Sticky: Textiles and Crafts Technical Resource and FAQ

[leloi]

This thread is to list out various resources that may be needed while working on your various projects in textiles or crafts.

Keep in mind that the products are not endorsed by Gaia but your fellow users who have found them helpful. If you feel we missed something, respond in thread and it can be added.

Contained you will find information on:

Sewing Machines
Fabric and Craft Stores
Periodicals and Books
Patterns
Special Interest Links

[leloi]

Sewing Machines

Sewing machines come in many shapes and sizes. They can range from simple stitches to embroidery machines. Finding the right sewing machine can be a daunting task. A variety of factors come into play such as price and durability. Below is a list of sewing machine companies and reviews of various machines used by other Gaians.

Links to Sewing Machine Companies:
Brother
Simplicity
Singer
Viking
White
Janome

Sewing Machine Reviews:

Had a sewing machine? Tell us about it. Follow this format:

Quote:

Company:
Make:
Lifespan: (how many years did it last)
Review:
Recommendation: (who would you recommend it to and why)

Viking

Quote:

Make: Husqvarna (Huskystar) 224
Lifespan: should last 25 years
Review: A very good machine. The options are everything a sewer could need but it doesn’t have the embroidery options. The sewing is smooth and even. There is even a button to have the needle position down at the end of each stitch. That button can take a bit to get used to timing, but otherwise it works well for changing direction.
Recommendation: I recommend this machine to an intermediate to advanced sewer who wants more out of their machine.

[leloi]

Fabric and Craft Stores

Links to Fabric Stores:
Hancock Fabrics
Jo-ann Fabrics and Crafts

Links to Craft Stores:
Ben Franklin Crafts
Michaels


Periodicals and Books

Listed are links to Periodicals and Books your fellow users have found informative, grouped by subject:

Books:

Ethnic Clothing:
The Folkwear Book of Ethnic Clothing by Mary S. Parker

Make Your Own Japanese Clothes by John Marshall

Costuming:
Stage Costume by Mary T. Kidd

Dollmaking:

Designing the Doll by Susanna Oroyan

Periodicals:
Sewing:
Threads

Dollmaking:
Soft Dolls and Animals

[leloi]

Patterns

Links to Pattern Companies:
McCalls
Butterick
Simplicity
Vogue
Burda

Online Pattern Reviews:
Patternreview.com

Pattern Reviews:
Fashion
Accessories
Historical
Cosplay
Animals and Dolls
Quilts

[leloi]

Special Interest Links

Seperated by Subject. A place for links to various websites recommended by your fellow users.

Cosplay:
www.cosplaylab.com
www.cosplay.com

Kimono:
www.moto-ya.com
www.yamatoku.com

Fabric:
http://store.yahoo.com/phoenixtextiles/

Communities:
http://www.sewingworld.com

[leloi]

Reserved for future expansion

[ark808]

This is my favorite online fabric store.
PhoenixTextiles

[Deijii]

Stage Costume: Step by Step
by Mary T. Kidd.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1558706089/qid=1094701258/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-9959697-4927046?v=glance&s=books

It explains costume making using basic shapes. It also describes various period costumes commonly seen on stage. This book is very useful in understanding patterns and showing you how to make your own (or altering existing ones). I wouldn't recomend this to an advanced costumer, but for someone who is just starting out, this is a valuble resource.

[Grammar Freak]

This has to do with stained glass.

For beginers, I would get an Inland grinder. It works well and you can get a bevleing thing to put on it. With grinders, smiple is better because it will be compatible with more kinds of bevleing attachments and differnet grinding heads.

Pistol grip cutters are best. They don't have a tapping ball, but you get an even score line more offen than not. Another plus is that they have this system where you put the oil in the cutter, so you don't have to worry about dipping in pots of oil that are pron to spill. Tapping balls are cheap!

[Articubone]

A few extra websites...

www.sewingworld.com <--- one of the biggest textiles forums on the net
www.patternreview.com <--- speaks for itself
www.janome.com <--- the largest sewing machine manufacturer

[The Lisa Faerie]

Yamatoku also has an English e-bay site; I couldn't find an English section on the posted site, so... Vintage Kimono

[Alexandrea Zenne]

O.o I forgot about the link for Yamatoku.

http://www.yamatoku.jp/classic/ works (in English).

[Rosemary Girl]

sewing and crafting forum
www.craftster.org

[sodabottle37]

Are there no references for knitting? Does no one else knit or crochet?

Granted, knitting sites tend to not make sense, or are difficult to follow, but there's always hard references, suck as Stich n' b***h Nation, Vogue Knitting, Family Knitting, etc.
Hobby Lobby and Crafts 2000 are my favorite yarn stores, HL for its prices and Crafts for its selection. Books-A-Million is my favorite book store, as they always have Stich N' b***h and knitting magazines in stock.