Finished a dress, made with 201s and got two more machines

Can't say 201k, because the machine I started it with was a 201p (the tan one). Used the 319k for zigzag finishing seams and putting in the hook.
Here's the dress:

 It should fit her, but she lives on the other side of the planet so it might be a while before I get feedback.

Here's the machine I used to finish it. The knee lever was really hard to get used to. I kept accidentally knocking the lever and sewing the thread into a knot.
The most important thing I discovered with this project was how to pre-finish a seam: Cut the fabric out using pinking shears! If you cut it the right size, the seam edges are pre-finished and no ZZ will be necessary.
Being unable to control my sewing machine addiction meant that since last week I bought two more machines. The first was another 319k but with a free arm. It's called a 320k but identical except for the removable bed. This feature made it horrendously expensive to produce apparently, so they didn't make that many of them.
The second was a Singer 401g (I think). It was on eBay for a while and nobody bid on it. It was re-listed at the same price so I bought it. I haven't picked it up yet but am quite excited. Here are the new ones:

Quite rare Singer 320k2

Singer 401g made in Germany

There are a few problems with these two machines, being that the first one can't go into a cabinet because of the removable bed, so I'll have to sell my beautiful 319k in its cabinet. Good news is that the 401g can be treadled, so I can swap the 319k with a treadle cabinet (and free up some shed space).

Best domestic machine ever?

I've fallen in love. About six months ago I bought a brown 1950s Singer 201, in mint condition.
It sat in the shed for, well, six months. Got it out when I was having trouble several layers of sewing denim (the 66 couldn't handle it easily). It went through it like a hot knife through butter. Afterwards, I imagined it saying "so what else ya got" in a Brooklyn accent. This thing is tough.
Last weekend I had no hesitation getting it out again. Someone I know had some blouses made by a sample machinist, who charged the Earth, but refused to finish with buttons and buttonholes! The buttons were easy: The 319k is made for button sewing. Looked at the 319 instruction book for button holes too. Yes it can do them but it's all very manual. I pulled out my vintage buttonholer, attached it to the 201 and started practising. The combination is just about unbeatable. Buttonholers are very cheap but sooo sophisticated. You can do a buttonhole on any straight stitch machine. How? The 'holer grabs the fabric and moves it, keeping the needle moving straight up and down. Instructions tell you to keep it slow. Hmmm... why's that? I went fast and the heavy fabric dragging on the needle pulled it far enough from its normal path that it went down on the plate and broke. Well, that's why!
So, I don't have any pictures, but here's a link to a demonstration by a guy in NYC, Peter Lappin.
I did take pics of doing the button on the 319, though. Very quick. Bummer (or otherwise) thatone machine can't do everything, isn't it? Could probably attach the buttonholer to the 319, but that'd be less fun, wouldn't it?

A few more links - vintage sewing machines

Here are some links I find very useful when dealing with old sewing machines:

Rudolf Couture
He is (also) an obsessive collector and has loads of manuals available as pdf for downloading.
The Quilting Board
A lot of members of this group have old machines
International Sewing Machine Collector Society A wealth of information from the collector society

Pattern for Smartness

All you vintage fans have to watch this film (made in 1948). Probably more cringeing than that time you went to see Jerry Lewis at Crown (for example - I only heard the reviews), but actually very useful and interesting, particularly for a beginner like me.

Go Betty! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E1j9DxEEUw&feature=youtu.be

Dress and Blouse for the Little Woman

Robert Fritzlaff is a shining inspiration to me. He is a male designer of women's clothing in the 1950s and '60s (apparently a bit in the '70s too). He is also heterosexual. Yes, I know it shouldn't matter but it does. Sewing dresses for GF and daughter shouldn't be this enjoyable for a hetero male, but thanks to RF there is a precedent. Actually it's possibly not that uncommon. RFs taste in clothing is brilliant, too, as is his view of high fashion today ("garbage").
OK, off the soap box. I started making a dress yesterday:
Butterick 4061 (1965), Size 16T, Bust 36 "proportioned for teens" for my girlfriend, who left her teens even before I did, but we'll see how it fits when I'm finished. She gave me two more hurdles, being I must use an invisible zipper, and I must re-use a skirt section of an old dress she bought at a garage sale (sigh).
I forgot to scan or photograph the pattern cover but it looks like this:

