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 .

Every cloud has a silver lining right @dubyalass? I already miss lockdown for endless sewing opportunities.

@PickAChew, when you say they're badly put together, you mean they've been sewn badly? I wore a jersey dress to dinner this evening and it did have some wrinkling around the armpits and I still love it. It's just the quantity of wrinkles in various locations that could make it look shoddy. I still want to make a button up jumper dress.

Exactly!

That Reiss dress looks to have raglan shoulders. Much easier to fit.

There's the issue of the stretched seams, where one side is all puckered, and then some hems that look like they were sewn drunk. I have straighter varicose veins.

Let's just ignore me pressing post on a message I typed almost 2 hours ago that hadn't gone through, for some reason.

The owl fabric was from Sew Fabrics in Darlington. Unsurprisingly all gone, the next time I visited. Soft, cute but not too childish, and self coloured, so no white fady bits.

@PickAChew

There's the issue of the stretched seams, where one side is all puckered, and then some hems that look like they were sewn drunk. I have straighter varicose veins.

Let's just ignore me pressing post on a message I typed almost 2 hours ago that hadn't gone through, for some reason.

scathing!

I treated myself to the BHL Anna dress pattern last night. I have nowhere to wear it and haven't got/bought any suitable fabric but I fancy giving it a go.

@dubyalass, that dress looks absolutely beautiful! I am quite tempted myself! Thumb still hurts but less, so hopefully I can get back into my sewing later this week.

@NutellaEllaElla it looks as if it could be a lovely dress, although the number of buttonholes needed makes me feel all weak and wobbly! I haven't done much sewing with stretch fabrics - initially taking in and shortening Primark t-shirts, then moving on to pyjamas! I have some lovely dinosaur fabric to make my godson a cute outfit but it's quite low down on my list of things to do!

I made the mistake of shopping in Aldi yesterday while there was still stock of the current sewing machine offer. It ticks all the boxes for things I’d look for on a sewing machine and was only £149. Mentioned my mistake in looking to DH who looked amazed that I hadn’t bought it and drove me there at 8pm to pick one up.

So we’re both happy, me because I have a wider range of stitches at my disposal and him because he doesn’t have to think about my November birthday too much now

It’s the Necchi NM2000 which I believe is built by Janome. I can’t wait to use it but have to wait for mid November for the official birthday handover

www.aldi.co.uk/necchi-digital-sewing-machine-nm2000/p/711676511147800

I did a double take when I saw that the other day! Nice one!

I’m going to hold on to my trusty Toyota though. It’s such a good workhorse.

Love Notions has advertised a 40% site wide sale from 18th to 22nd October and today’s feature Friday pattern is the Octave coat
www.lovenotions.com/product/octave-coat-xs-5x

I've made a few of their patterns now and I find them well drafted with good instructions so I’m going to pick up the ballad blouse and melody dolman on the 18th

I put my brome top to one side because something was niggling me. It's done all bar the buttons. It's gathered quite heavily at the bottom of the sleeves and all the fullness is concentrated on the buttonhole side. So far so good. Every other shirt I have us the same, even if it's just a couple of pleats.

All the fullness is concentrated at the front, though. Not at the back, where you would expect it to allow for movement. I thought maybe I'd put them on the wrong way around but, nope, I've been playing with the pattern pieces and I've done it right.

I'm not overly happy with the implementation of the plackets, either. I think I'm going to end up turning it into a 3/4 sleeve jobby with a fixed, rather than buttoned, cuff.

I other news, I've finally bested the shirt I threw across the room, back in February.

That brome top has been an ordeal at times. I love the fabric, so much visual texture.

Well there was a first for me yesterday. I went into Abakhan with a specific project in mind and stayed focused 😂

I really need a waterproof coat but I can’t find what I’m looking for anywhere. The closest I can get is the sea salt pack it jacket but I want plain rather than patterned and I’m not sure if the sea salt one is breathable. So I found a pattern that can be adapted a bit and scoured Abakhan. The really helpful assistant pointed me to some breathable pu fabric in a gorgeous colour called petrol blue and I got myself 3m.

