Is it fine to do simple clothing alterations by hand?

[smallglassbottle]

Anybody else do minor clothing alterations, hems etc. by hand?

I have late Mil's sewing machine and it's fine, but I just can't set it up and I get muddled and tangled up. I can hand sew fine. I need some hems and whatnot doing. Is it okay to do by hand or should I really make an effort with the sewing machine? I'm not naturally gifted when it comes to fabrics 😬

Old sewing machines from the 1960s/70s are often better quality than modern ones. They honestly are rarely hard to thread up, you just need the trick of it, you would probably find a video. Sometimes there's a particular clip or something that has to be tensioned right. For repairs that need to take a bit of strain machine sewing is probably stronger. Loads of people don't mend anything though so you aren't doing too badly.

Do you have any tips on putting invisible zips in?

I always do hems (and some small alterations) by hand.
I've always had a sewing machine but was taught, in the 1960s/70s that hemming by machine was inferior, and so I only hem by machine if I'm in a hurry. If you enjoy handsewing, which I do, then go for it. Machine stitching isn't necessarily better and you should do what gives you the best satisfaction/enjoyment.

What do you mean-is it OK? Of course it is.

I understand your difficulties. I also had trouble at school with threading machines (ours were ancient black singers operated by treadle!)
I sewed by hand for years despite being given an old one of gran’s. Like you, I didn’t use it enough and no instruction book.

six years ago I bought my own machine as I wanted make tops that would fit me then lockdown happened so i cut my teeth making masks for friends and family. I still havnt made the clothes I thought I would. It’s mostly been repairs, aprons, cushion covers and repurposing but I’d be lost without the instruction book as my memory ain’t what it was.
so previous suggestions to look online for the instructions (you never know) or to video your husband threading it up will be really useful. Also learn to take it apart and clean it. Really helps the operation of it.
My machine has a button thingy, it’s ace if i need to sew more then one button, but useless for sewing a button on thicker material where your button needs a longer post. So some things will always be better done by hand. Likewise hems on anything decent.
good luck!

Same here - taught that hemming invisibly, by hand is better.

Actually I also have this issue when I go back to it after the summer, I just get the book out to remind me.

If you really do want to learn to machine sew properly, I think you need a new machine. They don’t go on forever, especially if they haven’t been oiled frequently. I bought my first sewing machine in the late 60s. I have had a few since then. They do wear out. Just because your husband wants to keep his mother’s machine doesn’t mean that you can’t have a new one. I only have one at the moment but I have had 2 on the go. As well as my sewing machine I also have an overlocker and a cover stitch machine.
If you get a new machine you will get an instruction book with it.

I make clothes and do alterations all by hand.

I rehem things all the time by hand. It's far better than machine hemming. Less visible.

If I'm adding darts to clothes, I use a machine though, because it creates more even and tighter stitchwork.

In that case, if it hasn't been used for a long time, it probably desperately needs oiling. I have a 1971 machine in my collection and it has loads of red dots inside flagging parts that need regular drinks.

I would love to do this! I can hem by hand and do simple repairs but I haven't made any clothes - I just don't enjoy using a machine at all.
Any tips on what/how to make something by hand for a starting out?

The stitches are as strong as the thread. So long as your hem stitches are small and even, they will hold fine.

I sometimes use a pattern and other times make simple clothes based on ones I have.

As a start I’d suggest looking at what you already own and see if you could change any of it such as a dress you are bored with initial a skirt.

I have an all singing and dancing sewing machine I have only used to make some gianourmous curtains. In fact, I bought it specifically for that task because it was a lot cheaper than having the curtains made professionally. It took me ages but the final result was brilliant.
I tried using it for various clothes alterations since then but I don’t like it. It takes space, there’s a lot of stopping and starting and it’s a right faff. I might feel better if I was a competent user of a sewing machine or if I had a dedicated sewing room/corner to have it permanently set up and ready to use.
I actually really enjoy sewing by hand and can watch a tv series whilst doing it or listen to a podcast. Which I can’t do with a sewing machine because I need to concentrate for safety reasons and it is noisy enough that I couldn’t follow to listen to anything.
Also, for sewing by hand, I can choose any place in the house or garden to do it.
I’m all for it! I definitely favour it to a sewing machine.

Yes, I shortened a dress by hand a few days ago. I have got a sewing machine, but it was made in 1916, it's a bit fiddly to thread, and it's quicker to do without.

I do hemming or minor alterations or repairs by hand. I find it really therapeutic. I'm in a dance show at the weekend and was sat in the garden a couple of weeks ago adding diamante trim to my denim shorts. DH saw me out there and said I looked really happy and content (he's a soppy bugger sometimes 😁).

I have got a sewing machine but it's up in the loft and hasn't seen the light for years. That said, DH has said that he wants to sort out our loft room so that I can do my crafts, including going back to making clothes, so it may come out sooner rather than later.

I'm the same, love sewing using my machine but had mental block re threading it/setting it up. I found an online video and I'm finally able to remember how to do it! Keep trying, you'll get there.

Why?

Hand sewing existed long before machines were invented.

This. I’ve always done hemming by hand anyway.

It's been well cared for by dh. It gets oiled and cleaned etc. It's also got the original instruction book.

My sewing machine (a little Elna) is over 40 years old, and only fairly recently let me down - bobbin thread too snarled up to unpick - but a sewing machine shop soon fixed it. I once didn’t use the machine at all for around 10 years, but then dug it out to make floor length curtains for a DD’s first house - no problem.

Yes. Of course!

You could well find someone has already done that and uploaded it to YouTube. Start by searching for the machine name or at least look for something similar.

I wonder if it's the same machine my DM has and still uses that she was given as a wedding gift in 1970?

But of course it's fine to hand sew, people have done this since way before the sewing machine was invented. You could probably find classes locally in proper use of sewing machines. There will also be FB groups.

I've had sewing machines for 50 years and have made and altered hundreds of clothes and soft furnishings. Not once have I done hems by machine.

Handsewing gives invisible hems and looks better than a line of machining every single time. Dresses, skirts, trousers, curtains all look much better with invisible hems. Even faffing around and doing blind hemming with the machine doesn't give as good results as hand hemming in my opinion.