Stitch and bitch thread #6. What a yoke!

[NutellaEllaElla]

The other thread is so painfully slow so lets hope a shiny new one will run a smoothly as a well behaved sewing machine. Pin your places here my lovely stitchers

Still on things to make for my granddaughter, I really like this. I'm just wondering how she would put it on, stepping through the neckline seems like the only way but would it be a bit awkward with a nappy on?

https://thefoldline.com/product/simplicity-baby-child-dress-and-jumpsuit-s8850/

Trying again

That was the Stevie toile....I managed to improve the facing at the back and will just put in a hook and eye closure this time, I think. It'll be wearable as a beach cover up or something. I also took in the bust and waist area which turned out huge and is still a bit too big but at least I know how to size and grade it next time.
The Pj's are well worn now...
Am trying to airdrop a photo of the Delphine skirt to my Mac which seems to be the only device that lets me upload photos here.
Don't look too closely at all my mistakes!
@BlackAmericanoNoSugar your work is beautiful!

There it is....

They look great @Rosenspants - you’ve inspired me to go looking for photos of some of my first makes, which was a lovely little diversion.

I wonder if it has a pleat where the front wraps over, to make the waist roomier to get on over a nappy and and so they don't have dislocate an arm to get the shoulder parts on.

I'm back at the mothership this week house sitting while they're on vacation, so I've brought a few sewing projects with me.

On the to-do list

• A new nightie made out of some cheap 'slinky' jersey from poundametre. It's going to be based on a Jalie raglan tunic, with 5 inches stuck on the bottom so make it less arse flashy when I reach for the coffee cups in the high cupboard
• The TatB Mabel pattern, but only as a top as for some reason their dresses always look a weird proportion on me.

And there's a late addition in as my dad has gone through the knees on on a pair of trousers and wonders if 'I could just make them into shorts'.

The problem with sewing here is I haven't got all my 'stuff' and I start to chafe at dealing with my mam's completely blunt scissors, pins that you can't iron over etc etc.

It is so difficult using other people's sewing equipment, especially if they don't sew often so only have basic stuff. DM asked me to turn up a pair of her trousers and the only needles I could find were huge - I sew with quite short needles. It really threw my sewing out.

You are all so clever. The thought of clothes sends me into a cold sweat (I blame my needlework teacher)!
I've just returned from a 3 day workshop with a quilting specialist. I started a quilt but became bored so gave up! Cut out my DGS's elephant I've been promising him for too long but had no instructions; got so far then baffled! Ending up completing a small pouch and that was it!

@Karatema I set myself the tiniest of tiny goals and somehow avoid the cold sweat and also boredom. Admittedly I haven’t yet tried quilting. I’m not even brave enough to go to an in-person or live online class. Also brings back bad memories of school.
Am contemplating making the Stevie as a top next. I bought some beautiful cotton lawn at the Stitch Festival recently and have just about enough, I think. Hopefully I’ll make a better job of the neckline this time.

Here's the fabric...

That fabric is very pretty.

That fabric is lovely Rosenpants, and I'm impressed with your makes too.

I have just bought the Mabel pattern kittykarate but I'm going to alter it (quite a bit) as I'm apple-shaped so that waistline won't work for me. I'm going to move the waistline up to be an empire line and use shirring on the whole back from empire line up to neck line. I went to a discount fabric shop today to see what sort of stuff they had and bought this Madras check to make the Mable dress. I also bought some fabric for my granddaughter, the multicolour bunny print is for the playsuit that I linked above and the giraffe print is for this dress which is really clever because it's two layers which can also be worn separately as a scrappy sun dress and a tunic. https://thefoldline.com/product/pinwheel-tunic-slip-dress/

I like your fabrics - especially the bunny print, I think it will look fab made into the playsuit.

I’m possibly the only person in the sewing world that has never bought or made a TATB pattern. I think I had a free download through one of the magazines once. They just look like there would be too much work involved to get them to fit and/or flatter this broad shouldered apple.

I should get my Sauvie pattern pack today and I got 3 sizes printed ready to trace onto my Swedish tracing paper. I’m bringing this to the top of my list because I have a feeling that with the right fabric I could make this work for many occasions. Next will be a toile of the SH7 Lora to see if it’ll work for my wedding guest outfit and it’s back to the drawing board if not. DH asked why I wasn’t going to wear ‘the one with the huge sleeves’ and he may have a point. It’s very comfortable, insanely swishy and nobody present will have seen it 🤣

@Jins I've never bought or made any pattern. I just muddle along making stuff from my head.

I don't find TatB patterns too bad for broad shoulders, but she definitely cuts for her body shape. As the patterns are generally not heavily tailored you can get away with a lot though. The worst for broad shoulders is Sew Over It patterns, I've ended up with dinosaur arms so many times with her patterns because there just doesn't seem to be enough space in them.

I don't think TatB patterns are brilliant value as they are on the pricey side (especially compared to online only places like Love Notions etc) , but they are great in that all techniques are explained and the instructions are photo heavy, so they are good patterns to start doing 'something new' with.

I've run out of time on my sewing projects - I got my nightie and my dads shorts done, but didn't even make a start on my Mabel top. Wrestling my mam's sewing machines definitely ate up some time.

TatB are good for hourglass or pear shape I think, I have just bought one of theirs but I'm going move the waistband up to be empire line because I'm apple shaped. It's the new-ish one, Mabel. I discounted it the first time that I saw it because their photos look very frumpy, but I've since seen other people's versions for themselves and it looks much better.

@kittykarate oh no!!! I’ve just bought two SH7 patterns! Both sleeveless at this stage so I can usually make them work. I agree that TATB seem on the pricey side but they do fill a gap in the market.

@InMySpareTime my head isn’t capable of that!

@Jins - un-panic! , I wasn't talking about SewHouse7, I was talking about Sew Over It /Lisa Comfort. I haven't tried any SH7 patterns as far as I can remember.

@Jins i have made a couple of TATB cardigan patterns and I’ve not found them a great fit, the don’t look like the pictures on the patterns. I think in the early days the patterns were very much drafted for someone of Tilly’s proportions, I’m not sure whether that’s still true.
I do think that’s true across a lot of the indie pattern brands though, so once you know which one drafts for a shape close to your own then in theory you’re sorted. I’m yet to find ‘my’ brand though.

My machine is off for its service (& could be gone for two weeks 😬) so I’m prepping patterns and cutting things out in the meanwhile. I printed and taped the Atelier Scammit Declic top yesterday and I’m going to try a quick tissue fit later.

There’s a new baby due in the family in a few months so I’m having fun with cute prints to make tiny leggings and cardigans, plus my own children need some things for the summer.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar that Mabel waistband is high isn’t it! Makes perfect sense to move it to empire line.

I’ve found quite a designers put great emphasis for designing for the natural waist but I don’t have a waist and as an apple I’ve found that a lower waist (or no waist) is better for me. One of the patterns on my to do list is empire line and if it’s successful I’ll do more

@kittykarate phew! Panicking reduced.
@SBAM I haven’t found my brand yet either but Love notions and Sinclair are the ones I’ve been happiest with. True Bias aren’t bad and I’ve just noticed I said SH7 for the Lora dress when it’s actually true bias.

At least I’ve found my staple trousers in Sinclair candy pants.

Jins have you had a look at the Gabby dress by Fibre Mood. https://thefoldline.com/product/fibre-mood-gabby-dress/ That's the one that I just made and it's perfect for apples in hot weather.