Sewing Bee Series II

[Lambstales]

There is a thread in Telly Addicts but surely there ought to be a thread here?
What are you sewing?
Jersey?
Curtains?
Silk?
Summer skirts?

I may unstitch the stuffing hole and try to put in a skeleton of some sort to support the legs. But I do love him as he is.

I'm sending myself mad reading about your lovely projects. My machine is being repaired so I can't do anything until it is back :( I suppose I could hand sew a dog.

I've ordered the colette sewing handbook which should arrive today. I thought the book would help DD1 (14) who wants to learn but doesn't want to listen to me, and I quite like the patterns.

In the past few years I've mostly done household stuff like curtains, cushions and sofa covers but I want to get back into clothes. But patterns are so expensive and I struggle to find any I like.

Most of the things I make are household things or, occasionally, school costumes. I think it's because I can then justify the time as a chore. Patrick was a birthday present to myself and thus fully justified!

Also, I like smaller projects as they can be done in one sitting, more or less. I'm not sure I have the patience for clothing really.

I love the little dog. Great charity shop find!
I watch the Sewing Bee and then go it alone. I used to make dressing up clothes, always re cycled out of something else.
I've just finished this Moses basket for DGDs baby doll.

I finally started the patchwork quilt I got the fabric for 18 months ago.

Isn't Claudia Winkleman looking orange?

I have just bought three patterns from Her Little World. Two dresses and s play suit. I ordered the paper patterns because printing out and taping PDFs makes me want to not bother with the pattern. Can't wait for them to arrive!!! Her Little World is a French company and the clothes do have that French touch. Some of them are odd and others plain weird but the others are elegant or ethereal or chic.

I was very daring on Sunday and made myself a top (from cheap synthetics) without a pattern. The shoulders don't quite sit right, but it was a good start. Obviously didn't want to try that out on ££ worth of silk.

I've made the hat Hector linked! I'm dead chuffed. It looks surprisingly professional - I used my quarter inch piecing foot for the topstitching on the brim so it's all even and nice.
It was a very well-written pattern - it came together really nicely.

I had a sewing disaster recently with the child's dress in the first Sewing Bee book which I was trying to do from this fabric. For some reason I totally failed at fitting the zip (even though I've done invisible zips before). Tried and unpicked literally six times, don't like giving up but by the end the fabric and ribbon were frayed beyond repair.
However, I then used some scraps of the fabric to learn to shir, discovered it shirred beautifully, made a doll's dress out of it and have ordered some more to make dd a shirred dress instead

Oh yes - I also made the pyjama trousers from the Sewing Bee book, in some cheap seersucker from Boyes. Took longer to put the damn pdf pattern together than it did to make the trousers but I'm quite pleased with them.

I made the hat too, it was surprisingly easy. Unfortunately though it doesn't fit very well. It would appear my 4 year old has a head the size of a 10 year old! I'm going to blow it up on the photocopier and try it again.

My machine is still in the repair shop :( I can't wait to get if back so I thought I'd get a couple of simple things ready to sew so I can hit the ground running.

So far I've cut out some self drafted PJ trousers, and a top from the Sorbetto free pattern in a lovely floaty cotton chiffon. I think the top is going to be on the short size though, next time I'll add length. The pattern cutting pla was a bit rubbish though, it said you needed 1.5 yrds of fabric, then goes to cut the front and back upside down from each other. I bought 1.5 meters, but managed to cut out from about 0.6m with front and back the same way up (standard width fabric).

I've printed the hat pattern out at 110% now, to try and make one for me.
I'm going to cut it out in the lining fabric first to test the size, though.

Hi, Hope you can help. Found your adorable Patrick the Pin Dog and wondered if you have a pattern for him. I have a group of ladies I'm helping to learn to sew and I'm sure they'd love a doggie pin cushion like Patrick! /emo/te/1.gif