[NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

Wed May 14 22:29:12 UTC 2025

I just found an eagle pattern.  Henry, do you deserve it? 😉

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of henry osborne jr via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 12:00 PM
To: 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org>
Cc: hosbornejr at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

Moo! No cows, Black Labs, Shepherds or Eagles if you please, big beaky smile. Or, Wolves! Howl!

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Jolene Nemeth via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 11:41 AM
To: List for Blind Crafters and Artists <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Jolene Nemeth <radar500 at gmail.com <mailto:radar500 at gmail.com> >
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

regarding the cows, that is the funniest thing i have ever heard. there are tons of types of cows of many colors. where does she think black angus burgers come from? lol

regarding tape measures

i use the one with the rivets but i think i am going to have my friend make one up the way Deb had suggested i think that was in  another group but you can put stapels in it at the inch and foot marks but also could do that for any other increment you like.

if i need to go smaller than 1/2 inch i have a good tactile ruler for that. .

if it is a length i use a lot such as 7.5 inches for a bracelet, i have my friend make a strip that is that length then i label it in braille and use it when i need it.

let me tell you a cool idea i came up with that works for one of my projects.

i love hawaiian shirts and truthfully the more colorful the better. i wanted to put decorative buttons on the shirts but have issues with the spacing. i had my friend make a template based on the shirt we took the pattern from and she punched holes where the knots should be for the center of the buttons. she made 2 holes at the top for pinning the template to the shirt. then i have a forked tail at the bottom with 2 holes above it as well. i also can put straight pins into the template because is is thin.

once it is pinned in place, i put a knot in the center of each of the holes. then i remove the template and the pins.

then i can place my buttons by finding each knot.

it sounds a little involved but i find it works great for shank buttons.

hey maybe i can make a shirt with cows on it!

lol

On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 11:18 AM Ellana Crew via NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

This is great information, thank you all very much. I expected the points about color and pattern matching, but hadn’t thought about needles with larger holes making more of an impact on the fabric, so that is great to know. This is all very helpful though and makes me feel generally more comfortable going into a main stream sewing class.

Upon double checking the website of my local sewing shop, it looks like they only offer lessons on sewing machines but not in hand sewing. I remember quite sometime ago back in middle school I had done some sewing machine work for a class, and I remember that I really didn’t have trouble Threading everything in the machine and found it very tactile, but I don’t quite remember how the process of actually sewing a line worked. I believe I do remember there being some sort of metal piece under the needle that could be used as a tactile guide of sorts if I’m not mistaken. Something to act as a barrier between the needle and my finger but still keep straight. If those of you who have used sewing machines could share a little more about your experiences operating the machine during the actual sewing part, that would be great. I do already appreciate the comment about going slow to stay on track.

Thanks,

Ellana

On May 14, 2025, at 10:59 AM, ReNae Anderson via NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

I used Be My Eyes one time, to determine if I had the correct color for a cow I was making.  This was a Guernsey cow, which is brown, with a little tan.  The volunteer stated I had it all wrong.  She said cows are black and white.  LOL  Obviously, she didn’t understand that there is more than one breed of cow. 😊

ReNae

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Jolene Nemeth via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 8:44 AM
To: List for Blind Crafters and Artists <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Jolene Nemeth <radar500 at gmail.com <mailto:radar500 at gmail.com> >
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

havent tried that since i dont have that service but my good friend is great with colors and sewing so i just ask her.

one other thing i would have issues with was losing my needles so i got a magnetic needle case and i love that.

On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 9:08 AM Tracy Carcione via NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

Thanks Jolene for sharing your experiences.  

I have used AIRA to match thread and fabric bolors, and it’s worked well.

