How to sew

[craig87c]

Do any of you guys know how to sew? I just tore my favorite pair of pajama pants in the crotch region, and I'm pretty sure my roommate wouldn't appreciate the free show if I keep wearing these things around her .

Are there any good sites that can give me a good start on learning this gentle art?

 

[superbleu]

about.com is handy for this kind of thing.

http://sewing.about.com/od/techniques/tp/handsewing.htm

also check out a book at the library on sewing.

 

[Doc4]

TMI, dude, TMI.

 

[Vlad]

This is why I can't tell my buddies about B&B.

 

[TheVez2]

Duct tape = poor man's sewing machine.

 

[craig87c]

TMI, dude, TMI.

This is why I can't tell my buddies about B&B.

There have been MANY worse things said on this board, back off my crotch statement !

Duct tape = poor man's sewing machine.

And he shall be called Shiny Crotch'd Craig.

PS- Thanks for the help SuperBleu!

 

[kg4ghn]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a man being self-sufficient and knowing how to sew, especially to fix stuff.

It's really not that hard to do, the about.com site is usually pretty good so I would try the link posted above.

 

[TheVez2]

Really sewing is easy. I sew things by hand and with a machine when my kids tear their clothes. (Daddy can fix anything!)

A needle and thread is all you need. Put the thread through the needle. Gather the material up to pinch the rip closed. Work inside the pants so the seam will be inside. Push the needle through, before the other end of the thread pulls through, tie a knot in it. A few knots will make it stronger and less likely to pull out. Then work your waydown the tear. Put the needle in the right side, pull it out the left, then bring the needle back to the right side and do it again. Think about making a spiral where you are going into the fabric only on the bottom of the spiral. The top of the spiral is looping over the fabric. THe closer to the last seam your next one is, the better it will hold. Do this till you get to the end. Then finish with another knot.

 

[Mink]

Lots of very good tutorials on YouTube. I went through this last spring and it's a very useful thing to know once you learn. It really helps if you need to sew up the corners of blankets and comforters that the dog chews.......

 

[LarryAndro]

Reminds me of something sewing-related in my boarding high school days...

I was raised with two adopted sisters my own age by a mother who believed in cross-training. So, I mowed the yard and did outside work. But, every third night had to fix supper. Among other miscellaneous and sundry topics, my mother taught me how to sew.

(Oddly, I did inside woman's work, but my sisters never did outside work. But, my mother has gone to a better land as they say, and so I won't bring a railing accusation against her now.)

Anyway, I'm in high school, living in the dorm. My sweatshirt tears. So, I whip out my needle and thread and start sewing. A guy by the name of Tim was in my room watching. He was very impressed that I knew how to sew. What really sealed the bow down before Larry and his seamstress abilities was when he noticed that when I started sewing, I didn't even tie a knot in the end of the thread!

Just like my mother taught me.

There might be a few on this site that can outhone me. But, even at this mid-50s stage in my life, I challenge anyone here to a sewing contest!! Just give me my trophy now.

 

[craig87c]

Many thanks to everyone- There's a quilting shop near my apartment. I think I'll stop in there Friday and get some tips from the ancient women who seem to live there!

 

[M80]

I can sew, but most of my repairs on my work clothes get done with tear mender.

 

[Shangas]

It's not hard to sew. Thread the needle, tie the ends together good and fat so that you have a decent knot, hold the to-be-sewed fabric together with pins and start sewing. That's how I do it. I learnt this by watching my grandmother and getting tips from her. She was a professional tailor her whole life. As a kid, she mended ALL my clothes...and she was damn good at it. Even in her eighties, she still kept all her professional tailor's stuff with her all the time - measuring tapes, about a million different kinds of needles and pins, buttons, thread, elastic bands, ribbon, carbon-paper...and a colossal 1930s/1940s-era Singer sewing machine made of solid steel - Literally. The thing weighed a ton! We still have it somewhere around the house. At 96, gran's eyes aren't good enough for doing anymore tailoring, so she gave it up.

So yes, I do know how to sew, thanks to my beloved grandmother. She taught me everything I know about how to fix and mend and maintain all my clothes today. Basic sewing is something that every man should know...just in case.

 

[proxymoron]

They're just pajama pants. Buy an iron-on patch or bust out an old hotel freebie kit and have at it.

 

[Mikeski]

When in doubt use a stapler. Just make sure you take the pants off first,.

 

[craig87c]

They're just pajama pants. Buy an iron-on patch or bust out an old hotel freebie kit and have at it.

I'll only be using the pajama pants to get the basics down, then when I screw up real clothes, I'll be able to fix them without much fuss...hopefully!

When in doubt use a stapler. Just make sure you take the pants off first,.

I stapled my finger in daycare once. Couldn't imagine doing this in the pants region

 

[Jim]

Anyone who owns an old sailboat is either wealthy or can run up a stitch on something.

 

[Schick_Fan]

I sew by hand, nothing fancy. I fix my socks and underwear when they rip or tear. Sometimes I work on a good pair of pants with a hole in the knee. It is pretty easy, and something that can save a lot of money in the long run.

 

[aaronjw124]

Search the web. There's A LOT of great instructionals on youtube.

Coming from 4 generations of tailors, I'm quite handy with a needle and thread. I can do most of my own alterations via machine or by hand, and have actually made a couple bits of clothing. Needless to say, I've never had to farm out any upholstery work for my auto restoration projects!

Some of the gruffest gent's I've ever met were tailors. Anyone who works in such proximity to a fella's bits with needles has got to be tough!

Aaron

 

[Shangas]

Search the web. There's A LOT of great instructionals on youtube.

Coming from 4 generations of tailors, I'm quite handy with a needle and thread.
Aaron

Let's hear it for guys with tailors in their families!