Stitch and bitch thread #8. It’s all starting to unravel

[NutellaEllaElla]

Welcome back and welcome for the first time to any newbies. As we go back into autumn/winter mode, sewing days are more and more appealing as the wind gales outside. I enjoyed looking back over the last thread, there were so many beautiful patterns (so little time), such beautiful makes, that thread is an absolute goldmine for inspiration. Also such wisdom from you lovely lot! Thank you. I couldn't do it without you actually as no one around me sews and you have imparted such great advice, hints and tips.

@PickAChew
@kittykarate
@TragicMuse
@SBAM
@pastabest
@Jins
@Blackamericanonosugar
@CrimsonAlligator
@SleepingisanArt
@dubyalass
@Brefugee
@InMySpareTime
@Rosenspants
@rivercobbler
@Karatema
@bookbook
@Sewingdufus
@FletchingStraight
@SideWonder
@CarolynKnappShappy
@Chewbecca
@eldorado02
@PrincessofWellies
@123ZYX
@Storynanny1
@Tinuviel
@Wildernesstips
@Dellabob123
@florentini
@longpathtohappiness
@twobluechickens

@Daffyyellow I’m on my way now! Thanks so much.

Finally finished something (Atelier Jupe Olivia). I feel like a bit of a fool for not completing the toile I made in December, because the bands used to finish the sleeves turn out to be uncomfortably tight. It would have been such an easy thing to fix, if I’d checked!

Leggings postponed for now as I picked up a pair of cotton Lycra with a yoga waistband last night on Tesco’s sale rail for £4. I’m not sure I could buy the fabric for that.

We've been invited to an 18th on Saturday - thanks DH for the short notice - and I’m pondering making a top. Maybe a LN rhapsody with bell sleeves.

Now January is finally over my thoughts are turning to summer wear again which is actually my favourite thing to sew. We’ve impulse bought a week in Corfu in May and I fancy making some swimwear that actually fits. I have some lovely swimwear Lycra in my stash so I’m on the hunt for the perfect pattern

I've been slowly sewing a pair of jeans, taking my time over the topstitching, not attempting tricky things such as the zip when I'm tired, yet I have still managed to make a right arse of the fly - it's completely wonky, about half a centimetre out. I have no idea how I've done this. Conversely I've managed to do a good job on the inner waistband and caught the whole lot when stitching in the ditch - no need to redo any of it.

Now I've just got to do the belt loops, the hems and the button/buttonhole. I might even do the buttonhole by hand because I think the fabric is too thick for my machine.

I do love making jeans, gives me a great sense of achievement.

Hi everyone

I am going to start my remy raglan this weekend, @Jins and @PickAChew can I ask how you finish the sleeves in viscose as I am aiming for 3/4 length but am doing it in viscose so won't be able to turn the cuff? I am using a cheap olive green plain viscose from pound fabrics before I do one in the more expensive stuff I originally bought. I like the look of the love notions top too I might try that one sometimes, I want to build up a set of nice tops I can wear for work.

@Frumpyunicorn i overlocked the edge and made a narrow, single turn hem. It’s my standard treatment for viscose with a busy pattern. I do think the turned cuff looks better though so I’m thinking about ways to achieve that. For your test version I’d just hem it in your preferred way. There’s loads of length in the sleeve as it’s meant to be turned

I have made loads of Love Notions Rhapsody tops now and find them very wearable. They have a Feature Friday sale every week when a pattern is reduced to $5. It’s the Vivace dolman top this week - another useful top pattern as you can make it in woven or knit - so the Rhapsody should be up soon.

I would just hem as you fancied at the required length, too. I don't roll the sleeves on my short sleeved linen one but I did tend to prefer a bit more wing coverage 😅

I'm making jeans, this week, too, @twobluechickens and happen to be tackling the fly, today. I hate doing zips and actively avoid them so when I make something that really does need one, there is always much head scratching. Thankfully I have a video sewalong to refer to when my brain crashes and I can't "see" what I need to do next. It's all going smoothly so far but I've taken a break to test out an air erasable pen for the curved topstitching.

