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

I'm grumpy!

I bought a pattern recently that had the pocket marked in the wrong place on the pattern. I didn't put it as shown because it was impossible and spent bloody ages instead trying to get the pocket central and straight which was tricky because the edges were curved.
I wrote to the pattern company to let them know there was an error. They replied 'yes, sorry, we know, it was an error in our first print run'. This made me more cross as surely they shouldn't be selling the pattern still? Or if they were I would expect it to be sold at a knock down price stating the issue and warning that the buyer would have to work out pocket placement themselves? It was £14 plus postage so obvs not a huge amount of money.

Anyway, just venting here! Won't be shopping at that company again!

I think it's bad enough when I have to check the website for errata, but their 'shrugging' attitude really stinks, and it shows how poor their pattern testing/quality control is. If you bought it direct from them that is extra poor! They could have put a note on it!

That's really crap! I'd be annoyed too, especially at £14.

I did a rushed print, stick, cut and sew job for a friend's little girl's birthday this morning. A Made By Me pattern, haven't used them before but it's really cute and I'll be able to make her one every year for the foreseeable as it goes up to age 12 I think. Used some fabric remnants and scraps - whole thing cost me less than a tenner including the pattern.

I’d be more than grumpy @Chewbecca. I had to completely redesign the facing on a shirt I made for DH, it was lucky I had extra fabric. That was a Simplicity pattern so I didn’t bother getting in touch.

I had a lovely morning today sorting through my larger remnants. 0.9m and above, the size you feel should come in for something but you can never quite make them fit. I’m determined to use them somehow. I also had some success mashing the Tyra Tank with Laundry Day Tee so I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. The Laundry Day Tee is a Love Notions freebie with gazillions of options but being Love Notions the shoulders are too narrow and I can’t be bothered doing the adjustments. If this latest mash works then it’ll give me a basic block for jersey tops and dresses. Which of course I rarely wear 🤷‍♂️

Lovely work @twobluechickens. She’ll be thrilled I’m sure

Pride comes before a fall - just completely ballsed up the zip on my latest pair of Ash jeans so have had to redo it, and managed to put a small hole in the fly while ripping the stitches out. It's fixable and hopefully won't turn into a bigger hole once I've worn them a few times. So annoying. This is my sixth pair yet I still make stupid mistakes every time despite trying to do everything properly. Sigh.

I also have lots of remnants like that @Jins - should probably use them for tops.

Interesting comments about Love Notions @Jins, I hadn’t heard about the narrow shoulders before. About the only part of me that is narrow are my shoulders!
I’ve just had a jacket and gillet making fest. I’ve used the Cashmerette Fairfax jacket, had to do a 3cm narrow shoulder adjustment. I’ve also used Love Notions Oakley Vest, 1st try was fine in a stretch fabric but the second version in a pre quilted fabric from Higgs & Higgs, has a very tight armhole (never had that issue before).

@Daffyyellow I have wide shoulders and a broad back so I do tend to have trouble in that area but Love Notions seem narrower than most. The pic is a tester version of the Ballad blouse against my toile.

I find they tend to put the bust darts and the natural waist too high so I’ve had some success with adding a few cm above bust dart height but that can impact armpit depth. That may be the problem with your Oakley. If you look at the tester pics there isn’t much depth there and some look very tight. Using the full bust piece can give you a bit more room.

Most of my earlier makes are LN and some patterns I’ve made a few times but I’ll be making adjustments before I make them again

The little sweater is really cute and looks beautifully made. I haven't tried sewing with jersey yet, though I should as I wear it an awful lot.

1.9m of non-standard width viscose with obvious flaws has been treated to a dose of pattern jenga and I’ve managed to get a mashed Ogden/LDT out of it with a back seam and only one pattern flaw showing.

This fabric has been in stash for years and years

I went to my local haberdashery store and they did have a few fabrics, not very exciting shades. I suit Royal blues, grass green, fuchsia pink, navy and white.
They did have some double gauze that looked like it would drape well. A nice textured white fabric than was in navy too.
Would double gauze work on a beach dress/kaftan? Or a bit too much like baby cloth fabric?

That textured white fabric looks lovely for a beach kaftan. I’ve only made something with double gauze once, but I find after a bit of wearing it looks a bit limp. I think if it got damp at the beach it might look a bit bedraggled for the rest of the day, whereas a crisper cotton or linen would recover better.

Many thanks @SBAM I will go and get some tomorrow lunchtime. It's a shame they didn't have any brighter fabrics.
But it is all predominantly craft quilting fabric or upholstery fabric :(

Hi everyone, I finished the Beachcomber and I think it went pretty well including the twin needle, I used the tip of maraflex in the bobbin. On to the next one now.

