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!

Thank you for looking @PickAChew, good to know i'm not going mad! I'm happy to finish the arm hole edges and let it hang free, but should the lining be attached to the bodice down the side seam perhaps? Or at the join of the bodice and the skirt?

Actually I might pin the lining to the main fabric and attach it to the sleeve, unless you guys think that's a bad idea...

This elisalex sewalong leaves everything hanging. byhandlondon.com/blogs/sew-alongs/11628653-elisalex-dress-sewalong-3-assembling-the-bodice-with-sleeves

If you try to attach a lining at too many points, then any slight inaccuracies, uneven shrinkage, or even normal movements, can cause the lining to pull the outside of the dress out of shape. The outside needs to be able to glide over the lining, as you move.

When you see people wearing jackets that pucker at the back hem, it's because the lining is too short and lifts the hem when the jacket is worn.

That sew along is super helpful for filling in some of the gaps in my pattern, thank you very much! You lovely lot on this thread are an absolute life saver

Those By Hand London sewalongs are some of the clearest I've seen. Such a shame I don't wear dresses :o

I find By Hand London are really clear with their instructions, and now they do a bigger size range drafted for a D cup maybe I’ll have more success with the Anna dress.

Nursery sent an email last night about world book day... 3 year old wants to be a green dinosaur, so I spent last night searching for suitable fabric and patterns. Luckily making things to a deadline is quite motivating for me 😄

Best of luck with that SBAM!

People with overlockers - I heard it mentioned that it is easier to thread an already threaded overlocker. This is the first time i've taken mine out of the box! It is second hand and while there are no cones, it is threaded. What do I do? Put the new cones on and tie the new thread to the old?

Ignore me, the instructions have it

That's what you do with mine. It doesn't seem to work for the needles but most of the time is fine for the loopers.

Today has been frustrating. I’m up to the slightly tricky bits on the dress, getting the interfacing in the right place is a one chance task really.

I’ve had so much company and so many tasks have required my input. So annoying.

DH and DS1 back to work again tomorrow and DS2 rarely leaves his room so I hope to get on with it then

I had the whole day and haven't really made any progress. I have done a lot of watching and reading tutorials on attaching sleeves on the round. I started to try to thread my overlocker to finish the underarm sleeves before assembly but gave up. I also ordered pinking shears for finishing the lining. So, i'll pick it up another day I guess.

@NutellaEllaElla it took me 2 hours to successfully thread my overlocker the first time. You do have to do it in the right order. And yes it is much easier to knot it on the existing thread.

Made quite a bit of progress on my sweater knit. Ended up over locking all the edges first then stretch stitching with a really wide seam allowance. Just need to hem the sleeves bottom now.

Project TATB Stella is nearly finished. Just hacking the bottom and making it have a ribbed bottom.

I have also made a baby hat and leggings. I have another set cut out of gorgeous cotton jersey, which is like a kid goth fabric. I will post when I have finished. Hopefully they will look good.

No sewing for me today, but I did iron a huge pile of newly sewn stuff! It has gradually been building up on my banister waiting for me to press it and snip all the threads.

I've been mostly filling wardrobe gaps for the last few weeks - hoodies/joggers/leggings/ts/jumpers and a few dresses/tunics. And Pjs - where do pyjamas go? Is there a portal in the washing machine where they vanish into!

But now that's done I think I'm going to start on my princess coat. I've got one cut out in some cheaper wool which I do want to make but it isn't exciting me so I'm going to do a basic assembly of the outside of it to check fit then move on to my lovely pink wool. I want to make something cheerful and challenging!

Finished my hat and I've cut out a pattern for some trousers to see how they fit. If they're OK I have enough of the pound a metre green wool left to make them up - according to me anyway. According to the instructions I'm at least half a metre short . Everything is tacked together for the jacket, including the fiddly bits for the lacing at the back, so I can whizz up the seams tomorrow (with any luck), and then I can readjust the skirt length.

I was looking at the list of projects I've still got to make and I reckon I may have finished them by sometime in the next decade or so .....

Well I pushed on brilliantly today. Front and back now complete and princess seams right first time. Facings stitched and neatened ready for the next step.

Only one problem today - iron too hot and scorched one of the front facings. Could have left it but I’ve got a bit of spare fabric that’s too much to throw away and not enough to make anything else so I cut another one.

Test fit went well - it’s a very flattering dress, very forgiving. Will make more

You guys sound very industrious! I only have time on weekends really. My invisible zip foot arrived today but my pinking shears not for another week which is very annoying.

Overlocker coming tomorrow. Woohoo. And I’m off all week (3 smallies though so not much done in the daytime!)

I've done nothing for a couple of days. Too dark and cold to care, yesterday and distracted by sciatica, once I had a moment to spare, today. I have subscribed to fibre mood, though.

So am I the only one who has lost my sew-jo in Lockdown?

In the past 6 weeks I have made DD2 a hoodie (hacked to be layered and cropped) and with the same fabric colour blocked leggings. I have made myself a long sleeved Tee (hacked to have faux T-shirt with long sleeves underneath), another Tee and a Helen’s Closet York Pinafore in beautiful thick green corduroy. It seems more listed but it doesn’t feel like it - probably due to so much time at home.

I have so much planned and am desperate to make myself a dressing gown (Love Notions Compose Robe) - but I need to lengthen the pattern and the thought of full length pieces or maybe it’s the very slippy fabric that is stopping me from starting!

Any tips for recovering my sew-jo?

The only thing I've finished this year has been DD cushion cover, and I didn't sew all of that though obviously I was heavily supervising.

That's about as much as I get through in a good 6 weeks, allgirls. My bank balance thanks me for it.

@Allgirlskidsanddogs I too have lost my sew-jo, since my sewing room was reclaimed by DS home from Uni for a week over Christmas (and yet to return to Uni - thanks Lockdown 😣).
It took months to get my sewing room just right, and now it smells of teenage bedroom again. I can't sew in there even when he's out for a walk. My sewing projects will have to wait until Unis return to campus again.

Well I’ve just finished the facing for the peppermint button up dress and it fits immaculately. What a well drafted pattern.

Future versions of this dress won’t be faced. I’ll bind the armholes and neckline instead. It should mean that I can get away with a lot less fabric