Who among you enjoys sewing?

Dear users, dear authors,
who among you enjoys sewing, would like to learn how to sew, or is thinking about buying a sewing machine?

Well, actually, I do enjoy sewing—it’s just a space issue here. I have to use the dining table as a sewing table and for cutting fabric, which means I always have to put everything away right away, and that’s often too much of a hassle for me.
I bought myself a new sewing machine anyway, and every now and then I actually sit down to use it. But I’m still looking for a more convenient and practical solution.
You can just take your crochet supplies with you to the sofa and leave them there—it doesn’t really bother anyone—but sewing is a much bigger hassle.

That’s such an adorable *sentry* Ruth👍👍

Veronika, I sewed at the dining table for years and wouldn’t have wanted to miss it for the world.

Hugs, Inge

WOW!!!
Ruth, that Guardian uniform turned out fantastic.

I hated sewing like the plague back in school. My home economics teacher (I dare say) had a commission deal with a bias tape manufacturer—we had to bind every edge, end, and who knows what else with bias tape. Those things always had a million wrinkles, even after I’d ironed them.
For that reason—and probably also because my mom is a trained seamstress who still spends a few hours every day at her beloved sewing machine—I never really got into sewing afterward.

Today, though, I’d really love to learn how to sew. There are so many beautiful things you could make yourself. I admire anyone who can sew.
Maybe that’ll be my big project for retirement ;-) 

Ruth, your uniform turned out great. Yes, grandchildren’s wishes—that’s what makes sewing and handicrafts fun.

I love to sew. Thank goodness I have more rooms available than we actually need, so my sewing machine is always ready for me. 

I enjoy making something new out of old fabrics, clothes, and so on. I haven’t dared to make clothes for myself again yet, but who knows what the future holds for me—maybe I’ll take the plunge after all. 

Hi everyone,
I started sewing because of the face masks. Now I mainly sew clothes for my kids (ages 4 and 6). I sew with a sewing machine I inherited from my mom that’s almost twenty years old. I recently invested in a serger and am totally happy with it. Sometimes I wonder if a newer sewing machine would really offer any added value. Can new machines really do more or are they somehow better? Since I don’t have anything to compare it to, I really can’t judge, but I’m satisfied with mine so far.
Best regards
Michaela 

Wow, the uniform turned out really great!!

Dear Michaela: If you’re (still) happy with your sewing machine, there’s no reason to change anything! I sewed on old, used machines for decades and was perfectly happy with them.

At some point, though, I reached the point where I needed a “proper” one. It cost me a four-digit sum, and I still love it now, even after more than six years. You buy a sewing machine like that to last a lifetime, so it’s perfectly fine to take your time deciding beforehand.

My kids are also learning on very simple, inexpensive machines :). That’s all you need to get started.

An overlocker is great if you sew a lot of jersey and sweatshirt fabric.

I also have an embroidery machine, but that’s really a luxury. Since I sew a lot—and it’s practically my job, since I develop patterns—I have a dedicated sewing room where everything is stored. But I also started out on the kitchen table.

Best regards,
Sonja

I love to sew, and I have the space, a great sewing machine, and plenty of fabric and supplies.
But—like so many others—I never seem to have enough time.
Right now, I’m crocheting every spare minute I have to finish a shawl.
Once that’s done, maybe I’ll get back to sewing again.

@Ruth: Your uniform is really awesome! :) 

I’d love to join the ranks of sewing enthusiasts too. Once you’ve caught the sewing bug, you’ll keep coming back to your sewing machine time and again. I haven’t been sewing for very long and started very slowly with simple patterns for my grandchildren. I learn something new with every project. The pattern for a garment is one thing, but there are so many technical aspects of the craft you need to master.

You probably need to bring a little love and interest for sewing with you. Fabrics cost money, after all, and once you cut something wrong, it can’t be turned into what it was supposed to be. So maybe start with small projects.

I bought my sewing machine three years ago. It sits on a large desk in the attic of our house. Since we have a pitched roof, there’s no room up there for a table—or a large table—for cutting fabric. So the kitchen table has to serve that purpose. To sew, I go up to the attic. However, the sun shines directly on the sewing machine, so I can only sew when it’s cloudy.

I never used to sew. I taught myself how to sew. In theory, you just flip the switch on the sewing machine and it starts sewing. But there’s so much more to it than that. But it’s all a lot of fun. You come up with an idea in your head, look for a pattern, picture the whole thing, pick out the fabric, feel it, and so on.

So, bottom line: sewing is a lot of fun. You have so many opportunities to create unique items, simply because there are so many beautiful fabrics out there. I used to think I was only in love with wool. No, now I’m also in love with fabrics and collect the most beautiful ones :-) Just writing this is making me really excited for my next sewing project: it’s going to be a romper for my 6-month-old granddaughter. I already have the fabric (with mermaids). But I haven’t dared to start yet because the pattern is double-layered and also has two snaps. That’s quite a challenge for me. I’ll have to study it more closely before I dare to try it. And as always, everything takes time. For now, I need to keep working on my crochet project. After that, I’ll tackle the romper!

Best wishes, Ina

P.S. Ruth, your little soldier turned out great. You’re a very good seamstress and always do such a wonderful job bringing your granddaughters’ wishes to life.

