To all you sewing lot...

Singer.

If you have a hobby craft nearby, they seem to have a good selection....I'm not a shit Christmas card maker, but my wife has a preschool, so I get to go in there from time to time. Whoopee.

Bernina make kick ass machines, but they're well pricey. It's worth going into a specialist shop to have a chat. The advice I got was pay at least enough to get something with completely metal gears, plastic ones can give up a bit too easily.

I'd second a specialist shop, make an appointment for your partner and they'll go into all sorts of details. Sounds like a fun afternoon out!

Depends on whether she is coming into this completely new or not, and whether this is an advanced course?

My mum has a Bernina which has lasted for about 30+ yrs.

I had a Singer which I left back in Oz. It was med-priced.

Currently have a very basic Brother which I got as a present and it does pretty much everything I need it to. I'm not doing really advanced stuff, but could make a skirt or something if I could be arsed.
I do miss the Singer, as it's much better, you get what you pay for. But the Brother does the job. It's fine.
I guess it's like buying a bike....

sorry missed this, er, amazon/ebay/john lewis? not sure.
Fjallraven looks like a good option.

Small machine should get through 4 layers of duck I reckon. If you struggle at thicker bits, hand roll the wheel, to get the needle over it.

Thanks for the tips

Picked up a Singer on a whim off Freecycle tonight. Lovely looking machine. Just got to work out what to sew on it.

Who's good at sewing with a machine? I have some cycling-specific shorts which have unfashionably gone around the stitching to the rear pockets (from seat contact). Would anyone be willing to patch them up, preferably better than the original stitching? I'm very happy to sling you some money for your time.

Cheers!

They'll need an overlocker/overlocking sewing machine

Overlockers sew over the edges of fabric to resist fraying, such as around the edges of the internal part of front pockets, or internal seams.
I would have thought a flatbed personally as rear pockets are usually sewn on flat.

This is the kind of repair I'm thinking of.

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They're Swrve (3 months old!), and yes, they contain spandex. Fingers crossed it's not too much of an issue.

There's a first time for everything I guess...

Yeah that definitely doesn't want to be overlocked.
Unless the manufacturer will replace them, just a 'quick stitch' type place should be able to fix that in a few minutes.

Cheers. I can't be done with all the correspondence with the makers, and I think once it's fixed it should last better than the original.

I can do that. I'm in N7 though so can you be bothered?

better than the original stitching

not sure but I'll do my best!
Shouldn't take too long so come for some tea.

My fee is some white cotton thread - Gutermann brand. :)

lolz i've, currently doubled in circumference, not really feeling like "entertaining" guests like that.

To all you sewing lot

Who can point in the direction of a pattern for cushions.

I know that they are possibly very simple, but I'm clueless here, and need to know how much fabric to buy

Depends on the size of your inserts. Typical 30 x 30.
Then depends on your material - thick/stretch, if you want them tighter /compressed a bit
Then depends on your closure system - fold over, like pillow cases/buttons/zip.

Hey you (sewing) guys - Restrap have a job going in Leeds if you're interested

30x30 sounds good, zipped, with a relatively heavy wool (10g+ tartan) - using feather mix cushions

Sorry if this is the wrong place, and please point me in the direction of a better one!
I want to get the strap/bag sewed up, ideally in a heavier duty way on my chrome barrage.

Anyone on here up to it or know of a shop for it? https://www.instagram.com/p/BbJkbJcFP5y/

Is it's quite a small thing you could probably hand stitch it. Get some strong nylon thread and needles and give it a go

Get your self a sewing awl. This will be awl you need for repairs like these.
The stitching if done right is far superior then machine stitching as each run is locked in.

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