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 quite like videos for explaining things when it involves a lot of turning inside out then rightside in then back out again - burrito method for yokes is like this. The flat instructions made no sense. Once I saw it in video form it became clear.

General patterns less so. Though I have used a video to make a patch work tote bag a couple of times. The video takes 10 minutes, actual cutting and sewing takes many times longer!

The Atelier Scammit videos are really good - I watched the Allure trousers one repeatedly for certain steps!

No sewing done here this weekend. Might adjust the Demi pants pattern when I get back this evening - need to add a few inches to the leg length as my current pair flap around the ankles a bit too much for my liking. Then let the fabric cutting commence!

Also going to try a couple of the Fabrics Store freebie top patterns. I would really like to draft a sloper/block at some point.

@Chewbecca which bit are you struggling with? I don’t find the written instructions the clearest ever, but they make enough sense that I can follow them and I really hate watching videos so I’m not going there.

Some sewing for me, a Fibre Mood Alena from sewing club. Made it up in stash jersey as wasn't mad for the pattern. Turned out OK, but typical for fibre mood there is a faffy sleeve detail. Had to chop 6 inches out of the length.

I haven’t had a problem sewing double gauze, but it was a very forgiving pattern and not fitted (Rebecca Page’s Olivia). Next time I will overlock the edges as I sewed with a sewing machine (quite rare for me these days!) or I’l use French seams.

Cute dress @kittykarate i like the back detail. What’s the sleeve issue - from the fibremood pics they look like normal sleeves to me.

Good to know @Craftybodger I’ll stick to the recommended French seams.

Can someone please remove my credit card or give me a telling off? I do not need more fabric. I have enough fabric to sew for the next 5 years. I have no room for more fabric. Yet I’m browsing cute prints for kids on Northern Monkey Makes and Walthamstow fabrics just popped up on my Instagram with linen twill which looks like it might be lovely and viscose in every colour and print imaginable.

I've finished my second pair of Arthur pants.

The fit is really different - I'm guessing that's because the first fabric I used had about 3% stretch and this linen doesn't.

So cool and flowy! I'm chuffed to bits!

I like the dress @kittykarate, very much.

No #SBAM I won’t remove your credit card! My stash saved me this week - needed an outfit for an extra special event. Planned fabric just wouldn’t work, stash to the rescue!! So I say, “Keep buying, you never know when you’ll need it!!”

@TragicMuse I love the colour of your trousers. They look lovely for warm weather, and so much more interesting than the type of wide leg linen trousers in the shops.

@Craftybodger you enabler! If I ever get featured on one of those hoarding shows I’m blaming you!

@TragicMuse where is your green linen from!?

@SBAM I'm having move my sewing room again and have shocked myself just how much fabric there was to move, and yet as soon as Tragic tells me where she got that linen from I'm off to get some.

@SBAM, suspect my stash is even larger!! I can’t resist interesting fabrics, rich colours and patterns. I don’t have enough plains!

Just noticed we are in the final throws of this thread as well... need to get thinking of another title @NutellaEllaElla

It just seemed to have an overly complicated sleeve facing that wasn't even visible @SBAM

Anyway, cut out another pattern, a Vogue maxi dress V1691 ready for next time I get some sew time. Managed to just about squeeze it out of 3m, but it wouldn't have been possible if pattern matching required.

I am happy to offer my 'stash sitting service'! I'll store your stash (don't have one of my own yet for clothing) and then you won't feel guilt should you buy more. Could I be onto something here?

When I buy fabric I always get a 5m length so that I have spare if I mess something up or I can make a bag if the mood takes me. I have a lot of excess pieces!

The only thing I deliberately buy as pure stash is unbleached calico. It's perfect for toiles and bag linings. It also takes dye beautifully.

I had a week off and set myself the task of making a new shirt and trousers. The shirt pattern is from Muna and Broad. Made it a few times now. It has the world's most complicated cuff vent binding instructions so I ignored that and made bias binding and used that - less rage inducing.