The pattern I had in mind is a sewmag one
www.sewmag.co.uk/free-sewing-patterns/millie-raincoat

I think my lovely fabric deserves better so I’m on the hunt for another option

I haven't done much sewing recently - just haven't had the time in daylight hours. I've traced off the Iris Knickers pattern so hopefully I'll give them a go next weekend.

The only thing I've done is go back to the Billie sweater dress I made, which I made a bit of a hash of the pockets, and maybe it didn't have the right amount of stretch as the bottom band always felt a bit too tight to walk in. So I chopped it off just above the pockets and used the bit below the pocket opening to make a new band so now I have a slightly cropped sweater. I'm much happier with it (and actually wearing it today).

@dubyalass the BHL Anna is lovely, and can be more daytime dressy if you make the knee length with no split hem. I made one many years ago (several babies and some inches on both waist and boobs ago) and I’m considering making another now they’ve released the D cup draft.

Just got it through from Netprinter! Very exciting. I have some gorgeous vintage fabric my mum gave me a few years ago that would be perfect but I'm definitely going to do a toile first. Also got the Tessuti Brigitte and Mandy tops to try out. I made the Wardrobe by Me scoop neck at the weekend and it was almost a disaster; managed to salvage the neckline but it's a bit too neat and the jersey I chose is too see through, would have been better for something less fitted. I'll still wear the top, but layered under something else!

Hey, i've been away and busy but have a day off tomorrow so I intend to probably return my sewing machine from the shirring settings back to normal. Overlocker still broken. One part keeps unthreading itself.

I've bought this beautiful winter dress pattern on hobbycraft click and collect so i'll pick that up and look for a beautiful black stretch/knit fabric.

I'm dithering over which pencil skirt pattern to buy, they're expensive but I need to JFDI.

Ok, I just bought the Stanwick million skirts in one pattern recommended above. That one scares me!

I'm planning on making a cape (this one, pattern A) but I haven't been able to find any wool that I like in my usual fabric shops. Anyone got any recommendations for online shops with a reasonable selection?

I can't help with 'nice' wool fabrics, but if you're after something to practice with poundametre had some wool blends that might be useful www.poundametre.com/search?page=3&q=wool&type=product at 3m for £10.

Though I'm currently going through a long asynchronous email conversation with them to resolve them sending me the wrong fabric (polka dot mesh rather than french terry).

I’m officially vexed.
Just gone through a bag of clothes my mum passed on back in the summer for me to dispose of and there’s a perfect waterproof coat in there. So my lovely fabric will probably end up in the stash never to be seen again.

I kept my love notions sale purchases sensible as well with just ballad blouse and presto tunic in the bag. The sort of useful tops I rarely buy and make but should

There's going to be some beautiful garments getting made - or not Jins!

I've got some forest green cord that I bought a couple of years ago to make the Camden pinafore

It will be my third one. The first one was a disaster as I used a prince of Wales check which I was trying to pattern match or make symmetrical at least and it was awful. The second was a version for work made of pale blue triple crepe which was beautiful but sadly unworn so I am hoping third time lucky. I need to get lining for it though.

Found a picture of my BHL Anna dress @dubyalass before cutting the hem too short. I was going for a midi look but took too much off one side and ended up with an on the knee. That was a proper sewing fail as I was wearing it that evening .

It's a lovely pattern and I'd like to make another one that I can wear with a jumper over it and chunky boots.

That's beautiful @Ulysses! I have started a toile and am at zip insertion point. The instructions are rubbish, they seem to be missing whole chunks of information and sections but the sewalong online has enlightened me. It's been really useful doing the toile to see how the construction works and which seams/darts line up (mine don't quite line up 😬) and I should have pressed the shoulder seams apart rather than to the back. The sizing is also odd - I am having to make an 18 to get it big enough and the front half is fine but the back is massive. Some adjustments to be made!