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 .

Shame about the red fabric @Ulysses. That was the one that you really wanted wasn’t it?

I’m pretty new to sewing with knit fabrics and my knit projects have been a bit hit and miss so I’ve picked up some different types of fabric to try and build skills.

I’ve got a lovely soft ribbed knit that I’m planning to try next. I haven’t prewashed it yet and I’ve got a feeling that it will tighten considerably. Does anyone have any tips for lightweight rib knits?

Hi everyone! I posted ages ago and am fairly new to sewing after doing a beginners course last September when I made a skirt.
I've made a lovely top using the I Am Gaia pattern and really happy with it. I'm just wondering whether it could use a dart at the bust to give more shape and can I do this after I've made it? I've never sewn a dart on an item of clothing yet but they showed us how to do them in the class and it seemed quite simple. Although I wouldn't have a pattern to follow. Should I just leave it as it is?

I would leave it as is - at the moment you have a nicely wearable thing, and unpicking the side seams, adding a darts to the front , resewing the sides, and then, because adding the darts will have shortened the lenght of the front, re-doing the hem could leave you with something a bit messy.

Better to think about what you can do next time round - and have a look at the mechanics of adding a dart (placement, what you have to re-shape etc.). The actual sewing of a dart is pretty easy, putting it in the correct place, less so.

Yeah it was. I was hoping for pillar box red and it’s brick red. It did say that on the description though now that I’ve got the packing slip so I must have missed it. My mistake and something to remember in future.

No experience of using ribbed knits - do you have to account for negative ease in your pattern?

The rib fabric is just for a straight up and down fairly loose fitting tank.

It’s very stretchy. Probably 100%. Good recovery too.

I’ll throw a toile together and wash it

Toile complete. I put a proper neckband on it in case it survived the wash.

As expected the lovely soft drapey rib knit turned into a solid t shirt material. The figure skimming tank became a skin tight one which did loosen on wearing but I don’t love it so it’s going in the pile of clothes that will do for gardening.

After prewashing the rest will become shorts for DH and I and I might keep the rest for contrast neckbands because it’s very stretchy. Not bad for a fiver for 3m but not a roaring success either

I've almost completed a toile for a denim shift dress but i'm a bit nervous about it because i'm not going to line it as the instructions would have me do (obviously designed for a lighter fabric) and also, i'm emulating a picture i have seen which has frayed edges. So i'm not 'properly' finishing the hem, neckline or arm holes. I'm just going to cut it past the seam allowance, stay stitch and fray. In theory it makes sense but feels quite risky!

The pattern has next to no fixings, just a button at the back so it's basically a pull on dress. I think it's going to be a bit baggier than I like at the waist, what would you do to take that in? Blend down a size at the waist?

Thanks @kittykarate. Very useful and that makes sense. Will leave well alone.

The pattern has next to no fixings, just a button at the back so it's basically a pull on dress. I think it's going to be a bit baggier than I like at the waist, what would you do to take that in? Blend down a size at the waist?

Don't forget that the new waist has to fit over your boobs when you're putting it on! Grading down a size at the waist is a valid method, but you know, be cautious about being able to actually get it on! To get a proper fitted waist it really needs a zip. Could you add a belt to it?

Or waist ties?

I’ve taken the waist in by sewing bands on with press studs in the past. Most notably on my wedding dress with a bow.

It works at the side too where you can fix one side and fasten the other when you’re in it. (I used zips in the very distant past when zips were features)

I can’t remember the last time I needed to take the waist in on a project. Generally I find the opposite is true.

Love notions sucked me in with their feature Friday pattern. I needed loungewear like a hole in the head but I bought the pattern for the bralette and cami.

www.lovenotions.com/product/luna-loungewear-ladies-xs-xxxl

I must be a hussy as I hate baggy silhouettes

yes I am conscious of it having to fit over my head because making such changes that include adding a zip is more than I want to do. I just want it to have a good shape.

I'm making nice progress with my dress. The bodice and sleeves are done and I can get onto to the skirt today.

The sleeve ties need to be stitched in the stitch and I found a good tip which was to use invisible thread so that any wavering outside the ditch can't be seen. I kept the bobbin the same as the normal though.

