r/SewingWorld

how does everyone keep their scissors sharped? I’ve only had them sharpened once in the garment district when I was visiting. I’m afraid to mess up them up!

I make costumes for a ballet company here in town. My stuff is not like off the rack due to the adaptability it needs. So I am making 16 360 circle skirts for children ( not an issue) but I want to add polka dots. Size 8in to 4in. How would you sew them on? Add interface for stability? Hand sew, machine sew? I really don't want to use any type of fusing because the last design done was over 20 years ago so I need something to last but are mendable.

I have heard of people selling fabric by the pound. What do you think would be a fair price/lb. (USD)?

Hello (Sewing illiterate here),

I am a planet lover who is getting rid of 8-10 pairs of pants/jeans bc they have holes in the knees. Could anyone reuse these or the fabric?

They are mostly size 34/32 looking to donate hopefully in MN where I live. Thanks!

OMG i cannot take this anymore. I will never buy a singer again. Long story short, my first sewing machine back around 2009 was a brother xl2600i and weirdly it still works. I use it as backup whenever my signer starts acting up or when im waiting for my new singer to ship to me.

My first singer 4411 was bought from joanns in jan 2023 and it lasted until aug 2025. Then i bought a 2nd 4411 and that conked out of me right away so I returned it. Then i bought the singer 44s in aug 2025 cuz it was a few bucks cheaper at walmart. And within only a few months the 44s started acting hella crazy. It was behaving like the singer 4411 at the 2 year mark. So i bought another 44s and just switched the machines and return the orginal on as it was within 90 days.

Its been whatever every since then. but now in aug 2026 it will not act right at all. And I wanna scream because this is driving me crazy trying to figure out whats wrong with it everyday. I wasted like 5 hours a few days ago trying to sew one project that takes way less than 5 hours to finish because majority of that time i was spent trying to fix the dang machine. Couldn't even finish the project. Had to go to bed to cool off.

So sorry for the rant but before i buy one of those $1000 industrial machines that claim according to google is great for heavy duty daily use i wanna get a recommendation from actual people who use these machines. Not a google ai generated response from the people who pay google to say their machine is best.

I sew basically everyday. And i sew a lot of layers together. Heavy duty stuff like pvc, outdoor canvas, pu, and thick marine vinyl. So i need something that can handle all of that. Great for constant commercial/business use because these $200-$300 machines aren't cutting it anyone. If i did the math, if i buy one more $300 machine that is basically the same $1000 price tag i could have spent from the beginning. 🤦🏾‍♀️

So please suggest away and why. Thanks my fellow sewers.

I intend to do nothing but tailor clothing to be smaller so it’ll fit me, which would just be thin - thick cotton and denim, so i don’t want to pay a lot (250+) for a machine. just most of the ones coming up in search that are less than that have no actual user reviews anywhere, and don’t really have descriptions for different types, so i’m unsure?

i also have never sewed anything before and don’t have that much knowledge on it

My best friend is having a birthday party, I already have a big gift box but I also want to give her something to help her sew. The only problem is: I don't sew so I don't know what the hell I'm doing.

So I was helping someone on here could help with ideas. Preferably something useful, and practical but also fun.

I’m a complete beginner and I got dumb questions

For everyone here that makes handmade clothing, have you ever had someone ask for a size you couldn't make? What did you do? This has been a big fear of mine and limits me from actually attempting to sew even for friends and family. I'm curious how common it actually is (I'm also a self taught beginner and do not have all the technical / formal background).

I just started a very very small sewing business. when I say small, like it's literally just some friends and then friends of friends hat have been buying from me. I sell makeup bags, totes, and appliqué shirts. I've literally sold like five items that are made once an order is placed and it takes me about a week and a half when I'm not sewing all the time because I don't want to burn out on sewing.

i have a history of burning out on my hobbies and i really don't want to ruin my love for sewing, so I try not to sew every single hour of the day and tell myself it's okay to not finish projects in one or two days.

anyways, between my orders i've been getting it's been keeping me really busy and I'm so happy I've gotten some attention among my small community. however, i'm starting school soon and i have my own list of things I want to sew for myself. how do you guys manage your sewing time, especially if you have your own little small business. i close my orders once i have a lot on my plate but like still, i want some advice!