I've been given the task of creating 'A'.
Cover tells me how much fabric I need (which I ignore, since I have to re-use old pieces). I also need interfacing for the facing.
One thing I found curious is that the pattern keeps mentioning the "Jumper". This is referring to the bodice. I kept looking for a jumper and for the bodice instructions, but they're one and the same!
So, cut out the fabric. I did just the bodice first, rather than all of the cutting at the start (means I don't have to use a hundred pins all at once). The first thing to do is to attach the interfacing to the facing - fusing is the name for the modern version. It must be pressed on and heated (iron or press), and is to be applied to the inside of the facing.
I cut out parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 in linen and 3 and 4 again in interfacing (Tip: Lay the interfacing on the linen and pattern pieces on top - saves cutting twice). Then trimmed 3/8" from the bottom of the interfacing and fused it to the wrong side of the linen.

Cutting the front and back. Notice dot triangle at fold

Facings. Only #3 has the dot triangles

The dot triangles are Butterick for "place at fabric fold", because the piece has to be continuous and double the size of the pattern piece. Different pattern vendors have different codes for this. Also, the two big dots on #4 must line up with the grain of the fabric (the same thread must go through them both). Not doing so with affect how the garment will move or how it stretches, so it's quite important.
Butterick has "easy steps" in following their pattern. Unfortunately, some of these are very complex.
Step 1: To make dart in BODICE FRONT, bring small dots together. Stitch, tapering to single dot, press down.
Seems straightforward, make the bust darts in the front piece (big piece with the dot triangle), then press down. But wait, there's more!
Trim 3/8" from lower edge of front interfacing. Baste to inside of bodice front as shown. Here we must depart from the instructions. In the '60s the interfacing had to be stitched. Now it doesn't. Since you have pressed it on, you need to ignore any mention of stitching it on without the facing. It is attached to the facing, and they should be treated as a single unit.
Sorry, I was not going to publish this in parts, but now will since I'm taking so damn long to hem the thing. Invisible hemming is the last step, and I badly misinterpreted the instructions in the Singer manual. Now I'm off work for a while so will post again shortly.

Men's shirt patterns

Last time I mentioned the latest tailoring effort as a slim fit 1960s shirt. Well, after trawling for patterns it seems there isn't really one out there :-(
The closest I got were three 1960s patterns, but none of them seem to be slim fitting. I prefer the slim fit because it looks better on a slim man (now that I'm half the man I used to be - well, maybe 75%). We all need to use clothes to show us in our best light, don't we? The ladies certainly do (not so much these days, of course). In the U.S. two years ago it was really easy to find vintage shirts and suits, but they were all huge. Americans eat a lot more than Aussies, it seems. I'm currently wearing one of my thrift shop bargains though. An Italian suit, probably '90s but it doesn't matter when it fits this well. Classic design, with pin stripes, and very slim fit. The price? Same as a good op shop here: $10. Can't promise to ever learn to make suits, since it would take many years to make something even acceptable, but shirts are a different matter.
I hereby promise to attempt to create and publish an electronic pattern from the paper one I made my shirt from. Here are two pictures of it as it is now - I have yet to sew button holes on:
The seams are something my teacher's very proud of. Also, this machine sews beautifully, and it's just a pleasure to use it. The pedal looks bizarre - it's made of bakelite, and has a solid post right next to the switch for your foot to pivot on while you're using it, but it's very smooth. Some of this is probably the thorough clean and oil last week, but most is definitely due to the quality of the build back in 1960. Since teacher isn't here and I can't remember what it's called I won't go on about it, but side seams are pressed flat, then toward the back. The seam closest to the back is cut by half and the longer one folded over it. It's pinned in place like that and stitched. Looks very nice (better than the finish in the original shirt). The fabric was just what shirting was available, a nice plain green. Obviously you can make from something a bit groovier than this, but I chose the plain in case I screwed it up. Wasting 25 cents worth of fabric is not something I'd cry over. Besides, it'll still be a great looking shirt that feels good too. And that's not even mentioning that other feeling, of having made it!
Etsy seems to be the best place to find vintage patterns. The three I found earlier today are simplicity 4160, simplicity 7745 and butterick 5897. Just remember that pattern numbers are re-used so include 1960s in your search. I'll figure out some time how to digitise the pattern I have.

