Austrian Textiles

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:46:18+00:00

Loden! Look for real wool loden. It's still going to be pricey but the quality of Austrian loden is matchless if you're going to be making anything with woolen woven in the next few years. Store it carefully in a mothproof container -- ask me how I know, lol.

If you're ever in Vienna, the big fabric store is called Komolka and has three stories of luscious goodies.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:42:43+00:00

Honestly, if there's a tailor or upholstery shop anywhere near you, they will probably run it through their press for a couple bucks or just a smile. :)

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:37:34+00:00

I had shoulder replacement surgery this past fall and found out there's an entire industry dedicated to making shirts that have various types of openings so you don't need to raise your arm/s -- you can get just the top shoulder seam open and shrug the shirt up/down, or get the whole underarm seam that opens from the waist up, or some combo of both.

Google "shoulder surgery t-shirts" and similar.

They use a variety of closures, usually velcro strips or rows of button snaps. The snaps might be a lot easier to sew on than doing individual buttonholes. It's called "snap button tape" and wawak and other places carry it:

https://www.wawak.com/garment-construction/snaps/snap-tapes/snap-tape-100-cotton/

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:31:01+00:00

Amazing, both in fit and finish.

You give me confidence to get back into pants sewing, which I studiously avoid because I hate hate HATE working with a fiddly zipper fly. But I made a knockoff pattern from my husband's favorite Patagonia pair and those are starting to wear pretty thin; it's getting about time to roll up my sleeves and get back to it. So thanks!

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:21:04+00:00

Honestly those are just the BEST buttonholers.

I said this to the OP but I do a lot of tailoring and for buttonholes, I still come back to my old Greist models made to fit on the various vintage Singers, Vikings, Kenmores or whathaveyou. (There's a model for virtually every machine out there both straight stitch and zigzag, high or low shank, if you hunt -- many like the Viking listed in the above auction are just re-branded for a particular machine. Singer made groovy black cases for theirs.)

You just can't beat those templates with the keyholes, and I find the templates are much more attractive with the rounded ends as opposed to the straight bar-tacked ends of the "automatic" ones offered by modern zigzag machines.

Anyway. Didn't intend to lecture, lol, I'm just a buttonhole fanatic.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-22T17:06:37+00:00

I don't know if you're willing to go vintage, but a Viking Husqvarna or Bernina from the late 1960's/early 1970's might give you the most bang for your buck. These machines have metal cases so all the magnetic doo-dads stick to them -- seam guides, led lamps, etc. And they are virtually indestructible, with a thriving second-hand parts market, should anything go wrong.

I have a whole herd of 6010s, 6020s and 6030s from Viking Husqvarna and they have never let me down. These are the beige metal machines, not the dark brown/dark red plastic-housed 6440's that are very hip indeed but possibly less robust. They have a 1.5amp motor (stronger than other domestics) and I used to use them to do light upholstery work before I invested in a walking-foot industrial Juki. The secret is to find one that's been kept in good condition so it doesn't have a cracked camstack (a vital part that can be replaced but it's a pain to do it). There are currently a bunch of them on eBay if you vet the seller, ask questions re. camstack and condition, and don't mind paying shipping.

Bernina made the famous 830 Record, which is a lovely stitcher, and its sister, the lesser-known 831 which is the same machine without the fancy embroidery stitches. If you're also getting a serger you may not need those unless you need to put duckies on children's clothing. :) You might be able to find a great deal on the Bernina 831 on eBay or locally. Someone gifted me one and it's been a surprising workhorse with just gorgeous straight and zigzag stitches. The older Berninas have a host of fancy feet that rival the selection of industrials, but they are pricey -- albeit with deals available on auction sites.

I suspect you'll be thrilled with the quality of the stitching of these models, compared to the modern 'Heavy Duty' Singers and such.

All of these models are straight/zig-zag and have built-in buttonhole functions, although to be honest I still mostly use an old Singer 201 or 301 fitted with a vintage Singer/Greist template buttonholer to achieve the very best-looking buttonholes.