Thanks for the compliments. But Ina, I’m not that good at sewing. It’s enough for doll clothes and carnival costumes, but I don’t dare try making “real” clothes for myself. With a project like the teddy bear, it doesn’t really matter what the inside looks like or if a sleeve is a little crooked. The teddy bear can’t exactly complain if something pinches.😉

Dear Ruth, the teddy bear itself certainly isn’t complaining, but I know from personal experience that teddy bear moms and dads are very, very critical customers ;-)

Someone here just mentioned the serger . That’s a bit of a sore spot for me. I’ve toyed with the idea before, but then decided against it. Now that I’ve sewn a few things, I know what the serger could do better than my current sewing machine. My seams are always a bit wider because I can’t trim them close enough to the stitching line with scissors. It would be nice if they looked better. And I mostly sew jersey and sweat fabric. Sometimes cotton, too, but I could use my current machine for that.

Well, you’ve done it! I’m already thinking again about whether I should go ahead and buy a serger after all. I just got a tax refund. Half of it will go toward a new dental crown, and I could use the other half for the serger. But I actually wanted to save that money as a reserve. Grrrrrhhhhh..... But on the other hand, it would be a purchase that brings me joy and is also useful.

Which of you who own a serger could do without it? Please help me make up my mind.

Best regards, Ina

Me? NEVER EVER! I don’t just have an overlocker, I also have a coverlock, although that really is pure luxury compared to the overlocker, which is a must-have if you sew a lot

Best regards, Inge

@Ruth: The clothes for the teddy bear are really great! I wouldn’t dare try something like that. Too fiddly for me...

My mom, a trained seamstress herself, had already bought a solid sewing machine back then (at least by my standards). And I think it can handle quite a bit. But I also mainly work with jersey, sweat fabric, alpine fleece, and that smooth performance jersey. And that’s when I really noticed how much my sewing machine struggles.
For the overlock, I set up a large sewing table in one of the rooms. Now both machines can stay there permanently. When I’m cutting out pieces, I might have to move the machines closer together. Overall, I’m very happy with this setup and wouldn’t want to part with the overlock now. I agonized over the decision for a long time.  And the more I looked into it, the higher the budget I needed became. Especially when it came to thick fabrics, I was advised against the cheaper machines.
Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves whether and how much something like this is worth to them.

Thank you very much for your replies.

@Akela
I just quickly googled what a coverlock can do better than another “sewing machine.” It can bind neckline edges more neatly and better than others.

Well, that’s also one of the weak points in my sewing projects. The sewing itself goes well enough, but the facings at the neckline look amateurish; they ripple and are uneven. I always get really annoyed then, because the look of a top stands or falls with the neckline. After all, that’s where your eye goes.

But I can’t buy myself a coverlock just for that now. They are very expensive, and I only sew occasionally. For you, dear Inge, as a trained professional, it’s something different. You have selected and gathered your machines expertly over the course of your life. You’ve been working with them for years and sew a great deal.

@mbenedik
May I ask what kind of overlock machine you have?

Best regards, Ina

I love sewing. Unlike crocheting or knitting, I see results really quickly.

However, I’m currently running out of space. My former sewing room is now my office. Plus, work, kids, running my own business, and continuing education are just taking up all my time, so there’s nothing left for sewing.

But things will change again :-) 

Dear Ina,

I decided on a Babylock Acclaim. I was offered a trade show demo machine, and I’m really happy with it now.

Best regards 
Michaela 

Dear @schnuckelina

well, a coverlock is definitely a luxury, especially at those prices! An overlocker basically is too. I sew a lot of clothes. The overlocker is great for finishing seams, and you can sew rolled hems with it just fine, but that’s about it!
(Okay, there are another 1 or 2 nice finishing stitches, but let’s be honest: Adjusting and setting it up every time takes up half the sewing evening! In that time, I could finish three sweaters.)

Mine broke down at some point, so I went back to sewing with just the regular machine—it works just fine! Since I sew everything with the regular sewing machine anyway and only use the overlocker for finishing and occasional rolled hems, you can do without it.

But: I have a very good computerized sewing machine that has a fake coverlock stitch and an overlock stitch. Even though I didn’t bother when my overlocker broke down, I could have finished all the seams with the sewing machine.

A while back, I bought a new overlocker, one in the lower price range. The old one has since been serviced and is working again. So now I have two %-). But since I also teach sewing classes, I think that’s okay. I’ll just bring one of them along sometimes.

Best regards,
Sonja

All I can suggest is that you check out the secondhand market. There are also sewing machine shops that sell used machines (freshly refurbished). And only if you really have to.

My coverstitch machine was a real bargain—I bought it four and a half years ago in Cham at my sewing machine dealer’s in-store sale. That day, two coverstitch machines found their way into our family, because one of my daughters bought one that same day—thanks to the sale prices, we got two for the price of one.  Since then, I’ve been sewing all my T-shirts and pajamas on that machine—as well as pants, blouses, and so on; only the folded hems are still done on the sewing machine.

Best regards, Inge

Hi Akela,

yeah, with a bargain like that, I probably wouldn’t have been able to resist either!

Best regards,
Sonja

Thanks, dear Michaela , for the info. With the Babylock Acclaim, you really do have a lovely little machine at home. I looked it up online. Yes, it’s a dream. Just the threading alone—it’s truly perfect. But even at half the price, I couldn’t afford it. So be glad that you have such a treasure at home and get to use it.

Thank you so much, dear Sonja , for your detailed comment as well. That really helped me a lot. I’d actually come to the same conclusion the first time around. My sewing machine does have an overlock stitch, too. But trimming the edge probably makes all the difference visually. I’ll just have to make up for not having an overlock machine with more precision work.

Maybe I’ll stumble upon a “bargain” someday, too.

Best wishes, and keep enjoying your sewing projects. Ina

P.S. Sonja, I’d love to take a sewing class with you :-)