Name That Notion!

Friends, this weekend at the Chelsea flea market I was delighted to stumble upon a big bag full of vintage notions and a trunk stuffed with vintage cotton fabric.  As you can guess, I couldn't resist.

First, the fabric:

I just love these old cotton prints and each piece is at least 5-6 yards long, if not more, at $4 apiece.  I plan to launder them later today.



These two are my absolute favorites:





The bag of notions I bought is primarily kits to make cloth-covered buttons and buckles.  I've never done that before and am excited to try.





But there were a few things I couldn't identify, and I knew I would have to draw on your collective expertise.  I thought it might be fun to turn this into a game/contest, so I've added a few additional "mystery" items just for fun.  Wanna play?

1)  You may have seen one of these before, or something very much like it.  This one was manufactured by Dritz.



Two questions:  a) How does it work, and b) Why is the first visible number at the bottom an "8"?

2. What is this black stuff called and what purpose does it serve?



3. What is this white thingamajig and what is it for?



4. These copper colored items are also stamped "Dritz."  What are they?  (I honestly don't know so if you're persuasive, you may be able to invent something and make the rest of us believe it.)



The winner shall receive...oh, I don't know...how about either a vintage Prims "Cover-your-own" buckle, or "Cover-your-own" buttons kit?  I'll announce the winner tomorrow and I'm willing to mail it anywhere.

Ready to play?  The first person who gets all four questions right is the winner.

On your mark, get set....NAME THAT NOTION!

Good luck, everybody!

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On Pins & Needles + The Daily Ditch!

Readers, today I want to talk about self love.

Do you ever find that in your daily rushed routine of taking care of others you neglect yourself?  I do!  It often seems like if I'm not walking chihuahuas, I'm feeding chihuahuas, or stroking chihuahuas, or tossing some stuffed something-or-other-that-used-to-have-legs-that-got-chewed-off and playing with chihuahuas.  Actually, only they're playing, I'm just throwing.

How about me?

I had an epiphany yesterday, inspired no doubt by my new Daily Ditch feature here on MPB.  Friends, I did so want to call this The Daily Dump, but Michael thought that sounded a little...er...you know.  We ran through a whole host of possibilities, including The Daily Discard, The Daily Detritus, and Crap du Jour.   I hope you're happy with The Daily Ditch as it was very much the compromise choice.

But back to today's topic.   I decided that it was time to do something unprecedented in my two-plus years of sewing, an act of true self love: I replaced all my sewing pins.  I love me!

I use a pin cushion that came with one of my vintage sewing machines, my Pfaff 139, to be precise.  See it there in the photo?



Here it is today.



The pins that it came with were I don't know how old -- but old -- and some were rusty and crusty as well.  You'd think I'd have replaced them all at that time, but instead, I proceeded to use them for the following two years.  I cannot tell you how many times I've tried to stick a pin into a project only to find that the tip was too dull, too bent, or simply too yucky, and I had to reach for another one.  This doesn't take a lot of time, but over a period of years, it adds up.



Last winter, I actually treated myself to a fresh box of pins from Sil Thread, only I never opened it.  Until yesterday that is.  Behold!





These new pins are a little longer than my old ones and finer.  They may not last as long, but it feels great to finally do something for me, for me, for ME!

BTW, I could use a new pin cushion too, and I noticed that Sunni over at A Fashionable Stitch sells adorable ones, both the tomato kind and the wrist kind.   I have one of those cheapie wrist pincushions, but I never wear it on my wrist.  To be blunt, it sucks, and will likely be a Daily Ditch in the near future.



While we're on the subject of pins, let's talk about needles.   When I started sewing, I got turned on to Organ needles and I've used them ever since.  I buy mine at Steinlauf & Stoller in the Garment District, but you can find these most anywhere sewing machine needles are sold.  I sew most frequently with Size 9's and 11's, though I always keep 14's around, as well as 18's for denim and elephant hide.



I change my needle before I begin any important project, or when I break one, which I do on occasion.  I found these vintage ball point needles at the flea market recently, though I have yet to use them.  Often my vintage machines come with interesting old notions, and that's usually how I get exposed to them.  Otherwise I stick to the tried-and-true.