Singer 327K - Do I have a problem?

Well, duh :-)

Well, I did buy it prior to the 319K, and it was $5 (no foot controller). Here is a picture of the 327K:

Isn't she lovely? (If you also heard Stevie Wonder singing that just then you must be as old as I am). There was a problem: After cleaning and oiling, it still wouldn't sew (sigh). Tried several hours of tightening and loosening the bobbin and thread tension to discover that the actual needle bar had a slight bend in it! How could this happen? It's solid stainless steel, so I think someone must have dropped it. Luckily, there was a number on  it. Read it out to my (now) friends at sewparts, and Singer no longer make them. I was luckier on ebay, however, and two weeks later (U.S. postal service is now extremely slow) I have it. The machine now sews perfectly but of course I no longer need it. Oh well, the collection grows.
OK, back to the 319K. Here is another picture:

Her indoors is a pattern maker and made a shirt pattern based on a small Van Heusen from the 1960s. Very mod, and as I said I was itching to do something a little more manly than little girls' dresses (and skirts). The shirt is nearly finished and I've taken a few photos along the way. Next post, therefore, will be how to make a very attractive shirt. Unfortunately, I don't have a pattern number for you to search for, but if or when I learn how to digitise patterns, I'll publish it here :-)

dress project all done

Yes, I finished it. A while ago, actually (4th Jan), but forgot to write about it.

Here it is:
The mannequin was something I didn't really know much about so the creases are there because I didn't know how to adjust the waist.
It looks better than this when worn, of course, but not as good as the drawing (do they ever look that good?). The neckline was supposed to be the hardest thing to get right but I had no trouble with this. Just followed the lines of the pattern piece and the instructions.
Since it was a few weeks ago now, I can't recall if I had many problems, but nothing springs to mind. It REALLY helps to have a sewing person as a resource, though. Doing a skirt for eldest daughter now (13½ Y.O.) and have had problems with puckering of the seams (there are 18 vertical seams) and have to undo all of these now (my resource wasn't there to tell me to stop)

Project

Making a Dress

When it comes to making clothes, I can't see why men are different to women. Luckily I live with two of them, so here is the classic black dress I wanted to make:

simplicity 5707 (1966)

It's the one on the right.
Like I said, since the pattern is second hand, there's usually no need to cut out the pattern pieces. I'm making dress #2.

Measure

Firstly, grab your tape and measure your subject's vital statistics. Obviously you should do this before choosing the pattern, but if the subject thinks she's a certain size just ignore this. Size 18 is huge these days, but this dress size was not the same in the 1960s. The most important part is the bust size, but there is more information on the back:

back of packet contains valuable information

Choose a fabric

Reading the back of the pattern envelope, look at the type and amount of fabric required. We're using polyester/linen, so for #2, look at the right: "nap is the raised (fuzzy) surface on certain kinds of cloth, such as velvet" (from wikipedia). The size on the left of the table refers to the fabric width. If you have, say, 42" fabric without nap, you'll need 2 7/8 yards. OK, a yard is 90cm, so 180 (2 yd) + 78.75 (7/8 yd) = 258.75cm. I'd just get 3m.

Check the contents, read instructions

Inside the envelope you find the instructions. Take these out (you should definitely check that this is there as well as all the pattern pieces before you buy second hand patterns). If anything is missing, you probably won't be able to make the garment.
Instructions tell you how to lay the pattern pieces on the fabric to minimise fabric waste. If there's one piece of advice to give other learners it's to read all of the instructions, and don't ignore something if you don't understand it.

The right side

The fabric must be folded right sides together. Right sides together is an expression you'll get to know well. The right side is the one that will be on the exterior of the garment, and the wrong side will be on the inside, possibly hidden by lining but not seen when the garment is worn. Right sides are always sewn together.

Cut it out!

