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

My plans are in disarray again. I’ve just been checking Instagram for the Lora dress as it’s been out long enough now for a few people my shape to have made one. Without the sleeves it’s the most sundressy sundress ever. The huge sleeves elevate it to wedding guest but I’ve already got a huge sleeved dress. The Calvin is better but doesn’t look very bra friendly.

Tweaked Sauvie is still a strong contender but I’ve ruled out the simplicity boring but smart one as I’ll never wear it again. So I’m on the hunt for another suitable dress pattern.

Making my own wedding dress was much easier. I already had a pattern I adored and just made it more bridal with lace overlays.

Can you give the must haves and we can spam you with suggestions Jins? Or is it more of a you don't know but you'll know it when you see it situation?

Looking at the Lora, you could do elbow length flutter sleeves without changing very much if that's a look that would suit you. It's the gathering at the wrist that makes it poofy, without that it would just be full. With a bit more effort you could probably do a narrow sleeve from another pattern (note: you could probably do it, my skills are nowhere near that level yet. )

Spam away 🤣

I’m short at just under 5’3” with broad shoulders and no waist. In fact I’m pretty cylindrical.

I tend to prefer sleeveless with a V neck but can cope with flutter sleeves. I also prefer raglan sleeves to set in ones as there are fewer adjustments to make. Drapey fabrics preferred. Linen doesn’t work for me in dresses.

Wondering if faux jumpsuit might be a solution? Haven’t been able to cope with actual jumpsuits since the eighties. Having said that I’m not wild about wide trousers 🤣

@Jins what about the Closet Core Jo - it’s V neck, with interesting sleeves.

@SBAM I like that one but I forgot to mention I can’t stand zippers so it’s button or over the head fastening only. I’m a wee bit bothered about the waist darts as well as I fear they’ll accentuate the mum tum.

It’s going on the list though even though it’s for stable wovens

Maybe the Rory dress https://thefoldline.com/product/juliana-martejevs-rory-dress/ it's a very deep v-neck, but doesn't have raglans sleeves.

I really like Fibre Mood Nina https://thefoldline.com/product/fibre-mood-nina-dress/ and have mentally put it on my long list for a time when I'm more experienced. The bodice is gorgeous. It would need to either have the back raised up a bit or have an added elasticated band to hide a bra though.

I love that Nina but yes, would need something to cover the bra.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar the Rory is a lovely shape. I’ll stick that on the list and hunt for viscose versions on shorter plumper models 🤣 The Nina wouldn’t work for me, I love the bodice details (and might tweak another pattern to include them) but I think it’s a bit ‘young’ for me.

I’m a great believer in wearing what you like regardless of your age but I don’t want to turn up looking like mutton dressed as lamb - I’m twice the age of the bride and older than her dad 😂

I’ve just been going through the patterns I’ve downloaded and found this

What do you think?

https://www.sewmag.co.uk/free-sewing-patterns/rosie-dress

Love that @Jins , looks like there's a lot to it with the buttons as well as the shirring!

I like that Jins, although I think I would probably make it without buttons and move the waist a bit higher (that's for me because I'm very apple shaped so a high waist is a narrower part than the natural waist). I reckon that because there's a fair bit of volume and the shirring is stretchy it would be easy enough to just pull it over your head without having a botton front opening.

I'm eyeing up the new Fabric Godmother Peony dress. It's such a beautiful shape but I have absolutely nowhere to wear it.

Might have just splurged on fabric for Bob pants and Demi pants. Also reminds me that I need to fix the seam on the back of my existing Demi pants as it's split slightly 😬

I've been fabric shopping! Grey bamboo jersey, blue grey linen/cotton mix and a piece of pattern red viscose from a sale bin.

I've done the adjustments to my Arthurs - shortening them by 3.5" and making the pocket bigger. I split the shortening so it's a bit more evenly spaced. But it's such a wide leg that it won't matter too much. And now I'm cutting out my next pair in a gorgeous bit of linen - Merchant & Mills, in pine.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar i think if I go with the Rosie dress I’ll toile it sleeveless first. I’ll have to determine the waist position while I’m wearing it. The buttons will stay though. Even if only the top few actually unbutton 🤣

I accidentally bought some fabric for a holdall bag. It's 3rd on my to make list and I don't have the lining or other accoutrements, but it seemed pretty perfect so I got some. I already have a shoulder strap and handles that I bought for my current shop bought holdall that is literally falling apart. I'm going to have to do research into the materials used for the inner base and bits that you attach the straps to.

OK I did it. Having had some 'urgent' gardening to do yesterday I have cut out my pattern pieces today...... OMG viscose is slippery and I'm sure some of the edges are a lot a bit on the wonky side. Must learn not to hold my breath when cutting. But the pieces are cut and pinned so tomorrow I can start sewing. Will practice first to gauge how stressful it will be or if indeed I should glue the pieces together before attempting to sew 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

It was much less stressful working with a duvet cover.........

@SleepingisanArt well done! Viscose is slippery to cut and sew, but I think it feels lovely to wear.
If you have spray starch you can starch it before you cut and sew, it can give it a bit more rigidity.

You could always baste with a long running stitch to hold it if you’d rather do that than pin. I wouldn’t glue - I have used pritt stick to hold my labels in place, but it can really gum up your machine/needle.

If I make anything out of viscose again I'm going to do single layer cutting. There was a certain amount of fudging needed for the bottom layer pieces to fit together. I hand baste a lot, it doesn't take all that long and it holds it nicely for machine stitching.

@SBAM I wouldn't really glue it - although 'Stop Fraying' or 'Fray Check' is my friend when working in miniature as it goes tacky so will hold pieces in place and then I stitch when it's dry. I've just told my long suffering husband that if this works out and I want to make more I'm going full on Sewing Bee with a huge cutting mat, rotary cutter and weights! He seemed OK with that! (I wonder if I'll be able to sneak an overlocker in too? Always wanted one but no need for bears and their buddies....)

Spray starch is a really good idea and smells nice! Failing that I'll have a stiff drink and claim that all the wonky lines are intentional and obviously part of the design 😂

Almost all my sewing is in viscose. I think I’ve got used to it now as sewing with cotton feels too easy.

Toile not done as I’ve ordered a few prints to continue faffing around. I’ve wasted additional time by replacing the battery in my old iPhone 6 that is used as an iPod. I spotted a worrying curve in the screen so I bought a battery replacement kit on the grounds that I’d only be down a tenner if I didn’t succeed. I succeeded!

@SleepingisanArt I wasn’t sure if you’d have 505 spray (temporary fabric adhesive spray used by quilters) because I remembered you were new to garments but not sewing in general.

@Jins ever sewn double gauze? How does it rate on the cotton-viscose-chiffon scale? I’ve cut out my atelier scammit Declic top (in double gauze) but then I read the construction notes and I’m regretting it. I’m supposed to cut 8mm strips of interfacing for the sleeve edges, and French seam the shoulders and side seams. It is quite economical though, I got it out of just over 1m of fabric.

@SBAM I’ve seen with double gauze once and it wasn’t too bad. I made sure to stay stitch as soon as I could because it did seem a bit stretchy but overall it’s probably a bit easier than viscose and a lot easier than chiffon. I don’t like the sound of 8mm strips of interfacing though. French seams would work well

@Jins you’re right that French seams will give a nicer finish, and probably be more robust in double gauze anyway, I’m just being lazy! I sew in the evenings mostly and can’t always face things that are ultra-precise or fiddly.

@sbam I've got the Declic top printed too but got stuck at the very first step of instructions and then cross that it says beginners and it isn't! Going to pick it up again next week and watch videos.