There we go, the rough draft design has been created, 
.
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I regularly preshrink clothing fabric in the sink. Just use hot water and swish it around. Hang over the curtain rod to dry. Put a towel on the tub to catch the drips or fold it and put it on a hanger. I works fine.
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On that dress, I was thinking, what do you all think if I were to bring in the shoulder where the sleeve attaches by about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch? So the sleeve would rest on the shoulder in that position? (Since the flutter sleeves are going to be longer and open on the armpit side. I still like the idea of attaching the sleeve like an X verses like a regular shirt sleeve).
update:
Ok! This video answered that question. You Will Want to Repeat This! A Sewing Trick for a Flutter Sleeve (Butterfly Sleeve)
Ok! I started on the hat. Got the first side pieces cut out, and I guess I’ll use the batting I got for potholders for the brim. (I am not going to buy anything more, and only use what I have. Besides, the potholders are holding together nicely, so it should work, ).
Not only am I making this just so I can have a matching hat, heh, but it will prepare me for my next project. I have been wanting a newsboy cap for quite some time. I’ll make it, 
. I even came across a video on how to make a fabric button. Heh, this is going to be fun.
Ok, have to add this video…Put it with my sewing vids…But holy mackerel, this gave me several ideas, and tricks that I could use, 
. Process of Making Stylish Newsboy Cap. Flat Cap. Korean Hat Maker (Though, I may find this only interesting as my pains and sleepiness is making me feel equivalent to being tipsy, heh).
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Oof! Two major pleats and two smaller pleats. Dad gummit! Oh well, it’s a fabric that no one but me will notice. 
. Just have to be more careful on the second side.
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I haven’t started on my Free People dupe bloomer pants yet, however, someone on Instagram made their own! What are the odds? Instagram reel (if anyone is interested!)
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Started the problem solving for making a newsboy cap. Since I don’t have any tape, I used the sticky notes for placing in the location of the middle of my head, heh. Two options, a tight fit, or a loose fit.
When designing hats, there is one slight issue I have to take into account…Wind…looooots of wind, heh. So I need the hat to go as far as possible over my head. Either that, or turn it into a bonnet, 
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anyway, just the beginning phase. I’ll have to look at several being worn to see how wide I want it to go.
Also, there is going to be a lot of geometry. Hoo boy, heh.
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If you use a bit of the soft side of velcro strips on the inside of hats, it is usually enough to keep the hat on your head from slipping off. I use it all around for my husband’s head because he has no hair to hold onto the hat.
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Well, me thinks me will use the zipper foot more predominantely, heh. So much easier to see what I’m doing, and easier to control the fabric through the footy.
So so close to getting the laptop bag made. Did make a few mistakes, but it’ll still come out decent. Oh I was so ticked when I opened this fabric and saw half the chickens were upside down, grrrrrr!
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Ok sewing peeps, is an air threading serger worth the extra cost? I feel like I’d be more likely to play with different combinations if it was easy to thread.
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In my opinion, no.
The trick to a serger is to thread it one time so that you know you can, then to never unthread it again. When changing the threads, you snip them & tie the ends to the new spool, run the machine until the new threads are in place. It takes 2 minutes. You have 2 minutes, it’s fine. The only bit you may have to fuss with is the needle thread, knots may not pass through the eye. But that’s just threading a needle, not the whole machine.
In school we had the bring our own spools & thread every machine every day. It’s a part of sewing, really not a big deal. Worse is setting tension, dull scissors, having to rip stitches.
Don’t be intimidated by this, you 1000% can do it. You’re running a 3D printer! No machine can defeat you.
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I saw something about 2/3/4 threads, do you just leave the ones you aren’t using threaded through the machine?
And don’t let the 3d printer fool you, our toaster oven is more complicated 
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air threader? 
I am now moderately fascinated by how this would work, but given the usual state of my sewing machines, let alone a serger with a cutting blade, I can just imagine the amount of lint that would start clogging up the channels by the second time you tried to thread it.