Tracy

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Jolene Nemeth via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2025 8:36 AM
To: List for Blind Crafters and Artists <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: Jolene Nemeth <radar500 at gmail.com <mailto:radar500 at gmail.com> >
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

hi i do a lot of standard sewing and can tell you about a lot of accessibility issues that you need to prepare for. the most important ones involve colors and patterns. fabrics often have patterne that need to be lined up such as plaids, stripes, or pictures that repeat throughout the fabric. i have been sewing for years as someone with low vision and for the past 25 years totally blind..

the biggest issue i have is the cutting of parts to make sure the patterns are lined up on the fabric and also if it is a directional print, that it is going the correct direction for what i am making. i have started to make shirts and hoodies over the past few years and this is something i find i need to do a lot with those projects.

you shouldnt have to cross this bridge until you start making clothes or pillows or things that require fabrics that have prints or patterns on them. 

color matching thread to fabric can also be a big issue if you are a person who cares about this. i rely on someone with eyesight to help me match the thread color to the color of the fabric as best they can. then i label things so i know what color they are.

if i am just sewing a tear that is on a seam, the repair is pretty easy to do. if the tear is in the middle of the article, then there is more chance of visibility so i am more picky about matching thread colors.

cutting out patterns is also an issue i have so i often ask for help with this part of my sewing projects as well. it just depends on what it is. for my shirts i ask for help for sure. i am not a good cutter but can do some pattern cutting with a rotary cutter which is basically a round razor blade that looks like a mini pizza cutter. i have done this to cut out patterns for my teddy bears.

some people find threading their sewing needles to be the mostbasic issue with no eyesight. needle threaders can help a lot with this and there are a few different kinds. i practiced with a larger hole needle and worked on things until i could use the treaders on a smaller hole needle. larger hole needles leave larger holes in your fabric and can damage it. also they sometimes dont fit through button holes.

these are just a few accessibility issues. there are others but i dont want to overwhelm you. thr truth is that you will need some help to get started. i have been taught by people who have eyesight so if you wanted to take a basic sewing class, that would be great. just be sure to tell them which things you need help with. there are also sewing books available in accessible format from the various libraries.

On Wed, May 14, 2025 at 7:47 AM Tracy Carcione via NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> > wrote:

Hi Ellana.
I was hoping Ramona would answer, but she's very busy.  Hopefully she'll =
see your message. =20
I'm not sure what you mean by standard sewing, but I use sewing to =
replace buttons, fix holes and do hemming.  I usually do hand sewing.  I =
have a small sewing machine, but I have to figure out how to thread it, =
and I just haven't tackled that project. =20
I did machine sewing a long time ago, and it worked fine.  I had to be =
careful to go slow and not run over my finger.  I remember someone =
talking about a magnetic guide that helps blind people stay straight =
while machine sewing, but I can't remember the details. =20
The hardest thing to me about sewing clothes is getting a usable =
pattern.  My mom cut out some for me by pinning construction paper to a =
regular tissue pattern and then cutting it out.  But I don't have that =
kind of sighted help anymore.  I've wondered if I could pin paper over a =
garment I like, then carefully cut it out, leaving a seam allowance.  It =
should work, but I haven't tried yet.

Does that answer some of your questions?  Do you have more questions?  =
Maybe other people will chime in.
I gave a simple hand-sewing class a while back, and could give another, =
if people are interested.
Tracy

-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On =
Behalf Of Ellana Crew via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2025 1:52 PM
To: nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org <mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> 
Cc: Ellana Crew <eemcrew at gmail.com <mailto:eemcrew at gmail.com> >
Subject: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Learning Standard Sewing Blind

Hi all,

I have been very interested in learning how to do standard sewing for a =
few y=3D ears, but I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m unsure what kinds of blindness =
accessibility issues ma=3D y come up. I am particularly interested in =
learning how to do things like he=3D mming, fixing holes, and eventually =
maybe making some of my own clothing lik=3D e simple skirts. I have been =
considering signing up for local sewing classes=3D  in my area, but =
since I don=3DE2=3D80=3D99t have experience yet, I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m =
nerv=3D ous about what kind of accessibility issues might crop up.

Does anyone here do standard sewing? If so, what kind of blindness =
adaptatio=3D ns have you found helpful, or what advice would you give to =
a new blind pers=3D on wanting to learn? I will be especially curious =
about techniques used with=3D  sewing machines too.

Thanks,
Ellana=3D

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