Lay the paper pattern pieces on the fabric as per instructions and pin them on. Using loads of pins means you will get much better cut fabric. The pattern pieces will have lots of markings too. These must nearly all be marked onto the fabric before you start using that piece. My daughter's dress pattern (and this one) both suggested tailor's tacks for this. This means you have a long piece of contrasted cotton (e.g. you have black fabric, so use white cotton), double it over then poke the fold loop through a needle so you have four threads coming from the needle's eye. On simplicity patterns, the three big circles signify a side that is on the fold and the two big circles must be on connecting threads so you don't have to mark these. On all other circles, put the needle through like you're sewing a four hole button. Leave a large loop and cut about an inch above the pattern/fabric. When all of these are done on all the pieces (this takes a long time) move on to the cut out v shapes. Snip the fabric (it doesn't have to be a v - just a single snip is enough). If you think this is a massive pain, so did I. The Simplicity book gives you two alternatives, one of which being to mark these holes with tailor's chalk. To make sure the side that's on the table gets marked correctly, you should put a pin through the centre of each hole in turn, lift the fabric and mark the other side: I found it easiest to change the angle of the pin three times and mark each one (so there's chalk pointing to the centre).

pinned pieces. Marking is next

pin through to mark the other side

Read the instructions and test your machine

Now you can start reading the instructions again.
Before you start sewing, you must test what you're going to sew with a fabric off cut. Fold it in two and sew together. I find that I'll have to modify various settings before it sews nicely. Here's what to look for: puckering (foot pressure is too much or thread tension too high), missed stitches (bent needle or thread too loose), one side of the thread is straight and the other is OK (too much thread tension on the side with the straight thread) and thread looping (not enough thread tension on the loopy side). Fix the problems and you should have a nice even stitch.

Mark your seam

Old patterns usually have a 5/8" seam allowance (seam allowance is the overhanging bit after you stitch two pieces together), so it's really helpful to have 5/8" to the right of the needle marked somehow. Some machines have markings on the plate: Singers usually do, my Pinnock doesn't, so I have a small sewing magnet that will attach to the plate. This has a straight edge. Alternatively, you can keep measuring every time, but this is annoying and really unnecessary.
OK, follow the instructions one at a time. Don't skip any.

Start to sew

Patterns will usually ask you to sew the bodice first (it's the hardest part), starting with a row of "stay stitching" around the neck line and shoulders. This is to prevent the fabric from stretching or changing shape in any way. You do this on front and back sections, just inside the 5/8" seam allowance (you don't want it to show, or you'll have to un-pick it later) then usually sew the darts (bust and back) then sew the front to the back at the shoulders then the sides.

How to sew

OK, I'm not a typical blogger. I'm a male and a teacher. You may notice that all my blogs have knowledge sharing as a common theme. So, without further ado, here's how a middle aged man learns to sew.

I have an advantage over the average learner, being that I share a house with a pattern maker who is, well, rather good at all of this. So, if you think I'm a genius for doing so much so quickly, just remember this advantage and don't be discouraged: When I got stuck, I stopped what I was doing and sat down. After a while, the answer usually came to me.

Step 0: Gather resources
If you have a seamstress/tailor at hand you'll be well ahead. I have a good in-house resource but if you don't, you're not lost yet. Most women over 60 will be able to sew and willing to help you, so find a relative.
Most pattern publishers will have a book full of tips and techniques. They'll also explain the terms sewers use. I have the Butterick, Vogue, M^cCalls and two Simplicity books (1957 and 1974). The Butterick book was from ebay ($9) and was published in 1949. The rest were all from op shops and church/garage sales.
The third resource is the Internet, which you clearly have already. I was still unsure about putting a zipper in my daughter's dress, so I watched a youtube video. Problem solved.

