HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: carolp@techbook.com (Carolyn Peterson)
Subject: Re: Hello from a newbie
Organization: TECHbooks of Beaverton Oregon - Public Access Unix
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 23:52:37 GMT

marie@guppy.ai.mit.edu (Marie Lamb) writes:

>If not, I'd really appreciate some net.wisdom about buying a 
>new machine.  I'd like something that's portable, as I don't 
>have a permanent sewing area, something simple and easy to use.
>Which features are time and hassle savers?  And which merely
>fancy dressing that I wouldn't really need?  Is Singer really
>the best brand or does another hold that honor?  Which if any
>brands should I avoid?

The machine features that are important can vary a lot from one person
to the next.  Personally, I hate having to rethread a machine
everytime the bobbin needs wound, so simple bobbin winding is high on
my list.  Other people won't even think about that type of feature.
See how easy it is for *you* to operate.  How well can you handle the
machine?  Do you like the way the reverse, presser foot up switch, and
other details work?  Are the seam allowance markings easy for you to
read?  

Take your own variety of fabric samples to try on machines that you are
getting serious about.  The stores provide crisp fabrics that make all
machines look good.  See what it does to light weight cottons, heavy
corduroy and interlock knits from real sewing projects.

I know people love to bash Singer, but I have had very good luck with
them.  I received a Singer Genie in 1975 that ran well for 11 years.
I did a moderate amount of sewing then--clothing for myself, some
shirts for my husband, and home dec (drapes, etc.)  In 1986 the
machine started skipping stitches at times.  I'm sure it could have
been repaired, but I wanted something fancier.  I ended up replacing
that machine with a middle of the line Singer.  This machine has had a
lot of use and needed $30 in repairs in the last 6 years. 

Brands of machines that you could consider include Pfaff, Bernina,
White, Elna, Viking, Kenmore & Singer.  See which machine has the
features you want for the best price.

-- 
Carolyn Peterson          
carolp@techbook.COM  
(No affiliation with InterCom)
From: kingsley@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com (Kingsley Morse)
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:49:02 GMT
Subject: Please Help
Organization: HP Western Response Center
Newsgroups: alt.sewing

              Please answer these 9 questions and return.

1.) Do you think equal rights for men and women is generally a good idea?
Yes                  [ ]
Sometimes            [ ]
No                   [ ]
Haven't heard enough [ ]
Other                [ ]

2.) Are you pro choice?
Yes                  [ ]
Sometimes            [ ]
No                   [ ]
Haven't heard enough [ ]
Other                [ ]

3.) Are you in favor of adoption?
Yes                  [ ]
Sometimes            [ ]
No                   [ ]
Haven't heard enough [ ]
Other                [ ]

4.) Do you think men should be allowed to legally terminate their parental
rights and responsibilities before fetal viability?
Yes                  [ ]
Sometimes            [ ]
No                   [ ]
Haven't heard enough [ ]
Other                [ ]

5.) What sex are you?
Male               [ ]
Female             [ ]

6.) How old are you?
Under 18           [ ]
19 to 65           [ ]
Over 65            [ ]

7.) What religion are you?
Protestant         [ ]
Catholic           [ ]
Jewish             [ ]
Other              [ ]

8.) What political party are you affiliated with?
Democratic         [ ]
Republican         [ ]
Other              [ ]

9.) How many years of education have you completed?
Grade School       [ ]
High School        [ ]
College            [ ]
More               [ ]
Newsgroups: alt.sewing,rec.crafts.textiles
From: cfeem@ux1.cts.eiu.edu (Eleanor Midkiff)
Subject: Shrinking interfacing 
Summary: Washer method
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1992 19:40:11 GMT
Expires: ?
Organization: Eastern Illinois University
Keywords: It can be done
Followup-To: alt.sewing

>Also, as far as fusible interfacing goes, have you ever thought to prewash it
>just like you do your fabric?  Not prewashing may cause it to shrink when 
>you apply it, hence you get wrinkles.  You may think, "prewash a FUSIBLE 
>interfacing... you're kidding!!"  The method:  Fold your interfacing nicely
>so it will fit in the bathroom sink (in other words, don't wad it up).  Fill 
>the sink with the hottest water you can get out of the tap.  Soak your
>interfacing in the water for at least 10 minutes.  GENTLY wring and hang up
>to dry.  DONT put in dryer.  Don't worry, this does not deactivate the glue.
>Prewashing helps immensely.
>
I just put my interfacing (which I buy in quantity when it's on sale ;-) )
into the washer and run it through the permanent press cycle, including
detergent.  Then I hang it to dry (it does so very quickly).  Seems to
work well.

