Barleymower wrote: ↑Sun Apr 07, 2024 5:01 pm
Mouse do you hand sew or machine sew. How did you learn either? My nan taught me to sew and I've used those few skills ever since. I would like to be able to sew better and even use a sewing machine
BM, I mainly machine sew when making clothes. As a kid I watched my mum sew and when my then girl friend wanted to make her own bridesmaid dresses for our wedding, I helped by taking on the machine sewing and learning on the job. I have always been into DIY where power tools are always involved, so to me a sewing machine was just another power tool to get to grips with. I have made things for the house, clothes for my wife and children and even odd things for my work. In lock down I started making skirts for myself. I also have an overlocker (serger) which is great for joining stretchy material and making nice edges on standard material.
I do some hand sewing when I make things in leather, which is too thick for my machines. I punch holes in the leather, then use thick thread to sew the pieces together. I would love a walking foot heavy duty machine to sew leather, but I don't have the space for one.
This latex material is best connected by using latex contact adhesive. In this picture I am first cleaning the edge surface with thinners, then I cover the two joining edges with the adhesive, let it go off for 4-5 minutes, then put the edges together in the right place....and then roller the seam. The low tack tape is there to stop the adhesive getting on to the face away from the join. Joining two pieces of material which stretch easily, is not easy to get a perfect seam and the tape was suppose to help keep them stable. It worked to some extent, and my seams are OK.

Daily, a happy man in a skirt...