Anyone else going to join me on the Sewing Bee watch?

[flubba]

A bit excited about it



:o

[nevergoogle]

I finished my skirt this afternoon. Pics on my profile.

[PigeonPie]

NeverGoogle that's a lovely skirt - the fabric looks great and the finish looks good.

I hope you're pleased ?

[UniqueAndAmazing]

you want either a 12mm or 25mm.

12mm is good for edging and trimming (instead of overlocking) and 25mm is good for decorations and wider trims.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

shop bought bias binding only comes in plain (unless you buy posh stuff)
but make your own and you can match your fabric. and it's cheaper too :)

[UniqueAndAmazing]

that's fab nevergoogle.
lovely fabric :)

[TheOneWithTheHair]

It's lovely nevergoogle.

I haven't done any sewing yet. I'm in the middle of crocheting a hoody for dd and she's impatient for it so I'm finishing that first. Also one of my friends teaches sewing classes so I'm going to sign up to those.

That should at least get me started. :)

[nevergoogle]

I am pleased. The back of the skirt has two pieces and I managed to match them perfectly and put in the invisible zip completely invisibly! The zip is a bit too close to the fabric however, but as long as I don't spend all day zipping it up and down it should be fine I think.
I skipped the interfacing as the fabric was plenty thick enough.
I just need some navy leggings or tights to wear and i've got a new outfit.
smug

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I made a skirt yesterday - finally inspired by GBSB to get the sewing machine out - and it is the worst piece of dressmaking I have ever perpetrated!!

I took the skirt off a red velvet maternity dress I made myself when I was pregnant with ds1 (who's 20 this year). I hoped there would be enough fabric to make a waistband, but there wasn't, so I zigzag finished the raw edge of the fabric, made pleats so it fitted me, and just turned the top of the skirt over once and sewed it down. Added to the fact that I didn't bother to read the instructions for the sewing machine I haven't used in years, which meant that I got all sorts of tangled up with the threads, and it was a complete and total lash up of a skirt. But all the lashed up bits are on the inside, and the skirt fits and stays up, so I am counting it as a success.

And I've left the machine out, so I may do some more sewing this week - hopefully to a higher standard. To be frank, it would be quite hard to do something to a lower standard.

[nevergoogle]

brilliant.

sewing has really bashed any sort of perfectionism out of my system.

i used to get so worried about getting it right I was paralysed and achieved nothing. So now, I just crack on and accept that it won't ever be perfect.

[SoupDragon]

LOL.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I think that's a good philosophy, nevergoogle. I might post a picture of the skirt, and a close-up of the inside of the waistband, for those of you who need a good laugh today.

[BlueSkySunnyDay]

Thanks for the answers - Ive not used bias binding a feature but I really like the idea of doing a contrast binding. I think you can buy it on Not on the High Street but obviously long term it would be cheaper and give me more flexibility if I can make my own.

I'd love to do a Denman course, but sparing the time would be difficult and they are quite expensive. I know nothing about the W.I but from my impression of them when I was young I kind of had an image that the courses would be full of posh bearded women (sorry)

I have done a couple evening class terms of dressmaking but its the finishing that I need help with more than anything. Also when they were talking about fabrics stretching and putting in a line of stitches to prevent it - I wouldnt know things like that. So I am not sure if im a beginner or would need the next course up....moot point at the moment as they are all booked up (annoying as I have been wavering about having a refresher for about 3 years)

[TheOneWithTheHair]

I've just ordered my sewing machine finally. I pick it up tomorrow. Watch this space for my first ever cushion cover. :)

Wish me luck. I'll need it.

[PurpleFrog]

nevergoogle Perfectionism is my downfall when I'm sewing. Everything ALWAYS takes me at least twice as long as I expect it to, and I could never appear on the GBSB as they would have to bleep out so much of the program!

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I could never be accused of perfectionism....

[UniqueAndAmazing]

Hair - cushion covers are hard!

[UniqueAndAmazing]

One easy (easier) way of doing them:

make a piece of fabric that's 2.5 times the length of your cushion pad and the same size plus a good seam allowance wide (think squashed, though - the easiest way to measure is to grab the sewn end and stretch it and measure that. then add a couple of cm each side)

make a hem on EACH END of the length.
fold it so that (0.5 times part of the fabric) is folded down wrong sides together and the (2 x the length of the fabric) is fold evenly right sides together.

you can pin if you need to.
sew all the way down both sides of the fabric.

Turn the right way round (please remove pins first)
You?ve made something like a pillow (it?s not perfect because you might have exposed edges at the very top, but you can do other stuff to neaten it up, but I can?t explain it)
stuff your cushion pad in, and tuck the (0.5length) part over the cushion?s exposed edge.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Unique you scared me then.

I was planning on doing it the easy way. Like a pillow.

I have got some prima patterns I've been saving that are supposed to be easy. I'm ok if I wing it but I haven't followed a pattern or done things properly since I was 13. That's 23yrs ago. I really want to try though.

I picked it up this afternoon instead of waiting for delivery but I have a trainer cake to finish this evening for ds1's b'day tomorrow. I might have a little play though.

[HellesBelles396]

I usually make an envelope cover slightly narrower than the cushion pad to make it nice and puffy

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Oooh. It's here! Can I ask for all your expert help when I get stuck please?

[UniqueAndAmazing]

but we've only got 3 posts left - someone make a new thread quickly!

[UniqueAndAmazing]

here we go if no one has beaten me to it!

[nevergoogle]

impressive to get to 999 messages!

[InMySpareTime]

And on to a totally full thread!