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’ve not posted (or sewn) for a while, but have been keeping an eye on this thread and all your lovely creations.

I just ordered the Ogden pattern too, after seeing the most perfect hot pink cami in the shops last weekend. Perfect until I saw the price tag - FIFTY pounds! Talk about an incentive to dust off the sewing machine 😂

For those of you who have made the Ogden before, does it really take 1.8 metres? That seems like an insane amount of fabric for a cami?!

I used to live near a liberty fabric factory outlet.

OMG @pastabest I'd have been eating beans and spending all my money there!

Although that said, I was on a work trip to Beijing just before COVID, and did NOT buy any fabric there. I cannot quite believe I was quite well ...

it's about time i joined in this convo (I may have before? I can't remember)
I used to sew a lot, learned at my mum's knee on a converted to electricity singer hand machine. My dad was in the army and they went to a lot of balls & cocktail parties. Being with a regiment meant a new frock every time (social suicide to wear the same thing twice) and it was lovely watching my super talented mum take a pile of (often Sari fabric when we lived close to Slough) and make the most fabulous red-carpet worthy ballgowns.

Later i made a lot of my own clothes, at least 75% at one point, including skirt suits for work, a coat and so on. I'm a really stupid size (used to be huge boobs, small waist narrow hips, i am now huge boobs, big round "waist" and narrow hips/slim legs, i look like a beetle) so home-made was the way to go.

I made loads and loads for my DDs when they were babies/young girls, but eventually they want to buy their own. I only got back into sewing things when we made a load of masks very early on in the pandemic.

I am trying to get back into making clothes but i hate my shape and i'm having huge problems making patterns fit. I just need to apply myself.

I have started making "shoe bag" style rucksacks, with one inner and one outer zippered welt pocket. They go down well as gifts.

@CrimsonAlligator you can make an Ogden in far less than that! I’ve made one out of a XL man’s shirt. I use off cuts for the facings and if I’m squeezing one out of a remnant I reduce the flare.

Thanks @Jins ! That’s what I thought. I find it so off putting when pattern companies seriously overestimate how much fabric you need. I’ve had it a few times with Grainline Studios, where I was left with 0.4 - 0.5 metres of fabric. Yes, I know I may be able to do something with that at some point in the future, but it’s more likely to end up on the pile of fabric that will never get used. It just feels so wasteful.

Welcome to the thread @Brefugee . I’m no expert on patterns for apple shapes (sounds like that might be what you are?) but have you looked at companies like Cashmerette? They draft for larger sizes. I’m sure there are a few similar companies, but I can’t remember what they’re called. Others on this thread may be able to advise on that.

Just popping on to say hi and ask a question about camisole patterns! How weird you are talking about the ogden and others already. I've just ( for me) splashed out on 1m of liberty tana lawn in the sale. I'm normally more of a "pound fabrics" sewer but I loved the print.

Was contemplating a cropped version of the ogden cami. I've made the ogden before but have never got the fit 100%. I wondered if anyone had a camisole pattern they love for me to use my meter of lovely fabric on?

Also where the heck is the liberty outlet!!! Omg I need that in my life!

Fresh from the washing line so a bit creased, this is my TatB Mabel blouse.

It was Standfast and Barracks in Lancaster. Its still there and still sells lots of factory outlet designer stuff (Sanderson, scion etc) but doesn't sell liberty any more and hasn't done for quite a few years. They do their own design cotton lawn instead.

Thanks @SBAM, that's good to know.

Welcome welcome @AnnieSnap , looking forward to hearing about your
projects.

Welcome @Brefugee you have painted a beautifully romantic/idyllic picture of your childhood in relation to sewing.You know what, I love the fabrics I see for Saris, so vibrant and beautiful and i've often wanted to make a maxi skirt out of one but haven't felt confident doing so. Not because I think it would be difficult but because i'm not sure it would be frowned upon at all?

Welcome @Stickortwister, I actually have a freebie scallop neckline cami I could send if you PM me your details? I haven't made it for myself yet though so can't tell you how I rate it!

God @kittykarate that top looks beautiful on you! I love the colour.

I've been a bit allergic to the camera lately and this picture does not do it justice, but here's the Eve wrap dress I made recently. I feel very feminine and wafty in it.

That wrap dress is lovely @NutellaEllaElla so flattering!

Beautiful top @kittykarate I love the colour!
@NutellaEllaElla lovely dress - the fit looks perfect!

Welcome to the newbies, I’m looking forward to hearing about/seeing your projects.

@Stickortwister I’ve never made the Ogden so can’t advise there, but I have made the waves and wild summer breeze cami (fit wasn’t great - despite having fuller bust pattern pieces as well as regular).
I’ve also made the Tammy Handmade Etty which I think is the scallop one Nutella is referring to, and it’s a free download. I did do a full bust adjustment, and it came out nicely on my first go (I used a viscose because I wanted it slinky and drapey).

