Stitch and bitch thread #4 I needle the help I can get.

[NutellaEllaElla]

Continuing our supportive little group until we run out of material

I've made a few Jalie patterns (Tessa Ice Skating Dress, Bella Dress, Jeanne PJs, Isabelle Skating leggings are ones I can name off the top of my head) , I've been pretty happy with them, so far the size charts are very true. They have american seam allowances (1/4 ") which are ACE on an overlocker.

There's a free pattern on their website if you want to try them out to see if they speak your language jalie.com/collections/fashion-patterns-free (for sure Simplicity and me definitely talk at cross purposes)

Good tip. I’ll pick that up to have a read of the instructions.

Simplicity and I are not friends. I usually have to make so many adjustments that I may as well have designed it myself. Burda make the only paper patterns that work for me but having said that I’ve only tried trouser patterns.

I finished sewing up a dress from a Make My Lemonade pattern (French company). The instructions were rubbish especially for what they term a beginner pattern. But, I love the finished dress even though I made it in a fabric that wasn’t recommended.

Now I’m going to trawl the Jalie website, and also love that link to Peppermint magazine.

Well, I was all set to stick my eleventy billion pieces of printed out pattern together last night when I realised that the family guillotine (I think every family should have one!) had seized and the cutting blade would only move with an accompanying high pitched squeal.

New guillotine ordered and will hopefully arrive in time for me to have a fun filled evening of cutting and sticking.

I've almost finished my Alice top but omg the sleeves gave me grief. Finally got them in but only after gathering them around the edges, otherwise they simply wouldn't fit. Very frustrating but it looks great. I'd size down next time, apparently Tessuti patterns are on the large size but I've also made their Mandy boat tee and I can barely get my arms in it despite making the largest size and having slim arms! Maybe my jersey didn't have enough stretch.

eleventy billion pieces of paper all trimmed ready to be stuck together then I can cut out the pattern pieces.

My only criticism of the Muna and Broad pattern so far is that the pattern pieces arent numbered so I will have to work out which pieces I need and which I dont as I am only making one view. I can easily see me cutting out an extra piece and be forever wondering what it is for.

The pattern includes a yoke. I read the instructions for this and frightened myself silly. However I found a video on youtube which demonstrated the burrito method so nerves are now calmed.

My first experience of the burrito method was a dress! Such a lot of fabric to wrangle. The instructions made no sense to me, YouTube helped but in the end it was straightforward and all the pieces ended up where they were supposed to be.

Whoever invented the burrito method needs a gold star

Absolutely. Makes so much more sense than the cryptic line drawings when you see someone do it. It also looks like a magic trick: stitch, stitch, roll, stich pull then ta da! You have a neatly sewn yoke (or a rabbit/bunch of flowers if you got too enthusiastic with your rolling)

It is like magic. Much better than the ‘old’ way from when I first started sewing. That involved too much hand stitching but it did hone my invisible hemming skills so I shouldn’t complain

I wonder if it's still called the Burrito method in France? Bet it's called the Roulade or something.

I'm sneaking back in as I actually got round to cutting out a smock dress this morning. Unfortunately it is in pure silk crepe, which though lovely, is a beast to be accurate with. I have not started the sewing yet. I need to gird my loins and get brave with it.

Good luck FuzzyPuffling!

I tend to stick to jerseys now, ever since I did a 3 day battle with a simple shell top made from crepe chiffon. I finished it, but I felt like I'd been wrestling an octopus as it just spent all its time getting into tangles, lumps and slithering away from me.

I'm very fond of a (cowardly) cotton lawn, where you can iron nice marking creases into it!

I love your description of the octopus Kittykarate. Last year I made a silk satin blouse and that was like a squid!

Good luck @FuzzyPuffling a smock dress in silk crepe sounds delicious to wear, but I don’t envy you the cutting and sewing!

Oooh. Silk crepe sounds gorgeous. Good luck.

I think I’ve found my swim shorts/jammers pattern. Five out of four offered a free pattern a while back and I got Candy pants with the intention of making yoga pants. I came to look at it today and it’s got a leggings option with different leg lengths and an optional gusset or half gusset. This weekend will see me swearing as I wrangle Lycra. In general I prefer to sew with the slipperiest woven than any stretch fabric. I’m hoping to get it done with the overlocker

Sounds exciting Jins. I am envious of your overlocker.

Has anyone else had problems with ordering from poundametre? I placed an order a week ago and it still hasn't been dispatched. When I query I get an email back to say they have my query but nothing else.

Pound a Metre are a bit random - I also am waiting for an order from just over a week ago. Time to fulfill orders really varies, I've waited as long as 3 weeks, and less than 1 week over the past year. Of course the less than 1 week order was one that I was on holiday when it was delivered, and the 3 week one was stuff I needed urgently.

That is the law of sod!

Anyway, I take back my grumpy comments about poundametre as I have just had notification that my order has shipped.

I'm too used to amazon. I swear there is an amazon delivery guy driving round with random crap in the back of his car just waiting for me to decide I need something out of left field like a melon baller. I place amazon order then it feels like 30 minutes later said item drops through my letterbox.

I've got as far as the collar today. The jury is still out. It is slippery and too fine but many pins and tacking is my friend.

I laughed at the "Van Full of Amazon crap". Even in the remote place I live, it does sometimes feel like that!

I just got a shipment message too! I guess they must have had someone off sick and that has slowed down their processing.

Right, cutting out for shirt/jacket is done. I am now dithering about interfacing. The fabric is quite light and I want it to have quite a soft look so I am worried that interfacing will make the front quite rigid. I'm also not planning on having buttons on it.

What to do, what to do. I think I will do the hoovering for a while before deciding.

Interface issue resolved - sew in interface in the stand collar, none in the front.

I have done my first yoke, burrito method. It worked! Stand collar finished. Next step is sleeves.

Dungarees done! Just in time to be packed in the morning for a few days away to the in-laws. I’ve skipped the chest pocket for now, will do it when I’m home again, and they’re not hemmed but they’re so long I can turn them up and sort that out in a week too.

@SBAM that is a cracking pair of dungarees! Is that black denim?

Can I ask what sewing machine you have please? I am looking to upgrade from my very basic one.

Great dungarees SBAM. They look really comfortable and I like them rolled up.

@GnomeDePlume I upgraded my machine last year from a basic Toyota with 14 stitches, mostly variations on the same thing, and a 4 step buttonhole. I had a wish list of features and Aldi’s necchi machine at £149 ticked them all off. Of the 200 stitches I now have at my disposal I’ve used 3, 4 if you include buttonholes . I’ve kept my Toyota for heavy duty work.