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Stitch and bitch thread #2. Sewing aficionados gather here!

998 replies

IDontMindMarmite · 01/02/2021 13:51

The previous thread is coming up to capacity and as ever your wisdom, screw ups and accomplishments are appreciated!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
92
NutellaEllaElla · 27/03/2021 15:58

Hey well done spouse!

So the buttons. I did a lot of practices and most came out fine, one got chewed up and I didn't know why. The I did one button on my dress (wonky, my fault but I started at the bottom at least) and the second one went wrong and again i'm not sure why. I think a thread got in the way and confused the machine so it only sewed one side of the button hole. Weird. So I painstakingly unpicked it and put it down until tomorrow probably.

It is a marvellous machine though, amazing how it does what it does.

2Rebecca · 27/03/2021 21:17

Some lovely things being made. I went mad in the Liberty sale and have some gorgeous material. I need the charity shops to open though because I need to get rid of some no longer worn clothes before I make more because my wardrobe is full.

NutellaEllaElla · 27/03/2021 21:50

Liberty the posh department store in London? DIdn't know they did fabrics...

drspouse · 27/03/2021 22:17

@NutellaEllaElla

Liberty the posh department store in London? DIdn't know they did fabrics...
You have never met Liberty lawn? Wow, you have a treat ahead!
NutellaEllaElla · 28/03/2021 16:45

Haha, no never heard of it. Just had a look.

So, I have 10 button holes completed. Unfortunately, two are wonky. One was the first one I did on the main fabric (I did practice a lot beforehand but hey ho!) and I am willing to forgive it. The other is the 7th button down from the top and i'm not sure I want to leave it like that. It might skew the dress. Is it a really bad idea to try and unpick a completed buttonhole? The dud one I unpicked yesterday, I realise now was due to running out of thread on the bobbin, so I only had one side of top stitch to unpick and that was tricky enough.

Also, the thread that I bought with the fabric has run out and I haven't got to the hem and I had some hand stitching I wanted to do to tidy up a few bits. Do I get through an unusual amount of thread for one project? Would you have expected 1 reel of 100m thread to suffice?

Ulysses · 28/03/2021 17:09

I had to unpick a few buttonholes the other day because they weren't positioned where I needed them to be. In a couple of instances I ended up leaving a very fine line of stitching because it was too small to unpick. Funnily enough it's Liberty Lawn fabric I am using so didn't want to tear into accidentally and ruin it. The threads are well camouflaged though.

Yip I've definitely needed more than 100m for some projects, especially if you are making buttonholes.

I've cut out fabric and made a start on Ogden Cami. I'm off this week so have put my work stuff out the way and hopefully I'll get a chance to do some sewing as well. During a normal working week my laptop and monitor take over my desk but that's away for now and my sewing machine can stay in situ.

Jins · 28/03/2021 17:11

As a bodgers solution you could stitch the dress in position at the 7th buttonhole and sew the button over it. You should easily be able to step into the dress.

How did the unpicking go? If you think there’s a risk of chewing up too much fabric then don’t do it!

NutellaEllaElla · 28/03/2021 17:12

Oh, any tips for successful unpicking? Mine is a medium weight fabric so a bit robust and I hope to avoid tearing it.

Cute cami, are you going for a plain or patterned fabric?

NutellaEllaElla · 28/03/2021 17:13

That was in response to Ulysses

NutellaEllaElla · 28/03/2021 17:18

The unpicking of the dud one was fiddly but fine, I didn't tear the fabric.

Ulysses · 28/03/2021 17:26

I think the top threads are easy enough to unpick but the ones below that are where it can get tricky because they are really small. I'd do a test unpick first on a piece of scrap to see if it's feasible. You don't want to be messing up your dress when it's so close to being finished!

I've got a magnifying lamp so it makes it easier to see. It was a really good buy from Aldi.

Cami is plain white lawn cotton. I'm in mind to buy some bra sliders rather than fiddle about with trying to get the correct length of straps.

Jins · 28/03/2021 18:45

I’m in need of some sewing therapy - things are ‘difficult’ here. I think another Ogden cami is calling me and I’ve a mountain of old shirts to go at.