Readers, it's time once again for the The Daily Ditch!

This Rolls Razor contraption belonged to my father, who probably purchased it in the 1950s when it was -- excuse the pun -- the cutting edge in shaving.  My father died a long time ago and this appliance has sat under one of the bathroom sinks in my mother's apartment ever since.   She finally gave it to me.   Friends, I have absolutely no interest in this razor, though I have seen ones like it turn up on Etsy.  It comes with its own sharpening surface, and you're supposed to roll the blade against this surface to sharpen it (hence the name).



As you can see, it's quite snazzy and was made in England.  Today we bid it goodbye.







But wait -- today we have special bonus ditch!

Like me, you probably have, hidden away in some drawer somewhere, a pile of telephone headsets and other assorted useless attachments for phones you no longer own.  Whatever happened to the days when you'd own a phone for fifty years?  Now it seems you have to replace them every year or so, and of course the headsets from the old phones never fit the new phones -- the manufacturers aren't that stupid!  (My current POS cell phone only uses bluetooth accessories wouldn't you know).

Today I'm ditching a big pile of these contraptions, and I say good riddance to bad rubbish!



In closing, friends, what kind of pins would you recommend to the home sewer looking to replace all of his or her pins?  Are you loyal to any particular sewing needle brand, or just use whatever came with your sewing machine years ago, as you haven't changed your needle ever?

I find that changing a sewing machine needle can make a huge positive difference in the quality of my stitches, but it's often the last thing people consider.  Please change your needle sometime in this lifetime! 

Have a great day, everybody, and give yourself a hug -- or a sharp new sewing machine needle!

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Favorite Online Sewing Resources!

Readers, we all love sewing blogs.  In fact, if it weren't for sewing blogs like this one, I wouldn't be the Troy Donahue of men's sewing (with a 43.95% sexy index).  But today I want to focus on something else: the online sewing communities and organizations that serve us home sewers best.

An acquaintance recently told me of a volunteer-run sewing organization located in Ithaca, New York, Sew Green.  On their website, I stumbled upon this surprising statistic, from the Home Sewing Association:

Interest in personal sewing and clothing design has increased dramatically in the past few years. The Home Sewing Association estimates that the number of sewing enthusiasts in the U.S. has increased by 5 million since 2000, and annual sales of the leading brand of sewing machines has doubled since 1999.  

Of course I was intrigued by the numbers, but more than anything I wondered, What in the world is the Home Sewing Association??

It turns out that there is currently no Home Sewing Association as such: they closed their doors in 2007.  Or did they?

There is a site called Sewing.org and I've seen online references to the Home Sewing Association that now link there.  Does anybody know what the relationship is?   They both share a Monroeville, PA address.  But there's nothing on the Sewing.org site about who they are or what they do beyond "Sewing.org is part of the Sewing & Craft Alliance (SCA).  SCA provides education and creative resources to the sewing and craft enthusiast."  They do offer a free men's sewing tutorial for a cable cache -- "a gift for a special someone" -- however.

Of course, there is the non-profit American Sewing Guild, which operates out of Houston, Texas.  I know many MPB readers are members and are active on the ASG boards.  I'm not, for no other reason than that I only recently heard about ASG.   Are you a member?  I should probably join.

My online introduction to sewing was via Pattern Review, and it's a site I love.  It's not the most sophisticated-looking sewing site out there, but it works well, and it's a fantastic resource for those interested in learning sewing techniques, looking to purchase a new (or vintage) sewing machine, and most obviously, for anyone interested in reviews of new (and many vintage) patterns.  

There are many advanced sewers on PR with decades of experience who are active on their message boards -- a great place to go with sewing-related questions.  There are also contests and classes and much more.   As a man, I've found Pattern Review to be extremely helpful and tremendously supportive.  They even have a "Men Who Sew" section on their message board.  I've found membership to be well worth the nominal cost.



Undoubtedly hipper is BurdaStyle, another favorite sewing site.  BurdaStyle members seem to skew younger than sites like Pattern Review, but I've never felt unwelcome there and I'm no kid (wheeze...).  As a more commercial website, there's a slicker feel there than at Pattern Review, with a focus on BurdaStyle patterns.  But anyone can post photos of any sewing project, and it's also an excellent resource for those with sewing-related questions.   Male sewers are active there, too, albeit in relatively small numbers.

