Hi! I have boobs and I make...

[Moviefreak]

What... No boob photos???



I kid.... I seriously kid :lol
Just making light of the situation above because we all need to just step back, breathe and then smile for a second. Now on with the OPs topic..

 

[Moviefreak]

Ok... I have a question for the lady builders...

My wife who appears to be spying on this thread has expressed an interest on trying to build her first costume. She does not have much experience building and constructing but seems determined to try before Halloween.

We have a cheap sewing machine but it really isn't heavy duty..
So do you have any suggestions for a good model that could maybe handle light seeing all the way to stitching stuff like leather?


EDIT: not limiting this question to just the ladies as I know there are numerous men here with killer sewing skills too

 

[crabra comander]

I too have boobs...

Seriously, I've been told by numerous people I have moobs, manmaries, breasticles, chestosterone, chestees'.

 

[charades]

I'm late to the party! Hi, I'm Sarah, and I mainly sew. I just took my first foray into armor building and it's effing hard.

I've been dressing up and going to conventions for about 7 years, though the last 3-ish have been lazy in the costume department. I just recently really got back into it, and want to do a ton of comic book and game characters.

 

[Gizka]

So do you have any suggestions for a good model that could maybe handle light seeing all the way to stitching stuff like leather?

What is your budget? You can find quality sewing machines in a range of prices from under $200 to many thousands. How often do you plan to use it?

Personally I have a Singer that is a few years old that I use on light-weight delicate fabrics. It's an electronic/programmable one, and it suits my needs for many things. Most people will warn you away from Singer because it is not what it used to be. For heavy duty stuff like leather, vinyl, and denim, I have a 60+ year old Kenmore and a 50+ year old Singer that we call the monsters because they are so dang heavy, but they can sew through 8 layers of denim like a knife through butter.

A great option is to get a used machine. You can get a really good machine at a discounted price, and as long as they are serviced properly it can be a great deal.

One of these days I want to get a Janome, but can't bring myself to spend the money for what I want until the 3 machines I have finally die!

I'm sure the other ladies will chime in with preferences and recommendations!

 

[Gizka]

My best friend had to coax me out of the room...then we ran into Gizka and I felt a MILLION times better being able to hang with her while she was in her bikini too. Thanks again, Angelle!

Awww...you are so sweet, Kristina! I understand the nerves when wearing a new costume for the first time, but you needn't have worried, you looked fantastic!

And you are totally right, we should only wear what we want to wear, not be pressured into wearing something that makes us uncomfortable. Nor should we be talked out of wearing something we truly love because of fear of other opinions.

 

[Moviefreak]

Thanks

What is your budget? You can find quality sewing machines in a range of prices from under $200 to many thousands. How often do you plan to use it?

Personally I have a Singer that is a few years old that I use on light-weight delicate fabrics. It's an electronic/programmable one, and it suits my needs for many things. Most people will warn you away from Singer because it is not what it used to be. For heavy duty stuff like leather, vinyl, and denim, I have a 60+ year old Kenmore and a 50+ year old Singer that we call the monsters because they are so dang heavy, but they can sew through 8 layers of denim like a knife through butter.

A great option is to get a used machine. You can get a really good machine at a discounted price, and as long as they are serviced properly it can be a great deal.

One of these days I want to get a Janome, but can't bring myself to spend the money for what I want until the 3 machines I have finally die!

I'm sure the other ladies will chime in with preferences and recommendations!

 

[charades]

Ok... I have a question for the lady builders...

My wife who appears to be spying on this thread has expressed an interest on trying to build her first costume. She does not have much experience building and constructing but seems determined to try before Halloween.

We have a cheap sewing machine but it really isn't heavy duty..
So do you have any suggestions for a good model that could maybe handle light seeing all the way to stitching stuff like leather?


EDIT: not limiting this question to just the ladies as I know there are numerous men here with killer sewing skills too

Ohoh I have an answer! I personally think any middle-priced machine (that is, in the $200-$300 range) will do all that just fine. There is no need to go out and purchase a heavy duty $800 sewing machine unless you plan to sew a lot of leather. A few leather pieces is not going to break a slightly more lower end machine. All you need is to get a proper leather needle. I've even seen a guy who does leatherworking full time just continuously replace $100 machines. The machine can do it, it just gets worn out quickly.

My own machine is a Janome SUV1122, it cost me about $220 (retails for a bit more, but I struck a deal by purchasing a Janome Four-DLG serger at the same time for combined price of $700). The sewing machine seriously lives up to the SUV in its name. It's crazy strong, and can blast through a dozen layers of denim.

 

[Moviefreak]

Good advice!!! Very helpful.... Thanks

 

[charades]

One of these days I want to get a Janome, but can't bring myself to spend the money for what I want until the 3 machines I have finally die!