Eleanor
-- 
Eleanor Midkiff
(cfeem@eiu.edu)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu (VU Science Library)
Subject: Computer programs for sewers
Organization: Vanderbilt University
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 16:13:43 GMT

I received this in my mail this morning and am following the sender's 
advice to post it---Carlin


From GIRARDOJ@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu:

	Don't know how to post, so I thought I'd send a note.
Two programs I know of that do patterns are Andros SewSoft (for the	
Macintosh) and DressShop (for IBM and compatibles).  SewSoft has
separate programs that make basic patterns for bodices, pants, and
shirts for both men and women.  DressShop is one program that has
a variety of patterns for women's clothing.  I have worked with SewSoft
in the costume shop of my university -- I have had some difficulty using it, 
but others think it's great.

	Sorry I don't have more info on where to get them.  I did at one
time send for the brochures for these programs, but I have since lost the
brochures and the addresses.  I'm sure, however, that the companies are
still running ads in magazines like Sew News or Threads (which was where
I found them in the first place).

	If you feel this information is useful and if you are able to,
please post it to the newsgroup so that others will know where to look
for information about these programs.  I think that this sort of thing
is quite a boon for the home sewer.  I am determined to learn how to
better use SewSoft -- I do a lot of costuming, and I think the problem
I am having with the program is related to how I take my measurements.
It could also be related to the way I'm built -- I need to call their
customer support number to see if I can get some help.

	Good luck and happy sewing!

				Jill Girardo
                                girardoj@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
				girardoj@ukanvax

--
	Carlin Sappenfield - vusl@athena.cas.vanderbilt.edu
From: hartley@centerline.com (Timm Hartley)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Matching notches
Followup-To: alt.sewing
Date: 8 Oct 1992 15:47:27 GMT
Organization: CenterLine Software
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 140.239.12.126

In article <BvpHrA.E0G@acsu.buffalo.edu>, gorman@acsu.buffalo.edu
(Anne-Marie K. Gorman) wrote:
> 
> 
> I've been making baby rompers out of striped material, and in sewing
> the seams I found that if I wanted the stripes to match, I had to 
> fudge/ignore matching the notches, dots, etc.  (This despite quite
> careful cutting out).  What exactly is the purpose of these markings?  
> The suits came out fine, but then baby clothes aren't exactly fitted.
> My nightmare would be a fitted dress made out of striped taffeta!
> 
> 
> Anne-Marie

Their main purpose in life , besides annoying the heck out of you is so you
get all your matching seams together.That's about it. 

Striped taffeta? God no!  :-)

       Timm Hartley I Production Assistant
CenterLine Software I hartley@centerline.com
      10 Fawcett St I "Back off man! Don't 
Cambridge, MA 02138 I make me use this!!"
                         -Ren Hoek-
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: fran@Cadence.COM (Fran Peterson)
Subject: Re: savers
Organization: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 17:37:33 GMT

In article <9209241653.AA18856@marny.Corp.Sun.COM> Marina.Salume@Corp.Sun.COM (Marina Salume) writes:
>>You are definitely correct.  Salvation Army much cheaper.  I've also
>>found another source here in Silicon Valley.  It's call Savers.
>
>Can you tell us where it is exactly? Unless you don't want anyone
>else snapping up the bargains :-)
>
>thanks!
>
>--marina

Okay I'm confused.  I don't know  why I got this message after I got the
one I made a lenghty answer to.  If you don't get the previous message with
info and directions, pls. let me know fran@cadence.com. Or feel free to 
call me at 408-944-7749.

