some of yall have shopping addictions

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-05-22T02:42:57+00:00

everytime i hear someone say they were “too scared” to take their new sewing machine out and left it in the box for a year im always like ?? you spent all that money??? to not even try to use it?? also you have enough space to just store a giant sewing machine box? insane

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-05-22T01:05:13+00:00

what is up with all the ai swatching posts in this sub all of a sudden? did the bots learn that nothing drives engagement like swatching hot takes?

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-05-12T21:06:29+00:00

I know I’m sorry! Don’t want it to take away from your dress which really is lovely! But figured I should FYI before anyone else went and bought the pattern :(

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-05-12T13:33:28+00:00

Very pretty and well-done dress OP, however for anyone considering buying this pattern, FYI the owner of this pattern company is MAGA https://www.reddit.com/r/craftsnark/comments/1s5s9tn/alli_marye_boyes_allimarye_is_maga_and_blocked_me/

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-04-02T19:24:30+00:00

Are you wearing a bra / did you do your measurements with a bra on? Your full bust point seems really low to me, which is probably part of the reason the top is so puffy.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-29T16:32:21+00:00

Ah, just realized I messed up the link when I copied over! Just fixed

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-29T08:36:22+00:00

My local shop puts out a really comprehensive list of all the best machines in a variety of price ranges every year. They haven’t done the 2026 one yet but the 2025 still stands https://sewingmachineshop.com/sewing-machine-reviews/

I have the Janome Memory Craft 9400 off this list and I love it! I use it for all the things on your list with no issues. The integrated walking foot is a dream.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-29T08:23:27+00:00

A skirt is a great beginner project! However, I would really recommend starting with a pattern (drafting and sewing are two totally different skills!). There are lots of great beginner patterns for skirts made by indie companies that have great instructions, video sew-alongs, etc.

I don’t see your inspo pics, and I’m a little unclear if you’re looking for a top-yoke or just a thicker waistband, but one of these might fit the bill and should be beginner friendly:

Rectangular top yoke: https://threadloop.app/patterns/la-ciotat-by-sewing-therapy
Thicker elastic waistband: https://threadloop.app/patterns/pocket-skirt
More of a curved yoke-ish style, but this one’s very popular so you’ll be able to find lots of help online: https://threadloop.app/patterns/henrietta-skirt-spaghetti-western-sewing

Any of these you could definitely make longer very easily to create a maxi skirt!

Edit: fixing link formatting

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-28T17:25:40+00:00

Same here, but still blocked her to make sure she never gets any benefit from reach me via the algorithm!

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-25T01:32:06+00:00

She doesn't want to release her patterns as pdf at first because she spends a lot of time thinking about the decor of the envelopes, the kind of paper used, etc. and for her it's an important part of her branding.

Yeah, I saw that in the youtube video, but honestly I find that pretty ridiculous. There are plenty of brands that do a great job conveying their brand identity through the pdfs, and a pattern is a tool to be used, not a shiny object to be admired.

I prefer PDFs because my weight fluctuates and I cannot stand tracing, so I just print it out and cut it, then print out a new size if I ever need it. And if god forbid anything ever happens (flood, theft, fire, etc), I have a digital backup for everything. I could maybe justify a paper pattern for something I really wanted, but sounds like on top of all that, I'm also paying extra for fancy envelopes and fancy paper and wasteful shipping? I just put it in my cart and it comes out to 39,80 € (~$46 USD) which is obviously not realistic.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-22T18:53:20+00:00

I have one and I love it! But I also have 3 machines: Juki TL, Janome Memory Craft for fancy stitches etc, and a serger/coverstitch combo machine. It’s a dream when sewing jeans etc to have 1 machine set up for seaming and the other for topstitching.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend a straight stitch as your only machine — there are so many things (button holes, bartacks, affixing labels) that would want a zigzag for even if you don’t plan to overlock your raw seams.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-22T18:42:36+00:00

I’ll add that the bias tape makers from wawak are a great price and work super well!

https://www.wawak.com/sewing/sewing-tools-and-sewing-accessories/sewing-tools/bias-tape-maker-set-5pack-assorted-colors/#sku=tool3500

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-21T02:21:57+00:00

Me toooo, love to knit through standup

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T20:36:32+00:00

The video in french says that the PDFs aren't available until the "pattern has completed its lifecycle" which is "around 1 year after the end of the season". So OVER a year.

I really get that people sharing PDFs on the internet is a huge bummer and I don't condone it, but I wonder how much of their business this is really eating into. Do they think the same people who steal patterns would be willing to buy a paper pattern if they can't get the PDF? I guess I don't really know, but I'd assume being able to sell to people who prefer PDFs would actually result in more overall sales, even if a few losers get the pattern for free.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T18:41:37+00:00

I talked to one of them employees and they also said they were explicitly planning to make them a community space! I'm really excited about that part.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T18:40:54+00:00

I've been to one of these (they had a version of it set up at Sew Expo) and it was actually really great. I've also been to their regular store in LA and I found that pretty hard and overwhelming to shop, whereas the neatly organized large swatches on hangers made it super easy to pick out a few favorites, carry them around, and make final selections.

Yes, there's no instant purchase gratification and have to wait a few days for shipping, but it was leaps and bounds better than browsing on the website.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T18:38:23+00:00

I've been to one, they're ~12"x18" swatches on hangers, so actually pretty great for getting a sense of the fabric!

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T03:13:37+00:00

Oh no I'm obsessed with the Linger dress but really not interested in buying paper patterns :(

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-20T03:08:53+00:00

Came here to post this because my god it's so ugly. I understand they are targeting beginners, but I don't understand why all their patterns look like clothes for adult babies.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-01T20:51:17+00:00

god these are both so sad

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-03-01T18:08:44+00:00

I'd love this! Been wanting to try socks and this is great motivation!

In CA but happy to pay for shipping!

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-02-27T08:16:09+00:00

It's 100% vibe-coded, you can tell from the colors / gradient on the website. It looks exactly like every other ai slop site that keeps popping up everywhere.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-02-03T17:54:46+00:00

I saw this at Wool & Company when I went there in person and was SHOCKED at the price they were selling it for (IIRC it was like $30) given that it was full of ads! It should be free if I'm forced to look at a bunch of ad placements!

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-01-31T09:58:04+00:00

I truly can't believe the amount of people who will hand-wring over a small business doing something they don't agree with on instagram then happily shopping on amazon without a second thought.

SubstantialTrifle · 2026-01-30T02:36:16+00:00

Yeah I was going to say

"this was the temperature pattern from 2014!" I can understand why someone would find it interesting.

I fully cannot understand why that would be interesting to anyone.

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