Hi all, my top went a bit wrong at the last hurdle and is now sadly to wonky to be wearable but I learnt a lot while doing it so feeling much more confident about attempt two.
I also got some gorgeous block colour with white print Ikkat fabric from a local importer who brings fabrics from India along with some beautiful 100% lightweight cotton floral fabric. At £3.50 a meter for the Ikkat and £2 a meter for the cotton I'm having a hard time not ordering ridiculous amounts. Quite a dangerous discovery! (disclaimer I am not in the UK, in fact I'm very far from it hence the fabric prices)

I had planned a quilt for the Ikkat but its quite a loose weave so trying to decide if it would work or if it is more suitable to clothing, although I ordered 5x1m pieces in 5 different colours so not sure what clothing I could use it for without ordering more.
The cotton I planned to make some cushion covers and pillow cases, telling myself I am still doing that with it despite the fact it would make a beautiful dress as I can always order some more.

Well done @Frumpyunicorn - glad the maraflex worked for you as well. That was a top tip.

Shame about the top @Allthegoodnamestakken but as you say you learned a lot doing it so onward and upward.

I’m away near Buxton at the moment but we’ve both gone down with hideous colds so the planned activities haven’t happened. I’ve bought the LN Forte top and dress pattern as it was on Feature Friday because I really need to use up some stretch fabrics that have been hanging around. The dress seems to need only 2yds and it looks like the sort of thing I’d wear if I’m unlikely to see another human so I’ll give it a go.

Just 22 days until I head to Corfu and with the exception of another Remy Raglan my sewing is done. I’d like to make an obi belt in black as well but it’s not critical

I was just sent this photo & wanted to share.

there's no way I could do something like this then put it outside to get ruined in the weather!

I admire people who can do things quickly & so well.

Finally managed to scrape some time out of my schedule to get this hoodie finished for my grandson. I couldn’t get the co ordinating plain colour material for the waistband and cuffs ,as it was out of stock , so he chose these out of my stash ( he chose the pattern material too ) . Onward to do some makes for my twin granddaughters now - I managed to get 2 lovely Sarah and Duck panels to use 😊

Very cute, @bookbook

Usually sewing costs me a lot of money but today it actually saved me some. I found some nice curtains in a charity shop but they were too long and eyelets instead of pinchpleat. So I cut them down, took the tape off the old curtains and refused it and I got new curtains for £8!

I love the hoodie @bookbook and well done on all the holiday sewing @jins, at least the remy is a quick sew

I still need to hem one beachcomber and then make mine, but we are not going until the end of May

Very satisfying @Frumpyunicorn !

I've been doing lots of holiday sewing: five tops and three pairs of shorts. Nothing new in terms of patterns.

I very proudly declared myself 'done' until I tried on one of the pairs of shorts to find I had neatly sewn one pocket pointing forwards and one pointing backwards! So I am going to have to unpick a bit of the waistband to redirect the pocket!

I'm currently working on a couple of tops for DM for her birthday: a shirt and a short sleeved top, which can be worn underneath or separately. The shirt is finished. I had a slight wobble when the machine decided to eat the fabric while I was hemming the shirt.

I feel I should love my Pfaff but I don't. It gets grumpy about things and feels a bit temperamental at times. I sew a lot of the same sort of fabric and sometimes the bobbin stitch is fine and sometimes it is very poor.

have not been sewing but have been away for a week and managed to find a fat quarter bundle in some lovely pink fabrics because my daughter wants me to make her - and I can't believe this - a 1950s style pinny. In pink. (she loves the colour but is pretty much a Doc-wearing, black-clothed, punky-goth type)

So that will be fun. 😀

Back home and still full of cold. So disappointed to feel so under the weather on a weekend away. Looks like everyone has been busy and I love the hoodie @bookbook.

I sent the forte file to CLC yesterday morning and an hour later it was marked as dispatched so I’m going to rummage through my stretch fabrics to find something to test the bodice with. I’ve found a tutorial or two for an obi belt so I might sketch that out today.

edit @Brefugee i like the sound of your daughter!

I've cracked and bought the Seasons of East Summer in New York dress. Prepare for extreme stressing as I try and work out how to hide my norks!

That’s a stunning dress @kittykarate but I could only wear it in my dreams. I’m looking forward to seeing it finished.

I found two remnants that would work together for a top pattern I’ve had hanging around but I noticed I had the smaller size pattern and I’m right on the M/L cusp. I really can’t face working out adjustments on a McCalls pattern so it’s gone back into the drawer and I’ll do something else with my remnants