TX

F [:)
From: vln@icpsr.umich.edu (Victoria Neff)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: the time it takes to do things (was Giving Up On Clothes)
Date: 15 Oct 1992 15:49:14 GMT
Organization: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: tdis.icpsr.umich.edu

In article <1992Oct15.151613.21995@morrow.stanford.edu> HF.MMX@forsythe.stanford.edu (Marilee Marshall) writes:
>Dear Frances,
>
>Sounds like your quilting time is par.  Yes, the rate will pick up,
>but 3 hours isn't too bad either.  If the time required makes you
>nervous, I would suggest going to machine piecing.  For quilts that
>I don't care a whole lot about, I often piece by machine.  On the
>otherhand, I have a little better idea on how long a project will
>take (from experience), and if I'm really going to commit myself to
>something wonderful, I do it by hand (traditional craftsmanship
>concept).  Some more difficult patterns can't really be done well by
>machine (IMHO).
>
>It sounds to me like maybe quilting won't be compatible.  Why not
>start out with one block at a time... make it into a potholder. Or
>do 4 and make a pillow, or a small lap quilt.  See how it goes.
>Sometimes, mentally committing to one block at a time is more
>comfortable than looking at the originally conceived goal.
>
>Good luck.  The idea is to enjoy the process.  If you don't... drop
>it and try tatting.
>

I'm trying really hard to be more process-oriented and less product-oriented.
If I think very hard about how long it takes to make something (turn a
raw fleece into a finished garment, say), there's no way it's "worth" it.
I can buy a wool hat in perfect condition at the Salvation army for a dollar
or less, or a sweater for two dollars.

On the other hand, I love handling the raw fiber, I enjoy spinning it,
and I like knitting.  So if I focus on the process -- on enjoying what
I'm doing (instead of on how long it takes) -- I'll actually make things
instead of throwing up my hands in despair and reading a novel instead.

And I'll end up with something that's just what I wanted, and perhaps like
no other in the world....

(I didn't mean to suggest that this issue was at the core of any one else's
discontent, but it's sure one with which I'm wrestling!)




Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: sallyh@StarConn.com (Sally Holmes)
Subject: Re: Giving Up On Clothes
Organization: Starnet-Public Access UNIX--Los Altos, CA  415-949-3133
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 19:43:21 GMT

koo@tcville.edsg.hac.com (Frances Koo) writes:

>In article <1992Oct13.221315.26559@StarConn.com> sallyh@StarConn.com 
>(Sally Holmes) writes:
>>
>> If you want quick results, you should look at machine piecing using
>> strip methods. I like the `Quilting for People who don't have time to
>> Quilt' books: lots of interesting quilts _quickly_! 

>Please tell me what you mean by "_quickly_"!!

>I've been trying to do a star/applique quilt, and so far, each square takes
>me 3 hours!  (I'm a beginner.)  I may speed up once I get the hang of it,
>but the 54 remaining squares and the rest of the project looks quite
>daunting right now!!  Is there a way to speed things up?  How long does it
>take for an experienced quilter to do an 8-pointed star?  I already use a
>rotary cutter and I press the pieces before sewing.  Can I apply strip
>piecing techniques to this quilt?

Caveat: I've never made a star quilt. By `quickly' I mean within about
30 hours from start to finish. I can only do this if I choose simple
designs such as Rail Fence, Log Cabin or Trip Around The World. I'm
still at the stage of quilting where I'm delighted to have something
hand-made and warm. I expect I'll get onto stars and appliques and hand
quilting between my daughter leaving home and the birth of my first 
grandchild. :-) (I hope that's the order things will happen in :-) )

Even the simple designs offer lots of scope: I'm doing one for a 
friend's baby which is 6-strip Rail Fence in rainbow colours, sashed 
with black. It's very effective, and as it's probably going to be 
thrown up on I don't feel I've cheated by choosing a simple pattern.

There's a description of using strip piecing techniques for the Ohio
Star patch in `Fast Patch A Treasury of Strip Quilt Projects' by Anita
Hollock. Is that the star you're using? 

If you don't think you'll ever finish the other 54 squares, why not
reconsider the design to include sashing and/or alternating plain or
simple blocks? Alternating plain blocks can make the stars look as if
they're floating on the quilt. You may need to do some fancy quilting in
the plain blocks, but you can do that by machine and it shouldn't take 3
hours per block!

Can any of the `real' quilters out there offer better advice?

