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

[IDontMindMarmite]

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

I seem to have been making lots of hoodies, sweaters and joggers too. Not something I used to wear but lockdown means all my nice work clothes are languishing unworn while I slob around in PJs

Have just caved and bought the Aldi overlocker. £130 inc delivery.

Lovely sweatshirt @PickAChew.

I am sewing a really easy sweater with the most tricky fabric ever -it’s a loose weave knit and sheds like crazy. I’m not sure whether to overlock or zigzag stitch. Any tips? I’m even thinking about adding the neckband in a more stable knit.

Well my other fabric is going to have to become a second Linden because there's a hole in it and I can't fit the other pattern pieces around it.

@PickAChew

Well my other fabric is going to have to become a second Linden because there's a hole in it and I can't fit the other pattern pieces around it.

Oh that's infuriating!

I'm just finishing making DH a valentines day t shirt

A Linden? Google tells me that is a tree

I'm watching youtube videos about attaching sleeves - I have to do gathering stitches? God, another thing I need to learn.

@StatisticallyChallenged I hope it is pink with hearts on.

Thank you to my free pattern which has me fixing sleeves on the round rather than flat. I hear this is the hardest way.

@IDontMindMarmite

A Linden? Google tells me that is a tree

grainlinestudio.com/products/linden-sweatshirt?variant=22533587370066

Ridiculously expensive pattern for what it is but a new printer would cost more!

Plan C, now, which is a modified TATB Frankie top. I wouldn't have had enough ribbing for another Linden.

And setting seams in the round is a lot more fiddly but supposedly makes it easier to distribute the fullness around the top of shoulder.

[quote drspouse]@StatisticallyChallenged I hope it is pink with hearts on.[/quote]
not exactly...I realised as I was making it that it wasn't the most romantic choice...

Personally I tend to do woven sleeves in the round, but stretch mostly flat as there's a bit more room for maneuver

I do that as well though some children's woven sleeves I do flat.

It looks do-able. Question though, the instructions have had me sew together the main fabric and the lining only at the shoulder seams at this point. When I connect the sleeves, should I pin together the bodice lining and main fabric at the arm holes and it'll sew them together when I connect them with the sleeves?

I know i'm better at figuring things out in the morning than the evening but i'm looking through the instructions for the sleeves and it might help me to sound it out here. I'm not doing the sleeve flounce so i'm thinking that I can ignore all step 3 instructions, does that seem right?

Do you think the lining should be attached to the main fabric arm hole as part of the first instruction in step 4?

3.Divide the sleeve flounces into one fabric and one lining. Pin and stitch all of the underarm seams, then press open. Turn one flounce to the right and slide inside the corresponding lining piece, right sides facing.Match the underarm seams, then pin and sew around the base of the flounce with a 5mm seam allowance. Fold the lining inside the fabric flounce, tease out the seams and press flat. Repeat for the other flounce.

1. Neaten the underarm seam edges, then match, stitch and press open. Sew the flounces to the base of the sleeves, matching the underarm seams. Neaten all of the seam allowances, then press and turn them to the right side. Sew a row of gathering stitches around the head of the sleeves, starting from the front notch and finishing at the back.

1. Pull up the gathering threads, then place the sleeve into the armhole. Match the side seams to the underarm one of the sleeves, pair the notch in the centre of the sleeve to the end of the shoulder seam, then adjust the gathers to fit the armhole. Pin, stitch and neaten the seam allowances.

Do the edges of the lining get finished? If not on show, I would expect the lining not to be fully attached to the armholes so that it doesn't drag on the outer fabric as you move.

Oh really? I just assumed the lining would be attached to other parts of the bodice aside from just the shoulder seams. The instructions never mention the lining after the above. Not even when talking about attaching the skirt to the bodice.

The lining edges just get pressed open. No mention of neatening at any point tbh.

@CaptainMyCaptain

I learnt to sew at school in the 60s. We didn't have zigzag stitch so all seams were neatened with a tiny hem. It took ages.

Oh, me too. And all that tacking of seams; why we couldn't use pins I'll never know.

So far the edges of the main fabric and lining armholes are raw.

These are the instructions btw

Just! A pattern with hardly any positive ease did the trick.

I’m not looking at the Aldi website. I’m not looking at the Aldi website. I’m not...

I’ve wanted an overlocker for decades but I don’t need one really and I have very little spare cash at the moment

@IDontMindMarmite

These are the instructions btw

It completely misses out what to do with the lining at the sleeve head! You can either treat it like the bodice fabric and stitch all the layers together or, as you're using very different fabrics, finish the sleeve edges and let the lining hang free, at that point.