The bra slider is a really good idea. I got my first one right first time but I ended up having to shorten the second one’s straps by 4cm which was odd.

kittykarate · 28/03/2021 20:59

2 different variations of TatB Romy, one with cap sleeves and tie back, the other with longer sleeves and plain back. I managed to squeeze them both out of 2m of fabric, so mostly happy. I'm not sure I'd make it again, I find the shoulders a faff.

Stitch and bitch thread #2. Sewing aficionados gather here!
Stitch and bitch thread #2. Sewing aficionados gather here!
Stitch and bitch thread #2. Sewing aficionados gather here!
NutellaEllaElla · 28/03/2021 21:22

Sorry to hear that @Jins. Sewing is a good activity to distract and lose yourself in.

I unpicked the most offensive wonky button hole. I've got a proper sore hand now though. Not sure I can face the bottom one. When I receive the new thread, i'll re-do the one i've unpicked and sew the buttons on and see if the bottom one can be left alone.

@kittykarate that is a super cute top though, well done! What pattern did you use?

Ulysses · 29/03/2021 07:02

Hope you get through your pile shirts @Jins. There's something really meditative about following and repeating a process to take your mind off other matters.

Sewing has seen me through some difficult times. There's immense satisfaction in creating and even short bursts leave me feeling better for having done something rather than dwelling.

Love the top @kittykarate. I really like the back, adds a bit of flair and drama. Two metres is good going for a couple of tops too!

Hope you don't need to wait too long for your thread @NutellaEllaElla. Sliders now ordered so I'll be getting on with my blouse instead. They are due by the end of the week.

Jins · 29/03/2021 08:13

I really like that tie back top kittykarate

Thanks all for the confirmation that sewing is just the distraction I need. We have a significant funeral looming and a little bit of creativity will be ideal.

kittykarate · 29/03/2021 09:01

Jins - sometimes something that you enjoy but have to concentrate on is a perfect may to distract yourself from things looming. Good luck with scaling your mountain of shirts - the last top you made from them was great.

kittykarate · 29/03/2021 09:06

The top pattern I used was shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/products/romy . I am being a bit harsh on not making it again - it's just after making a bit of hash of the shoulders on my overlocker, and having to unpick some of it, you end up feeling a bit bruised with the process.

I subscribed to a monthly sewing box last autumn littlemisssewnsew.co.uk/pages/the-dressmaking-clubs-trial-boxes-subscriptions and this came through this. It is definitely is pushing me to try different patterns having a new one appear every month, and while some of them may not have been my favourites (the ruffle cardigan was hideous and I can't even give the pattern away) it has made me try different things.

NutellaEllaElla · 30/03/2021 18:21

Thanks for posting the links. It really is a nice pattern.

I think i've completed my buttonholes (if I were being really picky i'd unpick another to straighten it up but i'm going to see how it looks as a finished garment before deciding on that). I've sewn on 4 buttons and i'm really hesitant to complete it. I'm nervous that these finishing touches could mess it up completely. Gah.

Sooverthemill · 31/03/2021 10:03

@NutellaEllaElla

Liberty the posh department store in London? DIdn't know they did fabrics...
Oh @NutellaEllaElla I use liberty lawn and liberty country cotton for all my O level needlework assessments. I loved their fabrics, still do but now out of my price range ( my poor mum)
NutellaEllaElla · 31/03/2021 10:15

Gah. It wasn't the buttons I needed to worry about, I've pressed and pressed but the Princess seam at the bust bubbles out, what did I do wrong?

NutellaEllaElla · 31/03/2021 10:30

Ok, the more I press it the better it has become. I don't want to press it more right now for fear of stretching it but I think it is in wearable condition. By the skin of its teeth

Jins · 31/03/2021 11:52

You’ve made a fantastic job of that! Love the colour.

If it was mine I’d leave it well alone at this point. Fiddling with princess seams now it’s finished is a risky business. See how it wears

kittykarate · 31/03/2021 11:56

That looks so great @NutellaEllaElla. Such a lovely colour. I think you should stop trying to fix it up - I'd give it a few wears and washes and see how it looked after. Sometimes the fabric can 'relax' a bit and look less pointy afterwards.

Ulysses · 31/03/2021 12:12

Well done Nutella. Love the buttons and colour. Agree that washing it will retighten the fibres if they've gotten stretched out. Also if you haven't got a tailor's ham press it over a rolled towel so you are pressing it over the curved seam.

Definitely just wear it and see as well. The buttons looks very straight!