Sally
From: marg@media-lab.media.mit.edu (Margaret Minsky)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Baby Fabric Books
Date: 8 Oct 92 18:48:21 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: /u/marg/.organization



I have seen patterns pre-printed on the cloth to make these. It is
pretty simple. Each page a turned, double layered square or rectangle.
To make each page, either cut out two page-size pieces or fold over a
double length, stitch 3 (or 2) sides and turn. Stack all of these up.
Make a long skinny turned rectangle for the binding, about the height
of the stack plus 1.5 to 2 inches to wrap towad the front and back of
the book. Finish all the edges of the binding, turn and slip stich.
Wrap it around all the raw edges and stich through the whole stack
enclosing about 1/2" of the pages.  You could also make the binding
and cover pages as one larger rectangle and just stitch it down near
the "spine".

Or you could get one of these printed things and follow it's
directions. They look like those pre-cut out stuffed animal and
halloween patterns that are sometimes at the fabric stores.

A friend of mine made up one of the commercial cut-and-sew books in an
AWESOME way. (The pre-printed story was nothing special, about some
little boats and it had cheerful colors). He made it into a tactile
book by enclosing all sorts of textures and objects inside each page
before stitching up the binding.  In one page he fit a square of
carpet remnant (tightly into the page). That page was nice and HEAVY
and satisfying to feel the close pile carpet through the cotton page.
In another page he lined up dozens of dowels vertically. They are also
nice and heavy and they stay together like a bamboo mat, but each
dowel can roll so it feels like a linear bearing. He may have used
unsharpened pencils and cut them to the height of the page. You can
also throw in small objects since the kid can't eat them through the
page (depending on how likely your kid is to chew through the cotton).
You can think of lots of textures to enclose...various fabrics,
fleece, chainmail, plastic letters...

His kid (and friends) love the book he made.

Make sure that your texture items don't extend the last 1/2 or 3/4 "
toward the raw edges so that you can stitch along there to enclose
them.

I suppose if you are persnickety you could fully finish the fourth
edge of each page before enclosing it.
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: sallyh@StarConn.com (Sally Holmes)
Subject: Re: Giving Up On Clothes
Organization: Starnet-Public Access UNIX--Los Altos, CA  415-949-3133
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:13:15 GMT


In article <1992Oct13.171401.8033@sequent.com>, cyndie@sequent.com (Cyndie Sutherland) writes...
>I would like to try quilting.  can
>anyone recommend a good beginners book??

If you want quick results, you should look at machine piecing using
strip methods. I like the `Quilting for People who don't have time to
Quilt' books: lots of interesting quilts _quickly_! If you want more,
there's `Fast Patch, a treasury of Strip Quilt Projects'  by Anita
Hallock, `The It's OK If You Sit On My Quilt Book' by Mary Ellen
Hopkins, and `A Log Cabin Notebook' also by Hopkins.

Taking a class is a good way to get started.

Sally

Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: jareed@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Judith Ann Reed)
Subject: Re: WOW!  women on the net!
Organization: Syracuse University
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 92 08:22:19 EDT

In article <1992Oct12.085029.25517@fys.ruu.nl> johnston@fys.ruu.nl (Helen Johnston) writes:
>In article <1992Oct11.214737.29497@u.washington.edu> bulwinkl@stein.u.washington.edu (Lise Knox-Seith) writes:
>>I used to sew in Jr. High and High School.  Now, I make lace whenever
>>I'm waiting for the bus or getting bored in a lecture.  So, I'm not
>>a complete fabriholic but I AM a craftaholic.  And I can tell you, most
>>of the men I work with just *don't* understand.  They think if it
>>isn't high tech, it's gotta be kinda stupid.  ;-)
>>
>My husband and I finally came to an agreement on this one. He thinks
>the amount of time and effort I put into my sewing is silly (it's a
>quilt at the moment - thanks to all the people here who gave me advice
>on that!), and I think the same about the amount of time he wastes
>installing Linux on our computer. They're both activities which are
>going to achieve a useful result in the end, but whose primary purpose
>is NOT to achieve that result (it's the doing that's important, not the
>end product).  We've decided to call them equivalent activities, and
>now we're all happy! :-)

My husband and I had an interesting conversation last night that bears on
this topic of justifying sewing (as if one needed to %;-)). I'm taking
a pottery class, and he paints in his spare time. He said that everyone 
has a creative urge, and needs to find an outlet for it. I think that's very
true and that sewing fulfills that urge very well for many of us! We all 
have pent-up energy and ideas we want to express, and day-to-day life often
doesn't give us much opportunity to express them, but a hobby/pastime/whatever
such as sewing, pottery, painting, etc. gives us the chance to express 
ourselves with our hands. So, next time someone (some man) wonderts why you
sew, tell him you sew to provide an outlet for your innate creativity! Should
set them back on their heels!

