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

[NutellaEllaElla]

Continuing our supportive little group until we run out of material

Feeling smug about my invisible zip & waist seam joint. Not so smug about the top of the zip but I can wear my hair down 😂

@dubyalass I’ve used folded cardboard before, or started in the middle of the bump, reversed and then sewn forward, that seems to stop my machine getting stuck.

You certainly should feel smug about those beautifully aligning seams!

I've just realised that's what the spring is on my presser foot! Never used it and occasionally wondered what it did. This thread is very educational!

I'm very impressed by your matching seams SBAM. I quite often baste mine, or in the case of the trousers/shorts I've made recently I begin in the middle and do one leg at a time so the sewing starts at the join.

My second Saguaro set it finished. The shorts were a nightmare, I think all my focus was gone as the pair of trousers I made were fine.

Thank you @dubyalass I will order that.

I agree @NutellaEllaElla . I bought a pinch bodkin on the strength of this thread and very useful it was.

I'm isolating until at least Sunday and frustratingly, don't have the right colour thread for topstitching the trim on.

So, what I should really do is dedicate time to figuring out the burrito thing on the Mayfair dress but i'm avoiding it as I failed before. Despite two sew a long videos. Gah. I've even done a burrito method before. I should get the instructions out from that and see how I figured that out.

My presser foot has a button with a spring - is that what that's for?? <Mind blown>

I FIGURED OUT THE COLLAR BURRITO! A word of warning if anyone watches the corresponding sewalong from Stitchedup - she doesn't read the instructions and has to unpick, so don't follow her! She wasn't the reason I couldn't understand the burrito collar at first though. Those things are just complicated!

I don't think my toile will be as wearable as I had hoped but hey, this is the point of toiles I guess.

Little black button instructions

Well done @NutellaEllaElla. I know where to come for advice when I get round to mine

Thanks but i'm not super confident i'll be able to remember myself when it comes to doing the real thing even....

Shut the front door with that little black button explanation! There's so many things to learn about our sewing machines.

@Jins im ashamed to admit I’ve had my machine for coming up 7 years and never even questioned what that button was for. Also, now I realise that it’s 7 years I should probably get it serviced 🙊

Well I never!

Ooh, I never knew there was a sewing thread, and I also never knew about the black button on the machine. (I don't know if my 20+ year old brother has one, but will investigate this weekend!).

I just finished 3 Christmas stockings a couple of days ago that I'd cut out 18 months ago and that button would have been very handy!

Welcome @BiddyPop !
I too, have a wistful kind of regret about not knowing about the black button sooner.

I'm glad it's not just me that has half done projects hanging around. I've given myself a stern talking to and decided that I'm not buying any more fabric or starting any more projects until I've completed them all. So that includes (for the sake of accountability) this dress I'm working on, the trim on ano therwise completed jumper dress, the Gioiello bow top (seems nigh on impossible) and then using fabric I bought but undecided pattern. There, I said it. I have to do it now.

Good luck on getting through your list @NutellaEllaElla and welcome to @BiddyPop what kind of things do you like to sew?

I decided instead of buying bunting for a party Id make it myself, but so far I’ve just done the easy bit and cut a massive stack of triangles.

@NutellaEllaElla good luck with the work in progress list. I spent last night doing the same.
Adapted a dress that I made last summer which wasn't quite right, put another half done project in to 're-use fabric' pile as it's just not fitting me well enough (good learning project tho as first attempt at a collar) and refashioning a dress that I made which stretched massively while bing sewed so that's now been turned into a top. Feels good to have made decisions and acted on them. I feel like I've got rid of some physical and mental clutter.

Now I've just got my Heather blazer to continue with but that was my ongoing current project and hasn't been languishing for any time at all.

Happy sewing everyone for this weekend.

In January I made a to do list of seven items. I’ve ticked three off the list

On the other hand I started a list of items I’d completed in 2022 which currently stands at 18 items. Admittedly there are two pairs of knickers and three bralettes on there as well as three items of swimwear but overall I’m pleased with myself.

Next up is the Amena dress but it requires a fearsome amount of fabric so I’m going to try to tweak it for a 3m length. The layout plan looks very wasteful

Meant to add a photo

@Jins the pattern makers don’t think you can get that out of 3m? Is it because of the long sleeves (which always surprise me by how much they need).
I must admit, I’d look at the image, assume it needed 3m and try to get it out of 2.5m

@sbam view A needs 3.9m and view B 3.4.

Looking at the cutting layout in the photo there’s a lot of unused fabric. I’m sure I can make it work in 3m

@Jins absolutely! I’d be folding selvedges to the centre for at least the front and back, and maybe piece 14 too? Might save half a metre?

Selvedge to the centre will do for all the bodice pieces and the first tier. It doesn’t matter if I lose a little on that amongst the gathers. I might be able to turn the sleeve sideways which would save a bit and the bottom tier can be made out of the rest.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wasteful layout

@SBAM I bought my machine to sew curtains when we had just bought our house and were broke and added things like cushions, repairs etc. 20 odd years later, I mostly do crafty things like tote bags, placemats, play food etc. I have a tonne of quilting fabric and things to make nice bags. My problem is that I never get much time and it's usually only a day or 2 together with slots with long gaps between and no place to leave things out ...so most of my time I get would be spent pulling things out and putting away again.

Dd leaves home in 2 years for Uni...

I've noticed a lot of the patterns that come with Simply Sewing tend to massively overestimate the fabric requirements. I make very simple long sleeve jersey too where the fabric requirement was something crazy - 2.5 meters or similar. I think I manage to do it out of just over a meter.
I've noticed they often just quote one amount of fabric regardless of the size you are making as well.

Nice pattern anyway, ideal for summer (what summer?!)

Hey hey, i've made good progress today. I finished adding the trim on the black jumper dress, and I finished the Mayfair dress toile. Turns out, I hate it....the dress doesn't suit me, so I won't be making a version in the preciousintended main fabric. So now, I have 2 beautiful fabrics for dresses, but no set patterns as yet....