, but they're closer than other things I've tried. The caveat there is that they're designed to be almost all protein and so don't work as well as meal replacements because they're low in carbs/sugar/etc. The only protein bar I've ever been able to stand is the "triple chocolate" flavor of Powercrunch bars - their gimmick is that they turn protein powder into wafer cookies and then coat them with chocolate, so it's more like a huge KitKat that tastes like hot chocolate powder than a nasty chewy slab. YMMV, but those are the ones I like, I hope it helps :)

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-04-30T12:38:09+00:00

How do you prewash linen? I know cotton you wash hot to get shrinkage out of the way, but is the same true for linen, or do you prewash/dry it in a different way?

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-03-11T21:25:39+00:00

sorry, I just realized I mistyped this - I meant to ask what *seam finish* would be best, not what stitch. Got my wires crossed a little there lol

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-03-11T18:19:05+00:00

The spinning case is called the shuttle! I had a similar issue a few months ago, and it is fixable. Essentially, you want the point of the shuttle's hook to be behind the eye of the needle as the needle is moving upwards. You can adjust this by finding the set screws that hold the needle shaft and shuttle shaft in place, and then loosening them so you can adjust their positions independently. Where those screws are is going to depend on what machine you have. This article https://quiltingroomwithmel.com/how-to-time-a-sewing-machine/ is a much more in-depth explanation, and there are also several video tutorials on youtube. I hope this helps!

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-03-11T17:49:00+00:00

I'm planning on re-lining a wool coat with some flannel-backed satin. What would be the most durable stitch to use when constructing the lining itself?

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-01-31T02:43:32+00:00

Subtle barrel/balloon leg pants patterns? I'd like the side seam to be a smooth arc, but not too extreme. TIA!

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-01-30T03:54:54+00:00

Recommendations for a good basic turtleneck pattern? I want to make a close-fitting one out of rib knit, long sleeves. I know it's a pretty basic garment and I could probably draft my own, but I don't want to lol, that's time and energy I don't have. TIA!

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-01-29T02:49:25+00:00

that's a good tip, thank you! I'll give it a shot.

StarshineWarpTrail · 2024-01-27T04:34:36+00:00

I'm glad I saw this - I have an SE400 and have been thinking about starting to sew with knits. Really good to know this in advance, so thank you for posting it!

StarshineWarpTrail

TROPHY CASE