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 hate moving darts. I hate having to move darts. I’ve got a pattern somewhere that has the bust darts at armpit height so the toile version cut my bust in two - just can’t face the adjustments required to sort it out.

I find most patterns have the waist too high as well. Love Notions are particularly bad for this. At least if the bust darts and waist are both too high the adjustment is easy.

We finished clearing MILs house yesterday. She’s moved into a home and hasn’t got room for much. I thought I’d already cleared contents and we were down to shifting furniture until I spotted 4 massive divan drawers in the spare room that were hidden with a valance. Crammed to bursting with crafting materials and there were a fair few 2m lengths of fabric. Mostly crepe and one fabric that I can’t identify. It feels like artificial silk but without much drape. When I washed it there was more movement and it creased badly. Now it’s dry it’s back to the original texture but with creases. I’m 99% sure it’s polyester after the fire test. It’s pink so I won’t wear it anyway but my toile stash is full again.

No sewing yet. No decision on the pattern I’ll make yet either but I’ve decided to toile true bias Lora first

I had a bit of a brainwave after wearing my poorly fitting Ogden cami earlier this week...the straps are way too long. So I took about a third off and that seems to have solved most of the weird draglines and excess fabric in the back.

I still thinks it needs a dart though, so have added one to the pattern and made a few other alterations, like lengthening the lining by a few inches. I just need to find the time now to cut out and sew another one!

A lot of people find the Ogden straps too long. I shorten them a bit but I do find it’s dependant on the fabric.

At 5 foot 10, I’ve never had to shorten anything in my life! But I guess there’s a first time for everything 😂 My next version of the Ogden cami has been cut out, complete with all my alterations, but what I really came to post here was a link to a series of pattern drafting videos I found yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlIwtAy1pUoSSLiIkPkDTHDpSgY1-i8Ae

Not sure if this appeals to anyone, but having drafted my own skirt and bodice sloper in the past, I can really recommend it as a way to learn what kind of alterations you’re likely to need when using other people’s patterns. And you can, of course, also use slopers to draft your own patterns, which is kind of fun too.

Warning - dumb question alert!

So I ordered fabric to make duvet cover top into an actual garment. It's a plain single colour 'textured viscose' so looks like linen but is made of viscose. I've washed, dried and ironed it.... Here's the dumb question.... Which side us the 'right' side...... One side feels slightly rougher, more textured (?) than the other. The other side is slightly softer so I think would be nicer against the skin..... How do I know? Does it matter? I thought non patterned fabric would be an easier place to start but now I'm not so sure!

(In miniature, particularly memory bears, this is less important and with printed patterned fabric or faux fur blindingly obvious.)

Sometimes with a slubby fabric, one side has more thread ends and messy looking bits on one side than the other, so I trnd to make that the wrong side.

I would say that the textured side would be the right side of the fabric as it is linen look. However in reality it doesn't matter as long as you stay consistent within a garment. Also keep consistent on the direction up/down doesn't matter on most fabrics, but things with a nap like velvet look different if you mix up the grain.

PickAChew - thank you! I will have a really close look at it. I love creating things but oh my I have to gear myself up to cutting out pattern pieces....

I've seen an advert locally to learn to sew for beginners. Aim to make a tote bag. I don't have a sewing machine but apparently that is okay as can borrow. I really want to have a go but a bit scared! I have never tried to sew, used to use iron on labels on the kids clothes!! I can barely even sew a button on! How achievable is it to make a bag from zero skills and experience? It is a two day course

I think that would be totally achievable, and it might spark a whole new hobby for you.

@SleepingisanArt I concur, pick a side you prefer to be the ‘right’ side, stay consistent (I find washi tape/paper tape stuck to my cut pieces helpful, write on it ‘right side’ or ‘wrong side’ to keep you on track).

@Mumtothreeandadog of course you can do it, and hopefully this will be the start of a very rewarding hobby!

