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

[NutellaEllaElla]

Continuing our supportive little group until we run out of material

If it's a tiered maxi dress could you do tiers in alternating materials? Though most of the patterns I've seen for them are in the 4m requirements which scuppers me as most of my fabrics are in 3m lengths.

@SBAM I'm at the stage of building my fabric stash so always order extra. I have 10 metres of denim just arrived! £4/metre from Pound Fabrics it would have been rude not to!

In other thoughts I stumbled on Bombay Fabrics who have loads of lovely cotton prints. I am sitting on my hands so that I don't order!

That is a beautifully laid out website @GnomeDePlume

@kittykarate good idea, unfortunately most of my stash was acquired from browsing without patterns or a cohesive plan in place, so I’ve got 70+m of 1 and 2m lengths of all kinds of prints colours and fabric types. I’ve had a look but I can’t see any that pair nicely.
The majority was bought before I became SAHM too, so I’ve got plenty that’s workwear suitable and I just don’t want to wear black blouses and shift dresses anymore.
I think I need a good clear out (& then to go shopping again 😄)

I don't like having a stash and currently want to sew through the material I have and when I order more now will only order it if I have a plan for which pattern it is for so I order the right amount. It's not a bargain if it sits unused for years and I only have so much wardrobe and storage space

I buy fabric with a definite project in mind. The denim is for an Ilford coat for me. The extra may end up as an Ilford jacket for DH, he has a hankering for a denim jacket. So long as we don't wear them at the same time we should be safe!

@kittykarate lovely 'mutant sunflower' dress. Looks comfy and stylish.

@NutellaEllaElla enjoy your fabric shopping. I love buying fabric in person. To be able to touch it, see the drape can't be beaten. Let us know what you get!

@Jins good luck with the pattern tracing. Love the idea of black linen shorts. New to explore trousers/shorts a bit more. Has any tried the Pietra Pants? I also hear the Lander ones talked about.

@SBAM let us know if you decide to do a destash 😊. I'm sure we could help you shift some of it 😂

Kalle shirt finished. Not sure what to make next. I could finish my Heather Blazer but might make another Kalle but will need to resize which means retracing the pattern - groan... Might make DD another TATB Safiya playsuit. She only has 4 already!

I have bought some very silky fabric for my saguaro set, it’s a bold pattern though so I might chicken out and make it into pyjamas but we’ll see. I’ve never seen with something so slippy so I’m seeing swearing in my future.

I don’t like building up fabric at home (so messy!) so I always buy with specific projects in mind, the problem comes when I change my mind. Also it bothers me that I have sizeable leftover fabric piling up. With the leftover from the pencil skirt I’m thinking I could make a mini, but with shiny new projects in the pipeline it’s hard to convince myself to go back to old fabrics, even when I really like them! Like I have a gorgeous leaf print I really must do something with.

I’ve tried a different technique for the elastic waistband. A lot of people seem to prefer overlocking the elastic to the waist then folding the lining over to cover it.

I tried it because I’m not the biggest fan of threading wide elastic through a casing and thought it would save time. It hasn’t saved any time and the finish is a bit ropey so I won’t try it again

Swearing at silky fabric...yep, that's almost guaranteed! You could try using spray starch to make it a little easier to handle.

I'm with you in the leftover fabric. I haven't yet found a use for those less than half a metre pieces. I try to buy the absolute minimum when purchasing for a garment and (so far!) this gamble has paid off. Usually calls for a bit of pattern Tetris but if it saves waste, then that's ok with me.
I keep bits of nice cotton for things like pockets or facings but I've given up on the idea of keeping all the off cuts for a pouffe so small bits now go in the rag recycling.

At least you've tried it Jins. Hopefully it's not ruined the overall look of the garment.

No it’s not ruined the look. It looks ok from the outside but the inside is messier than a casing would be. At least the elastic is firmly fixed and won’t be going anywhere

I tried that once and it turned out a horrible mess but I assumed that was my fault along with a cheap overlocker,I was going to try it again with my more expensive overlocker. I liked the idea of the elastic never getting twisted but I have seen a method where you sew it in place down the side seam which looks like it could work as well

You've all been very busy while I was on holiday. I got to wear quite a few of my makes while I was away, which was fab and I had to take DD for an induction day in the North West, so got a trip to Abakhan as well!

Has anyone tried the Hobbycraft Made to Measure patterns? I've just been having a look and there's a couple of patterns I like but I'm a bit dubious about how well the system works.

I've not tried that @Tinuviel - if I was a more confident woven sewer I'd really like to give the shirt a try as that is one type of garment I used to always buy from Bravissimo.

There was a (russian?) website that used to provide a similar service, and that always had good reviews so I guess it probably would work!

Thanks for that, @kittykarate . I might give it a go when I have more time.

Found the other site on my bookmarks! lekala.co/catalog/free/women/pattern/8004#model

Apparently the instructions can be a bit random due to translation.

@NutellaEllaElla i pin the elastic in place as I go then stitch along the length. It doesn’t roll at all that way

This is 1.5 inch elastic stitched at half inch top and bottom. I use a long stitch length and stretch it straight while stitching

This is the salvaged front of the linen shorts coupled with the messier than I’d like inside

A lot of people seem to prefer overlocking the elastic to the waist then folding the lining over to cover it.

I've seen that done on a lot of cheap commercial garments, it's always a disappointment you realise that's what they've done because it means you can't tighten elastic up or easily remove it if it's annoying you.

However, I do use a similar technique on my lazy basic leggings pattern which doesn't have a real waistband, you just overlock the elastic onto the inside of the top, and then fold it over and zig zag it in place. Super fast, and I guess with leggings it doesn't matter!

Found you all!

I've acquired a copy of the pietra pants pattern to try out @toomuchlikemyusername and enough cotton linen to make shorts with it to check out the fit as I need to do a bit of a big gut adjustment and it's a fiddly pattern to do it with. I have a couple of items in my queue before I get to them, mind, and summer will probably be long gone!

Glad you found us @PickAChew!
I too have a muddle of planned projects that I'm trying to time to be ready for the right season but likely won't work out that way as long as I keep adding projects to the list...

I had a lovely weekend sewing things for an upcoming festival. I’m also trying to identify gaps in my wardrobe rather than buying fabric without a pattern in mind. A few more t-shirts and camisoles would be useful so I downloaded a couple of freebie patterns from Maison Fauve to run up this weekend.

Just found this list of indie pattern designers if anyone feels like disappearing down a rabbit hole…

sewingsociety.com/the-massive-list-of-indie-pattern-companies/

And some French options: www.marieclaire.fr/idees/patrons-de-couture-notre-selection-de-eshops,1097327.asp