Once the skirts attached to the bodice I need to do a fair amount of hand sewing as it's lined. I'm starting to embrace hand sewing rather than seeing it as a chore and I was really pleased with the results the last time I made this dress.

Good luck with your dress @NutellaEllaElla. Hopefully you can use your toile to test how far you can nip it in and still get it over your bust.

I switched to doing more hand sewing and finishing a few months ago and I do think it makes a difference. Especially with drapey fabrics.

My fold over elastic arrived yesterday evening so this morning I’m going to crack on with the Luna loungewear bralette. It’s almost like making a toile but ending up with something useful. I have quite a few largish scraps of stretch fabric and hopefully I can get them out of my stash with this pattern

I hate hate hate foldover elastic.

FOE is a FOE of mine.

I can get short lengths of it to stay in place while I sew, but longer than a pocket and the bugger squirms off! I've used that dissolving sticky tape and that helps a bit.

I had a Sunday afternoon quickie sewing session while MrKitty was watching football - 2 raglan, short sleeve tshirts in cheap black jersey. Would have been very good, except on on one I'd put the neckband on the wrong way round, so the join is at the front. Didn't realise until too late and it was serged in place. Could have unpicked it, but jeez. Nah.

Got my Poundametre fabric, shorts for DS and leggings for DD plus a cycling top for me. Likely jeggings for DD as well. No time to sew with DCs playing up, trying to do stuff outside while the weather is nice etc. etc.

Oooh I forgot I also received a poundametre order

• black printed cotton with stars. A little stiff feeling initially but after washing feels ok. www.poundametre.com/products/3-metres-100-premium-cotton-stars-60-wide-black-1?_pos=6&_sid=4b64e87c0&_ss=r No real plans for it, might make a tunic out of it.

• Some black jersey that I can't find on the website. Meh. A little bit scratchy and heavy feeling, but will make good winter tops.

• Another one that has vanished from the website - a tie dye effect sports jersey. Going to be made into log sleeve sports tops I think for me, it's a bit pale for leggings and I always worry about how squat-proof it would be.

My to-make queue still has those ponte-roma trousers to do, I still haven't even started tracing off the pattern.

I've got that tie dye jersey too, DD will cope with it for leggings!

It has good boing though! I think for normal leggings use it'll be fine, but I put mine under a bit of stress at times.

I’ve cheered myself up by making another sleeveless rhapsody blouse in some gorgeous striped dark navy and white viscose that I picked up at Abakhan when I popped in for FOE…

www.lovenotions.com/product/rhapsody It’s become my go to pattern for tops I gathered the front sections with my overlocker which made the job much quicker. It needs a good press then I’ll get on with binding the neckline and hemming.

I'm still working on my coat tulle, slow going and I'm beyond bored working on it but there's no way I'm cutting into my lovely boiled wool until I'm satisfied that the pattern adjustments are perfect.

I've a question regarding the different fabrics - I've got a faux suede that I plan to use for the upper collar so it's softer against the neck than the boiled wool, but compared to the wool, it's very thin so I'm worried that the collar would be an 8th of an inch or so thinner than the lapel. Would that matter much or should I consider some sort of additional layer under the faux suede.

I also plan to do the pocket welts in the faux suede to match but the lack of bulk there will help them lie flatter.

I got my dress finished at the weekend and was a bit inspired by the chat about your shift dress @NutellaEllaElla and did away with the zip. I’ve made one previously and realised i never actually needed it to get it over my head. I’m there’s a few tweaks that I should really get around to doing but given the bodice is hand stitched to join the lining to the outer fabric it won’t be anytime soon.

Did you get your dress done Nutella?

Your coat sounds awesome @Drinkingallthewine and I hope it turns out how you want it. Sorry I’ve no advice but you’ve obviously put a lot of thought into how it’s constructed and sounds like you’ll do it justice.

Love the sleeves on that dress and it's a very dainty fabric. My free time has been taken up with garden landscaping work so my toile is still in need of some attention unfortunately. I've dropped a day at work so was hoping to do more sewing then but so far those days are going up with other chores 😞

Filling up not going up