Oh get the Janome. You will not regret it. I used an entry level Kenmore for 7 years before finally deciding that it was past time to upgrade, and struck an amazing deal for 2 brand new Janome machines and have not looked back. The dealer made a quip about Janome motors being "the BMW" of sewing machine motors, and she was not wrong. It's a powerful but manageable domestic machine and I am so in love with my machine. lol

 

[Kevin Gossett]

My wife who appears to be spying on this thread...

I don't think "spying" is the right word... :lol

 

[Moviefreak]

I don't think "spying" is the right word... :lol

:confused Did I miss something?

EDIT::facepalm didn't notice she posted before me :lol

 

[Gizka]

Oh get the Janome. You will not regret it. I used an entry level Kenmore for 7 years before finally deciding that it was past time to upgrade, and struck an amazing deal for 2 brand new Janome machines and have not looked back. The dealer made a quip about Janome motors being "the BMW" of sewing machine motors, and she was not wrong. It's a powerful but manageable domestic machine and I am so in love with my machine. lol

Now I really want a Janome! And I want a serger too! I should start making my Christmas list. August isn't too early for that, is it?:confused

 

[charades]

Now I really want a Janome! And I want a serger too! I should start making my Christmas list. August isn't too early for that, is it?:confused

Serger is definitely awesome! With superhero costumes there's always a lot of spandex and other stretch fabric to sew. The serger makes something that used to give me headaches and take hours to complete so easy that I'm done in 15 minutes.
Try doing what I did! Make a bargain with the dealer and try to get 2 machines at the same time for cheaper. =P I even made a case that I had brought along 2 friends who were also buying new machines

 

[imthedoctor604]

^ woo chanzlyn!

your work is amazing!! I wish I would have found you sooner to make my Doctor Strange costume for comic con chicago!

 

[Tiney]

Now I really want a Janome! And I want a serger too! I should start making my Christmas list. August isn't too early for that, is it?:confused

Third or fourth(?) on Janome! Can't keep track. XD I have a Husqvarna sewing machine which I looooove (picked up at Joann when it was on sale), and I had a Janome serger (eBay) before I passed it on to one of my BFFs cause I got a Pfaff serger at an Estate Sale. But I do miss my Janome serger sometimes.

 

[charades]

Third or fourth(?) on Janome! Can't keep track. XD I have a Husqvarna sewing machine which I looooove (picked up at Joann when it was on sale), and I had a Janome serger (eBay) before I passed it on to one of my BFFs cause I got a Pfaff serger at an Estate Sale. But I do miss my Janome serger sometimes.

Apparently, Viking and Pfaff source their parts/motor from Janome's factory (or same factory that makes parts bought by Janome...I can't remember exactly). Therefore, at the very base of it, they are the same. That's not to say that Viking and Pfaff are not good/better/more expensive for other reasons. I chose my Janome because the price was more affordable to me.

Still...I'd really love a Viking embroidery machine one day. I have a Singer Futura 400, which is nice and works, but not as beautiful.

 

[booksandcorsets]

I had a crappy Singer that I had purchased for under $100 for about two years, and I was under the impression I loathed sewing because all I used was that machine. And then I was at a friend's house and needed to hem something really quickly.

I bought a better machine the next week. Holy cripes, the difference a good machine makes is incredible. I own a Pfaff.

 

[aelynn000]

I have a $150 Brother with a digital display and a gazillion feet and stitches. It's perfect for me! If she's just getting into sewing, I don't think there's a need to spend 2-300...but do get a reputable brand name. But even a low end model will get the job done.

Also, post pics, don't post pics... I like it when people add photos. I find seeing the many different levels and skills of people introducing themselves makes it less intimidating. If everyone's avatar was a professionally shot, high grade costume, I'd probably be hiding under a rock and too intimidated to ever post. :| I do show my work elsewhere on the internet, and I love it here, however the fact that I, an existing member, even still feel nervous about posting some things on this particular forum is part of why this thread exists and the subject of appreciating women in the art came up in the first place.

 

[booksandcorsets]

Quote:
Originally Posted by aelynn000
I have a $150 Brother with a digital display and a gazillion feet and stitches. It's perfect for me! If she's just getting into sewing, I don't think there's a need to spend 2-300...but do get a reputable brand name. But even a low end model will get the job done.

I just don't want her to get scared away b/c learning sewing for the first time with a machine that snaps threads constantly is very frustrating!

It might be a good idea to find/take a sewing class and get the "feel" of what sewing SHOULD be like... learn what adjusting all those knobs really do... and then pick up an inexpensive machine. At least you won't think it's something you are doing vs what the machine is doing.