the Sewing Bee watch part II (it might be over, but we're still sewing)

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I thought I'd better start a new thread so that we don't lose it!

Original part here...

Background - flubba got excited by The Great British Sewing Bee and we all piled in too

[flubba]

I luffff Fabricland, although I'm lucky and live near one so don't have to get past the website. Hobbycraft & John Lewis both recently had sales, so I splurged a little bit - and have made my daughter a sunhat recently with more expensive fabric on one side (which she chose!) and my choice of Fabricland fabric on t'other and my DD prefers the cheaper one! :o posted about it here if you fancy a nosy

[UniqueAndAmazing]

no, you do mean toile.
:)

[PurpleFrog]

SarahBeeny - I have just looked it up - toile is the British term, muslin is the US term. I must admit I had not come across toile before the GBSB, but I used to frequent a the Usenet online sewing and craft groups in the 1990s, so knew what a muslin was!

[Ambridge]

Abakhan is AMAZING. I have to make myself stay away or else my fabric stash would be rivalling the size of my house

[HoggyTruffle]

My knees are creaking after cutting out pattern pieces for a dress for my DD. Curse the Sewing Bee program and my boasting - "Of course I can make you a dress DD"

Thanks to this thread I found a Fabric Land shop around the corner from the local John Lewis. Plenty of in your face patterned fabric but some lovely stuff too.

Like the blog flubba, lovely work

[UniqueAndAmazing]

You should cut out on the dining table

If the surface is a bit dodgy, then a big board that you store behind the dresser should be fine

[UniqueAndAmazing]

I knew toile [preen]
from my HND days

[TheOneWithTheHair]

If anyone doesn't know something, take heart, you are guaranteed to know more than me!

You sound very organised Unique.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

[cate16]

Unique are you me? I have the big board hidden too!
Although I have 'upgraded' and brought two folding trestles from Ikea which I put either end of table and place the board over- so now can have a nice high cutting table. :)

[DameFanny]

Ooh, which trestles?

[SarahBeenysBumblingApprentice]

Thanks for toile vs muslin, now I know! A high cutting table sounds like a fab idea. My knees hurt from crawling all over the floor at the moment!

[cate16]

They are wooden things that came from the office section at ikea (I'm pretty sure it was from there)
I have had them a good few years though.

[DameFanny]

Thanks - shall have a good look

[DameFanny]

Finnvard! Shall get a pair and keep them under the kitchen table to raise it next time I'm patterning and stuff.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

oh, i can't go any higher than my dining table

I used to climb all over the cutting tables at college because they were just soooo massive!

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

I use my dining table for cutting!

If I got down on the floor I may never get back up again I would be stranded until DH could rescue me

I am sitting wearing the first skirt I made and I've started sewing my second one. My summer wardrobe is going to be a bit erm.....different this year

I might have added to Abakhans profits too

[harbinger]

I've got a really stupid question and hope you don't mind.

Are pattern numbers the same regardless of country? Is America the same as GB?

Has any one ever used Ottobre patterns?

[TheOneWithTheHair]

harbinger I have no idea but I am the queen of stupid questions and someone will be able to answer on this thread.

[InMySpareTime]

I've never used a pattern so no help here either, I didn't even know they had numbers.
I got a book called "DIY Couture", which shows general techniques and shapes to get certain styles. It's from the library but I may well buy a copy.

[DameFanny]

I think the pattern numbers are specific to the design house, so burda 1234 is that what you mean?

Never heard of ottobre but will google now

[SwedishKaz]

I loved the Great sewing bee. I had already become obsessed with sewing, and have been sewing Pillowcase dresses for girls. They're dead easy, but SO much fun!
If anyone wants to try, let me know and I'll give you the link to a great blog with tutorial.

With regards where to keep the sewing machine, I have longed for a sewing room forever, but we live in a two bedroom with our son, so no chance! Luckily, my son's room is very large, so he's letting me have a desk alongside his. THat's my sewing desk where I keep my trustworthy Husqvarna machine.

What machines have you got? And what projects are you all creating?

Is anybody here on Pinterest?

So many questions...

Enjoy your Weekend.
x

[TolliverGroat]

Pattern numbers also get reused over time, so you may find that (for example) Simplicity 2576 from thirty years ago is a jumpsuit while Simplicity 2576 from the current catalogue is an evening dress. But they seem to be the same between the US and UK.

I did get the kids' Ottobre for a year but never made anything from it partly because a lot of the designs I liked were in knit fabric and I have great trouble finding nice knits without paying a fortune for them.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

Yes, each pattern company will have a list of patterns, and they will be the same in UK and US, or all over the world.
but as Toll says, once a pattern's out of print, they sometimes reuse the number.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

Kaz - i'[m on Pinterest.
I can't remember my id though....

My machine is a Jones - it was my Mum's and she passed it onto me when she went through one of her stages.
here it is

my overlocker is a Janome Mylock but I don't have a picture of it.

I love how machines are such complex engines, and I keep finding things I can change or "mend" to keep them running well.