Stitch and bitch thread #5 This whole thing is fabricated.

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome back seamsters! It is soon to be September and Autumn is on its way.

Altered my tailored trousers as they were too big. Took out the zipped pockets and took them in down the legs. They will do but not quite perfect. Going forwards is there a tutorial please - they needed taking in at the back a bit more so think I should have unpicked the legs and reduced the width on the back more than on the front. Straight up and down so I don’t have big hips and thighs which most shop bought trousers seem to have now or they’re high waisted which then come up to my boobs as short waisted. Only trousers that fit well are Levi 512’s!

Also loving my new Janome 5060 QVC which replaced the singer I had for Christmas 44 years ago!

Sorry it’s 54 years old!

Just found this thread 🙄

Has anyone a sewing advent calendar?

Mine so far has been a quilting thimble - never knew there was such a thing, and a fat quarter - plain apple green.

Anyone else?

@Karatema not this year. Last year I had the Kylie and the machine sewing labels one, which was a very nice treat but I’ve not sewn enough to use all of those labels so I didn’t need another this year.

Where can we buy sewing labels please - good stocking fillers!

@Wizzelina I love an opportunity to window shop for someone else.

Kylie and the Machine are great, but are overseas (I’m assuming you’re in the UK?) so may take too long to get to you. sewmesunshine.co.uk are a Uk stockist, and they sell other lovely haberdashery too.

www.littlerosycheeks.com/collections/all-labels Do some lovely labels, very colourful and positive.

www.intenselydistracted.com/shop/ These look stylish. US based I believe which might impact delivery.

insidevoiceslabels.com/collections/all Have some which are sarcastic and quirky.

@Karatema welcome welcome, gutted I had no idea that a sewing advent calendar existed! Where did you find yours? I have sewing labels on my Christmas list.

I had a sewing advent calendar last year, I think it was from Caboodles. Lots of lovely things and a few unknowns. It cost about £75 and I’ve used very little of it. So it was lovely surprises but not much value for me, even though the value of the contents was higher than its price.
This year I’ve got the Kylie & the Machine label one. Last year’s contents looked good, first 2 days have been too. However it’s the same price as last year but last year was 3 labels per day and this year just 2. Though I’ve been sewing for several years I’ve only just started using labels, so I think this year’s calendar will be of more use. It’s fun having a daily surprise!

Sewing labels sound like fun!

Started work on a shirt this weekend. I realised that I lack long sleeved tops. So I'm making the Tarawi shirt from Muna & Broad. I made it as a jacket in the summer. This time I am making it as a shirt with cuffs but a stand collar.

So far so good. Yoke and collar are done and front sewn to back at the shoulder. Next step will be sleeves.

There are various ones including one by Prym however I get mine from Avid Crafts. Sewing by Abeygale on Fb. I had to pre order but it's gorgeous. I've had 3 fq's. A small sewing kit and a quilting thimble so far plus nail stickers that are sewing themed.

This sounds unusual. I'll go and have a look as no idea what you'd receive with this.

Advent Calendars with sewing themes, I think 1st for Fabrics, Caboodles and Beyond the pink Door all do them, you usually have to sign up in July ish.

My new stress buster is to go through an online fabric shop and do a fantasy trolley dash.

So many lovely fabrics!

It is probably a good thing we don't have a physical fabric shop other than hobbycraft nearby as I would probably end up buying the shop.

I go into my local fabric shop for thread and come out with three metres of sweatshirting and some nice haberdashery 😁 I really should have a loyalty card. Might pop in at the weekend.

My fabric shop has a loyalty card, and DH took me in for my birthday and paid for a "supermarket sweep" style shopping trip. He got the loyalty stamps, paid the bill and gave me the loyalty card for next time!
He's a keeper.

Do you have any plans for what to make with your sweatshirting @dubyalass ?

I’m making slow but steady progress with my moss skirt. I’m kind of enjoying how much sewing with jumbo cord is slowing me down. I have to baste things together, then usually undo it because this stuff is shifty as hell and try again...and again...I’m also using bias binding to finish all the seams, because why not!? Progress is very slow indeed.

I like bias binding. It does finish seams neatly.

I did a sensible fabric shop in the end. Some fabric for a shirt for me, some fabric to make a fun waistcoat as a present for DSIL. The only frivolous purchase was some fabric which will end up as a lining for a coat.

I have dreams of living very close to a wonderful fabric store. Then I wouldn’t have a fabric stash, I could shop as I need . . . I did say it was a dream!!

Good grief! My Dalston Mills order is due to be delivered today. I only ordered yesterday.

I'm used to Pound a Metre and Pound Fabric taking a couple of weeks.

Wow, that’s quick GnomeDePlume and really good to know as I’ve been looking at them but been put off by the estimated time for delivery on their website. I think it said something like a week?! I’m terrible for ordering something and wanting it straight away, even if I know I won’t be using it for a while...🤦🏻‍♀️

I’m quite pleased that I live nowhere near a good fabric shop. Abakhan is the closest for me and that’s about an hour away. It’s not the kind of place that’s entices you with lots of beautiful fabrics either. It almost feels a bit surreal in there. So much fabric that looks like it’s been there since the 70s and 80s! My favourite bit is the fabric they sell by the kilo...I always enjoy rummaging through that in the hope of finding something beautiful. It’s a rare event, but when it happens it tends to be something really good (made in Italy, 100% wool etc) which makes it all worth while, especially when they tell you the price!

@GnomeDePlume have you ordered anything special?
I’ve always found Dalston mill pretty quick. I ordered from fabric land a year or two ago and was shocked that it took a few weeks for the order to come.

@CrimsonAlligator i lived in Manchester when I first started sewing and I used to visit abakhan quite a lot. I loved the downstairs with the kilo bins and the clearance rolls (was always a bit nervous of the ‘proper’ bit upstairs because I didn’t feel like I knew enough to be up there).

@SBAM , was that in Mostyn, North Wales? I used to love going there

@SBAM I have got some fabric for DSIL's waistcoat printed with maths notation. Black background for the front, white background for the lining. The back is a night sky with planets and stars.

DSIL is a trainee primary school maths teacher.

Pound Fabrics and Pound a Metre like to give you breathing space between order and delivery. Dalston Mills seem to want you to crack on!