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

I have started this year with sewing two project bags to keep my knitting projects in 🤩

Those are fab! Do you follow a pattern?

they were both made using video tutorials from youtube ☺️

I love those bags @Ladywithacat . I've had it in my mind that i'd like to make a duffel bag sometime. Not sure when i'll get round to it as my project list keeps growing! When my travel hand luggage bag finally gives out probably.

They're beautiful, thanks for the video links. I could do with a couple of project bags and those look really useful. Nice way to use up scraps too.

Who knows anything about quilting?

I've got the batting/ wadding and I have the lining fabric I want to quilt for my jacket. Do I quilt them together and then cut out the pattern pieces or do I cut out the pattern pieces and then quilt them individually?

it feels like I should quilt first and then cut but surely then the quilting stitches will be cut and will come loose?

I am definitely not an expert, however, when I've done it, I've made the patchwork top, layered it with the batting and base, then basted it together by hand before machine stitching across it to hold the layers together.

They did some quilting on sewing bee recently (I think it was the most recent series) so watching that might help with how you're meant to do it?

I've never quilted anything but I think on the sewing bee they quilted then cut because I remember thinking it was a shame they had to throw away scraps they had gone to the effort of quilting (also it seemed an absolutely impossible task in the time frame). I bet you could watch it on YouTube or somewhere.

I used to be on this group a few years back but just regaining my mojo.

I have just finished a baby quilt and looking for my new project. However, I have seen the Pattydoo Chloe Dress and fallen in love with it. They aren’t selling it in the UK thanks to the Wonder of Brexit.

Has anyone seen anything similar? I have searched with no luck.

I would quilt first. It maybe worth buying spray glue (where you can move the pieces) to put the pieces together before quilting.

The batting should keep the stitches together. You should be fine.

Have you had a look on Sew Over It? She does a LOT of dresses.

Maybe this? sewoverit.com/product/emma-dress-pdf-sewing-pattern/

@pastabest quilt first then cut the pieces, quilting can make the fabric smaller.

@HalleLouja I’m not sure if the pattern you liked is for woven or stretch (my German is not that good!) but the ByHandLondon Elisalex dress has that same shaped bodice and tulip shaped skirt.

Im surprised you can’t buy the pattydoo pattern as a pdf though, I’ve not come across any companies that wouldn’t sell digital patterns to the UK.

You genuinely can’t buy the pdf. I have tried… and I am not the only one. My message to them on FB wasn’t answered.

I have looked at Sew Over It but not sure I have the same feeling about their dresses.

I got a dress form for my birthday! My birthday isn't for another 6 weeks but I intercepted the delivery, assembled it and put a dress on it so it's too late now 😁

I've used it to mark out the hem line and take in the waist, aside from that I don't much know what to do with it.

@HalleLouja - do you have paypal?

What you could do is register for a pattydoo account with a billing address in a country they are happy with (I used my company's office in Frankfurt) as they are never sending you anything physical, so it doesn't matter really where they think you live.

If you pay via paypal, rather than by a credit card, the billing addresses aren't compared, so your transaction will go through.

I managed to buy a pattern just now following this dodge. Of course now I have to try and improve my german to a good enough standard as all the best patterns are in German language only!

I am jealous! I want one.

You could use it to do things like pin darts before sewing. And put part finished pieces on to see where the waist will come. I am useless at visualising finished garments and they always come as a surprise.

Great ideas thank you.

So I had a day off work and managed to finish the dress for my colleague and one for myself that needed hemming. I was waiting for a delivery of stitchfix which was pretty good for making a perfect, beautiful hem although I probably should've clipped the curves.

I will be moving onto New Look 6491 for my summer holidays. I'm a bit worried about the fullness of the skirt (any ideas on how to reduce it?) and also, I want to insert a built in bra. I have zero idea how to do that though.

That looks like a fabulous pattern @NutellaEllaElla. I like the skirt as it is, but i tend to go for fuller skirts anyway. If you want to adjust it, would pleating instead of gathering work? It feels like it might make the waist feel a bit more controlled, but I'd worry it would make it feel more dressy rather than casual.

Does anyone have any suggestions for some flow-y cotton summer trousers? Ideally, I want something flat at the front waistband (ok with elasticated at the back) or a bit more fitted at the waist. I'm at the point of winter where I'm starting to dream of being by the sea!

@123ZYX have you ever seen the Sew Liberated Arthur pants. You can choose full elasticated or flat front with elasticated back.

I covet that pattern

@NutellaEllaElla If the skirt pattern piece is just a rectangle that's then to be gathered at the top to fit the bodice you could perhaps gather to the fullness you want and then just cut off the excess?

Thank you both, pleats or cutting off excess depending on the shape are good ideas. The fabric I have is quite formal so it might turn out to be a more formal dress which i'm ok with.

Another concern/consideration is the cleavage. It looks like i'll need to make it more modest. Invisible stitch perhaps?

@123ZYX I made the Rose sewing pattern by Made By Rae as it had the flat front, elasticated back. No issues with the pattern. Though i'd have gone for pasta's suggestion as who doesn't want the option?

Hello
Checking into this new thread after I fell off one a few months back after a pre holiday sewing spree turned into a post holiday sewing slump.
Will read through and hopefully get inspired by everyone's sewing. You do love sewing but sometimes struggle for direction and focus. So many patterns to consider, so much fabric and I end up procrastinating endlessly.

I think I need to focus on what I want to make rather than what I need...

Anyway, happy sewing to all those with projects on the go....

My dining room footstool has been given its 4th upcycle yesterday. Each time I get a new sofa for the room I change up the loose cover.
The fabric I used this time must have a fire resistant treatment and I found it quite hard to sew, it wanted to grip the sewing machine bed and I really had to push/pull the fabric through.
I have another cover to make for my daughter, would anyone have advise for sewing with treated fabric?

Cotton backing would stop it getting sucked into the machine.