Readers, as far as online communities and sewing organizations for home sewers go, these are the ones I am familiar with.

What other sewing communities are you involved with, not including blogs?  Are there any you particularly recommend to others, especially new sewers? 

Is there any organization keeping statistics on the popularity of home sewing that you know of?  Where would one go to find the most recent information?

I cede the floor to you...

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30 Sewing DOs & DON'Ts!

75 Sex Tips!  

55 Things You Can Learn About Him in 10 Minutes!!   

582 Ways to Get Rid of Belly Fat!!!

Readers, who doesn't love a list?  I know I do.  And they're just as much fun to write as they are to read.  Well, almost.

Anyway, I thought compiling a dos and don'ts of sewing list might be a good challenge, and I hope you'll let me know what you think.  Of course, this list reflects my experience; you are welcome to disagree!

With no further delay....

Peter's SEWING DOs

1. DO sew only projects you're excited about.

2. DO start an important project with a fresh sewing needle.

3. DO clean your sewing area and the bed of your sewing machine thoroughly (I use rubbing alcohol) before sewing with light-colored or white fabric.

4. DO give yourself a break between projects.

5. DO keep your sewing area clean -- or cleanish.

6. DO consider sewing with a vintage sewing machine, if only for the experience (you might prefer it).

7. DO keep a spare sewing machine (you'll stumble on a cheap one at a thrift store eventually).

8. DO pre-shrink your fabric if your fabric is apt to shrink in the wash.

9. DO press as you go.

10. DO learn how to maintain your sewing machine.

11. DO organize your sewing notions so you know where to find them next time you need them.

12. DO invest some time figuring out thread tension for your sewing machine.  (It's just two disks and a spring.)

13. DO create a dedicated sewing space.

14. DO learn from your mistakes.

15. DO share your sewing knowledge with others.

BONUS DO!

16. DO talk up sewing when you can -- young people need to know it exists.

Peter's SEWING DONTs

1. DON'T sew when you're feeling exhausted.

2. DON'T rush.  Another day won't make a difference and you'll be wearing your project (hopefully) a long time.

3. DON'T sew for others unless the idea brings you joy.

4. DON'T buy the cheapest new sewing machine you can find at Walmart, Kmart, etc.

5. DON'T use cheap interfacing.

6. DON'T fall for every bell and whistle available on a new sewing machine; you'll never use most of them.

7. DON'T iron with a dirty faceplate.

8. DON'T beat yourself up if your garment doesn't come out perfect. 

9. DON'T sew under poor light.

10. DON'T put water in your iron if you're ironing a fabric that's water-stainable.

11. DON'T keep every last fabric scrap for the fantastic quilt you will (never) make someday.

12. DON'T forget to clean out the fuzz beneath your throat plate periodically.

13. DON'T overlook refurbished machines; they're just as good as new imo.

14. DON'T set unreasonable standards for yourself.

15. DON'T force yourself to finish a project you've lost passion for.

BONUS DON'T!

16. DON'T hoard -- anything.

So what do you think, friends?  Has this been helpful?  What would you include on your do and don't list I haven't included here?

Are any of my dos your don'ts or vice versa?

Jump in!

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"Are my seams straight?"

Readers, we're not going to talk about ladies stockings today, though I haven't ruled out this riveting topic for the future, perhaps during "Fetish Week."

No, today, I want to discuss the tricks and tools we sewists use to keep our seams straight and seam allowances accurate.  MPB reader "E" recently emailed me to ask how I manage to sew so evenly, and whether it was simply a question of practice.



It does take practice, certainly, but there are lots of tricks you can use to make sure you're sewing accurately from the very beginning.

Here are a few of the most popular ones:

First of all, most sewing machines come with a numbered throat plate (sometimes called a needle plate).  The numbers on it refer to 8ths of an inch.



My vintage Kenmore 158.141 has markings on both sides of the presser foot (not just to the right).  Isn't that fantastic?