Oh I’m envious of all this sewing. I have discovered a mould issue in the corner of my sewing room, thankfully no fabric affected, but now I need to think about rearranging the room, as I’m wondering if having storage on the outside wall was a bad idea. It’s a box room so there’s not masses of room to play with.

@PickAChew which pattern are you making? Megan Nielsen gets you to baste the fly from the inside with a contrasting colour and then top stitch it from the right side using the basting stitches as a guide.

Hoping to finish mine tomorrow and maybe make a start on yet another Tilda blouse, this time in a viscose.

Jeans almost finished, just got to sew in ends and add the button. Managed to screw up the buttonhole as expected but nobody will see it so who cares? The previous pair I made in this same fabric and pattern are my most-worn jeans so I'm glad to have a second pair on rotation.

It's the Cashmerette Creston Jeans, @twobluechickens@twobluechickens @twobluechickens. The sewalong had the advice to trace the outline of the fly extension with a marking stick and that worked well on the straight bits but not the curve. It doesn't help that I'm still having issues with the sight in one eye so need good contrast, even though I'm not struggling as much with dark stuff any more. I probably will hand baste a guide line when I use up the rest of this denim.

@PickAChew I really struggle with the curve too, even if I hand crank the wheel. One side will be fine, the other wonky. Frustrating.

My Pfaff was Pfannying on with that bit, despite being given the job because she does beautiful. Topstitching. Had to rip it twice. My little Janome has been ploughing through all the seaming without complaint.

It's the first time I have done a project using those two machines together and I do have to remind myself that they differ vastly in their needle up/down and reverse/lockstitch behavior, so that wasn't entirely the machine's fault. 🙄

I had to redo each of my belt loops three times. I either forgot to lower the foot (fabric so thick I didn’t notice) or sewed the bar tack too low on every single one, or made some other error. Tell you what though, a hump jumper in place when you’re starting the bar tack makes it so much easier.

Both of my machines beep angrily at me if I don't lower the foot. (the Pfaff does it when I have done, as well, just to annoy me). Hump jumpers are wonderful. I've nabbed a bit of DH's wood so that I can hammer the lumps into submission without denting the floor, as well.

I've just finished sewing in the ends with everything looking great, only to find that I haven't serged the yoke seam. I could have sworn I'd done that. So annoying. I should just about be able to squeeze it under the overlocker but it won't look nearly as good as it should have. Gaaaah! I've definitely been distracted while making this pair.

Oops!

I'm just overlocking and double topstitching the seams on this pair but one of my goals for this year is to master flat felled seams, which save on seam finishing. They look fiddly for my arthritic hands but I'm finding denim to be more well behaved and pliable than I expected.

It's just hit me that elsewhere I refer to my machines by their names but here I preserve their anonimity 😂

😂

I'm now pondering making another pair of Mitchell trousers from the khaki cord I bought ages ago. Was originally intended for a second pair of Philippas but having seen them on me in a full-length mirror today I'm not sure they're the right cut for me. Or perhaps it's the denim I used - they loosen too much.

The Mitchell trousers are lovely but I would look like my dad in his slacks in them.

😂

I want to nail the fit because I think everyone's arse looks amazing in them. But the first pair I made were done in an unknown man-made fabric which refused to be pressed and also I got the size completely wrong despite measuring myself and the pattern beforehand. I think they need a robust fabric with lots of structure to work well, rather than something drapey.

I may still end up looking like your dad in his slacks, however, at which point I will admit defeat and try something else.

my sewing machine is broken

Oh no! What's wrong with it?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 😱😰

(this is why I have several)

I think it has some kind of short circuit in it, or something may be wrong with the pedal/cable. It's a Brother Inovis A150 and beeps and displays Error (gah, can't remember which one). I've tried googling but came up with nothing.

I'll take it to my sewing machine shop (they have a great repair service) - I'm busy all next week and then travelling the week after so hopefully they can fix it in that time.

Oh god how awful. I hope they fix it with the highest priority.