Step 1: Buy sewing stuff
I got my machine from various places, and they were all really cheap. If you want an old sewing machine, they're easily obtainable from op shops (although all the ones I've seen are around $65), car swap meets where I've seen many from $10 to $30 (my Aussie Pinnock, in mint condition as well as a hand operated 1930s Jones). You also have the option of collectibles bazaars. In the Glen Waverley one there are several machines available, from $19 upwards. If you want a new machine you're looking at a Chinese option. New machines are definitely not my area but you can buy one for just over $100. They're lighter than the old ones but I personally wouldn't have one. If you're after a classic Singer (black and silver) with a treadle and table, you need deep pockets (a very average one will still set you back nearly $200), but I saw an electric Singer black and silver machine there a few months ago for $65! Even more surprising is that it sat near the front counter for over a month before someone bought it. I wasn't tempted, since it was still more than my budget allowed (hard for me to justify spending that much on any machine). Here's the best reason to buy a Singer over a Pinnock: Support. They are still around today and support their machines back to the 1950s models (at least). They have always been extremely popular, so they're very easy to find. Parts are easy to get and cheap (sewparts have an excellent stock of Singer parts) and Singer, being around in the Internet era, offer manuals as free downloads. I chose a Pinnock and have a lot of trouble finding manuals and parts, but with lots of spare machines, I hope it will go on for a while yet.
You'll also need hand sewing stuff. This is all pretty cheap and I can recommend sewparts in Victoria Street. By far the friendliest and most helpful shop I've been to. No, I don't work there, have shares or get a commission: When people are all nice and helpful, you want to go back there and tell everyone. They also have the basic sewing stuff very cheap (in the front window). You'll need two packs of pins, extra needles and bobbins for your machine and some thread (black, white and colours to match the fabrics in your first pattern) as well as a fabric tape measure, tailors chalk and a good pair of fabric scissors.
A large table is helpful to cut your fabric on, and an iron and ironing board are absolutely essential (you have to iron the pattern flat before cutting, and almost every time you do something).

Step 2: Choose a pattern
You have to have a pattern. Trying to make clothes without one is pointless. Even in Victorian times they used them. You must measure the person you're making the clothes for, as will be mentioned in your book. Chest (widest part), waist (narrowest part) and hips (widest) are the measurements you need. Write it down in inches and centimetres if you're thinking about old patterns, or just centimetres if you'll stick to new.
I like vintage clothes, so I get my patterns from op shops. They aren't that easy to find but if you find a good shop, they're usually about 20 to 50 cents each.If you don't want to trawl through thousands of modern patterns to get to the good vintage stuff, go to the aforementioned bazaar. There are at least two really good stalls that sell just vintage patterns for about $5.
If you have children of either gender you'll find a large choice. Kids' clothes are easier to make in general, and women (only women ever made women's and kids' clothing) seldom made their own clothes, it seems. So if you have kids, look for a kids pattern to start with.
Incidentally, it pays to like the older designs. New patterns are more work (you have to cut them from a big sheet, whereas secondhand ones have been done already) as well as more expensive (my eldest daughter found one at Savers with an original price of $27.50!).
Here's my first vintage dress pattern:

Simplicity 5993 (1966)

Step 3: Fabric
This is actually written on the pattern. Have a look at the back and you'll see what type of fabric should be used. There are usually two or three, but cotton is normal for kids' clothing. My girl chose a pattern that included a lined jacket (bottom centre in the pattern photo), so I had to ask for "shirting" for the jacket. My resource #1 had loads of light blue polka dot dress fabric, which the girl said would be perfect.
Spotlight and Lincraft are the shops I buy fabric from. Op shops are a bit useless for fabric, since they only ever get people's off cuts (usually much less than a metre long) and they aren't all that cheap anyway.

OK, that's about all I can write in one session (I have a dress to make for resource #1 for an xmas present) so here is how Simplicity 5993 turned out:

Why learn to sew?

Well, the answer is because you've been unemployed for a ridiculous amount of time, developed an obsession with vintage sewing machines that you require an excuse to keep collecting more of, and your grandmother was an amazing seamstress. The fact is, though, I'm a male and the whole thing seemed a bit stupid.
In Australia we pretty much don't manufacture anything, and in the 1980s when the tariffs were abolished (remember the buy Australian campaign?) we all said "bugger buy Australian: that Chinese garbage is really cheap!!" and the first of our industries to suffer was clothing manufacture.
This all fills me with sadness. The Chinese made garments we put up with today are every bit as crappy as 25 years ago, and we still buy them because they're that much cheaper than good clothes. Our clothing manufacturers are nearly all gone as are the machines to make them (most were bought by Chinese factories and are lost forever to us). I bought Australian and still do. Only way to now is to buy second hand. Op shops are full of cheap Aussie made shirts, suits, jackets, coats etc. and they sit on the same racks as the later Chinese stuff - handy for quality comparison. The local garments still look good up to 50 years later, whereas the Chinese made are faded, rough, out of shape and obviously not very well put together or finished.
Off the soap box now. I thought long and hard about reviving the industry in any way possible (including thinking about investing in a factory a while ago) but we just expect to get paid too much money, and the Chinese are practically slaves. There's just no competing with that.
I discovered a really good tip shop a few months ago, and they had a load of discarded sewing machines. I was looking for one for my daughter (9 YO) so she could learn to sew, and they had a 1968 Singer that looked very suitable. I couldn't believe I got the machine for the grand sum of $7. After cleaning it up, I had to test it. Well, how do you test a sewing machine when you have no idea of how they even work? You ask someone who knows. Luckily I have one of those. She didn't know about Singers, really (well, her mum had a '30s electric one) but she worked it out and showed me. Here is the model I got:

Singer Stylist 498

So, a few weeks later I went to the tip shop again and there was a very attractive old machine that had "craftamatic" branded. Hmm... $7 or so later and it was mine, and someone happened to have just returned one. The guy said it apparently didn't work so I could have both for $7. Yes, got them home, worked them out and fixed both. A month or so ago I bought another three, seeing as the first was $7.50 and he said he'd give me $1 off for each subsequent machine. So what do we have here? Six working vintage sewing machines. My shed is filling up quickly now.
Below are two of them. I don't have the Princess any longer: It was just too pretty for the shed so I passed it to a young lady who also loved vintage. The others were all either Craftamatic or Pinnock, both Australian brands. Pinnock was a great Australian brand who made machines for nearly all of the 20th century in Adelaide. Not all that much information is available on the Internet about them but when I bought the last tip shop machine, it was a Japanese Pinnock from the '70s. This was the nicest, smoothest machine I'd used yet. Last weekend there was a car swap meet on north of Melbourne (Whittlesea) and someone was selling an Aussie made Pinnock in almost mint condition for $30. Yes I bought it, so that makes seven and this one takes over the title of smoothest. It also came with all the original accessories, spare needles, bobbins etc.

The HG Palmer Princess

Craftamatic (Pinnock copy) with zig-zag

Latest Pinnock in remarkable condition

Over the months I learned how to oil (anything that moved except gears, only use sewing machine oil) and grease them (gears only, only use sewing machine grease), then started testing them so I knew they worked. I needed to know what the bits did and how it all worked. The best way to learn all this is to learn to sew. Daughter needed a dress for "Italian Day" so I made it (with a great deal of guidance from the resident seamstress, of course). The learning curve was very steep indeed and I figured it'd all be worth while when I got around to re-upholstering the Valiant seats.

There had to be a reason for all of this, and I felt the urge to learn the art of sewing. It seems that mens wear is a different art form to women's, and my main problem is that I don't know anyone who can teach me. Also, there are much fewer publications on making shirts and suits than there are dresses. I started looking for patterns in op shops, and around 98% were for women. Nearly all women 50 years ago had a sewing machine and could use it. Men's wear was almost all made in factories.
After making the Italian dress, the bobbin gear broke. This meant the bobbin wouldn't move at all and I had to switch to a different machine (the Singer). Sewparts (Wm Jackson) in Vic Pde (East Melb) have been amazing  in supplying parts (cheaper than anything you'll find on the Internet - really!) but they didn't have spares for Pinnocks. So, I looked inside all the craftamatics and one of them had the same drive gears, only solid steel! Changed it over and the machine is as good (better, in fact) as before. After changing it over the bobbin timing had to be set. If I get around to taking pictures of this I will but it's very important, or the machine won't sew. Just one millimetre out is enough to prevent threading.
The whole sewing thing is quite a skill. In today's time poor world it's no wonder nobody learns it. I bought my niece a book on first principles cooking because she raved about how good my cooking was a few years ago, and she was less than impressed when she saw how 'complicated' it all was (more than moving a packet from the freezer to the microwave). I imagine said book is still in mint condition somewhere.
As the old saying goes aim for the top, but don't expect to fly there. You need to do what you probably couldn't when you were young: be persistent, be open to new concepts, don't take short cuts, read the instructions thoroughly. I'm a little embarrassed about nearly all my interests being traditionally female pursuits (cooking, sewing, car restoration - I did say nearly all) but learning constantly seems to be a great way to spend your down time.