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

[PigeonPie]

Kaz, I have a Riccar, but sadly I don't think they make them any more. I think that they were owned by Bernina.

I had it for my 21st birthday from my DGrandpapa and I love it. It celebrated it's 21st birthday last year and it's still going strong. I had it serviced a few months ago and it's running really well.

Looking forward to getting it out this evening / tomorrow to do another toille for my jeans and possibly a skirt one, then I really will get on with actually making the real thing.

[DameFanny]

It's raining and cold and windy and DS is taking up too much space on the sofa for me to get comfy with sharp needles, so I've been having a surf instead

So, who wants a sewtionary?? Lovely blog,where she takes you through really detailed garment construction - really useful for me to sound like I know what I'm doing

And then there's Norfolk Textiles, the place I'm getting some cute oilcloth from once I've practised making outdoor cushion covers with the stuff I have in my stash - found it this morning and already can't choose my favourite pattern

[TolliverGroat]

I have a Husquvarna (Emerald 118), because it's what I'm used to and my local sewing shop is a Husquvarna specialist and service centre so it's easier from that point of view.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

is she american then? saying crosswise instead of bias

[DameFanny]

If that's sewaholic, then yes - most of the prolific craft bloggers seem to be for whatever reason...

[Kernowgal]

Nipped over to the local sewing machine dealer yesterday for a look around their machines, very exciting. Can't afford to buy for a few months yet but I'll have done plenty of research by the time I come to buy.

Just bought a few retro Butterick patterns (can't remember if I mentioned but Sewessential.co.uk had a Butterick half price sale so I went a bit mad) and it's been useful google imaging the pattern number to see what other people have done with the pattern and what fabrics they've used. Eg I bought Butterick 5708 and there are some fab examples - shows me what works and what doesn't.

[HoggyTruffle]

My sewing machine is an Alba was given to me by MIL many years ago when she bought a new one. It must nearly be as old as me and has interesting looking electrics. I will upgrade one day when it blows up but I managed to coax it into sewing a dress for DD over the last few days. Just a hem to press and hand stitch (wonder if I can get away with wonderweb)

[HellesBelles396]

I have a cheap, and very simple to use, jml for normal use but I was given a janome new home recently. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out how to use it!

[Kernowgal]

I'm currently using an elderly Frister Rossman Cub 3, bought for £45 when I was 15 cough ahem many years ago. It's been great but sews a bit wonkily now.

I have seen people mentioning 'serging' when dressmaking so I'm off to learn a bit more about that.

[HellesBelles396]

Just ran up a mobile phone envelope coverwith an offcut of liberty fabric. It is ok but slightly wonky. Nicely ironed.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

kerno serging is overlocking.
we can use both terms in the uk, but in the us they only use serging.

talking of which, I've been making long sleeved teeshirts with enclosed hands for dd cos her eczema makes her scratch in the night.
I've done two today with various purple shades, but they seem to be far too big (no ribbing for the collar so had to use the main fabric and it doesn't pull the neck closed so well)

[TolliverGroat]

Worth checking out sewing.patternreview.com/ for reviews of patterns, too -- can give a good idea of any issues on sizing or where the instructions are unclear.

[SwedishKaz]

UniqueandAmazing - did you cut on the bias for the collar?

[InMySpareTime]

Ok, stupid question time:
On scout badges, what is the name of the thready bit round the edge?

[harbinger]

Ta, Tolliver, Re the pattern numbers.

I was looking for a pattern and it kept showing some children's clothes.

Is is worth looking for the OOP or just for a new version?

[TolliverGroat]

Can be worth looking - have you tried etsy? I've got nice vintage patterns on there.

[harbinger]

Is Etsy like Ebay?

Or can one just buy?

[lougle]

Can I join?

I am a complete novice sewer - have only made some weighted blankets in the past.

This week I have:

-Taken in a size 14 skirt to fit my size 9ish waist.

-Altered the fit of a blouse - it was a flowery patterned straight cut blouse with pintuck pleats either side of buttons which came half way down. I decided that I wanted it to be more fitted, so I moved the nearest pintuck pleat on either side of the buttons to the centre, and created a ?butt seam - basically, put the pleats side by side in the centre and sewed them so that there was no gap between them, but they didn't overlap either. The result was a tapered waist fitted blouse, perfect for the Victorian outfit I need for a school trip.

-Altered a size 12 dress to fit my 5 year old, for the Victorian school trip. I just put it on her, changed the neckline shape and took in the sides.

-Made a pinafore for the dress from a charity shop blouse - I cut down the centre of the blouse, removing the buttons. It had pintuck pleats, so I used the same technique to create a block of fabric. Removed the sleeves. Neatened the hems. It happened to have a reinforced strip around the waist, so I cut the back of the blouse off, leaving those, which have become the waist ties. I then sewed it on to the front of the dress.

I still have the mob cap to go, but then we're done

[HellesBelles396]

Wow lougle!

My great-aunt who was a tailor says - and always has said - that alterations are more difficult than starting from scratch.

I would not have known where to start with that lot though I can make a mob cap.

[lougle]

I'm not sure I've done it the way a tailor would but YouTube is assign amazing resource.

[TolliverGroat]

You just buy (or sell, I suppose) on Etsy - it' it'not an auction site. Most of the stuff is handmade but there's a good selection of odds and ends and I find it better than eBay for OOP patterns.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

SwedishKaz - it's knitted fabric - you can't cut on the bia, it wouldn't make sense.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

InMYSpareTime - border?

I think it's just a woven border.

[UniqueAndAmazing]

hi lougle :)

I bought a skirt from a charity shop yesterday - it's too big, which is fine, cos I'll take it in, but the zip was also crap. well, on closer inspection, it doesn't need a new zip, it's just the existing zip needs to be sewn back in - it's come away at the bottom. PHEW!

[InMySpareTime]

I was hoping it had an interesting name. Thanks.