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

Wow @TragicMuse , you have a wealth of experience.

Well i've botched setting sleeves into my second Eve dress. I'm annoyed, there are lots of tucks which i've tried to unpick but i'm not very happy with it.

Thank you @Wildernesstips , i love a free pattern! I'm not 100% sure what I want yet but definitely a holdall type bag with a zip top that I might use as hand luggage or a weekend bag.

Actually, I remember seeing this bag on reddit and i've wanted to emulate it ever since, it was self drafted so no pattern or instructions though so i've never braved it, despite the assurances in the comments about how easy it is.
https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/mjl13p/i_made_this_duffle_bag_out_of_cotton_canvas_and/

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

Oooh I was coveting these further up the thread. In the end I went with the Style Arc Bob Pants instead. I'd be interested to see how you get on @TragicMuse, I've seen a pair on Instagram in a beautiful green linen in a shade I can't find anywhere.

Ditto @dubyalass Their linen gingham is gorgeous but speedy. The shop on Berwick Street has a lot more variety and often better prices.

Now shall we discuss fabric shopping in New York ?? I really like Elliot Berman ( friendlier) than Mood) and have some really lovely silk from there. Oh, and possibly some wool coating fabric. Both shops have loads of end rolls from designer s, long before deadstock got fashionable.

My name is @DollyParkin and I am a fabric addict

Ah @pastabest have you looked at Linenoholic? They've got some fabulous shades...

linenfabricshop.co.uk/

There's also fabric store in the US, but with postage and import duty it's not cheaper than here, even though their range is AMAZING!

I love the colour of your new top @kittykarate ! That’s gorgeous. And that’s a beautiful dress @NutellaEllaElla . I don’t think I’ve ever made a dress. I usually have a lot of fitting challenges just with tops and skirts, so I dread to think what it’d be like if I combine the two 😄

I’m ignoring all the fabric shop suggestions. This thread is no good for my bank balance...I love the look of that linen shop @TragicMuse posted though 😋

I usually have a lot of fitting challenges just with tops and skirts, so I dread to think what it’d be like if I combine the two

But for some dresses it really is like making a top and a skirt, then joining them up. There are patterns/ designs which warn ominously “No above waist adjustments possible “ (although I generally find one can). But I have several favourite patterns that are basically a fitted top and a full or pencil skirt.

Im lucky I. That my top half is pretty much a standard 12 and my bottom half veers towards a 14, depending on how my gym training is going! I use Vogue patterns and I find their headings are ok for my body, as I have broad shoulders definite waist line and am pretty flat chested.

non- waisted dresses don’t tend to work for me though. But I like dresses for work because I can put one on, add jacket or cardigan if needed and then I don’t have to think about it again. And for my job, dresses are quite neat and smart. And fuss-free so I can just get on with stuff.

Wrap dresses like that take care of the fitting for you, it feels like a bit of a cheat haha. I am no tailor so good fit is a stroke of luck more than anything.

There was an absolute beaut of a dress offered on my sewing subscription box, but I baulked at doing the FBA on it https://seasonsofeast.co.uk/shop-new-york-pdf/summer-in-new-york . I kind of regret going for the other, safer option now (a fibremood jersey dress) but I know I would have been crying bitter tears when it came to actually making the fancier dress.

Wrap dresses like that take care of the fitting for you, it feels like a bit of a cheat haha.

Not cheating at all! Diane von Furstenberg made a VERY good living out of variations on the wrap dress! I once got a total bargain in Washington DC Filene's Basement (sadly no more) of a von Furstenberg off-the-peg wrap dress for $40 or so. It's not one of my favourites as it's better cut for someone rather bigger busted than me - I have to wear a top underneath it as it gapes, but it's interesting to see where they place darts to get that nice easy fit - there are darts at the waistline, for example, so it moulds nicely over curved hips. Elegant & easy to wear.

I’m ignoring all the fabric shop suggestions.

So @CrimsonAlligator I won't tell you about Amo Threads and Fabrics at Play, or Croft Mills? Those are my 3 go-tos for online purchase, as they all do swatches.