Dress up Debbie is wearing my shirt. DH has asked if we should take Debbie on holiday and to weddings as he is more likely to see a picture of her than me.

DM's birthday so I made her a patchwork tote bag on Saturday to put her gifts in. I can't pretend it was easier than wrapping them but it was more enjoyable.

Next project is another bag - a shoulder bag to match a batik top for DD's graduation in a couple of week's time. I was supposed to be tidying my sewing room but sat down and thought 'hang spring cleaning'. Poop! Poop!

Must learn not to hold my breath when cutting.

@sleepingisanart - I do what my weapons instructor taught me. Calm breathing. Breathe in. Exhale slowly and squeeze the trigger gently/use scissors in a controlled way. 😁

Thank you!

@pastabest the linen was from Merchant and Mills, colour is Pine. My sister bought it as a birthday present a couple of years ago and I've been waiting for the right pattern!

I was thinking about how long these trousers took me.

All seams bar one are flat felled. The one that isn't is a French seam.

They would have taken less than half the time if I'd just overlocked. And I could have.

But I appreciate the time even though it felt endless.

And then I was thinking about sewing bee and how everything is really quick and it's because they rarely do any kind of seam finishing. No flat felling or French seams, no bound seams. And overlockers make a very rare appearance.

And I like a nice finish on the inside. It lasts longer and just wears better.

I know it's entertainment - and I'm very pleased to see Amber back with her mini-history pieces - but that also tells me that it's filler because the sewers don't have enough time. I can't stand the false jeopardy of the too-short time. Yes, you need a deadline, but make it realistic. It's a competition based on quality, it's not a race...

Anyway.

No seam finishing on sewing bee. You can have pretty or fast. Patrick. You can't have both in 3 hours.

I remember on one series someone did a hong kong finish on the inside of a jacket, and unsurprisingly they didn't finish and were eliminated.

I tend to overlock everything, but that's 'cos I'm a lazy mare and just use the overlocker, and don't straight stitch it first where possible.

@TragicMuse i agree, and what a shame that all those things they make are then more or less unusable as they haven’t been finished well enough to stand up to washing and wearing. Given their emphasis on reuse/recycle I’m surprised they aren’t giving more weight to properly finished pieces. Making a pair of trousers in 4 hours instead of 3 is still a challenge.
I’d be happier if they gave them more time, and showed us more of the sewing/how the finish etc factors into the judging.

I don’t have an overlocker, my preferred seam
finish is a zigzag stitch for wovens, and either sewing with a faux overlock stitch for knits or just skipping the finishing if I’m being lazy 🫢

I'm still getting to grips with seam finishing. My just finished dress (I'll put up a photo once I've ironed it) is a crispy cotton so I just pinked most of the seams. The sleeve insert is a very bulky seam because there is an inner sleeve and a very voluminous gathered outer sleeve so I did a Hong Kong binding on that and I really like it as a finish. It did take quite a bit longer though as I made my own bias binding from left over fabric.

I'm not sure I'm ever going to overlock anything unless I use knit fabric. I'm a bit tricky about how things feel and I don't like the feel of overlocked seams against my skin and always wear a cotton tank top underneath so I can't feel the seams when wearing RTW, unless it's a very loose fit.

I tend to overlock pattern pieces before starting to put them together. Makes the start of a make slow but the finish fast!

For a coat I made I bound the seamed sides separately so that they could be pressed flat. That was using a denim fabric which frayed just from being looked at.

Now I need to look at Hong Kong seam finishing!

@GnomeDePlume so do I - it gives a lovely firm flat edge to work with. And then I can really iron out each seam as I go. I think ironing & pressing seams open makes a noticeable difference in the final finish, and stops home-made garments from looking home made.

And HK seam finishing is what you describe - using bias binding to bind each seam separately.

@GnomeDePlume I think your separately bound coat seams are a Hong Kong finish 😄