Judith Reed
From: dresser@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Debra Dresser)
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
Subject: Re: Mail order Polarfleece
Date: 8 Oct 92 16:39:27 GMT
Reply-To: dresser@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Debra Dresser)
Organization: David Taylor Research Center, Bethesda, MD

I found Polar Fleece and Poltek (sp?) and the local House of Fabrics
for $8.99 to $11.99 a yard.  This stuff was 100% polyester and appears
to be very warm.  I just made a baby bag out of it and have grand plans
for the rest of it.




		  /|
		 / |\                  Debra Dresser
		/__|_\           "Sailing on a second wind"
	       \______/
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: mpf1@ra.msstate.edu (Morris P. Fields)
Subject: computer programs
Organization: Mississippi State University
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 22:07:52 GMT

I was hoping that there was someone out there that could help
me find a computer program that helps in the designing of quilts.
My wife is an avid quilter and saw just such a program on T.V.
but has been unable to find it locally here in Starkville, 
Mississippi.  If somone knows of such a program would they
please post or e-mail me where it could be found and who
to write to for it?
	Thank you.

		Moris Fields  mpf1@ph.msstate.edu


Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: laura@vuse.vanderbilt.edu (Laura M. Edwards)
Subject: Re:  WOW!  women on the net!
Organization: Vanderbilt University Space Electronics Research Group
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 21:24:57 GMT

In article <1992Oct11.214737.29497@u.washington.edu> bulwinkl@stein.u.washington.edu (Lise Knox-Seith) writes:
-As an engineering grad student and sometime software consultant, I
-am working in a men's world.  I can't tell you how refreshing it was
-to stumble on this newsgroup!  Finally, someone who understands!
-
Welcome!  I know how you feel!  I'm about to finish my PhD in engineering,
and the women of the net and quilting maillist have helped me keep what little
sanity I have left over the last few months.  

The guys here have gotten used to hearing me laugh over something I'm reading,
and there's a couple of them asking questions about quilts.....

Laura


Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: HF.MMX@forsythe.stanford.edu (Marilee Marshall)
Subject: Re: computer programs
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 15:26:58 GMT

Yes Sally, I went to the Burlingame show.  It certainly was a "class
act" wasn't it?  I was on the look-out for that computer program,
but I sure didn't see it there?  Where was it?  In the vendor
section?

What did you think about the "honorable mentioned" quilt with all
the animals appliqued over a tree appliqued over a pieced cottage?
I thought the 1st place quilt was wonderful, but the otherone was
much better than either the 2-3rd place winners.

My mother in-law teaches quilting in the Gold Country, and took
classes from Thursday thru Saturday.  She said it was excellent, but
asked one of the instructors, who also judged the quilts, how the
winners were determined.  The instructor came from Texas, and said,
after a whole day of traveling, tired and cross, she and the other
judges (in like condition) went through all those quilts and made
quick decisions.  Some of the decisions she would not have made,
possibly, if she judged them the next day and had more time.

For all the wonderful quilts showed, one of the things that struck
me was how many I thought were quite hideous... and in the show
anyway.  Wonder how the quilts were originally acquired?

Evidently, the show were extremely well, despite its poor promotion,
and next year will be considerably larger (hard to believe).  It
might well be a "gotta go".  I'm considering sharing a room at the
lovely Hyatt next year, and taking a class or two myself.  Nice idea
for a vacation, since it seems the alternatives are 2 weeks of
sanding on our boat!

Best.

marilee
Newsgroups: alt.sewing
From: liza@pangea.Stanford.EDU (Liza Miller)
Subject: Re: The Science of Ironing
Organization: Stanford Univ. Earth Sciences
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 18:36:01 GMT

I was going through catalogs this weekend.  Clotilde has a book on ironing
that might be exactly what you are looking for. 

--lizalee

--
Liza Lee Miller         My dogs are labradorable!     liza@pangea.stanford.edu
Cibola Labradors            Field * Show * Fun                    415/326-5309
Cibola's Misty Mountain Hop--Hopper                   Mistypoint Kashmir--Kash
	            Campbellcroft Cibola Rosette -- Rosie
Newsgroups: alt.sewing