Stitch and bitch thread #3 Sewing is harder than it seams

[NutellaEllaElla]

And i'm very glad to have you clever sewists to selvedge what's left of my dignity .

I use washable markers to extend snips if i need to. I never have much luck with tailors chalk as somehow it vanishes as I handle the fabric. Though I dont often overlocker then sew unless the pattern has too many tricky corners. I'm mainly overlock only, or sew, then overlock and trim the raw edges.

My afternoon has been spent cutting 10m of organza into 4 equal pieces, and then overlocking all the edges to stop fraying. There's what looks like a million black eyelashes all over the table now from the trimming blade. It's going to be used to help dress a room as a circus tent. Tomorrow I'll be gathering the pieces at one end, and attaching hanging loops to the other.

I don't intend to trim the seam allowance so hope to leave it intact

I find it a bit fiddly to overlock after sewing especially when instructed to press the seam flat.

I use heat erasable markers for notch marking. I’ve never overlooked before sewing because half the time you need to snip or grade seams and it ends up a mess. I do overlock facings before stitching and I usually overlock hems as soon as the garment is together. I either overlock and press open or overlock the two pieces close to the stitching line. It depends on the pattern and the fabric.

My project list grew longer today and the things I’d like to have done before my hols look unlikely. Mum can’t get into her nighties any more as they are over the head ones so I brought three back with me to convert to button fronted ones. I managed one today. It was nerve racking cutting straight up the middle

Do you mean Frixion pens @Jins. I love using them where the fabric allows. I've bought a few of the Chaco chalk pens too. The Clover air erasable pens are a good buy. I really should put some washable ones in my sewing kit too.

Mine are just some generic ones from Amazon but they suit me. www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07RCYYJC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TW6EG2WCTFBYM9QP1PKC?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

There’s nothing more satisfying than running an iron over the mess left from marking buttonholes and seeing it vanish.

OMG they really work?

They stay on as long as you want until you iron over them? That's brilliant.

I’ve only used the white and the pink so far. On some black fabrics the white leaves a trace after ironing but then it washes away. The pink has ironed out of everything I’ve used it on. I used to test each new fabric but I’ve slipped with that recently.

You can get a very precise line but there is a tendency for blotches along it.

I ordered the pens.

I had a really enjoyable afternoon of sewing. Making two dresses concurrently, I managed to get them both to the point where they just need collars, sleeves and buttonholes. I have not done a collar before so am watching youtube videos on that. I haven't cut out the collar and neckband pieces on one dress as it will be half patterned, half plain and I am trying to figure out how it works so I cut the pieces out correctly.

My sewing has been a bit of a mess today. I finished mum’s nighties. One of them came out really well - you wouldn’t know it had been buttonless before.

Then I moved on to a quick laundry day tee dress for my hols. It’s an incredibly stretchy viscose jersey so cutting was a bit of a mare. I got the shoulders together then somehow I managed to twist the pieces when doing a side seam so ended up with twisted shoulder ‘straps’. Overlocked of course. I stropped round like a toddler for a while then decided to cut the seam off and restitched it properly. For the neckband I decided to cut it shorter than usual due to the stretch and went with 80%. Should have gone with less as it’s not lying very flat.

It’s only for slobbing round the campsite so it’ll do but the perfectionist in me is cringing.

On the plus side I got the dress out of a metre by flipping the pattern pieces and putting a seam at the back. Result

I stropped round like a toddler for a while
Relatable

You need to test this iron away pens before using them because they sometimes leave marks where they've been. I tend to only use them on wrong sides and within seam allowances. I also find they clog horribly at the wrong moment.

DH is a lucky man, anyhow. Making him an All State shirt in blue-grey cotton/hemp chambray and it's going together beautifully.

Topstitching can wait for daylight!

That’s lovely fabric. I do like a chambray shirt

It's lovely and crisp and smooth but has a habitof resisting pins as the hemp in it is so hard. I fully expect to break a needle on it before I'm done.

I’ve declared my dress finished and I’m not bothering with a hem because the fabric has behaved so badly already.

I’ve got a couple of hours so I’ve prioritised a black woven tank

Lovely shirt

Thanks. I've been enjoying making it.

Though I'm not going to get much done for a bit. I'm almost out of thread. Realising that I wouldn't have enough, I ordered some from amazon marketplace, on Friday morning which was supposed to arrive today. Seems it's only just been dispatched, today, royal mail 48hr

I could get away with navy for the side seams but there's buttonholes and a ton of topstitching to be done. I'm just going to have to tackle my bloody ironing mountain, aren't I?

Oh god no, anything but the ironing 😂
I've recently become really impatient at delivery times so I feel your pain.

I thought I'd do one step in sewing the collar this evening but it's not gone well at all. The top fabric kept moving so I couldn't sew it without puckering. I unpicked it twice which has left tiny holes. 😞 Hopefully they won't be noticeable. I think I'll buy a walking foot. They're not cheap though!

My generic walking foot has been ok although I’m sure the proper one would be better.

I worked smart today. I have made a black woven tank but I made a wearable toile from the bodice of the dress I was hoping to finish. The New Look one I posted a while back. It’s worked really well as a top but there was a fair amount of faffing to get a decent fit. I’m not sure that I like the way they do the v neck but it looks ok when it’s on. I’m sure there’s a more elegant solution but having a front seam made it easier to get a decent high bust fit so it’s all good.

I’m going to tidy my workspace tomorrow as we’re off on Wednesday

A aaargh, that's such a nightmare, @nutellaellaElla! I tend to tack down anything likely to go for a walk. It saves such a lot of unpicking

Depending on the fabric, the holes should relax and vanish next time you wash it NutellaElla Cottons usually come good unless you're like me and half the holes are caused by bad behaviour with the stitch ripper . If you're too time pressed (or lazy!) to tack something, there is that water dissolvable tape (Magic tape might be the brand) that you can use to stick together 2 squirmy layers of fabric. I used it last time I was putting in a full length zip in a jacket, and it was magical not having to hand tack the zip in place.

Fingers crossed the holes disappear then. I've bought a walking foot and pinning it differently so hope that will do it when I next get time to work on it.

Still no bloody thread.

I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned the dining room floor, yesterday (fabric dust really does highlight the sticky patches!) I'm afraid it's going to have to be the ironing, now.