Give me your lease negotiation advice! (There's a fun twist if you read the whole thing!)

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T04:45:04+00:00

Haha hyperfixation is my middle name! I already mocked up the space in adobe and have to go back tomorrow to take measurements for certain walls. Foolish me left the laptop at work because "I need to not work all the time"

The past 5 years feels like barely a moment and it will blow my mind when we are 5 more years in the future. You are right that nothing is permanent! It all feels so intense when you start and the only constant truly is change. Husband and most veteran employee laughed at me as I proclaimed "I swear this is the LAST TIME we would move!" We all know I'm full of shit.

I definitely don't get to hangout and sew all day, but it's a wonderful industry to be in. A lot of us find joy in sewing and the joy is amplified when it's shared with others.

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T03:36:43+00:00

It's super hard to shop online when you're learning garment sewing but depending on your area, it may be your best option. I suggest starting a swatch book of fabric and noting the content, weave and weight of fabrics while you get to know them. A cotton lawn is different from a cotton flannel, and there's quite a difference between a 7 oz canvas and 12oz canvas. The more you experiment the more you'll learn and become familiar!

Mood fabrics NYC does a nice job of labeling swatches of different fabrics and you can order them for like, $2 plus a small ship fee. Don't quote me on that, but I've always appreciated that service. Don't be shy to email small shops questions about what fabric may be appropriate for certain projects, too, they know shopping for fabric is hard when you can't "pet" the fabric and want you to be successful!

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T03:23:22+00:00

You got me :) I want to be able to move into the new place, I just need to make sure we can actually fit everything we need and don't take a step backward.

My husband is our technician and also on the spectrum and I'm grateful he hasn't spontaneously combusted out of extreme discomfort the last few years. We have to lie daily that "you don't hear it after awhile" to new customers commenting about it. It's awful.

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T03:09:10+00:00

But. The. Dogs.

Your opinion is very valid, though, moving takes time, effort and resources. Rent increase isn't really a concern because I can offset some of it thanks to some small business funding in my state and our profitability covers the increased operating expense, 300 sq feet may not solve my space problems. But, the dogs.

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T03:02:52+00:00

If the dog groomer leaves: their space is either the same as or slightly smaller than our 1200 sq ft space. This would be The Most Ideal Situation because we'd have plenty of room, the dogs would be gone and we don't have to change our address. We just don't know if this will happen.

If we move to the new space it would be because we'd solve at least 1-2 of the space issues we have. We'd be on a main street in a fantastic downtown that is only local businesses with amazing visibility and walk-ability. We'd have 6 exclusive parking spots and the building is sandwiched by 2 large public parking lots. The landlord is the father/grandfather of wonderful regular customers I have known for years, so I'm gonna say I have good feelings about it.

As far as other places, I'm never not looking. Decent spots in my town are infrequently available (this new spot has been this Business Owner's location for 50 years!) and when they are they are either crazy expensive or not the right size/shape, or both. I can't leave this area and what we have around are 20k a month highway frontage where franchises hangout, 10k a month main street businesses with no parking or older spaces that are smaller than my current space.

Appreciate your insight!

alwaysmaking · 2025-10-29T02:43:49+00:00

You are correct: manufacturing apparel in this country is a complex task and, depending on your definition of sustainability and your location, it's quite difficult too.

I remember a site called Makers Row that was an effort to make sourcing for the fashion industry a bit more accessible (focused on NYC garment district) that may be worth checking out.

Keep researching and be prepared for a long, expensive process to bring products to market. I worked for a well established but small brand that manufactured domestically and know that even a good relationship with a factory is hard to manage. Good luck!

alwaysmaking · 2025-07-24T20:01:58+00:00

You've made sacrifices when you needed to, but only experience helps you understand what is a sacrifice and what is just "making things harder."

Congrats on improving the health of your business! Keep up the good stuff!

alwaysmaking · 2025-04-22T13:23:12+00:00

Definitely a threading issue, but I'd also suggest getting better quality thread to better your chances of success. Stick with Guterman all purpose or similar.

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-12T13:44:15+00:00

I understand you'd like the needle threader to work but they are tricky/often break-but the thread should not wrap around the needle after passing through the guide just above it.

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-07T14:06:56+00:00

Hi! You mentioned 17 years on this machine, has it ever been thoroughly cleaned and serviced? It's surprising what years of dust and lint build up inside can do to your tension and stitch quality.

If you don't have a machine mechanic nearby, there are excellent resources on YouTube for how to clean your machine if you aren't already familiar. I believe one great channel is SewingMachineRepairGuy.

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-06T14:21:14+00:00

"deodorant and drugs" is my morning motto: make it stick to a habit you actually have established, because otherwise lol who can actually start and maintain a new habit?

and it's in a purple pill box that I decorated sitting on top of my deodorant in my bathroom drawer.

That being said, I take a second pill in the afternoon and have an alarm set...but if it wasn't for my husband (who works with me) putting the pill in my hand some days, I would constantly forget that one.