But really, what greater pleasure is there spending a half hour caressing beautiful fabrics in lovely Aladdin's caves of proper fabric shops like the Fancy Silk Shop (Moat Lane, not Boat Street d'oh) ?

I don’t know, the more I sew, the more I think my body is about as far removed from average as it gets 😂

So what would you say are the easiest types of dresses to fit, oh wise ones? Is there anything other than wrap dresses, or are those the easiest?

For some reason the wrap dresses I’ve bought in the past were never that flattering on me, even though they’re supposed to be universally flattering! Princess seam dresses, with a slight a-line skirt really work for me, but I don’t see many patterns like that, plus I imagine those would be a real pain to adjust!

I’m not immune to the appeal of fabric shopping @DollyParkin , but weirdly I don’t actually enjoy having a lot of fabric around. I know that must sound odd, but it actually gets me down a bit as it makes me feel like I HAVE to sew, regardless of whether I want to or not. So I just buy what I need for whatever project I’m planning and try to resist all the other loverly stuff I see!

I want to make my DD, 19 yo, a dirndl for Octoberfest. Any suggestions for where I can find suitable fabrics? I am thinking stripes and folk prints.

oh making a Dirndl? you're a braver sewist than i!

As for size/shape, what it is with me is lockdown lbs added to post-menopausal disappearance of my waistline. So while not really what i call apple shaped, it is definitely not a shape that anyone seems to cater for.

There's definitely a gap in the market - proper patterns for people with post-menopausal bodies. my bum and legs are as shapely as ever. My bust is as voluptuous (gargantuan, take your pick) as ever. But my waist has vanished and i have a stomach.

(i hate it, which is one reason i've sort of stopped sewing clothes. It depresses me)

@CrimsonAlligator maybe look for "fit & flare" patterns? I love a good princess line dress. I've made this one a few times:

https://blog.pattern-vault.com/tag/ralph-lauren/

I have some gorgeous lavender & green checked fine wool from Amo Threads to make this up for autumn. The crossover skirt is very modest (doesn't blow up or reveal legs like some crossover or wrap dresses) and nice & swishy. I find if I can fit something to my waist, a swishy skirt hides my hips and bottom!

Or this?

https://www.sewdirect.com/product/vogue-patterns-v9264/

I don't like the gathered sleeve head, but you could change that quite easily.

@CrimsonAlligator Simplicity do a line called Amazing Fit - they’ve got wide seam allowances and different cup-sized bodice pieces so should be more straightforward to fit than having to make your own adjustments. I have a few in my stash but I haven’t made them so I can’t say how well the system works I’m afraid. They do have a range of styles though so hopefully you’d be able to find something you like.

While browsing around for weekend bag patterns, I came across this site with thousands of free sewing patterns, don't know if everyone else knows about it but it looks great
https://www.sewingsupport.com/sewing-how-to/free-patterns-and-projects/title-page.html

I empathise @Brefugee I much prefer sewing for my teenaged DDs now. Everything looks so much better on them.

Thanks. I just need to a) get over myself and b) stop faffing and get on with sewing something

@CrimsonAlligator Deer and Doe patterns have a princess seamed dress/tunic called Arum in woven, it was one of my first pattern purchases.

What's your confidence in your own abilities like @CrimsonAlligator?

Because with dart manipulation you can turn a darted bodice into a Princess seamed one...

Yes, it requires pattern-work, when one just want to see dammit. And yes, it is a total pita to always have to do that, but once you explore the possibilities of what some pattern-wrangling can do you'll never be restricted by the design of someone else and can play around to make it what you want...

And once you have a bodice that works for you you can tailor the skirt shape to whatever you like.

I'm all boob, stomach and bum, and sometimes I really don't want to do the pattern work. But then I get a bad fit and something I don't love. Or else I'm limited to shapeless tent dresses. Which is all kinds of no. So I usually complain inwardly and then JFDI!

Just a thought!

God that sounds preachy from the new girl!

Hahaha the worst that would happen on here if you get a bit passionate is someone inviting you round to help out and hold the tape measure. (Not a euphemism for being invited outside for a scrap)