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

Sagauro Set v2 - longer top, a bit more FBA, sewn up front of top. Going for a fake jumpsuit look.

Very nice!

I'm making myself a pair of Style Arc Bob Pants in black linen tonight. Not sewn for a few weeks and need something straightforward and hopefully a wardrobe staple to get back into things.

My issues with maraflex thread are continuing, everytime I wash the jumpsuit constructed with it I'm having to inspect the seams and invariably overlock a patch of it back together somewhere.

I love my Bob pants, going to make another pair (or two) for the summer. I also really like the Tessuti Demi pants for a slightly different look.

Turns out when I opened my Bob pattern I'd ordered the wrong size pattern. I'd got the 18-30 size one instead of whatever to 16.

luckily though it was the size 14 or 16 I needed (between sizes) and the style arc patterns also have the seam lines on so I cut it out on the seam line for the 18 and it seems to have done the trick.

because it was a bit of a bodge I decided to toile it on some textured green ramie I got that didn't live up to the 'petrol' colour I actually wanted for something and couldn't imagine actually wearing.

I bloody love them!

New favourite trousers! They are so green and swishy.

really quick to make as well, only took me 2.5 hours from opening the pattern packet at dinner time and I was wearing them on the school run this afternoon.

going to make a black pair originally tonight instead.

Yay! Lovely new trousers.

So I wore my Sew Over It Eve wearable toile dress on holiday and it for nicely. The length is a bit in betweeny weird for my preferences but I was convinced by others to keep it as is. Now I'm going to make not one but two more out of satin of all things, one for me and one for my sister. I should have time to get started on Friday. I'm going to be scared to cut into the fabric because it is very beautiful and I'm also aware it's likely to be a nightmare to sew but hopefully my experience with the very satiny, slippy fabric that I made the Saguaro set with will help. Also, I saw a review of the Eve dress where someone said they set the sleeves in flat rather than in the round per the instructions. Can you just do that? If so, why wouldn't the instructions have you do it that way in the first place as it is much easier? Especially with satin it would be much easier to avoid all the faff of setting in sleeve in the round.

I read something years ago that explained about the order you sew the seams having an effect on the fit, because of dominant seams and therefore setting sleeves in the round is supposed to be better. I don’t think this is the original one I read but it explains the concept https://designerstitch.com/dominant-seams-what-and-where-are-they/

I finished my jumpsuit and I hate it.
i might just make things for my kids, that’s usually a guaranteed win.

I finished my jumpsuit and I hate it

Which one did you make?

I bought some fancy joggers from JL for a flight on Sunday and as I am a bit on the short side the legs were 5 inches too long.
Never sewed jersey before but a quick google and I used a shallow zig zag.
Really pleased with the shorter joggers and how the cuffs turned out.
It reminded me that I do like sewing so I might see what else I can make.

Thanks for the link, so sad to hear you hate your jumpsuit. What's wrong with it? I don't think I like the look of them on me generally so haven't been tempted myself.

Sewing Bee will be back Wednesday 24th May 9pm BBC 1! Yay!

Shouldn’t have said making things for the kids was a guaranteed win - the shorts that were allegedly for a 7 year old fit my 3yo (& he’s not so much into the floral prints like his big sister). 🤦🏻‍♀️ luckily they were intended to be a wearable muslin.

The jumpsuit is the Peppermint in the folds jumpsuit
Despite me being 5ft8 it’s a smidge too long in the body, and it’s absolutely enormous from the waist down. I’ve tacked the side seams an inch inside the current seam line and they’re still loose. I probably should have known I wouldn’t like it, things with no waist definition aren’t my friend.
I should say though that the instructions are lovely, super clear, you get a very neat finish on the back zip.

I’ll have a think about remaking the fabric - it’s a striped linen so perhaps I’ll recut it into some trousers.

Gutted for you. It's for this reason I agonize so much about choosing a size, figuring out how much ease is built in, scouring the reviews etc. It's so difficult. I hate baggy clothes generally too. However, a cute belt can help emphasize a nice waist line.

Oh that's a shame about the jumpsuit SBAM - can you bodge a waistband out of scraps and make some trousers? Or maybe enough for 2 x elastic channels and make it into separates?

I end up reading so many reviews of patterns, and some of them are so niche/indie there just isn't the background on them. If I'd made that jumpsuit I would have looked like I had mc hammer pants on because my body is really short, and I'd have never been brave enough to take out what was needed.

I've even messaged someone on Instagram to ask questions about a pattern they'd made. Still, nothing's foolproof.

@NutellaEllaElla I don’t think a belt can save it. Although I’m fairly tall I’m short in the torso and busty, the proportions are all wrong for me and putting a belt on just bunches up all the extra fabric.

@kittykarate I think the trousers are wide enough that if I unpick my basting I can just cut out a trouser pattern I’ve made before, and I’ve got enough spare I can make a waistband out of.
There’s loads of Instagram pics but it doesn’t look as voluminous as it does on me.
I might give the Zadie jumpsuit a try next, that one looks like it has waist shaping. I’d love if somewhere had all the patterns you could want made up in all the sizes so you could go try a few on before you spend money and time on the pattern and making it.

Free pattern: https://www.atelier-scammit.com/women/124-declic.html

Ive downloaded this and I’m trying to decide what to make it out of, I’ve got plenty of viscose and I think the drape will be good for this.

I fancy making some wide leg trousers with a shirring elastic waistband as I don’t normally wear skirts or dresses but I do like that simple style for summer.

I’m trying to decide how to make them as usually the elastic would reduce the width of the fabric by a considerable amount. (I’ve previously made little girls dresses using shirring elastic.) However, following that technique, I think the trouser legs would end up looking too full.

I’m wondering if I sewed several rows of shirring elastic on a separate width of fabric and then attach it to a slightly wider leg trouser, it might work? I also need to see if I’ve got any suitable fabric in my stash…🤔

Great top pattern @SBAM - I’ve downloaded it too. Thanks

it screams viscose to me. Luckily I have lots 🤣

That's a nice looking blouse. Would you then send it to the printers and get it posted?

I've made a start on my Sauvie sundress, reduced the length on the pattern, pinned and cut. Will start sewing next week. I am using a linen mix. One thing that has annoyed me slightly about the pattern is it seems to be US centred, " first and the fabric width for the pattern layout is US standard so I have a lot of wasted fabric. It is not quite as simple as it looked at first glance but is looking v nice.

I like CLC prints for getting my patterns printed.

Grr i've screwed up already. I'm cutting out a Eve wrap dress in satin and per recommendations, am cutting in 1 layer rather than on the fold. I then forgot this and cut the back skirt in half. I've added 1cm seam allowance and overlocked the 2 pieces together but it'll probably be 1cm small where i'm supposed to attach it at the waist. So that's fun.

I use CLC for bigger stuff. For tops or kids things, if it’s something simple say under 15 pages I’ll print it at home.

@NutellaEllaElla if you narrow your seam allowances down the sides you should be able to make up 1cm - that’s only .25cm on each side piece

I also use CLC I recommend them to everyone.

If I order a pattern print from them and fabric at the same time from elsewhere the pattern always arrives a day or two before the fabric.

I love the foldline website but I always wonder if anyone actually pays the £7 printing fee from them these days when it's well known both flamingo and CLC do it much cheaper.

The Umbrian Sewist vlogged about this pattern. Thought this might be helpful!

Thanks @Craftybodger I never watch vlogs (quiet social media is preferred when trying to get children to bed). Good to see one made up, and there’s one appeared on Instagram too.
I think it’ll be ideal for the summer so it will join my never-ending list (behind some summer clothes for my kids).

Thanks!