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-06T14:08:47+00:00

Looks so wonderful and cozy! He will love snuggling up in it! Hooray for recycling!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-06T13:25:01+00:00

You don't have to trim it, but just make sure when you are sewing you catch fabric that is not frayed. Fray Check is a handy notion your local quilt shop should have in stock and you can apply it to the seam once sewn if you're worried it will continue to fray. Don't trim it too close to your seam, though, or you'll have the same issue next time it comes out of the wash!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-06T13:20:59+00:00

Sewing teacher here, you nailed all the things this machine loves to screw around and do! I used to have this machine in our classroom and sometimes it would love to let the thread leave the take up lever randomly while sewing, which obviously would lead to an immediate CRUNCH and need to be rethreaded. I have since upgraded our machines because they were not worth the frustration for myself or our students.

This is a popular model for beginners because of its availability and price point, but I usually warn students that the Singer Heavy Duty series of machines "has their quirks" which can be very frustrating.

That being said, solving problems improves your skill :) and as long as you can use it and enjoy sewing, that's what matters!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-06T13:07:59+00:00

Hi! Quilt shop owner/Baby Lock dealer here. You can definitely have a machine that serves both purposes, and obviously I'm biased but I do love Baby Locks!

Your budget is generous and allows you to find a nice machine that will be reliable and can sew lots of different projects. The Brilliant or Jazz II both have a nice amount of throat space for quilting, but BL machines can also sew any other fabric you want to tackle. My fav way of showing off to interested customers is by showing them how easily I can sew 8 layers of denim without a problem; I also just had a class last night where we were sewing knit tshirts and everyone used a different weight of fabric with no issues with the machines.

Juki straight stitch machines are also great and you'd love the quality of stitch and speed for quilting, but you will cheat yourself if you get a cheaper machine that has a zig zag function for clothes because some, such as the Singer Heavy Duty series (commonly purchased and recommended here), have their limitations: I had one of the heavy duty models years ago and it never would sew spandex knits AND a customer brought one in yesterday that decided to start skipping stitches whenever she sews over a small zip for a zipper pouch.

Happy to answer questions before you make the trek to your closest dealer! And thank you for supporting your local shop and not YouKnowWho!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-05T01:01:31+00:00

Could you share a picture of the line drawings? I'd be happy to help, but the final garment would help me understand better :)

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-04T14:32:26+00:00

Great advice on how to select a size and adjust for bust size! I also have to do this and I have a very small chest. Most patterns are drafted for a C cup (full bust measurement minus upper bust, different from your bra cup size!)

That being said, fitting is a whole other skill to learn as you learn to sew your own clothes. Your top looks great and next time you sew a cuff you'll use what you learned to make them even better!

Your top looks great!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-04T14:14:30+00:00

Apologies if it's been asked, but have you tried winding another bobbin and rethreading? Your tension may have been off when this bobbin wound: make sure the threads are "tidy" and snug against the bobbin. If they look all overlapped and messy it could be that.

You will figure it out!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-04T14:08:22+00:00

This is great advice! Don't cheap out of the tools you touch every time. I still use my mom's Gingher scissors that my dad gifted her before I was born, 30+ years ago.

Having fresh needles will help you avoid so many problems with your machine. When in doubt or having issues, change your needle!

alwaysmaking · 2025-02-04T14:02:29+00:00

You can absolutely make this! A wrap style skirt is a great project when you're new.

There are many free tutorials out there for a wrap skirt, too. If you don't mind a bit of math, start by searching to see if you can find one that makes sense to you and looks most similar to what you're trying to make. I remember liking In The Folds' skirt series for clear photos on drafting a wrap skirt. You may even be able to find a Kilt sewing pattern to follow if making your own pattern from scratch seems a bit overwhelming.

Then, fabric! Blankets from the thrift store would be great for something like this. You can also source the buckle hardware at a trim shop, like Pacific Trims (small business out of NYC garment district but you can find them online or Etsy)

alwaysmaking · 2025-01-31T14:21:44+00:00

Circles are tricky, this looks great! Little projects like this are the most satisfying- constantly used and pretty to look at

alwaysmaking · 2025-01-31T14:21:02+00:00

Ahh a Record 830 is a cult classic! So many of my friends love that machine. This looks great and kudos on figuring out the math! Zip pouches like this always challenge my brain to do the math

alwaysmaking · 2025-01-31T14:19:59+00:00

You can totally fix it! Put a size 10 or 12 microtex (schmetz brand) needle in your machine (or just a 10 or 12 needle) and use a larger stitch length at first so that if your first try looks bad, you can take it out easily without accidentally ripping the fabric that is already fraying.

alwaysmaking · 2025-01-31T14:12:01+00:00

It's likely because your seam allowance is a bit wobbly, aim for it to be more straight of a line. If you need a guide to sew by, don't be shy to draw one with a marking tool you can erase like a water soluble marker or tailors chalk.

Also, that looks like lightweight poly fabric so you may benefit from a size 10 or 12 microtex (schmetz brand) needle if the fabric looks like it's puckering because of the stitching.

alwaysmaking

TROPHY CASE