After 2 years of being SAHM I may have bagged myself a new job. My old job had an all black dress code which I think is dreary and makes me look unwell, so I think I need to make myself some new workwear. Thinking I ought to shop my stash as I had a tidy up at the weekend and realised my fabric collection has outgrown the shelves allocated to it (6 squares of a kallax 😬)

SBAM and kittykarate - thank you both. I am going to have the more textured side on the outside. (SBAM - I have 2 kallax units both 4 x 4 but full of wine not fabric - sounds like a challenge!) Tomorrow I will cut.... I will...... maybe....

Mumtothreeandadog give it a go, it will be fun. Sewing with a machine and to have something to show for it is so much better than name tapes and buttons (been there got the t-shirt).

Go for it! I did a couple of similar courses years ago and found that the sewing machine itself was a strange and intimidating beast.

Hi @Mumtothreeandadog , I thought it was my course you had seen but I'm running a one-day course to make a tote bag for absolute beginners! It's very doable and a tote bag is really easy to make.

Oh I almost missed that, congratulations on the new job @SBAM, that's exciting!

@SBAM congratulations on the new job!

Do you have any ideas for patterns you'll use? I've been tempted to look at making work clothes, as shops don't seem to do much in the way of smart work wear for women, but I've not built up the confidence yet.

Thanks @NutellaEllaElla @123ZYX now that I’ve been offered it I’ve got terrible imposter syndrome and I’m trying to talk myself out of it.

I’ve got heaps of patterns that will probably suit, I used to have a magazine subscription that came with free patterns so I can lead through those later.
My initial thoughts were to get on and make my Lander pants that I’ve been procrastinating over for months, a pair of Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers, a grainline Archer, I’ve got a pussy bow blouse pattern and some chiffon with a panda print.

Congratulations @SBAM I know all about imposter syndrome :(.

Take your mind off it by planning a wardrobe. I seem to lose lots of time that way.

I’ve cleared enough of MILs junk from my sewing space to actually be able to get near my machine. I’ve got a good haul of haberdashery from her but bizarrely no buttons. I don’t understand that. Everyone has a tin or two of old buttons by the time they reach 87!

Hoping to get a Lora toile complete this weekend. We’ll see

Tinuviel ooh I'm looking at one in Oxford. Is this you?

@123ZYX I should say, pre-kids I did make dresses for work, but sadly they’re on the uncomfortably snug side now. I was a fan of a sleeveless fit and flare or pencil style dress worn with a (shop-bought) shirt underneath, but nowadays I find trousers more comfortable and practical.

My imposter syndrome was painful when I started my role a couple of years ago. It's 80ish% gone now...!

I made my water bottle holder today! Hopefully DH and I will complete his this weekend

I didn't manage any sewing last weekend so I'm going to do my next pair of Arthur pants.

I also want to get going on a knit maxi tube skirt and a Style Arc Richmond skirt. Not all this weekend though!

I rescued the top with the absurdly low darts, it's wearable. I don't love love love it yet. I might come to later on.

I've made two Fleet tops this week, one in a cotton and one in a Dashwood Studios Rayon. The rayon was a bit of a pain to sew but I'm really pleased with them both, they're really useful additions to my summer wardrobe.

Got a lovely free weekend so am thinking about making some other tops, or starting another pair of jeans because I've gone through yet another pair at the inner thigh (to be fair, they're at least six years old).

I’ve just finished a Briosa patterns Campanella dress for my daughter. I made it without the instructions as it’s pretty straightforward and the instructions are videos which I’m not a fan of. Then I noticed the hem allowance is for a 1/4” rolled hem, so this was my first go with my rolled hem foot. I’m pretty pleased with it, though if anyone has any tips on what you do once you’ve got back to where you started I’m all ears as that bit isn’t the neatest.

The video instructions are annoying aren't they. I had the same for the Gioiello top but I love it so much. I would also like to know how to finish the rolled hem foot.