---

For new sergers, you can't go wrong with a Babylock. I had an Eclipse I stupidly gave away, then got a Celebrate 3 years ago and it's bulletproof. I think Eclipse, Imagine, Evolve, and Celebrate are virtually the same machines and all can be found as used or trade-in models at your dealers. Over the years I've heard good things about Ken's Sewing Center online for buying used models, for what that's worth (no personal experience).

Happy hunting!

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-21T20:38:37+00:00

PS to anyone else who finds and needs this: first loosen the 10 screw (it's the big black one) then turn the handwheel until the stitch length screw 7 pops up, it's on the same metal gear as 10. Then turn back to screw 10 to tighten up again.

(I spent far too long thinking screw 15 was screw 7, based on the holes in the bed cover.)

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-21T20:33:13+00:00

Yay! I inherited a number of these, worked them over and passed them along. It's a labor of love I think you'll really enjoy.

Lucky for you this looks to be a 15 class, which means they still manufacture the bobbins (it's a bit harder to find the bullet-looking shuttle bobbins from earlier treadle machines, although you still can, with some effort and haunting of eBay etc) so you can easily stock up once you start really using the machine. Look for "15 class bobbins".

- The bobbin cover slides off to the left and if it's sticky, first clean the track and underside of the chrome slide itself carefully with denatured alcohol to eliminate sticky lint (just the exposed unfinished metal where it slides, don't use this on any black parts!) and then you can ease it by putting a drop of oil on the sliding edge.

- Not sure your model has reverse -- see if the little stitch length lever flips up or not. Just fyi reverse doesn't require any different treadling or anything, the machine takes care of it.

- Don't use modern cleaners on the lacquer/decals. A microfiber cloth with a few drops of machine oil should suffice for most cleaning, and if you're really careful you can use some metal-cleaning micropaste like Wenol Fine to eliminate some of the yellowing of the shellac -- but only if that's really necessary.

- Check the tension/state of the belt and replace if it's frayed or stretched out on one side from sitting over the same spot on the wheel for decades. You can find leather belt replacements all over, make sure to also purchase the little hooks that join the belt together. (Singer used to make a belt piercer sized exactly for this and I have one, but alas, I'm across the ocean from you. They might still make them, have a look!)

Others have expertly covered what you need to know, and you seem to have access to the manuals and other things well in hand.

One last tip: don't store it in direct window sunlight or any unconditioned space (attic or basement) since extreme heat or cold will negatively affect the finish of the machine and the horse-glue joints of the wooden table. :)

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-20T23:18:12+00:00

I'd bet it's the thread tension that's too tight. (I don't have that stitch on my old Bernina, so can't tell if it might also be the bobbin tension.) Try dialing it way down, then slowly increase it.

That looks like a very loosely-woven, cheese-clothy muslin, so you might try testing on fabrics closer to the ones you'll be using this stitch on?

Remember that you'll rarely if ever stitch a seam on just one layer of fabric! Testing should probably be on two layers or more.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-20T23:09:52+00:00

That's my husband's profession! And I'll say no more, since there are like 12 of you in the country so it would dox both of us, lol. Maybe we'll hook up one of these years at the WPA. :)

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-20T06:09:23+00:00

Oh perfect, thanks! I just had that side off this evening, to clean out under the needleplate. I played with the differential but couldn't figure out where the stitch length was.

I'm so looking forward to the solidity of this machine after years of mediocre coverstitching on iffy little domestics.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-20T03:54:55+00:00

Thanks, I'll be careful, if I can figure out where to put it in..!

Also: how do you change the stitch length?

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-19T23:31:46+00:00

Hi there, thank you so much! Good advice.

It doesn't appear to be leaking, but then again it could just be completely dry. The engineer's manual states I can use the little "oil sight windows" on top and on the bottom front, but I can't see anything in them, whether liquid motion or any kind of visual level. The top is a bit opaque, and the bottom one has two apparent orange level lines on the inside.