Pray tell @pastabest where is the Liberty factory outlet??

I wish I'd given more thought to fabric shopping when I was passing through Brum last week. Could have nipped to Guthrie & Ghani. The rag market sounds ace!

I've posted above! Although the business is still going strong (and sadly I don't live nearby anymore) they stopped producing fabric for liberty quite a few years ago.

It's mainly upholstery fabric now

I would LOVE to visit Guthrie & Ghani one day. Lauren's Instagram live on Monday night is a highlight of my week.

Ignore that, just saw it was Lancaster, where I spent last week rather annoyingly! Although I am sort of pleased to hear they don't do Liberty any more 😁

Oh I love that shop. Most of the curtains in my house are made of material I bought there. Sanderson and Voyage designs, pounced on for half price (around £9 pm) during their epic sales. Follow them on Facebook to see what they offer. They’re great on the phone and at the shop, too. Lovely people.

And I got some gorgeous pistachio coloured fine silk there pre-pandemic which I’ve just bought the perfect pattern for - a Vintage Vogue waisted dress a bit like a shirt-waisted but more fitted( more flattering on me) and with a full skirt. It’ll be casual enough for work but can be dressed up. But I have about 5 things lined up before that one!

@dubyalass Guthrie and Ghani isn’t in the city centre, I’ve never been (in-laws live on the outskirts of Birmingham, I can manage the bus into the centre for the rag market, Barry’s and Fancy Silk Store but I got a bit overwhelmed with thoughts of an onward journey to Moseley).
I do highly recommend the centre of Birmingham for fabric shopping though, the rag market is very economical- I got some lightweight sweatshirt fabric for 50p a metre in October.

I’d recommend the Fancy Silk shop (Boat Street? Opposite the Rag Market anyway) over Ghani and Guthrie where the range is limited. The Fancy Silk Shop has three floors of everything! All sorts of cotton, velvet, a huge variety of wool and wool blends as well as silk.

although Moseley is nice for other reasons!

You are both terrible enablers 😁

Hoping to do a trip to Goldhawk Rd at some point this year. Like I don’t have enough fabric already!

Oh I’ve never done Goldhawk Road. Do report back! But really I have so much fabric I need to set up an Etsy shop to make room for more ….

My London fabric haunt was around Borowicks in Soho. They were selling off wool crepe from the Jean Muir factory when the design house shut down so I have some lovely heavy wool crepe from then (years ago). And I bought loads of metres of silk there for curtains for a Victorian terrace I had with big windows! They used to do really good sale prices. I think they’re much more pricey now. Then there’s the Cloth House across the road ….

Hi there, joining in again. I’m currently making a sundress M7946 which I wanted to shirr but had immense problems doing it. I have successfully shirred before but this time the machine will not do it. So I have given up and gone with what the pattern suggests - elastic in casing. Hope to finish it this weekend.

@NutellaEllaElla your dress looks so lovely. Not sure what type of bag you are looking for but I have made a great Cargo dufflebag from Noodlehead. It was a free pattern too.

I used to love going into the Soho fabric shops - so much more interesting than John Lewis! I follow the Cloth House on Instagram and covet lots of their things.

I find it so off putting when pattern companies seriously overestimate how much fabric you need. I’ve had it a few times with Grainline Studios, where I was left with 0.4 - 0.5 metres of fabric. Yes, I know I may be able to do something with that at some point in the future, but it’s more likely to end up on the pile of fabric that will never get used. It just feels so wasteful.

I'm using mine to make reusable gift bags. Lined if required. I used to make matching baby outfits if appropriate fabric - but they're all grown up.

(sorry on phone and can't check thread to tag folk)

I have a skirt made out of recycled sarus, made by women in India though. It's beautiful but I usually only wear black so I feel as though people are staring at me.

Thanks for patten company rec - I'll have a look. I'm making a toile of a TAL 3-pleated skirt adapting the size up a shade, so we'll see.

I'm in Germany. So few good fabric Shops here now. I can order online but never want yo because I want to sew NOW. But... When I buy fabric it usually sits on the shelf gor ages. 😔 (procrastination is my middle name)

Hello! I didn't know you were all here!

I'm a keen sewer, in obsessional terms it's about 8 years now, but when I think about it I've always sewn.

I had a book about what to do with old jeans and made a bag from a pair when I was, oh, 15 perhaps. Replaced broken zips all through my teens, by hand. And made a Puffball skirt following instructions in a magazine. It didn't puff so I ended up with a blue satin tube skirt!

I'm just about to make a pair of Sew Liberated Arthur pants. I've got some cotton sateen which will show off the balloony shape pretty well I think. Hoping they won't be too clowny!

@Brefugee have you seen the Curvy Sewing Collective? They have a website and FB group. You should find some fellow appley beetles there to help. I don't find Cashmerette's block suits me at all, but lots of people swear by her patterns.