I haven’t used my serger super consistently, but even if it does get unthreaded entirely it’s got a trace-thru thread guide with numbers & arrows for where everything goes drawn onto the machine, so I’ve never had a problem getting it back up and running when needed.
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There are all sorts of crazy things like automatic tension! But you’re right, more features means more things that can break.
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Personally I’d never use less than all 4 threads. Sure, there are fancy stitches but in all my years sewing I have only ever used lettuce edge hemming once. I really just sew knits and finish fabric edges with the serger, that’s what it’s great for & best at. Everything else is extra & you may want to explore that but by then you’ll know your machine.
A good sewing machine shop will let you try machines & give you good advice, & some even offer lessons. I would not buy a machine online without trying it out first.
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Same, all four threads on my serger. I mostly keep white thread on mine, but when I have to switch, it is pretty easy because everything is color coded. I use it to finish edges almost 100%. All those other features are not really useful to me. That’s also why I don’t use my fancy Brother sewing/embroidery machine. I just like basic sewing.
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Mental note to self: If I get stable REMEMBER THIS. I get so overly worried about buying something I can’t review in person.
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Different answer: I bought an air threader last year and I love it!
I got the Bernette B68 which is a coverlock - coverstitch and serger in one - and is one of the cheaper models available that’s a combi machine and an air threader.
My mum has a Bernette serger from the 90s that I used quite a lot, which is why I know threading it is difficult. Especially as I’m lefthanded and the machine is threaded from the right side. Especially the last bit (the threads that go into the loopers) is hard for me. I went to a shop, tried to thread several manual sergers and they’re all pretty similar to my mum’s old machine. That machine is fine by the way - if you just want a simple one trick pony I’d rather get an older, used model from a good brand than a cheap new one.
A lot of people don’t recommend getting a coverstitch and serger in one, but I’ve already used mine a lot. It does mean rethreading but with airthreading that only takes a few minutes. For basic serging I almost always use the 4-thread stitch. The shop doesn’t recommend tying the new thread to the old but I haven’t tried it myself.
The setting I love for simple garments is the combo stitch - a chain stitch and serged edge in one. I don’t really have the space for two seperate machines and I really wanted that combo stitch, and it’s as convenient as I hoped.
My machine came with lessons and I sat in class with people who had different machines, from really cheap to really expensive (from a €300 Brother to a €4000 Babylock). The Brother was better than I expected for that price tag, but it was clear that the more expensive machines were less fiddly, needed fewer adjustments, were all in all just easier to handle. Sergers in general are a bit more mercurial than sewing machines and seem to seize up faster.
My machine came with a bunch of extra feet that I tried out during class. I don’t think I’ll use every single one but for example the piping cord foot is absolutely amazing, and so is the blind hem coverstitch foot. It also came with a small handheld vacuum!! It does create a lot of lint but it’s also much easier to clean than a sewing machine because it opens up completely.
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Combo machine is another consideration since assume I’ll want a cover stitch machine.
The store I got my straight stitch machine from is great and we will be going back there to look at machines. They’ve got tons of machines setup so you can test them and ask lots of questions. I think they include free lessons when you get a machine and I know they do maintenance and repairs. They also sell industrial machines which I have absolutely no use for but something about the utilitarian aesthetics of the industrial machines makes me with I had the space for one.
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What kind of straight stitch machine do you have?
I looked at some when I was taking my sewing machine for repairs and the salespeople were really surprised and tried to steer me towards the regular machines.
My sewing machine is great, but older (older than me and with a lot of miles on it). I know that at some point in the future I may need to replace it. I’ve been looking for a low to no tech machine with a strong motor and no unnecessary frills and straight stitch machines are exactly that. I do a lot of quilting, I prefer no-stretch materials for clothing, I only use knit fabrics for PJ’s and the like and I’ve got my combo machine for that. Plus I’d not get rid of my of my old machine, if I ever needed a zig zag or a buttonhole I’d just have to grab that machine.
I tried a lot of new sewing machines but I just think the ones that are half computer are less fun, and I know I won’t use any of these features.
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