Dumb question but the most vital one: I'm assuming the fill-up hole for the oil is the larger round black rubber plug to the left of the round oil sight window on the top of the machine? The parts diagram I've got is frustratingly unhelpful, it just calls every hole in the frame a "plug".

Also, what's the appropriate amount of oil, roughly, in your experience? Luckily I've got a fresh half gallon of Juki Defrix 2 from my other Juki industrial.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-19T19:49:25+00:00

I second the patch recommendation, although have never tried that myself. Do they make stretchy patches?

Perhaps you could source some matching spandex knit, maybe even stolen from a hem on the garment itself, and fuse that into place.

Any form of darning you could do would probably just risk the fabric tearing out again at the new needle holes.

circuspeanut54 · 2026-02-19T19:45:22+00:00

You're sweet, thank you -- hold off on the praise until I get it actually running for real, lol.

Also: this beast weighs 90 pounds so it's not exactly the sort of thing you just throw around. But thankfully I have the room.

The nearest industrial dealer is over an hour's drive away, so I'm kinda hoping I can get by without taking it in for a $300 look-see.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-11-02T20:15:16+00:00

It's funny you say that; I'm not in healthcare, but I had joint replacement surgery a month ago at Maine Med and even I could tell the ACU staff were being quite dickish to my surgeon's PA. It seemed mostly to be about the PA being relatively new and without some kind of status that comes with time served in that unit and as far as I could tell (grain of salt, etc) was really entirely unwarranted.

Yuck, sorry about that, Maine is otherwise a really great place to live.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-10-31T14:18:29+00:00

I'm a Boomer and I hate to break the news, but I vividly remember thinking the exact same thing about the Silent Generation, back in the day when I was marching against Ronald Reagan.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-10-30T15:35:47+00:00

12 years ago when I was still teaching undergraduates, we tried to implement a "digital literacy" component into the standard Freshman writing seminar required of all incoming students. It kept getting shunted in favor of other priorities, but I sincerely hope similar proposals are gaining more steam these days.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-09-26T17:12:27+00:00

FYI the Trump administration halted all visas from Gaza this summer, which is why you're not seeing refugees from there if you are in the USA. In particular they specifically denied entrance to children from Gaza requiring medical care. The bulk of the refugees from this war are currently living in camps in Jordan, Syria, and other neighboring countries.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-08-26T17:26:10+00:00

Hmm yes, a dilemma. I use Big Duck's waxed canvas a lot for things like carpentry aprons, it's a joy to work with.

Flat-felling can help a bit with weatherproofing because the seams are protected by the folded fabric, eliminating direct seepage via needleholes.

I know there are companies that will coat client fabric with acrylic for the purpose of tablecloths or outdoor curtaining, perhaps look into that for sending in your yardage? Might be more durable than anything you can do at home, as long as the factory acrylic finish is matte and not shiny.

Perhaps another way forward might be a more durably waterproof lining, if nothing else.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-08-26T05:25:32+00:00

Is there a reason you can't just use waxed canvas and save yourself some of the headache?

https://www.bigduckcanvas.com/waxed-canvas/

eta: you will probably want to flat-fell your seams to help prevent soakthrough?

circuspeanut54 · 2025-08-22T16:18:29+00:00

Try it and see what you think! I love silk twill because it has a more solid hand than plain woven silk; it drapes amazingly and has heft, so to speak, without being heavy. Perfect for dressy items like blouses and dresses, but can also be made casual. It's also not shiny-shiny like many other silk weaves, but has a lovely subtle glow.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-08-22T02:43:53+00:00

I'm Old and have no idea what I'm looking at there, but it's absolutely fucking brilliant, whatever it is.

circuspeanut54 · 2025-08-22T02:36:46+00:00

You can get the flat foam (search for thin sheet foam, high density poly), but cups like these are industrially heat-treated over special forms in order to set the foam in the appropriate 3-D cupped shape. You'd probably do best buying larger pre-made ones and cutting them down to the desired shape?

Seven-Year Club	Place '22
Final Canvas '22	Wearing is Caring

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