Vintage Singer straight stitchers often did not come with numbered throat plates (don't ask me why).   Here's my Featherweight.



Jenny at Sew-Classic.com sells numbered replacement plates for many vintage machines.    I use one of the ones she sells for my Singer 15-91, which did not come with a numbered plate.  It works fine.



Jenny also sells numbered peel-and-stick decals which you can adhere to a plain throat plate.  They need to be trimmed first and lined up carefully, but they do work well, and they're cheap and replaceable.  I use one of these on my Pfaff 30.



The most popular seam guide is the old screw-on kind.  That's one of the things those little holes on the bed of most vintage sewing machines are for.





I don't own one but I do have a photo of how they work.  Very straight forward.  Of course, it helps to have a numbered throat plate so you know where to line the guide up.  Otherwise you have to measure from the needle to the outer edge of your fabric, the width of your desired seam allowance.



Whether or not you have a numbered throat plate, here are a few more helpful tools.



I poo-pooed this magnetic seam guide recently, but other people like it and find it helpful.  This is another tool that's easier to use if your throat plate is numbered.  If it's not, you'll have to measure.



When I'm using a vintage straight stitch machine, I use the straight stitch foot as my guide for topstitching.  The right edge is 1/8".





The left edge is 1/4".





(I have also discovered that the far edge of the throat plate screw is 3/8" and the inner edge of the large hole is 5/8".  Sometimes those are the only guides I use, but I don't recommend this for beginners.)

My zigzag machines all have low shank adapters that use the same snap on/snap off feet.  You can buy sets of these on eBay.   (High shank adapters use the same feet, btw.)  Two edge guide feet that are very useful for accurate topstitching are these:





I discuss them at length in my topstitching movie, which can be viewed here.

Friends, have I left out any useful methods of sewing straight seams and accurate seam allowances? I've heard of some people using tape to mark the measurements but don't all the different tapes get confusing -- and gummy?

Which is your preferred method?

(A master sewist I know marks all his seam allowances in chalk, eliminating the need for guides altogether.)

Please share your secrets with us today -- we won't tell!

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Sewing with Old Sheets

Readers, as you probably know, I'm a big fan of repurposing old bedsheets.

I was going to say vintage bedsheets, but really, the age of the sheet doesn't matter, it's the cost that counts.  You see, the best thing about sewing with sheets is that they can usually be found in thrift stores for just a few dollars (if that) and they're generally huge.

A twin flat sheet has more than enough fabric to make a men's shirt, and with a king-size you can probably make a cotton ball gown with a luxuriously high thread count!   Always look out for prominent stains and fading, of course -- we want to avoid those.

I've found some wonderful sheets at the Salvation Army -- the designs from the Seventies are the most fun, I think.  The downside is that in that era, sheets were generally cotton/poly, and they can get smelly.  Then again, you don't have to iron them.

Here are some of my favorite sheet projects...

Shirts, shirts, and more shirts!









And even some of Cathy's outfits.  Don't tell Cathy someone slept in her dress -- besides her.







So yesterday afternoon, as I was finishing up my lavender cotton shirt, I had a vintage sheet epiphany.  As you know, I'd made the collar and collar stand white, which gave the shirt a nice crispness and highlighted the lavender.



Unfortunately, it also gave the shirt a banker-y formality I didn't want.  Plus, a white collar calls for white cuffs, which would only intensify the banker thing, plus, white cuffs show dirt.  What to do?

Then it hit me!  I dug through my collection of vintage sheets and voilà!







Sort of Lily Pulitzer meets Wamsutta, right?

Yes?  No?  Maybe, with a matching bowtie?

The big shirt reveal will be tomorrow but you get the idea.  The sheet -- which is pictured up top -- is a huge Seventies-era flat sheet I found at the Salvation Army last year.  Not sure what I'll do with the rest of it -- maybe a jumpsuit!

In closing, friends, do you ever sew with vintage (or just plain old) sheets? 

When you wear what you've sewn, do people ever guess that you're clothed in second-hand bedding?  (Do they inadvertently start yawning when you tell them?)

Is the ewww factor just too insurmountable?

Sheets-into-clothes: yea or nay?

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